Yerevan, October 6 /Mediamax/. Armenian mobile operator VivaCell and Microsoft Corp. signed a new Business Agreement (BA) and Enterprise Agreement (EA) to work together in Armenia.

These are the first such agreements to be signed between Microsoft and a private company in Armenia, since the Microsoft Armenia office was opened in May 2006, Mediamax reports.

By entering into an EA with Microsoft, VivaCell will benefit from volume pricing on Microsoft products based on a three-year agreement term. VivaCell will receive technical support, simplified license management, and maintenance benefits from Microsoft as well as the opportunity to have its staff continuously trained on using the latest technologies from Microsoft.

“We are excited to be working with VivaCell in Armenia,” said Vahe Torossian, Vice President of Microsoft Central and Eastern Europe. “Microsoft opened our Yerevan office in May 2006, so I’m very pleased that five months later we have signed our first Enterprise Agreement which reinforces our decision to invest in Armenia and helps to accelerate the development of a strong local IT industry. Our desire to help organizations realize their potential is the foundation of our continuing commitment to provide our customers and partners with integrated innovation - and great business value - in the products and services we sell.”

“VivaCell believes in the importance of standardizing IT across the enterprise and that entering into a three-year agreement with Microsoft will enhance the company’s business success. VivaCell’s decision to formalize its business relationship with Microsoft through the Enterprise Agreement was also due to VivaCell’s corporate policy of respecting Intellectual Property Rights and obeying the spirit and the letter of the law. VivaCell is committed to conducting its business operations in accordance with these basic principles, said Ralph Yirikian, General Manager of VivaCell. By standardizing IT across the enterprise to ensure compliance with such policy and purchasing genuine Microsoft software that is reliable and appropriately supported, VivaCell is protecting itself against pirated products and reduces the business risk related to security and safety issues that pirated software is known to bring.”