Microsoft Turkey started its marathon in 1993 with six people towards the vision of “Turkey Develops Further with IT Technologies”. Today, it continues to run this demanding journey with almost 300 employees. Microsoft Turkey, also the center of Microsoft MEA (Middle East and Africa) composed of 79 countries, makes important contributions to the nation’s productivity and employment with an ecosystem comprised of 7,000 business partners.
According to a global research conducted by IDC (International Data Corporation) in 2007, Microsoft Turkey is providing TRY 13.53 local-value-add-based turnover to its business partners per TRY 1 turnover that it creates in the country. Meanwhile, approximately 99,000 people in Turkey are employed in businesses related to Microsoft technologies.
Microsoft Turkey is in a special position with its activities observed by Microsoft at a global scale. Following a visit by Microsoft Corporation’s Chairman Bill Gates in 2006, Microsoft Turkey was observed as one of the five national offices with the biggest potential in the world in 2007.
Again in 2007, an important message was communicated via several ads in various important countries such as Israel, Russia, Spain, India, Germany, France and the USA. The message “Microsoft Loves and Believes in Turkey and Turkey Loves and Believes in Microsoft” was created by the Investment Support and Promotion Agency of Turkey (ISPAT) and with the direct signature of Jean-Philippe Courtois, Senior Vice President of Microsoft Corporation. Consequently, investors were invited to Turkey.
Microsoft Turkey provides all-inclusive solutions to companies at a corporate level, which increase their productivity and capacity in the competitive environment through IT technologies. It strives to ensure widespread use of IT technologies in Small and Medium size Enterprises (SMEs) and contributes to the strengthening of these SMEs in EU adaptation process.
Microsoft Turkey started its efforts in bringing EUGA (European Union Grants Advisor) program to Turkey. EUGA program was created as part of the Lisbon Agenda in 2000 by the European Union. The objective of EUGA was to make sure that SMEs have a better understanding of funds that were allocated to make sure that Europe is a knowledge-based community.
Microsoft was one of the “top ten companies to work with” in 2006 with its successful programs in human resources. It was cited as “The Best Workplace” in Turkey and in the region based on the Hewitt research. Microsoft EMEA and Corporation Human Resources Directors visited Turkey office and observed several activities as the “Best Practice” in order to show them as examples for other Microsoft offices in other countries.
Today Microsoft Turkey is among the “Best Companies” as selected by Capital Magazine along with several other publications, in terms of its human resources applications.
With its presence in the social responsibility arena, Microsoft Turkey contributes to important projects as a successful corporate citizen of our country. Within this framework, it makes an utmost effort in increasing computer access and making sure that the entire society can benefit from the advantages of IT technologies.
Microsoft Turkey contributes to the quality of life and education level and the competitive capacity in international market of Turkey with its activities promoting and encouraging computer usage. It aims to provide IT education to 100,000 young people within the scope of project entitled “Those Who Know Teaching Computers to Those Who Do Not”, a collaboration with the United Nations Development Program and Youth Association for Habitat (YfH).
Microsoft Turkey also runs a comprehensive program with the Ministry of National Education (MEB) in order to increase computer literacy for thousands of teachers as part of the Innovative Teacher Project. Under the project, still more than 550,000 teachers are registered in MEB database.
Microsoft Turkey works towards the development of local IT economy: Microsoft Innovation Center, which was founded in 2009 by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, has a very special position among the 60 similar centers worldwide. “Game Development Incubation Center” within Microsoft Innovation Center creates incentives for development of software projects across the globe.
Within the framework and vision of “Turkey Develops Further with IT Technologies”, Microsoft Turkey is committed to meeting the responsibilities of a corporate citizen, therefore it has completed various projects with objectives such as ensuring increased and widespread computer usage, bridging the “digital divide” which is a reflection of the differences in development levels of countries in IT world, ensuring equal opportunity to all citizens, and making sure that SMEs utilize technological opportunities to ensure more efficient resource management and competition.