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There’s no question that online marketplaces have transformed how people buy and sell goods online. But they’ve also helped transform the way services are rendered, creating an on-demand work environment—AKA the Gig Economy—that lets individuals and organizations engage or contract with independent workers for short-term projects and services.

 

This independent workforce is a growing trend, and it’s larger than you might think. McKinsey estimates 20-30% of workers in the US and EU already engage in independent work. Despite current economic upheavals, this trend is expected to grow. Online marketplaces are expected to have a transformative impact by connecting pools of talented freelancers with businesses that need them, providing a secure platform to source, hire, and pay for projects.

 

That’s why I’m excited to share we’re partnering with Upwork, the leading online marketplace connecting freelancers with businesses. Together we’ll provide easy access to a curated talent pool of Microsoft Azure experts. Upwork has ensured these freelancers have proven performance, and Microsoft has verified these individuals hold current Microsoft Azure certifications at the associate or expert level. With the extended backend verification, prospective hirers can have confidence those bidding on their projects have proven expertise.

 

Meet a few of the Azure certified freelance experts available to support your projects:

 

Hardik MistryHardik Mistry

Hardik Mistry – A two-time Microsoft MVP, Hardik has over a decade of software engineering experience. He has designed and implemented cloud native solutions for start-ups and large Fortune 500 brands. Hardik is the founder of AppMatic Tech, a full-service software development agency. In his free time, he serves as a mentor for open source software professionals and community user groups.

Amos CabanbanAmos Cabanban

Amos Cabanban – A Microsoft Certified Azure Solutions Architect Expert, Amos is a top-rated freelancer with nearly 10 years of experience working on Upwork. As a tenured .NET consultant, he has supported client projects across a wide range of industries including healthcare, energy, real estate, technology, legal, banking and manufacturing.

Cedric PomerleeCedric Pomerlee

Cedric Pomerlee – A Microsoft Certified Azure Administrator Associate, Cedric has over 8 years of IT engineering and architecture experience supporting companies ranging from SMBs to large Fortune 1000 organizations.

Jen T.Jen T.

Jen T. – A Microsoft Certified Azure Developer, Jen has over 12 years of experience leading web application development with expertise in C#, ASP.NET and JavaScript. She has a proven track record of success helping companies evaluate their current systems to uncover problems and implement solutions the meet customer and business requirements.

 

Small and medium size businesses have been quickest to embrace this method of finding talent. However, businesses of any size can increase the pace of innovation by engaging the needed expertise, on-demand as projects come up.

 

We expect this to a be a great talent pool complement for our existing partners and customer alike. If you’d like to tackle your next Azure project quickly, visit Upwork to find a Microsoft certified freelancer. If you have Azure expertise and would like to participate as a freelancer, sign up now.

Brought to you by Dr. Ware, Microsoft Office 365 Silver Partner, Charleston SC.