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Elevating America one veteran at a time

Posted by Pamela Passman
Corporate Vice President, Global Corporate Affairs

Pamela Passman
Pamela Passman, Corporate Vice President, Global Corporate Affairs

Earlier today while speaking to the annual conference of the National Association of Workforce Boards in Washington, D.C.,  I announced that Microsoft is forming a coalition of public, private and non-profit organizations to help our country’s veterans and their spouses get the additional skills they need to succeed in today’s economy.  

The initiative is an extension of Elevate America, a program Microsoft launched just over a year ago.   Working in partnership with state governments, Elevate America provides free technology training and certification to help workers secure, and retain,  21st century jobs.

The need is particularly acute among former soldiers transitioning to civilian life.  Today, nearly 185,000 Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans are unemployed,  and the unemployment rate among veterans is 20 percent higher than the rest of the population.  Our servicemen and women possess strong military and leadership skills, but many lack the formal education, technology training and certification employers seek.  There is a great opportunity for the public and private sector to partner to ease the transition for veterans and provide more skilled workers for U.S. employers. 

The coalition we are forming will include businesses,  veterans groups, workforce agencies, non-profit organizations and community colleges.   The coalition will provide not only job training but also placement, counseling and other support services, including childcare and transportation assistance.  Our efforts will target members of the armed services and their spouses who are separating from the military and re-integrating into their communities.  We will assist both former active-duty soldiers and members of the National Guard and reserves returning to civilian jobs.

As part of our commitment, Microsoft will contribute $2 million in cash and up to $6 million in software to support these programs.  We will issue a request for proposals to determine how we will award cash, software and other resources to eligible organizations.

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Posted 08 March 2010 11:00 AM mscorp | with Post Comment
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Surfacing Human Potential at TED 2010

Posted by Dan’l Lewin
Corporate Vice President, Strategic & Emerging Business Development

Dan’l Lewin
Dan’l Lewin

This week at TED 2010 in southern California, conferees will have an opportunity to experience the power of innovation and entrepreneurship in some new and extraordinary ways at the World of Entrepreneurs tent, hosted by the Kauffman Foundation.

Among the 30 largest foundations in the United States, Kauffman focuses on advancing entrepreneurship and improving the education of children and youth – causes that we at Microsoft also totally believe in and support. So, in keeping with the spirit of TED – “Ideas Worth Spreading” – the foundation and Microsoft have used the latest technology for digital storytelling to bring to life the many stories of how we each are working to make a positive difference in the lives of people and communities around the world.

Building on the local stories in the Microsoft Local Impact Map, an online application, we added stories from the work of the Kauffman Foundation. And to put all the stories on a human scale, we moved the application to Microsoft Surface. Surface is a new computer that responds to natural hand gestures and real-world objects, creating unique new ways for people to collaboratively interact with digital content and to communicate. The Surface computer at TED lets you navigate the Local Impact Map with your hands, finding and exploring stories through text, video and pictures from around the world.

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Posted 09 February 2010 03:46 PM mscorp | with Post Comment
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Bringing the Power of the Cloud to the Research Community

Posted by Dan Reed
Corporate Vice President, Technology Strategy and Policy

Microsoft has long believed in the need for government and the private sector to work together to advance science and technology.   A few of my colleagues, such as Rick Rashid of Microsoft Research, have blogged on the topic here.

Today, I am pleased to highlight a new partnership that embodies precisely this belief.  Microsoft and the National Science Foundation have announced an agreement that will provide free access to advanced cloud computing resources for select NSF-funded researchers for the next three years.  

It is our shared hope that the storage and computational power of Windows Azure, Microsoft’s cloud computing platform, and access to easy-to-use client and cloud tools will enable researchers to accelerate scientific breakthroughs in vital yet highly complex areas of inquiry, ranging from climate change to genetics.

As I blogged at the time we announced Windows Azure,  cloud computing offers a potential mechanism to increase the efficiency of current scientific research, ensure continuity of critical data and enable new kinds of research not now feasible. 

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Posted 04 February 2010 12:36 PM mscorp | 1 comment(s)
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How Can Policymakers Promote Innovation and Strengthen Privacy?

Posted by Peter Cullen
Chief Privacy Strategist

On January 28th, in conjunction with Data Privacy Day, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) convened its second “Exploring Privacy” Roundtable in Berkeley, California. The roundtable brought together some of the preeminent privacy thinkers from academia, industry, civil society and government to discuss complex and nuanced issues around technology policy, mobile computing, social networking and cloud computing.

One of the main topics of the day was the intersection of technology and policy.  Specifically, given the importance of today’s technology-enabled,  information-based services, what type of policy would help strengthen privacy protections, while at the same time allowing innovation to flourish? The dialogue reinforced that technology will almost always outpace policy, so we need to be careful as we think through what policy and or regulatory approaches might   be required while ensuring we do not deny new and innovative products to the public.  Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith laid out some of Microsoft’s views on this important topic in a recent speech on cloud computing at the Brookings Institution. 

Fundamentally, regulating privacy or the use of information is about defining and assessing specific risks and harms, and mitigating those risks and harms through a balance of law, policy, standards education and encouraging market innovation.  Indeed, accountability and the “use and obligations model” - discussed extensively at the FTC hearing in December – are increasingly used as  examples of a privacy framework that better matches today’s information flows while ensuring the requirements and obligations of data protection are appropriate,  and ensures risks can be assessed and mitigated on an ongoing and dynamic basis.

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Posted 29 January 2010 03:57 PM mscorp | with Post Comment
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Realizing the “Buy Once, Play Anywhere” Vision for Digital Media

Posted by Paul Mitchell
General Manager of Policy & Standards, Entertainment & Devices Division

Paul Mitchell
Paul Mitchell

The recent International Consumer Electronics Show was a showcase for how the media industry today is being completely transformed by new digital production technology and hybrid distribution models. Consumers now have many new ways to access video using the Internet – from Hulu and Fancast Xfinity on PCs, to Netflix Watch Instantly through Blu-Ray players, digital TVs, Xbox and other game consoles.

But all these new options are not trouble free. While any DVD will play back on any DVD player, each of the new digital delivery systems has tended to use its own special format, which means that a file prepared for one system doesn’t work with another. This has created confusion in the marketplace and raised the cost and complexity of digital distribution.

The ease with which digital files can be copied belies the complexity involved in creating a robust portable media format that supports everything from high definition to video more appropriate for a mobile device. The format must work with closed captions and other accessibility aids, and with multiple language audio and commentary tracks. The format must work for a variety of business models such as retail sale, rental, video on demand, and subscription. It must support an ever-expanding list of target devices, from Internet-enabled TVs to Smartphones and Wi-Fi enabled tablets.

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Posted 28 January 2010 11:26 AM mscorp | 4 comment(s)
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Infusing “service-learning” and technology in the classroom

Posted by Anthony Salcito
Vice President, Worldwide Education

As educators, government officials and business leaders look for collaborative ways to reform U.S. education, we believe “service-learning” and technology can play central roles in the success of our young people.

I’ve blogged before about the benefits of connecting kids to volunteerism (see posts here and here). Right now, only 32 percent of elementary and secondary schools offer service-learning opportunities, which incorporate community service into education to teach the value of civic responsibility.  But we know the benefits are widespread. Likewise, the demonstrated effects of career and technical education (CTE) have included higher scores in math and science and lower dropout rates. So, we think service and technology could be the perfect marriage.

We also know that in addition to technology support, teachers need help enriching their curriculum with interactive and comprehensive classroom experiences that keep students engaged. And we know kids have embraced the role of technology in their lives -- often they know more than their teachers about computers and mobile devices! -- and are excited about the opportunity to give back. So, in partnership with the Corporation for National and Community Service, today we are excited to announce the Service & Technology Academic Resource Team (START).

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Posted 25 January 2010 02:59 PM mscorp | 3 comment(s)
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Steve Ballmer Helps Bring Elevate America to Georgia

Posted by Andrea L. Taylor
Director, North America Community Affairs

Earlier today Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer joined Governor Sonny Perdue to launch Elevate America in Georgia, making it the 10th state to join the program. 

Microsoft created Elevate America a year ago to help equip people with the technology skills needed to succeed in the 21st century workplace.   Working in partnership with state governments, Elevate America provides vouchers for free technology training and certification.  Today, over 50 percent of jobs require technology skills, with estimates showing that number reaching 75 percent  in the next decade. 

With unemployment still high in most of the country – including 10.3 percent in Georgia -- programs like Elevate America help displaced workers find jobs, and help those currently employed keep pace with the changing demands of their positions.

Working with states across the U.S., Elevate America can reach a broad number of people in urban and rural areas, regardless of their education level, income or employment status – ensuring that anyone who wants and needs access to these resources can get it.

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Posted 22 January 2010 04:12 PM mscorp | 3 comment(s)
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Steve Ballmer at Today’s White House Forum on Modernizing Government

Posted by Fred Humphries
Managing Director, U.S. Government Affairs
 
This morning Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is in Washington, D.C. to take part in a unique “White House Forum on Modernizing Government.”   Steve was honored to be invited by President Obama to take part in the forum, which is bringing together roughly 50 private sector leaders to discuss ways the federal government can leverage technology to become more efficient, more effective and more responsive.
 
Steve has written a post on The Microsoft Blog that outlines some of the specific ways he believes Microsoft can help advance President Obama’s laudable modernization goals.
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Posted 14 January 2010 05:00 AM mscorp | with Post Comment
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Steve Ballmer on Huffington Post

Steve BallmerPosted by David Bowermaster
Administrator, Microsoft on the Issues

As you may know, the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show gets underway tonight in Las Vegas.   Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer will deliver the opening keynote tonight at 6:30 p.m.  PT.   Ahead of the event, Steve has posted a blog on Huffington Post entitled “CES 2010: Beyond Fun and Games,” which talks about the important role technology can play advancing social and economic progress -- as well as entertaining us and making our lives easier.  

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Posted 06 January 2010 01:24 PM mscorp | with Post Comment
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Using Technology to Advance the Fight against Global Poverty

Guest post by George Conard
Executive Director, Technology for Microfinance
Grameen Foundation

Microfinance has grown tremendously in the last decade, moving from little NGOs working in tiny villages to large institutions providing loans, savings accounts and insurance to hundreds of thousands of poor women and men.  Grameen Bank in Bangladesh alone has more than seven million clients, while institutions like Grameen Koota in India serve more than 300,000.  In fact, according to the Microcredit Summit Campaign there are more than 3,300 microfinance institutions (MFIs) providing services to more than 155 million poor people and their families globally.

As these MFIs have grown, so has their need for technology to help them manage their overall business operations. Technology plays a key role in Grameen Foundation’s mission to alleviate poverty.  From equipping MFIs with the capacity to manage technology to building and delivering industry-wide solutions like the Mifos™ platform, our goal is to advance the use of technology so all MFIs can better serve more of the world’s poor. 

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Posted 16 December 2009 01:03 PM mscorp | with Post Comment
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