Elevate Thai Startups to World Class
with the AIS x Microsoft the Startups
24 Dec 2021

“AIS x Microsoft for Startups” has become another promising and inspiring project to elevate Thailand’s startups scene to a world-class level.

This collaboration between Microsoft Thailand and Advanced Info Service Public Company Limited or AIS, the leader in telecommunication services and digital life, was first officially announced at the “National Digital CTO Forum 2022: Co-creation SaaS Business with 5G and Cloud” business event to expand the capabilities of Thai Startups through easier access to technological resources – including a cloud platform for enterprises and software developers to deploy their work on, plus tools and services like Visual Studio Code, Visual Studio or GitHub that are constantly being updated to make software development easy and simple.

AIS, meanwhile, offers the fastest, strongest and most comprehensive 5G network in Thailand. 5G not only makes the Internet connection faster but is also designed to support new applications such as communicating between large number of sensors in a small space or low latency network connection from anywhere, anytime.

In addition, AIS take a clear stance to stand alongside Startups, namely the Power of Digital Partnerships, which encourages Startups not to work alone, but with Technology platforms, Knowledge and Customer base in both AIS and Singtel group by more than 750 million parties around the world – including partners from various organizations.

With the knowledge, capabilities and resources that “AIS x Microsoft for Startups” has, they are ready to fulfill the potential of IT infrastructure of Startups from the beginning, to move forward effectively in the digital era and be ready to compete in the ever-changing market.

Startups will be facilitated in various areas such as

  • Build businesses on Azure cloud, the most trusted and best infrastructure, with full readiness to connect with the most reliable fiber and 5G networks from AIS.
  • Create an opportunity to sell startup solutions to leading organizations in Thailand by connecting with hundreds of trusted vendors and partner networks from Microsoft and AIS.
  • Help startups easily connect to applications, data, or devices their corporate customers are using with over 150 tools available, such as Microsoft's Azure Logic Apps connector for Salesforce, Microsoft 365, Twitter, Dropbox and other applications that many corporate customers already use regularly, enabling Startups to meet the needs of corporate customers and not waste time connecting disparate components.
  • Access to Thai startups community to connect and learn from other startups – including community developers and engineers from Microsoft for Startups, AIS The Startup and many more independent developers.
  • Microsoft solutions and AIS services make it easier to integrate with customers' systems, while helping to build credibility for startups and build credibility for corporate customers.

The goal of the collaboration between AIS and Microsoft is to create

  • Speed: Speed in working through technology and networks
  • Saving: Cost-effectiveness in the ability to access different platforms and tools for free.
  • Solution: Understanding by Startups in the project to be able to choose different solutions to use for free, help make the workflow more convenient and grows faster.
  • Sales and Marketing: Ability to reach the market and grow quickly.

These values and reliability are why many Thai startups have joined the project. One success story from the initiative is Blockfint Company Limited – a specialist in Fintech, including the use of Blockchain technology in Capital and Money Markets.

Blockfint’s business involves the development of Energy Trading and Financial systems for credit and Authentication systems such as National Digital Identification or NDID.

Initially, Blockfint executives saw an example from some Thai banks that are customers of software companies from Malaysia, which is one of the ASEAN countries that do not need a long history like Europe or America and saw the potential of Thai people as being able to own and export system software businesses without having to rely on foreigners alone.

Therefore established the company, ready to improve the quality of their own products and join the AIS X Microsoft the Startups project to expand the ability to access the convenience of using various tools and access to more partner networks.

Blockfint is a system development company for large businesses that require hardware and depend on the capabilities of the cloud. Through this project, the company is able to connect with Microsoft and make use of Azure, a leading cloud platform in reliability and responsiveness.

AIS also contributed support in the form of various network partners and ICT solution such as facial recognition systems so that Blockfint did not have to develop everything from scratch as AIS has partners that are able to help, and with services from AIS will help reduce costs.

Blockfint sees that Thai startups have an ecosystem full of talented people in one way or another. The advancement of the Startup business actually requires personnel who are good in different fields to develop together, which AIS can gather for us because of many partners, to expand and create competition more easily.

AIS is therefore like a consultant and a repository of knowledge to enable Thai startups to develop internationally. For the development of Thai startups to compete in the world market, it’s necessary to rely on the presence of an IT infrastructure and work processes that are good, convenient and easily accessible because it’s the beginning of laying the foundation of sustainable business, and to take it to the next level, the technology also plays an important role in building a network of partners and delivering solutions. So it’s no surprise that partnering with AIS X Microsoft for Startups help creates more business opportunities for startups.

For those who are interested in joining the "AIS x Microsoft for Startups" project, want to be prepared, increase competitiveness and enhance business operations, follow the latest updates from at AIS The StartUp at www.ais.co.th/thestartup or reach out to us on Facebook at AIS The Startup.

Article by
AIS The StartUp