#Covid-19: Airtel Uganda and Avaya Partner To Enable Remote Work And Learning

Airtel Uganda has partnered with Avaya to enable organizations in the country to implement remote working and learning initiatives. This is in response to Ugandan government’s decision to limit access to offices, and schools and universities to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Through the partnership, Avaya will offer organizations in Uganda full-feature access to its flagship collaboration app, Avaya Spaces, on a complimentary basis, through Airtel Uganda. Avaya Spaces is a cloud meeting and team collaboration solution that goes beyond integrating chat, voice, video, online meetings and content sharing. 

“We fully support the range of measures being taken by the government to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. At the same time, we understand the challenges that these measures bring to the delivery of services and education. Our partnership with Avaya supports key sectors by enabling organizations to maintain the safety of workers, students and customers as their top priority, while ensuring minimum disruption to everyday business,” said Airtel Uganda Managing Director, V.G Somasekhar.

“We have invested in building out the country’s most advanced telecommunications network as an enabler of business continuity. Today, this investment will support the continued delivery of services and ensure that the economy continues developing, regardless of a lack of physical offices or classrooms.”

Avaya Spaces works on all Android and iOS smart devices and can also be securely accessed on personal computers and laptops via Chrome or Firefox browsers. With obvious use cases for schools, it enables teachers and administrative staff to reliably communicate with parents, students and each other to minimize learning disruption amid the school closure. 

Using the app, students will be able to participate in virtual classrooms from any location, with the ability to download study materials and send assignments to teachers electronically. 

Businesses too will benefit from the new offering, as the app allows employees to hold virtual meetings, share documents and manage tasks, and establish dedicated digital forums where teams can engage non-stop on specific projects. 

Since January, Avaya says it has seen an increase of more than 3,000% in video collaboration traffic on the Avaya Spaces platform. The company says universities, schools and other organizations worldwide have engaged its platform to gain the connectivity and collaboration capabilities Avaya Spaces provides as they address the challenges of COVID-19 pandemic. 

Businesses have also moved online with Avaya Spaces, using the app to conduct virtual events, launch magazines, keep teams engaged, and enable business continuity. 

“As the COVID-19 crisis has developed, we have reacted quickly and decisively in providing  collaboration technology on a complimentary basis to help those most affected. We are proud to be able to do the same in Uganda in partnership with Airtel Uganda, which is has shown its commitment to social obligations. Together, we aim to help Ugandan organizations minimize the disruption caused by COVID-19 and begin building a brighter future,” said Fadi Hani, Vice President – Middle East, Turkey & Africa, Avaya. 

Airtel Uganda also recently announced reaching a milestone of 2,000 network masts across the country. With the availability of this countrywide 4G LTE connectivity, students and teachers can access the app seamlessly.

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