Microsoft is looking at reaching out to more not-for-profit organisations to offer free Azure credits worth $5,000 for a year. Globally, Microsoft is donating $1 billion in cloud computing resources between 2016 and 2018 to 70,000 non-profits and NGOs worldwide, including in India.

To spread the word about the programme among local not-for-profit organisations, Microsoft and Nasscom Foundation have organised an Azure for Good workshop on Friday.

Justin Nelson of Microsoft, who is associated with the programme, has said that the initiative would work with not-for-profit organisations that addressed larger social challenges and help them find solutions for such challenges.

Microsoft executives would relate the organisations how their peers in the sector are using the cloud platform for greater reach and impact. Representatives from Share India, Rural Development Foundation, Parents Association for the Mentally Handicapped Persons, LEPRA Society, Bhagavatula Charitable Trust and Dr Reddy’s Foundation attended the workshop.

“NGOs don’t have enough funds to build relevant IT infrastructure, making it difficult for them to scale up their operations. Microsoft assistance worth $5,000 Azure credits would address this problem,” Shrikant Sinha, Chief Executive Officer of Nasscom Foundation, said.

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