GESS Talks to Majed Akl, Director Primary and Secondary Education, Microsoft MEA

1) Can you tell us a little bit about Microsoft?

Now more than ever your students deserve equitable access to technology. To help, Microsoft Education provides schools with solutions, technologies, and education expertise to accelerate opportunities for all learners. Windows 11 devices work with or without an internet connection, protect against online threats, and have inclusive, built-in solutions that help each student achieve their potential.

2) What initiatives are you working on currently?

Learning devices are considered one of today’s primary learning spaces, and they provide unique ways for students to build skills and improve their education. At Microsoft, we design tools for all learners and create applications such as Reading Progress, Reading Coach, and Immersive Reader to support students attain greater reading fluency.

3) What are the benefits for educational institutions using Microsoft products and solutions

Microsoft education delivers one unified platform for teaching, learning and work, for schools to provide an equitable learning environment. Windows 11, Microsoft 365, and Teams combine as the platform for learning that is Inclusively designed, fosters well-being, accelerates learning and develops career readiness.

4) What would you say is the most unique aspect of your products?

Let’s take a moment to examine what an agile, holistic, and interoperable technology ecosystem looks like:

One unified platform of applications and learning tools lights up core education activities—including collaboration, communication, content creation, and creative and critical thinking exercises. Within this platform, Teams serve as the consistent touchpoint whereby students can access their learning materials, classmates, instructors, and institutions all from one centralized location. The face of learning devices, regardless of their make, model, or OS, is Microsoft Teams— the teaching and learning hub that brings the entire ecosystem together before your eyes. The learning tools built into Teams and across Office apps make it possible for learners of all ability levels to participate and thrive.

Innovative devices with accessibility for all. Microsoft Education devices provide a full spectrum of capability for every school. Whether you’re looking for devices that balance value and simplicity, provide versatility and choice, or are the go-to for advanced performance, there is a Windows device that will fit your overall needs, whether these devices will be primarily used by students or teachers.

Finally, the foundation of this experience connects the institution to the ecosystem by leveraging existing SIS and/or LMS as the authoritative user database to seamlessly create digital identities in Azure Active Directory using  School Data Sync. Our foundational services serve as the core programs that keep the ecosystem organized, secure, and easily managed. These applications make sure everyone in the ecosystem has an identity while protecting privacy, keeping out unwanted bad actors, activating email and storage accounts, and allowing devices to be managed with ease.