Microsoft today announced that its Compliance Manager tool, part of Microsoft 365, will now empower Omani businesses to adhere to their legal obligations more easily while continuing to innovate at a time when remote working is inducing rapid changes across industries.

The move comes as an increasing number of companies in the sultanate implement hybrid-working models to balance employee safety with business continuity. A survey of GCC business leaders in March showed 35% of organisations in the Gulf had either implemented hybrid workplaces or were in the process of doing so. In May, Oman’s Supreme Committee for Dealing with COVID-19 issued a decision that obligated employers in certain sectors to “implement remote home-working and introduce technology to facilitate home-working as much as possible”.

“The pandemic has unquestionably accelerated digital transformation to unprecedented levels,” said Saif Hilal Al-Hosni, Country Manager, Microsoft Oman and Bahrain. “We have seen years of innovation taking place in mere months and the trend continues to gather steam. However, businesses still must meet regulatory requirements such as PCI DSS, and this can be difficult if you do not have the skills or time to effectively manage compliance. Microsoft Compliance Manager takes a lot of complexity and labour out of this process, delivering a useful blend of control and automation that allows innovators to return to the business of business.”

Microsoft Compliance Manager simplifies helps reduce risk while alleviating the complexity of a company’s obligations to industry and legal standards by enabling quick delivery of policies tailored to individual operating models. Business stakeholders can prioritise tasks while building best-practice frameworks that evolve with the regulatory landscape.

“Regulatory frameworks exist to protect businesses, their customers and their partners from the losses associated with data and identity theft.” Al-Hosni added. “As such, they are critical to the success of economic initiatives in line with Oman’s Vision 2040. Microsoft remains committed to showing businesses how they can leverage the power of the intelligent cloud to balance regulatory compliance with innovation in the new normal.”