Technology & IT | Monday 4 May, 2015 7:34 am |

The move to Microsoft’s Azure will support the company’s global expansion and acquisition plans while boosting productivity and service delivery.

Microsoft has signed a strategic deal with Illusions, a Dubai based travel tech firm in which it will support the transfer of the company’s entire business operating platform onto Microsoft’s cloud technology, Azure, an initiative aimed at enhancing productivity and client satisfaction.
The move to Azure will incorporate the existing system on which Illusions operates to provide services to its global network of clients and also help to pave the way for the future growth of the company’s core business, particularly, its rapidly-expanding online travel exchange, i-World Travel eXchange (iWTX).
“Cloud offers great opportunities for our customers and solution partners to provide application and infrastructure capabilities in a dynamic, scalable and secure manner, but more importantly provides a modern platform that helps accelerate innovation and provision off cutting edge capabilities and technologies. Illusions Online have demonstrated and are still showing that this potential is real and available now.” Said Tareq Hijazi, Regional Director, Small and Mid-market Solutions and Partners Group (SMS&P), Microsoft Gulf.
“Our partnership with Microsoft is of strategic significance to the growth and future of the company. We have for many years supported the global travel industry by providing it with an operation platform which has led to a wide customer network. We therefore chose to move to Microsoft’s Azure Platform for its proven reliability and adaptable infrastructure,” said Faisal Memon, Illusion’s Founder and CEO.
“We have major expansion and acquisition plans on a global scale. The deal with Microsoft will certainly fuel these plans and support our future growth.”
Illusions Online is one of the specialized and leading Microsoft partners in the travel industry. Microsoft has enrolled Illusions Online into the Microsoft Azure High Potential (HiPo) program, which includes very few strategic Microsoft Partners and Customers World Wide with big plans and potential in the cloud. Microsoft works closely with the HiPo Partners and Customers, giving them the required business, marketing and technical support, aligning their Cloud Strategies and Roadmaps with Microsoft Azure Strategies and Roadmaps, to define together the future of the cloud.
Illusions is currently migrating all of its technical and hosting infrastructure onto the Microsoft cloud. This involves a phased transition from traditional hosting environments such as an ISP (Internet Service Provider), which rely on physical servers, network connectivity and power, to virtual cloud-based servers that offer unlimited data storage and power.
Microsoft’s Cloud is based in data centres around the world, which will help improve speed and accessibility for Illusions clients regardless of their location. Microsoft servers are operational 24/7, which gives enough time for the IT team at Illusions to focus their energies on other areas to boost productivity of the company.
Azure is the only major cloud platform ranked by Gartner as an industry leader for both infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) and platform-as-a-service (PaaS) and seen 100 per cent year on year growth the past two years. This powerful combination of managed and unmanaged services lets you build, deploy, and manage applications any way you like for unmatched productivity.

About Illusions:
Illusions Online, Super-Smart-Cloud® platform for the Travel Industry, was established in 1997. Our mission statement is to provide, on a global basis, unique products and customised automation solutions & services to the travel industry. We develop industry-leading technology services that deliver end-to-end software solutions to modernize, and automate the complex task of creating, distributing and delivering dynamic and pre-built packaged leisure travel and destination activities.
Read more: www.illusions-online.com

About Microsoft Gulf
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ:'MSFT') is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential. Microsoft Gulf opened its Dubai-based headquarters in 1991. Microsoft Gulf today oversees Microsoft activities in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the UAE. Microsoft Corporation's address on the World Wide Web is: www.microsoft.com Microsoft Middle East's Web site is www.microsoft.com/middle east