Microsoft Pledges Billion Dollar Cloud Services to NFPs
21 January 2016 at 11:28 am
Microsoft Philanthropies has committed to donate US$1 billion of Microsoft Cloud Services to serve global Not for Profit and university researchers over the next three years, including Australian organisations.
Microsoft Corp CEO, Satya Nadella, said Microsoft’s three-part commitment focused on ensuring the cloud could serve the public good by providing additional cloud resources to Not for Profits, increasing access for university researchers and helping solve last-mile internet access challenges.
“Microsoft is empowering mission-driven organisations around the planet with a donation of cloud computing services – the most transformative technologies of our generation,” Nadella said.
“Now more than 70,000 organisations will have access to technology that will help them solve our greatest societal challenges and ultimately improve the human condition and drive new growth equally.”
He said cloud computing could improve communications and problem-solving and help organisations work in a more productive and more efficient manner.
“In September 2015, 193 heads of state and other world leaders unanimously adopted 17 sustainable development goals to achieve by 2030. The agenda, which includes ending poverty, ending hunger, and ensuring affordable, reliable and sustainable energy for all, will only be achievable with the benefit of significant inventions and technology innovations,” he said.
Microsoft President Brad Smith said the organisation was committed to helping Not for Profit groups and universities use cloud computing to address fundamental human challenges.
“One of our ambitions for Microsoft Philanthropies is to partner with these groups and ensure that cloud computing reaches more people and serves the broadest array of societal needs,” Smith said.
Australian technology-sharing Not for Profit, Connecting Up, is the global partner of the Microsoft philanthropic program.
Connecting Up CEO Anne Gawen said the latest Microsoft commitment was exciting.
“This announcement is great news for Not for Profit organisations,” Gawen said.
“The Microsoft Cloud Services will enable eligible Not for Profit organisations to make huge strides in their approach to managing and utilising data, enabling deeper analysis and productivity while also contributing to the betterment of society by solving local and international societal challenges.
“The new Microsoft donation program is in addition to the approximate $40 million per year of software Microsoft already donates to the Australian Not for Profit sector in more commonly known services such as MS Office, servers, operating systems and Office 365.”
Gawen said Connecting Up would work with Microsoft on a global level to establish a structure for the allocation of funds and services that would ensure Cloud offerings were available and delivered to as many Australian Not for Profit organisations as possible.
Under the Microsoft initiative, Microsoft Cloud Services, including Microsoft Azure, Power BI, CRM Online and the Enterprise Mobility Suite, would be made available to Not for Profit organisations through Microsoft Philanthropies.
The NFP program for Microsoft Cloud Services will begin rolling out in March and is expected to provide free cloud computing resources for over 600 research projects on six continents.
In December 2015 Microsoft formed Microsoft Philanthropies, an organisation within the company driving digital inclusion and empowerment around the world.
