Microsoft Virtual Academy: Free online training for IT pros and developers

• 200 courses across 15 different technologies and in 11 different languages
• Tied in with MyProCert, MDeC’s programme aimed at up-skilling IT pros

MICROSOFT Malaysia has launched the Microsoft Virtual Academy (MVA), in collaboration with its partners and national ICT custodian the Multimedia Development Corporation, which will offer online Microsoft training.
 
The training will be delivered by experts to help technologists continually learn, with hundreds of courses, in 11 different languages, Microsoft Malaysia said in a statement.
 
The MVA is free of charge, and the entire service is hosted on Windows Azure, the company’s Platform as a Service (PaaS) offering.
 
Microsoft Malaysia managing director Carlos Lacerda (pic) said that it was imperative for the company to continue to work together with IT professionals as they were the backbone of technology companies.
 
“We believe that technology – encountered through devices and services like cloud computing – empowers individuals and businesses with the tools needed to be efficient and productive for the activities they value most.
 
“The key to this are the often unseen, underrated and unsung ‘IT heroes’ – professionals and developers who often provide the backbone to enable IT for their users,” he said at the launch of MVA at Microsoft’s Tech.Days event, an annual gathering of software developers.
 
According to Tim Park, platform strategy director at Microsoft Corporation, developers and IT professionals would be able to enhance their technical skills with more than 200 courses across 15 different technologies, including Windows Server 2012, Windows 8, HTML5, C# App Development, and other Microsoft technologies.
 
“We’re offering this free continual learning opportunity because … we believe that IT professionals play an important role not just for their respective companies, but also as an IT enabler for their customers,” he said.
 
The MVA not only provides hundreds of comprehensive courses on Microsoft technologies, it is a path towards becoming an ‘IT Hero,’ providing certification and recognition for IT skills through the partnership with MDeC, Microsoft Malaysia said.
 
“We’re proud to work together with Microsoft because we believe this partnership serves to develop high-value, knowledge-driven human capital with 21st century skills that are practical and relevant to the local economy and industry needs,” said Muhammad Imran Kunalan Abdullah (pic), head of the Talent Division at MDeC.
 
“Microsoft provides the professional courses and we provide funding for working professionals aspiring to acquire professional certification in the ICT industry, through our MyProCert programme,” he added.
 
MyProCert is a one-stop programme aimed at up-skilling of Malaysian professionals in efforts to support the Government’s Economic Transformation Programme (ETP), which aims to transform Malaysia into a high-income nation by 2020.
 
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