Microsoft will accelerate digital transformation and innovation in Taiwan through access to secure enterprise cloud services, expansion of Taiwan’s Azure engineering group and local talent development for over 200,000 people

TAIPEI, TAIWAN- Media OutReach - 27 October 2020 - Microsoft Corp.today announced another major milestone in its "Reimagine Taiwan" initiative,including plans to establish its first cloud datacenter region in Taiwan and asignificant investment in local talent and development with the goal to providedigital skilling for over 200,000 people in Taiwan by 2024. Additionally,Microsoft is growing its Taiwan Azure Hardware Systems and Infrastructureengineering group, which will establish Microsoft Taiwan as a hub in Asia forinnovation in designing and building advanced cloud software and hardwareinfrastructure spanning AI, IoT and edge solutions.

The new investment adds to Microsoft's significant andrecent investments in Taiwan, including the IoT Innovation Center, AI Researchand Development Center, Startup Accelerator and the IoT Center of Excellence. Today's announcement representsa new commitment in Microsoft's more than 30-year history in Taiwan to fuelnew growth that will accelerate digitaltransformation of Taiwan's public and private sectors, helping customersto reimagine their future by providing access to highly securedenterprise-grade cloud services. In addition, Microsoft's ambitious newskilling plan will help to cultivate and groom tech talent, increasing futureemployability opportunities for the people of Taiwan. According to a recent IDC study^[1],overthe next four years, Microsoft, its ecosystem and cloud customers together willgenerate more than $10 billion in new revenue and will add over 30,000 jobs tothe Taiwan economy. 

"Technologyhas a critical role to play in supporting economic recovery and opportunityeverywhere. Microsoft is committed to fostering local innovation to supportdigital transformation across the public and private sectors in Taiwan. Our new investment in Taiwan reflects our faith in itsstrong heritage of hardware and software integration. With Taiwan'sexpertise in hardware manufacturing and the new datacenter region, we lookforward to greater transformation, advancing what is possible with 5G, AI andIoT capabilities spanning the intelligent cloud and intelligent edge," said Jean-PhillippeCourtois, Executive Vice President and President, Microsoft Global Sales,Marketing and Operations.

Acceleratingdigital transformation and innovation across industries in Taiwan

Microsoftwill deliver highly secure and scalable cloud services that will help customersto reimagine their businesses and innovate with confidence, adding Taiwan toits global-scale cloud, which now totals 66 cloud regions announced. MicrosoftAzure is an ever-expanding set of cloud services that offers computing,networking, databases, analytics, AI and Internet of Things (IoT) services. Microsoft365 is the world's productivity cloud that delivers best-of-breedproductivity apps integrated through cloud services, delivered as part of anopen platform for business processes. Dynamics 365 and Power Platformare the next generation of intelligent business applications that enableorganizations to grow, evolve and transform to meet the needs of customers. Atlaunch, the new region will deliver Microsoft Azure first with Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365 and PowerPlatform services to follow.

Microsoft will helpcustomers to store data at rest in Taiwan and over 90 compliance certificationsto meet a broad range of industry and regulatory entity standards, underTaiwan's executive branch of government, the Executive Yuan. As part ofMicrosoft's global commitment to be carbon negative by 2030, the company willshift to 100 percent supply of renewable energy for its datacenters by 2025. Microsoftis also empowering its ecosystem and supply chain to be more sustainable. Tosupport customer needs for high-availability and resiliency in theirapplications, the new region will also include Availability Zones, which are unique physical locations of datacenters withindependent power, network and cooling for additional tolerance to datacenterfailures.

Leading local companies across sectors have worked closely withMicrosoft to create customized solutions for their customers, including: Acer, ASUS, Chunghwa Telecom, Delta Electronics, FarEasToneTelecommunications, TECO Electric & MachineryCo. Ltd, Trend Micro, Taiwan Mobileand TaiwanSemiconductor Manufacturing Company.

"Acer isexcited that Microsoft is establishing a datacenter region in Taiwan, and welook forward to furthering our partnership to help enterprises on their digitaltransformation path with cloud and smart technologies, fulfilling our missionof breaking barriers between people and technology," said Jason Chen, Chairmanand CEO of Acer.

"ChunghwaTelecom and Microsoft have closely collaborated in areas including privateenterprise networks, edge computing, smart manufacturing and smart energy, andprovided vertically integrated solutions and applications. Azure's advancedcloud services, combined with Chunghwa Telecom's telecommunications andoperations expertise, will undoubtedly accelerate innovation across Taiwan'sindustries and ecosystem, bringing Taiwan's best-in-class solutions to the Asiapacific region and the world," said Hong-Chan Ma SeniorExecutive Vice President, Chunghwa Telecom.

"FarEasToneTelecom is pleased to have formed a strategic alliance with Microsoft. Our corestrategy of Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things andworld-class telecommunications networks leverages Azure's cloud platform tocreate innovative solutions from the intelligent cloud to the intelligent edge.With the local datacenter region, we hope to generate greater momentum forTaiwan's innovation, by creating diverse services suitable for a wide range ofindustry scenarios, connect Taiwan to the globe, and make it a hub for theworld's innovative applications," FarEasTone Telecommunications, President CheeChing.

Ken Sun, General Manager of Microsoft Taiwan said, "I'mconfident that providing access to scalable, low-latency, and secure cloudservices will equip Taiwan's public and private sectors with the latest AI andIoT technologies, while meeting the highest cybersecurity, data residency andcompliance standards. Building a world-class, enterprise grade cloud marks animportant step toward the digitalization of Taiwan's key industries. Microsoftis committed to fuelling innovation and economic growth in Taiwan as it transformsinto the next Asian technology hub."

Advancing employment opportunities through localskilling

Microsoft plans to upskill over 200,000 people inTaiwan over the next four years, providing digital skills acquisition programsfor youth, non-profits, startups and enterprises. This builds on Microsoft'sinvestment in local skilling programs for students, including internshipprograms, STEM Education, and Coding Angels. Microsoft will continue workingwith non-profit organizations including the Build the Future, Eden SocialWelfare Associate, Taipei Orphan Foundation and Taiwan Fund for Children andFamilies to reskill social workers. In collaboration with leading universities,Microsoft plans to upskill business leaders, entrepreneurs, and C-levelexecutives through the AI Business School program. Finally, Microsoft isworking with industry associations to launch a series of re-skilling workshopsfor women, including mothers returning to the workplace.

About Microsoft

Microsoft(Nasdaq "MSFT" @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of anintelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower everyperson and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

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