Microsoft NZ to bury Google for Work with price reduction

Microsoft New Zealand is launching a competitive campaign next week offering Kiwi small and medium businesses using Google Apps for Work a $25 per-user rebate if they purchase Office 365 before 30 April 2015 and switch before 31 May.

Frazer Scott, director of marketing and operations for Microsoft New Zealand, acknowledges that this is an aggressive campaign for Microsoft, but says Office 365 is a superior product that truly makes business better.

"New Zealand SMBs are leading the world in the adoption of Office 365. This is reflective of how Microsoft has worked consistently in helping Kiwi small businesses move to the cloud to experience enterprise-grade tools and benefit from substantial cost savings," he says.

Microsoft has been making heavy traction in the cloud business recently, opening a cloud data center in Australia, as well as a deal with Auckland University of Technology that sees all AUT students given access to Office 365.

"Through this offer we are making it easier for Kiwi businesses to access tools to help them get more done anytime, anywhere.

Scott says that the campaign aims to empower Microsoft partners with an attractive offer for their customers of a further 20% discount on Office 365 when they buy through an Open Licensing Partner or Vodafone New Zealand.

"Microsoft values its New Zealand partners highly and we see this strong competitive campaign as a very healthy thing for cloud affordability, which is great for both our partners and our customers," says Scott.

"In New Zealand, SMBs account for 97% of businesses and with cloud becoming increasingly affordable, it allows them to spend less time thinking about IT and more time focusing on what really matters, their customers, their staff – their business.