Airtel unveils partnership with Microsoft, TDAfrica on SMEs

Airtel Nigeria, a leading telecommunications services provider, has announced a partnership with Microsoft and tech and solutions distribution giant, TD African to unveil Smartbox office internet bundles.

Airtel’s Director, Business, Ogo Ofomata, said in a statement in Lagos that the partnership was exclusively designed to empower and improve Nigeria’s Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

Ofomata said that the Airtel Office Internet Smartbox bundles provided SMEs with unfettered access to uninterrupted and reliable Internet connectivity, affordable data plans, free business domain.

He said that the other benefits included Microsoft 365 licences, unrivalled Internet speed and complimentary data.

According to him, the Smartbox also comes with a guaranteed minimum speed of 40 Mbps and can accommodate 32 connected devices with a facility to restrict access to select websites.

“With Airtel Office Internet Smartbox offering, we are providing entrepreneurs, founders, and SME owners the most important tool/resource they need to build agile and performing teams, scale their businesses as well as actualise all their goals.

“It is our belief that this offering will help transform the SME landscape in Nigeria.

“TD Africa, Microsoft’s accredited distribution partners will work with Airtel to ensure flawless implementation of the Smartbox package to consumers.

“The partnership will leverage the considerable reach of TD Africa and its massive database of channel partners to take the cutting-edge internet bundles across the nooks and crannies of Nigeria,” she said.

Ofomata, however, lauded Microsoft and TD Africa for collaborating with Airtel to develop a comprehensive value offering.

According to her, the offering will empower small and medium business owners to become more productive, more profitable and more successful, while delivering value to their stakeholders.

Gerald Maithya, Startups and SME Lead, Africa Transformation Office, said that the partnership would enable Microsoft’s Africa Transformation Office to advance its goal of building digital assets and capabilities in African SMEs.

Maithya said that Microsoft believed that empowering SMEs through access to product bundles, tools and resources would positively impact employment and wealth creation, and economic growth on the continent.

He said that with Office Internet Smartbox, users could share files with 1TB Cloud Storage per user.

According to him, the user could host online meetings and video calls for up to 300 people, use the web and mobile versions of office apps such as Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, among others.

He said that the other benefits of using the Airtel Office Internet Smartbox Bundle included a free business domain for one year, three Microsoft 365 Basic Licences, 240GB complimentary data valid for 60 days.

Maithya said that the offer had an additional 10GB daily upon expiration of paid bundle.