---

Microsoft Corp. CEO Satya Nadella announced the donation of US $ 1 billion of Microsoft Cloud Services, as a three-part initiative measured at fair market value, to serve nonprofits and university researchers over the next three years.

The commitment focuses on ensuring the cloud can serve the public good by providing additional cloud resources to nonprofits, increasing access for university researchers and helping solve last-mile Internet access challenges. This includes better access to Microsoft Cloud Services, including the powerful Microsoft Azure platform, builds upon Microsoft’s long-time commitment to making cutting-edge technology available at no or low cost to organisations working on solving some of society’s toughest problems.

“Microsoft is empowering mission-driven organisations around the planet with a donation of cloud computing services — the most transformative technologies of our generation,” said Nadella.  He went on to state, “Now more than 70,000 organizations 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.”

Cloud computing has emerged as a vital resource for unlocking the secrets held by data in ways that create new insights and lead to breakthroughs not just for science and technology but for economic and social challenges and better human services. It improves communications and problem-solving and help organisations work in a more productive and more efficient manner.“We’re committed to helping nonprofit groups and universities use cloud computing to address fundamental human challenges,” said Microsoft President Brad Smith. “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.” In recent years, as organisations have increased their reliance on cloud computing, Microsoft has worked in partnership with a broad range of organisations focused on big challenges.   “Access to technology is critical to the operations and services of NetHope and its 44 humanitarian nonprofit member organisations,” said NetHope CEO Lauren Woodman.   “The power of cloud computing will create exponential value for all we do to serve the millions of people in our communities around the world.”