Microsoft wants to be a stakeholder in Morocco's ICT industry policy
7 December 2009
Read by 10393 persons
MSN Maghreb, specially configured for Maghreb internet users, was officially launched last Tuesday in Skhirat in the presence of Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. Ms. Ebru Çapa, in charge of emerging countries, discusses this launch.
Why was Morocco chosen for the launch of MSN Maghreb?
The choice of Morocco to launch MSN Maghreb is not accidental. We are very active in the Arab region, where we have covered fifteen countries for seven years (MSN Arabia was created in 2001, editor's note). So, for us, the Francophone countries of this region, including Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria, should also be covered by our services, which include providing local internet users with adapted, targeted information thanks to local content provider partners such as your newspaper (Aufait and Rekrute.com are among the service providers).
For this, Morocco represents the core for us, as it is a leader in telecommunications in the region, in addition to having the highest penetration rate in internet usage, skilled human resources, etc.
You also rely on online advertising... But have you considered the limited market of advertisers, particularly in Morocco?
Yes, the advertiser market is still in its infancy, but with our partners including LINKdotNET (a subsidiary of Orascom), we still believe in the great potential of the Maghreb region, especially since there are ten million users, nearly four million in Morocco... And then, it will also depend on the services we offer to advertisers.
Steve Ballmer will meet with the Moroccan Prime Minister. Is there a special Morocco plan for Microsoft, particularly to facilitate and expand internet access to the majority of the population?
As he said himself at the press conference, Microsoft aims to democratize access to Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) throughout Morocco by making our products accessible to schoolchildren, middle school students, and students. He will surely have time to discuss with the Head of the Moroccan government how all this will materialize. But what is certain is that Microsoft is ready to be an integral part of the government's policy in Education, innovation, in short, in the ICT industry in Morocco.
Posted on April 24, 2008
Aufaitmaroc.com
Why was Morocco chosen for the launch of MSN Maghreb?
The choice of Morocco to launch MSN Maghreb is not accidental. We are very active in the Arab region, where we have covered fifteen countries for seven years (MSN Arabia was created in 2001, editor's note). So, for us, the Francophone countries of this region, including Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria, should also be covered by our services, which include providing local internet users with adapted, targeted information thanks to local content provider partners such as your newspaper (Aufait and Rekrute.com are among the service providers).
For this, Morocco represents the core for us, as it is a leader in telecommunications in the region, in addition to having the highest penetration rate in internet usage, skilled human resources, etc.
You also rely on online advertising... But have you considered the limited market of advertisers, particularly in Morocco?
Yes, the advertiser market is still in its infancy, but with our partners including LINKdotNET (a subsidiary of Orascom), we still believe in the great potential of the Maghreb region, especially since there are ten million users, nearly four million in Morocco... And then, it will also depend on the services we offer to advertisers.
Steve Ballmer will meet with the Moroccan Prime Minister. Is there a special Morocco plan for Microsoft, particularly to facilitate and expand internet access to the majority of the population?
As he said himself at the press conference, Microsoft aims to democratize access to Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) throughout Morocco by making our products accessible to schoolchildren, middle school students, and students. He will surely have time to discuss with the Head of the Moroccan government how all this will materialize. But what is certain is that Microsoft is ready to be an integral part of the government's policy in Education, innovation, in short, in the ICT industry in Morocco.
Posted on April 24, 2008
Aufaitmaroc.com
