Microsoft Innovation Center Armenia is looking for Technical Coordinator for its coding boot-camp programs under the EU-funded project. The incumbent will be involved in the entire life cycle of boot-camp development and implementation process. Coding boot-camp is a technical training program, powered with real life projects that teaches trainees parts of programming with the biggest impact and relevance to current market needs. It enables students with very little coding proficiency to focus on the most important aspects of coding and immediately apply their new coding skills to solve real-world problems. The job is a mixture of a trainer and software developer position.

Microsoft Innovation Center Armenia is looking for a motivated candidate to fill in the position of Sales Agent. The incumbent will support 2-4 IT companies, operating in Shirak marz to establish communication with new partners abroad and attract outsourcing contracts. He/She will work with the management of IT companies (both online and via regular in-person meetings), understand their tech stack, get familiar with current partners, identify new ones, establish, run initial communications with them and after certain developments hand-over the communication to the technical team of local companies. The incumbent will be the front of the company and will have the dedication to create and apply an effective sales strategy.

Within the framework of the 'Boosting Technological Developments in Shirak marz' project Microsoft Innovation Center Armenia and Gyumri Information Technologies Center announce the grant opportunity for project partner IT companies. The goal of the grant opportunity is to assist IT companies, operating in Shirak marz with expansion of their activities and recruitment of new specialists, in particular junior developers.

Only five years ago one can hardly imagine that Gyumri may become a technological hub, hosting various IT companies, funded by people from Gyumri. Even ten years ago very few people were informed of programming and IT sphere in general. Karen Gasparyan is one of the locals, who learnt coding in Gyumri in that period, but because of the lack of employment opportunities had to move to Yerevan. ‘After working for a number of companies and gaining extensive experience, I thought about continuing my career in my hometown and decided to return to Gyumri. I think that one should move to another city for work only when there is no single prospective in his hometown, that was the reason why I moved to Yerevan,’ mentions Karen․

Microsoft Innovation Center Armenia is looking for Training Manager to work within the framework of the project ‘Boosting Technological Developments in Shirak marz,’ funded by the European Union and RA Ministry of Territorial Administration and Development. The incumbent will undertake the responsibility for the capacity building component, targeted at unemployed youth and IT companies, operating in Shirak marz.

Microsoft Innovation Center Armenia is looking for a Python Trainer. We initiate various targeted projects and activities, which include training programs aimed at development of qualified workforce.

Counting chicken after they hatched Every year when we make reflections on global changes and trends of the IT sphere, we try to understand how we’ve responded during the year and contributed to the development of IT ecosystem in Armenia and what results we have achieved. The quick glance at the basic statics of the field shows that the IT ecosystem in Armenia is rapidly growing, involving more and more local and international players. The vast majority of them are mostly focused on outsourcing services of high quality IT products. Few startups continue to develop their own products. Both of these parties have one problem in common and that is the lack of high quality, committed developers at junior, middle and senior levels. If in case of middle and senior levels, companies usually develop them internally or headhunt, the requirements of junior developers are very simple: good logic plus knowledge of mathematics and basic working skills.

You want to participate in the Telecommunications Hackathon, organized in partnership with the innovative telecommunications operator Beeline Armenia but do not know what solution to develop. We present a few problems, existing in telecommunications, for which you can develop innovative solutions:

Innovation and modern technologies can make a difference in addressing urgent developmental challenges in all spheres of economy. Telecommunications is a fast-paced and competitive environment, driven by high customer expectations and a constant demand for new and improved services. Microsoft Innovation Center Armenia in partnership with Beeline Armenia, as one of the innovative telecommunications operators in Armenia organizes the second Telecommunications Hackathon to promote the development of digital and innovative solutions to issues in Telecommunications.

Microsoft Innovation Center Armenia in partnership with VivaCell-MTS organized the local stage of international “Seedstars” competition at the Innovative Solutions and Technologies Center. 11 startups selected out of 70 applications pitched their products to the jury, consisting of international and local experts. The jury members evaluated their products in accordance with a number of criteria: team, current state, scaleability, added value etc. By the decision of the jury Chessify will represent Armenia at the international stage of the “Seedstars World” in Switzerland. The product of the startup currently has more than 100,000 downloads.

Հայկական ստարտափային էկոհամակարգի հանդեպ հետաքրքրությունը մեծ է Եվրոպայում և ԱՄՆ-ում։ Բազմաթիվ աքսելերացիոն ծրագրեր և ներդրողներ հետաքրքրված են հայաստանյան թիմերով և տարբեր միջոցառումների ընթացքում փորձում են ծանոթանալ նրանց պրոդուկտներին։ Հունիսի 27-ին Մայքրոսոֆթ ինովացիոն կենտրոնում կայացավ զարգացման սկզբնական փուլում գտնվող ստարտափերի համար նախատեսված «Investor and mentorship day» միջոցառումը։ Եվրոպական հայտնի Startup Wise Guys աքսելերատորի հիմնադիրները, ֆրանսիական Startdoon ներդրումային նախաձեռնության հիմնադիրները և հայկական ստարտափերում ներդրումներ կատարող smartgate.vc վենչուրային հիմնադրամի ներկայացուցիչները մի ամբողջ օր անհատական հանդիպումների ձևաչափով (office hours) աշխատեցին ընտրված 13 ստարտափերի հետ, որոնք ներկայացնում էին ինչպես B2B, այնպես էլ B2C լուծումներ։

Microsoft Innovation Center Armenia in partnership with Startup Armenia Foundation and GlobalAM organize Campathon (Hackathon in Startup tent camp) during Sevan Startup Summit on July 27-28. If you are a team of 2-4 people and have software engineers in your team, and are ready to pack your laptop and join the Sevan Startup Summit, then this is the coolest event for you to attend. Campathon will be a 24-hour coding event for Sevan Startup Summit attendees. Selected teams will develop prototype versions of different software solutions within 24 hours.

What is React JS? React is a JavaScript library for building user interfaces, created and open-sourced by Facebook. The architecture of other JS frameworks is based on the MVC pattern, which largely focuses on separating the application logic from the view. Instead of completely separating the application logic from the view, React couples the logic and view into one file, using something called the component-based architecture, which allows the composition of these components.

Analysts predict a need for 1.5 million data scientists & analysts by 2018. Do not waste your time and start your career in data science with the Microsoft Professional Program. Microsoft Innovation Center Armenia will give a fantastic opportunity to all the selected students to have FREE access to the Microsoft Professional Program Certificate in Data Science, developed by Microsoft and Columbia University.

Microsoft Innovation Center Armenia is looking for Technical Coordinator for its coding boot-camp programs, which are being carried out with the largest IT companies in Armenia. The incumbent will be involved in the entire life cycle of boot-camp development and implementation process. MIC Armenia’s coding boot-camp is a technical training program, powered with real life projects that teaches trainees parts of programming with the biggest impact and relevance to current market needs. It enables students with very little coding proficiency to focus on the most important aspects of coding and immediately apply their new coding skills to solve real-world problems. The job is a mixture of a trainer and software developer position.

I just came back from the army service and started my Master's degree at the Polytechnic University. One day I heard that Microsoft innovation Center starts a new project and will prepare specialists, who will later develop various technological solutions within teams. I decided to take my chance and applied. To tell the truth, I didn't think that I would be selected. I passed the test, then the interview and started attending the intensive courses.

In September, 2016 when we were launching a new course 'UI/UX design', nobody could imagine that some of the participants will be able to find job right after the course. Susanna Ghazaryan was one of the participants, who has graduated from the Agricultural Academy and has not worked for 8-9 years. «I came to the information session and asked Tigran, the lecturer whether it is ok that we do not know Photoshop or Illustrator.Will I be able to become a UI/UX designer and he answered that if you were goal-oriented and taste, you would have no problems.

Մի քանի օրից մեր ուսանող Համլետը կզորակոչվի հայկական բանակ, սակայն ծրագրավորումից շատ հեռու չի լինի։ Մասնակցելով Պաշտպանության նախարարության կողմից հայտարարված մրցույթին Համլետը, օգտագործելով Մայքրոսոֆթ ինովացիոն կենտրոնում ստացած գիտելիքները, գրեց մի ծրագիր որը հաշվարկում էր տվյալները, լուծում հրետանու հետ կապված հաշվարկային խնդիրները, նաև կոդավորում տվյալները: Մրցույթին մասնակցում էին բավականին շատ մասնակիցներ, շատ բարդ ընտրություն էր սպասվում, դիմորդների հետ հարցազրույցներ էին անցնակացրել 3 խմբերից կազմված ժյուրիներ։ Ընտրվեցին լավագույն 10 մասնակիցները, որոնց շարքում 4-րդն էր մեր ուսանող Համլետը, ով բանակային ծառայության ժամանակ կզբաղվի իր սիրելի մասնագիտությամբ, որը սովորեց 1 տարվա ընթացքում։

Any visitor of our center has met Hayk Harutyunyan, one of our favorite students, who more lives at our center than just studies. If good mood, he even sometimes surprises us with his beat swings. In addition to learning, now he started working as a developer. If we look at his learning path, we can identify a few benchmarks:

How and when did Bill Gates and Steve Jobs learn programming, the whole world knows. Nut how Armenian schoolchildren learn programming, is known only to those 300 children who participated in the Hour of Code, initiated by Microsoft Innovation Center Armenia and Ayb School on December 18. During a few hours the participants learnt the programming logic and started enjoying the coding process. It was a picture to see how enthusiastically children of various ages consult with their mentor and after receiving instructions find solutions. It is worth to mention that the best programmers of Armenian leading IT companies were consulting in the role of mentors, sharing their knowledge with great enthusiasm and encouraging the students try again until they reach their final goal. Without our dedicated mentors the event would not be as successful and efficient as it is.

For the first time Gyumri, the second biggest city of Armenia hosted Hour of Code initiative, organized by Microsoft Innovation Center Armenia and Gyumri Technology Center. On December 7 more than 150 schoolchildren of various grades come together to learn coding through SoloLearn application, which has developed a specific lesson plan for Hour of Code. Programming is still new to schoolchildren and the enthusiasm and energy of the Hour of Code inspired not all participants but also the Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan to try learning coding. He wrote his first CSS code and felt the victory of writing a code which went live. He was excited to see that tech education is getting more and more popular in Gyumri and expressed his willingness to support this mood spreading in every corner of Armenia.

Microsoft Innovation Center Armenia (MIC Armenia) and Ayb School are organizing the third Hour of Code event on December 18 at Ayb High School. The event organized already for the 3rd time in Armenia aims to teach a variety of programming languages, develop logic, creativity, and problem solving skills. And all of this can be learned through games in just a few hours.

What's unique regarding the coding bootcamp program with BetConstruct?

UpStart, the startup pitching competition, organized by INIT and MIC Armenia has brought new drive and culture to the IT startup community in Armenia. The organizers aimed at connecting Armenian startups with investors and partners. Within the past few weeks the buzz of fair competition, innovation and team work was in the air of all Armenian startups. More than 80 teams filled out the application, hoping to receive the pitching invitation email, which could open many investment windows for them. The invitation letter appeared in the inbox of only 16 promising startups, which represent various fields: healthtech, fintech, shared economy, ed-tech, AR/VR, enterprise SaaS, tourism etc. They passed two-day pitching and fundraising booth-camp in MIC Armenia and learnt how to present their produce and attract investments. The battle of ideas took place on October 29 at Marriott Armenia hotel (Tigran Mets hall) during the UpStart on-stage battle. There were 300+ guests, which included 50+ businessmen and investors, representatives from ABRT Russian VC, AXLR French VC, guests from large Armenian IT companies, representatives of finance and banking, medical fields, educational institutions and universities, etc.

Every startup regardless its development stage is looking for funding, whether it is from investors, venture capitalists or his/her favorite uncle because one understands that if they run out of money, their startup dies. So the startup development is like a stairway to heaven. The stairway is not smooth and is full of ups and downs. Sometimes we need to lose small battles in order to win the war. Small battles are pitching opportunities, and such opportunity for Armenian startups is UpStart startup pitching competition. More than 80 startups started the war, 30 passed the first round of selection, but only 16 startups won the first battle. They have got selected after pre-screening of applications and one-on-one interviews with organizers.

Armen Barkhudaryan started learning programming from zero at our center and passed the following courses: Programming Fundamentals for Beginners, C#/Level 1, C#/OOP and coding bootcamp program. Armen currently works at Intel-Soll company as a developer.

More than 75 applications have been submitted for the Upstart competition, open to startups which offer innovative solutions. Upstart is a joint initiative of the Institute of Innovative Technology and Microsoft Innovation Center Armenia to support start-up companies that are at the development stage and need investments of up to $250 thousand.

On October 1, 2016 Microsoft Innovation Center Armenia together with Beeline Armenia organized the first telecommunications-related Hackathon in Armenia, which attracted a lot of interest and created healthy buzz among developers and non-developers. More than 30 teams have submitted their applications, and the initial screening has identified the eligible 17 teams, which participated in 12-hour Hackathon and developed the prototypes of innovative solutions to various problems of telecommunications.

On September 29, 2016 an online talk was organized with the tech lead of Facebook Messenger’s Growth team Zorayr Khalapyan at Microsoft Innovation Center Armenia. The talk was organized within scopes of HyeTech Talks. The talk gathered more than 80 developers, entrepreneurs, marketers, interested in this topic, who made an online connection to Zorayr, located in Silicon Valley. Zorayr marveled at learning engineering fundamentals and building things, and that path took him through classes at Stanford, Harvard, winning first at a national level Java competition, majoring in CS at UCLA, interning at Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook and eventually starting on Messenger as an iOS engineer.

Microsoft Innovation Center Armenia (MIC Armenia) launches a new project, entitled ‘Embracing Technologies and Social Entrepreneurship,’ funded by the US Embassy in Armenia. Within the framework of the project MIC Armenia announces an open call for NGOs, which have an interesting solution for social entrepreneurship. If your organization has identified a social problem, which can be solved through technologies, then this project is designed for your NGO. Through this project we will help you to develop the idea into a social entrepreneurship. We don’t have any limitations related to the topic, sphere and problems. You suggest an innovative solution, we help you to understand what social technological entrepreneurship is and how the idea of your organization can be turned into sustainable and income-generating business.

IE Business School and Microsoft Innovation Center invite you to participate in a Turbo sales crash course for entrepreneurs and business leaders. This crash course will teach you the most valuable lesson: that is, how to build a highly effective sales strategy for your future or existing startups and corporate projects. Sales are the backbone of any business, as well as the biggest headache, while presenting and selling your new idea is an art. And the master class is just about this.

Microsoft Innovation Center Armenia has been organizing Hackathons already for 5 years and based on the experience we have identified our 5 reasons to participate in a Hackathon.

On September 16 Andrey Pyatakhin, General Director of Beeline Armenia and Hayk Karapetyan, the commercial director had a meeting with the youth, interested in the Hackathon and discussed problems, existing the field of telecommunications and shared the expectation on the solutions to be developed within the Hackathon.

We continue the series of interviews with our students, who have passed various training sessions in programming and are currently employed by IT companies in Armenia. Ashot Israelyan passed training courses ‘Web Programming’ and is currently employed by Peyotto.

Armenia will become a technological ‘volcano’ in October, emitting various local and international events for startups and IT community and bringing together innovators, investors, techno representatives and entrepreneurs from around the world.

On June 25 Microsoft Innovation Center Armenia, in collaboration with Enterprise Incubator Foundation and Innovative Solutions and Technologies Center organized the local selection of Seedstars international contest at the American University of Armenia. 12 startups, selected out of 50 applications have presented their products to the jury panel, consisting of international and local experts. The jury members have evaluated the products against a number of criteria: team, current development stage, scalability, value added etc. After the jury deliberation session the winning teams have been announced. Earlyone will present Armenia at the international contest, which will take place in Switzerland in 2017.

Last month we started a new series of interesting and engaging meetups of IT community members in an format called ‘Technovation,’ the goal of which is to unite starters and professionals of IT field and create a platform for discussion, cooperation and partnership.

Armenia IT ecosystem is building role models! With already several acquisitions in its story board, the latest buzzes go around Joomag, Sololearn, Picsart, Teamable, Renderforest, ggTaxi, Shadowmatic, Menu.am, Codefights, WiCastr, Ginosi, Yecup, Flat-Club, and many others, which have developed disrupting solutions for a global audience and are successfully growing in international markets and also putting Armenia on map as an awesome startup hub.

We continue the series of interviews with our students, who have passed various training sessions in programming and are currently employed by IT companies in Armenia. Paruyr Mamikonyan has passed training courses ‘Programming Fundamentals’ and ‘Web Programming’ and is currently employed by Questrade Armenia.

We are starting a new series of interviews with our students, who have passed various training sessions in programming and are currently employed by IT companies in Armenia. Davit Karapetyan has passed training course on ASP.Net and is currently employed by Sourcio CJSC.

Node.js is the hottest new technology in Silicon Valley and is currently being used by Microsoft, VMWare, Ebay, Yahoo, Paypal, Walmart, Uber, LinkedIn, Google, PicsArt and many more top tech companies. All these companies truly believe in the advantages of this technology. Node.js is widely spread also among the software developers, employed in Armenia. While describing it, they often say “real-time” or “highly scalable” and many other ear-catching terms, but what is Node.js in reality?

Nowadays everybody wants to learn programming and find a well-paid occupation. Considering the rapid development of IT sector in Armenia, it is wise to find the shortest way to the dream field and master skills through years. It doesn’t matter whether you have technical education or not, if you are motivated and hard-working, you can start your path in this field. Web development is easy to learn, and many people prefer this field. One can participate in a training course for two months and gain fundamental knowledge. However, if one is new to the field, terms such as front-end or back-end mean nothing. We would like to give you short introduction on front-end development and its tools.

A vigorous debate starts every time between educators, technology experts and parents start the conversation about when a child should start learning programming. The biggest opponents insist that computers are bad for children, as they turn them into zombies. We think that the biggest problem in this debate is that there is a huge misunderstanding what should be taught: how to turn on and off the computer, Word or Excel or the real computer science, which is intellectually sustaining and life-enhancing for students.

In one of the interviews Steve Jobs, Apple’s co-founder said, “I think everybody in this country should learn how to program a computer because it teaches you how to think.” We are presenting 7+1 reasons why not to learn programming in Armenia.