Australia's most experienced Surface company achieves highest Surface partnership status

SYDNEY, 9 February, 2010: Object Consulting, one of Australia's leading enterprise applications companies, today announces it has been appointed Microsoft Surface Strategic Partner, Microsoft's highest global status for partners who offer dynamic applications, solutions, or service offerings for the Microsoft Surface platform. The appointment reflects Object's involvement in Australia's first Surface implementation and its broader investment in developing Surface expertise. 

Object is one of the world's first companies to achieve Strategic Partnership status, the highest of three levels available to companies working with Surface. To date, there are fewer than 20 Strategic Partners worldwide.

The Strategic Partnership agreement reflects Object's status as Australia's most experienced Surface partner – having managed internal Surface developments as well as Australia's  first public-facing Surface implementation, in which Object worked closely with the client and its design agency to build applications for two Surface tables that were unveiled to the public in January.

Object's Surface implementations and proto-types have been designed to encourage users to interact with the table's 360 ⁰ interface. This includes a game that encourages users to collaborate and experiment using natural hand gestures and real-world objects to interact with the virtual world on the table.

Object has also purchased two Surface computing tables, one installed in Melbourne and one for Sydney, which will be used  as training and development tools.

Object's Microsoft Technology Strategist, Chris Seymour, is leading Object's Surface IP development. "Developing Australia's first live Surface implementation was a significant achievement for Object, so I am delighted that Microsoft has recognised our expertise in this project – and our wider investment in developing Surface capabilities over the past year," Seymour comments.

"Surface has the potential to be a game-changing technology for banking, retail, hospitality, education and a number of other sectors. With the right content, Surface has a compelling ability to engage users – even late technology adopters – and so presents the opportunity to open up a world of new IT applications."

Additionally, says Seymour, the Strategic Partnership further strengthens the close relationship between Object Consulting and Microsoft.

"In line with Object's commitment to building deep expertise and close partnerships with the world's leading technology vendors, we have invested significant resources in the Microsoft stack, and are delighted that Microsoft views this as a reciprocal investment," he says.

As part of its Strategic Partnership status, Object commits to providing high quality Surface solutions and services for key industries, as well as a higher level of business engagement on the Surface platform.  Object gains a number of benefits including Partner Management and entree to the Microsoft Partner Advisory Council.

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About Object Consulting
Object Consulting delivers high quality, leading edge enterprise business solutions through the innovative use of component technologies.

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For additional information, please contact:
Tracy Pendergast, Pentica PR: 0411 034 868 or via e-mail tracy@pentica.com.au on behalf of Object Consulting Pty Ltd