Microsoft has partnered with Accenture to support entrepreneurs and start-up businesses that focus on social responsibility to help support technologies for social enterprises and build scalable business models, Microsoft announced on Wednesday.
“It’s important that [an entrepreneur’s] passion for meaningful innovation and creating positive change is supported. Microsoft’s collaboration with Accenture offers us an opportunity to empower these startups so they can use technology to make an even greater impact in addressing many of the world’s most pressing challenges,” said Jean-Philippe Courtois, executive vice president and president, Microsoft Global Sales, Marketing and Operations.
The companies’ collaboration will provide businesses hands-on support and technologies to enhance its solutions and business models that can lead to more tangible benefits for a greater number of customers.
Microsoft and Accenture’s partnership will amplify the societal impact of emerging technology with the long-term goal of reaching a million lives globally, to meet the respective companies’ program goals.
Through the program, Microsoft Research India and Accenture Labs will help social enterprise startups test and validate proof-of-concepts; conduct design thinking sessions to help them re-envision the impact of their solutions; and provide support in exploring and using Microsoft technologies.
“Our experience shows that by applying emerging technologies to critical challenges facing society, we can accelerate social transformation. This collaboration is a great illustration of delivering on ‘value’ and ‘values’ — creating tangible business and social value while aligning with people’s values,” said Paul Daugherty, group chief executive-Technology and chief technology officer at Accenture
The companies have placed emphasis on agriculture, education and healthcare to meet their initiatives. Under the partnership, the company will focus on startups in Africa, the Middle East and South Asia, and integrate the MSR India Center for Societal impact through Cloud and Artificial Intelligence (SCAI).
Microsoft’s involvement in this initiative is part of Microsoft’s Global Social Entrepreneurship program designed to empower an ecosystem of tech-enabled startups globally, focused on addressing important social or environmental challenges. Accenture Labs’ Tech4Good program, centered around applying emerging technologies to help solve complex social challenges, will gain from the collaboration.
“By providing social impact entrepreneurs with direct access to the combined power of Accenture and Microsoft’s technology expertise, we can help significantly improve access, equality, inclusion, education, health, sustainability, and the environment,” added Daugherty.
About Microsoft India
Founded in 1975, Microsoft is the leading platform and productivity company for the mobile-first, cloud-first world, and its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Microsoft set up its India operations in 1990.
Today, Microsoft entities in India have over 10,000 employees, engaged in sales and marketing, research, development and customer services and support, across 11 Indian cities — Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, New Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Pune. Microsoft offers its global cloud services from local data centers to accelerate digital transformation across Indian start-ups, businesses, and government organizations.
About Accenture
Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services in strategy and consulting, interactive, technology and operations, with digital capabilities across all of these services.
We combine unmatched experience and specialized capabilities across more than 40 industries, powered by the world’s largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers. With 505,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture brings continuous innovation to help clients improve their performance and create lasting value across their enterprises.
