Part 2. Guess where the Microsoft Bizspark Conference is this year?

Who would have thought it. I am in the capital city of a country that wants to build their own independent cloud that is not dependent on US technology. Welcome to Paris, France and the Microsoft BizSpark European Summit on growth and entrepreneurship.

Some thoughts from the Cloud Computing Panel

Ivan Farneti – Cloud computing is an absolute no-brainer. We wouldn’t invest in a start up that was not cloud-based at the outset. Companies don’t have the luxury of long development times these days. Start ups are the perfect early adopters for these new waves of technology.

Oops. The panel is over. Cut short for hear Jean-Phillipe Courtois, President, Microsoft International.

• Microsoft is about platforms.
• Microsoft loves entrepreneurs and wants to support them.
• Innovation is the way you bring entrepreneurs to market.
• 90% of the 40,000 developers at Microsoft work on cloud (I wonder how Microsoft defines ‘Cloud’?).
• 30,000 startups in Bizspark programme. (This is the most obvious manifestation of commitment to entrepreneurialism to me).

Despite some of the inevitable corporate stuff, Jean-Phillipe actually comes across as very empathetic towards entrepreneurs. Our Mission: Help people and businesses throughout the world realise their full potential. He genuinely seems to want to connect with people and guide them towards the right resources (is he after Bindi’s job?) Always good when a busy guy gives out his email address – jeanc@microsoft.com The other person at MS who does this is Steve Ballmer.

Time for luncheon.

Growing? Check out: http://growthforum2010.thebln.com/