Microsoft Corporation (MSFT): Celebrating the Cloud in Ireland

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is certainly known as one of the most giving and generous companies in America, thanks to the culture created by Bill Gates continuing under the stewardship of CEO Steve Ballmer. That generosity can take a number of forms and is usually bestowed on a variety of entities – including non-profits and education. The generosity of Microsoft can even be extended to just in the form of cash or software, but also in days of activities, as what now happens in Ireland.

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) launched its second annual National Cloud Week in Ireland this week, which is the company’s opportunity to promote the values and virtues of cloud storage and cloud computing for the enterprise – encouraging job creation and developing efficiencies in the company’s network infrastructure. The week began with a special ceremony in which Irish children’s charity Barnados was granted a $787,000 software donation by Microsoft, provided by Microsoft Ireland managing director Cathriona Hallahan.

Image: Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)

“Through this software donation we will be in a position to transition our services and databases online and operate them in the cloud,” said Barnardos CEO Fergus Finlay. “We are also anticipating that the subsequent increase in the efficiency of our systems will improve the way we operate and in turn will help us in our work with children and families in Ireland – for this we are very grateful.”

Each day this week, different activities are set up to promote how cloud storage and computing benefit different sectors of the Ireland economy. Monday’s software donation was aimed at the non-profit sector, like Barnados. Tuesday’s focus is on the public sector and Wednesday will highlight education. The Business Leaders Summit will be held Thursday in Dublin, and Friday will be the day that Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) announces a National Cloud Computing Accelerator program in conjunction with a local cloud-computing center.

“Levels of awareness of cloud have grown significantly over the past two years,” Hallahan said. “It is important now to ensure that people understand what the cloud can do for private-sector organizations – large or small – and for the public sector.”

What are your thoughts about Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) hosting National Cloud Week in Ireland? Do you think this is important for Microsoft and for other economies, where this expands into other areas? Would you be interested in these kinds of events if they were near your city? Let us know in the comments section below.

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