Datacenter Community Development
Investing in people, developing communities
Hear from Microsoft leaders about why data centre community development is important
Community engagement is core to the Microsoft mission
Microsoft is committed to supporting the communities in which our data centres are located. Through the Datacenter Community Development initiative, we work to build local partnerships that deliver economic, social and environmental benefits. This work furthers our company mission to empower every person and every organisation on the planet to achieve more.
Community Empowerment Fund
The Datacenter Community Development initiative sponsors the Community Empowerment Fund to support non-profits and community-led projects. Through a transformational approach that encourages increased collaboration between contributors and award recipients, we partner with communities to identify local needs and priorities.
Learn how the fund is helping Youth Emergency Shelter Services (YESS) in Des Moines, Iowa
See how YESS is using Azure and other Microsoft cloud services to support their mission
Workforce development
This initiative establishes global education programmes, experiences and training opportunities for local community members and data centre employees.
In partnership with higher education institutions, industry leaders, public sector organisations, NGOs and community-led organisations, we develop and sponsor IT skills training for the local workforce with paths to careers in Microsoft data centres for some students.
Learn about the Microsoft Datacenter Academy, first deployed in Southside, Virginia
Community broadband
An extension of the Microsoft rural broadband strategy, this initiative focuses on enabling access to affordable, reliable high-speed broadband service in data centre communities. We partner with equipment suppliers, local utility companies, local Internet service providers and other stakeholders to identify and deliver the most effective solutions. We also collaborate with community groups and elected officials to apply broadband technology for social, economic and environmental benefits.
See broadband initiatives in action in Boydton, Virginia
Community environmental sustainability
Through community engagement, we identify the top environmental challenges in data centre communities and sponsor strategic projects to address them. In the process, we help build ecosystems of local partnerships that strengthen the communities and drive enduring, sustainable solutions.
Projects we sponsor include developing community renewable energy sources, improving air quality and access to fresh-water resources, and enhancing biodiversity.
SSE Airtricity and Microsoft team up for energy and education project