Singer-Microsoft tie-up celebrates first year of success

Thursday, 24 March 2011 00:54 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The partnership between Microsoft Sri Lanka, the leading IT giant in the country, and Singer Sri Lanka, a major player in the PC market, has forged ahead with successes on many fronts in the last year.

The two major companies came together last year to form a ground-breaking partnership, with Microsoft appointing Singer as a ‘Named Account’. This step has spurred the PC sales of Singer, the lead retail conglomerate in the country.

As a Named Account, Singer Sri Lanka stepped into the same arena as the larger multinationals that enjoy the benefits of the status of a ‘Named Account’. Singer’s purchasing engagement too is similar in many ways to that of multinational PC manufacturers, and Microsoft has equal business terms for all accounts in this league.

Through this partnership, Singer has transacted directly with Microsoft to purchase licenses to attach to their machines, and has streamlined the company’s software purchase and licensing requirements.

Asoka Peiris, Chief Executive Officer of Singer Sri Lanka, said: “For 130 years, Singer has continued to provide quality products and impeccable support to its customers. One of our main goals has been to continue to move with the times and create new opportunities for Singer, and we believe that this partnership with Microsoft Sri Lanka has been a step in the right direction. We also believe that this relationship between these two giant conglomerates has benefited both companies immensely, and we are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead. We hope to expand this partnership in order to increase Singer’s reach globally, and we are thankful that Microsoft has given us the opportunity for us to do so.”

Vajira Tennakoon, Singer’s Brand Group Manager for Digital Media, stated: “We have been working closely with Microsoft for the past four years and this last year has been especially productive, as it has helped us grow as a company. With the support of Microsoft we have advanced to a point where we could launch our new ‘X Series’ notebook at a level on par with the notebooks in the international market. Microsoft has given us a technical edge in the local market. The support Microsoft offered was imperative in reaching this competitive level, and we can look forward to seeing our relationship with Microsoft growing from strength to strength in the years to come.”

Singer Sri Lanka has now set the benchmark for other local companies, by proving that the country’s best companies can compete with the world, and thus become major contenders in winning over more consumers at a global level.

Nasser Majeed, Marketing Director of Singer, added: “The success shown by Singer in the last year underlined the fact that Sri Lankan companies can compete at the highest level, and achieve world class standards and global recognition. This is yet another step for Singer, as we strive to maintain continuous improvement and provide high-quality products to our customers.”