By : Bakinam Khaled
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) is cooperating with Microsoft to integrate its advanced interactive 3D Microsoft Mesh Avatar to support innovation, sustainability and digital transformation at DEWA. Through this step, DEWA aspires to facilitate and strengthen cooperation among employees by enabling flexible and easy interaction and facilitated 3D communication through video meetings.
The employees can choose the avatars to represent them in virtual meetings.
HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA, highlighted that the continuous cooperation between DEWA and Microsoft contributes to expanding the horizons of innovation and leadership, and supports relentless efforts aimed at harnessing the latest technologies to achieve sustainable development and reach carbon neutrality by 2050, and ensure a greener and more sustainable future for generations to come.
“We continue to consolidate partnerships and cooperation with major local and international companies and institutions, to enhance Dubai’s position as a global hub for adopting innovative ideas and the best advanced technical solutions and anticipating and designing future models in various fields of work.
This is in accordance with DEWA’s vision to become a globally leading sustainable innovative corporation committed to achieving Net-Zero by 2050, and in line with the Dubai 10X initiative launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, which mandates the Government of Dubai supports Dubai’s progress to lead the way to the future.
We spare no effort to consolidate our global competitiveness to develop future business models that enhance the digital economy and provide sustainable solutions to current and future challenges, and ensure extraordinary, seamless and flexible experiences for employees, customers and all stakeholders.
This supports DEWA’s position as one of the most innovative utilities worldwide and our efforts to disrupt the business model of public utilities through Digital DEWA, our digital arm, and becoming the world’s first digital utility to use autonomous systems for renewable energy and storage; and expanding the use of digital services,” added Al Tayer.
“A day of hybrid meetings can be exhausting. According to our research, video usage is highly correlated to meeting participation, inclusiveness, and effectiveness. However, only around 30% of participants meet with their video on.
Avatars for Microsoft Teams offer an alternative to the current binary option of video/ no video, enabling meeting participants to be more present and engaged in meetings. We applaud DEWA for their efforts to create an inclusive and productive workforce and look forward to more projects together,” said Tareq Hijazi, Public Sector Director at Microsoft UAE.
Earlier this year, DEWA enriched its services with ChatGPT technology supported by Microsoft. This made DEWA the first utilities globally and the first UAE government entities to use this new technology.
