Microsoft Philanthropies Launched to Improve Access to Technology

Microsoft has formed a new philanthropic arm to improve access to technology to combat some of world's challenging problems. Brad Smith, the software giant's President and Chief Legal Officer announced on Tuesday that the new philanthropic arm, Microsoft Philanthropies will focus on driving greater inclusion, and empowerment of people who do not yet have access to technology and the opportunities it offers.

According to Venture Beat, this is in keeping with the mission that chief executive Satya Nadella has outlined for Microsoft: "Empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more." The new philanthropic group will be working to meet these goals, leveraging what President Brad Smith called the company's "strategic societal investments of cash and technology, the technical talents of our employees, our commitment to creative and collaborative partnerships, and the reach and scale of our brand and voice."

To start off, the company will be investing an undisclosed amount of cash and technology in nonprofits that help push its mission forward. Smith explained that the investments can be things like providing access and connectivity to the public cloud, helping with digital skills training, job placement, business creation, or simply providing education around the STEM curriculum.

IT Business says that, the organization, which will report directly to Smith, will be led by Microsoft's corporate vice president Mary Snapp, who first joined the company as an attorney in 1988, and general manager Lori Forte Harnick, who will serve as COO.

According to Microsoft News, the company will be investing cash, as well as technology in nonprofit partnership which will allow the company to deliver the benefits of technology to people who don't have access to the latest technology yet:

Organization will invest cash and technology in nonprofit partnerships that deliver the benefits of technology to a wider segment of the population.

These investments will span the spectrum of digital inclusion, from providing access and connectivity to the public cloud to delivering digital skills training to help people get jobs and start businesses, to educating the next generation of innovators through greater access to computer science education for all youth.

One example is the $75 million we have committed to computer science education worldwide over the next three years. Early next year, we will detail the programs and partnerships that will turn this commitment into action.

Smith's announcement follows in the footsteps of other tech giants creating philanthropic arms, including Mark Zuckerberg, who announced earlier this month that he and wife Priscilla Chan would be giving away 99 per cent of their Facebook shares, currently worth approximately $45 billion, through the newly-created Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates' Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.