Microsoft pledges $1bn-worth of cloud computing for ‘public good’
The
resources will be shared out over the next three years to about 70,000
non-profits and 900 university research projects.
In
simplest terms, cloud computing is the term given to storing data on the
internet, rather than on a local computer.
As
well as making data more easily accessible, the added promise for non-profits
is that the resources will provide vast amounts of computing power that would
ordinarily be out of reach for all but the biggest businesses.
In
a blog post explaining the initiative,
Microsoft’s chief legal officer Brad Smith wrote: “Cloud services can unlock
the secrets held by data in ways that create new insights and lead to
breakthroughs, not just for science and technology, but for addressing the full
range of economic and social challenges and the delivery of better human
services.”
The
crunching of so-called “big data” is seen as a major opportunity for
non-profits dealing in social issues that pose a cumbersome problem without the
kind of processing power cloud computing can provide.
In
that respect, Microsoft’s pledge isn’t for a tangible product, or cash, but
instead access to servers and services that normal businesses would need to pay
considerable fees for.
The
money will also be spent on improving “last mile” internet connectivity – the
hope is countries that are under connected will begin to enjoy some of the
luxuries more developed internet nations have – such as broadband at home.
Tough crowd
Other
companies, particularly Facebook, have pursued similar goals.
Facebook’s
Internet.org project is investing in connectivity technologies – such as drones
– to fill that last mile, helping what founder Mark Zuckerberg refers to as the
“next billion” people to access the web.
However,
initiatives such as this aren’t always so well received. Facebook’s Free Basics
scheme, in which certain mobile sites were accessible for free, has caused
uproar in India, where local businesses say Facebook is giving itself an unfair
advantage over local competitors.
Microsoft
will invariably be hit with the same accusation – that a donation over three
years will be made in the hope that organisations will become ingrained in the
Microsoft cloud ecosystem for many more years to come.
That
said, Microsoft boss Satya Nadella has gained considerable applause for his
continually expressed desire to use Microsoft’s immense size and wealth in
developing countries, including his native India.
As
well as being a guest of Michelle Obama at the recent State of the Union
address, the 48-year-old is attending the World Economic Forum in Davos this
week, seeking to stress Microsoft’s potential to provide computing power for
initiatives beyond big business.
In a blog post published on Wednesday, he wrote: “If cloud computing is one of the
most important transformations of our time, how do we ensure that its benefits
are universally accessible?
“What
if only wealthy societies have access to the data, intelligence, analytics and
insights that come from the power of mobile and cloud computing?”
Source:
BBC
