REDMOND, Wash., Dec. 1, 2016 /CNW/ -- On Thursday, Microsoft
Corp. renewed its Affordable Access Initiative grant fund for a
second year. The fund assists companies working to bring internet
access and new technologies, services and models to underserved
markets. The application process is now open for a new set of
partners.
"The social enterprises we support have inspired us with
practical, high-impact and scalable approaches to help close the
digital divide," said Microsoft Affordable Access Initiatives
Director Paul Garnett, writing in
NextBillion. "It's a privilege to see these solutions take
shape, and to play a role in helping local entrepreneurs spur job
creation and economic growth."
In the fund's first round of investments, Microsoft awarded
grants to 12 businesses offering affordable internet access or
cloud-based services in fields such as power generation, health,
education, finance and agriculture.
AirJaldi, a 2016 grant recipient, provides high-quality Wi-Fi
broadband connectivity at reasonable rates to more than 90,000
public- and private-sector clients in rural India. Vista Africa, another recipient from last year, is a
cloud-based software platform that helps healthcare providers more
easily screen, track and treat patients' health in areas where
connectivity is limited.
In addition to receiving funding and software to help power and
develop their businesses, grant recipients will join a growing
ecosystem of other grantees and funders to further increase their
impact.
This initiative is also connected to the work of Microsoft
Philanthropies, which is helping to bring technology's benefits to
those who need them most. Microsoft Philanthropies is making its
digital literacy, online safety and computer science education
programs available to grant recipients and the communities they
serve.
"Too many people around the world lack internet connectivity and
the educational, commercial and economic benefits of cloud-based
services," said Mary Snapp,
corporate vice president and head of Microsoft Philanthropies.
"Affordable Access Initiative grants, and the technology ecosystems
they help support, empower entrepreneurs to provide connectivity,
which then enables the creation of critical services for those who
need it most."
How to apply
Applicants must be commercial organizations with two or more
full-time employees and have a prototype of a working solution and
preferably paying customers. Such products and business models
might combine new cloud services and applications, low-cost forms
of internet connectivity, and new payment mechanisms designed for
consumers and smaller businesses in underserved markets. A list of
criteria, and the application, can be found at
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/affordable-access-initiative/home.
Applications will be accepted until midnight
PST on Jan. 31, 2017.
Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT" @microsoft) is the leading platform and
productivity company for the mobile-first, cloud-first world, and
its mission is to empower every person and every organization on
the planet to achieve more.
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SOURCE Microsoft Corp.