Microsoft donates its Office 365 software to nonprofits and NGOs from 41 countries

Brussels, 11-9-2013 — /EuropaWire/ — Starting today, non-profit organizations from 41 countries, including several in Europe, can now get Office 365 software free of charge (or at subsidized prices) through Office 365 for Nonprofits. Eligible organizations must operate on a not-for-profit basis and aim to benefit their local community. Examples could include: providing relief to the poor, advancing education, improving social welfare, preserving culture, preserving or restoring the environment, promoting human rights or the establishment of civil societies. Still, these are not the only options, when helping local communities sky’s the limit. Furthermore, in July 2014, this initiative will be further expanded to 90 countries worldwide.

Office 365 provides access to documents and files through Office applications on your computer, smartphone or tablet, everywhere and anywhere. Exchanging documents and collaborating is simple thanks to shared calendars or even video conferences features among others.

Office 365 is not physically installed on the devices; it is paperless as it runs in the cloud. According to a study by TechSoup Global, simplifying IT administration is the biggest advantage of cloud computing (79%.) It is followed by savings (62%), improved collaboration (61 %) and enhanced data security (54%). Office 365 is available in several versions. If you opt for E1, you receive the software for free. Non-profit organizations that choose E3 pay €4.3 per user per month instead of € 19 . A Small Business Pro 2 is € 1.6 per user per month instead of € 10.4 . In short, the program enables organizations to save money.

“Today we are donating to nonprofits and NGOs access to Microsoft’s best-in-class cloud-based productivity and collaboration tools, enabling them to spend fewer resources and time on IT and focus on their missions addressing global issues, such as disease eradication, education and literacy, and environmental sustainability,” said Jean-Philippe Courtois, president, Microsoft International. “Nonprofits operate in the same way as any other organization or business, however many lack the resources to implement the latest technology. The donation of Office 365 allows them to be more effective and efficient in the work they do.”

SOCIALware, Benelux branch of TechSoup, reviews applications from non-profit organization interested in the donation programs.

It considers associations within a cultural, social and sporty frame. Political parties and professional associations are excluded. “Microsoft confides us the selection because of our neutrality. We believe this new initiative will have many applicants, since it allows them to access a package that is both stylish and comprehensive” says Catherine Van Eeckhaute, Program Manager SOCIAL ware.

Vlajo avoids spending 35,000 euros. 

“Office 365 is perfectly in line with our way of working. It enables us to communicate very quickly via Lync, indicating the caller’s name and date of the call. We use the chat to ask short questions and thus relieve the mailbox messaging. This initiative is like manna from heaven. Our old servers had to be replaced andthe purchase, installation and maintenance represented a cost of € 35,000. A budget out of reach for ournon-profit organization. With Office 365 all is in the cloud. We always have the latest versions and can check our information at any place and at any time, even on our smartphones” says Mieke Kenne, Coordinator at Vlajo.

PlaNet Finance will also be benefitting from Office 365. 

The organization is a leading provider of services contributing to the promotion and development of the microfinance sector. Enabling poor populations, excluded from financial services, to gain access to a loan or benefit from an insurance in order to create and develop revenue.

Microsoft committed to helping society as a whole. 

Microsoft has been organizing donation programs for over thirty years now. Last year, Microsoft has provided nearly $ 800 million in cash, software and services to no less than 70,286 non-profit associations in more than 115 countries. “Associations have a similar working mode to that of organizations and companies, but often they do not have the latest technologies because of their limited resources. We intend to change that with this new initiative. With Office 365, they will now spend less time on their computers and will have all the tools necessary to work effectively and focus on the heart of their business” says Laurence Verriest, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility Microsoft.