Microsoft Gulf has formed its regional consumer channels group (CCG), which will consist of the company’s retail, original equipment manufacturers, distribution and communications sector channel teams.

This will create new business opportunities and deliver consumer experiences through Windows, Windows Phone, Xbox and Office for the first time having been previously not available in the region, a statement said.

The formation of CCG will see Microsoft Gulf expand its range of lifestyle and personal computing products to customers by offering its complete range of merchandise in the stores of Sharaf DG, one of Microsoft Gulf’s value-added partners in the region, across the UAE.

“The formation of the CCG will enable us to further strengthen our relationship with Sharaf DG, which has been one of our valued partners since 2007,” said Samer Abu-Ltaif, regional general manager, Microsoft Gulf.

“Windows 7, Office 2010, and Xbox 360 have grown to become leaders in their categories in stores, and we look forward to further to future collaborations that will allow us to contribute to Sharaf DG’s growth in sales in the region," he added.

One of Microsoft’s products that has been key in driving sales in the region is the Kinect for Xbox 360, the controller-free gaming system.

Microsoft also launched Kinect for Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) from Microsoft Research, a free beta release for non-commercial applications designed to create experiences, such as depth sensing, human motion tracking, and voice and object recognition using Kinect technology on Windows 7.

“Since its arrival late last year, Kinect for Xbox 360 has generated an unprecedented amount of interest, and it is the leading console in its category,” said Nilesh Khalkho, CEO, Sharaf DG.

“With additional titles being released soon, and with Microsoft increasing the variety of applications in which the Kinect can be used, we expect the demand for the Kinect and Xbox 360 gaming platform to continue to grow this year,” he added. – TradeArabia News Service