1. WOMEN UP Project - Microsoft
13th ANNUAL MEETING OF THE WOMEN LEADER´S NETWORK - WLN
WOMEN UP Project - Microsoft
Yu-Ching Yao
Chinese Taipei
“When the Mouse Meets the Frying Pan”
– WOMEN UP, Microsoft

2. if you give them an opportunity, if you give them the right tools,
“ People have an incredible potential,
if you give them an opportunity,
if you give them the right tools,
if you give them a chance to educate themselves,
they’ll amaze you with what they can do.”
~ Bill Gates.

3. Microsoft Unlimited Potential (UP)
Bring together the company’s business strategy and citizenship goal to address the diverse social & economic issues faced by those who currently receive little or no benefit from technology – to enhance Digital Inclusion for the underserved groups and areas
To help create an environment that allows people to make the most of their skills and abilities.
To empower people to realize their full potential!

4. Sustained Social & Economic Opportunity
Communities Partnerships
Transforming
Education
Fostering Local Innovation
Enabling Jobs & Opportunity OA

5. WOMEN UP Project target:
1 billion people
High disposable income
2 billion people
Less disposable income
3 billion people
Government-sponsored programs
Job & opportunity
62%
CTLC Program
Training Accessibility
Confidence building
UP via
200+ NPO
25,000 women
23%
Basic living support
15%

6. Microsoft Unlimited Potential Sustained Social & Economic Opportunity
Relevance
Access
Affordability
PURPOSE OF SLIDE: Relevance, Access, Affordability
Microsoft’s Unlimited Potential is built on a long history of being involved in developing communities around the world. Our experience these many years has taught us much. We have succeeded and failed in our projects and initiatives. In reflecting on our experience, that of our peers in the ICT community and the insights from many development organizations, NGOs and governments around the world, we have found that the principles of relevance, access and affordability are critical to success and must be part of every solution we build.
Beyond phones, most IT solutions today not addressing emerging markets needs
Not relevant:
- Focused on advanced users – Need to make software easy to use for first time users (help on how to use a mouse or connect a printer, focus only on necessary features – no advanced features that might be confusing)
- Not available in many local languages and dialects
Not accessible:
- Focused on PC for individual users
- Not available in rural areas – In China, rural areas are still lagging behind with low concentration retail outlets and circulation of goods
Not affordable:
High cost of PC:
Cost of a non-branded PC represents 2.3 times average monthly salary in Brazil and 3.2 times avg. monthly salary in Argentina
- Pay upfront business model
- Designed for individuals with disposable income – Only 13% of China’s population have a credit card (26% in urban, 5% in rural) (Source: Gallup, March 2005)
Microsoft’s approach to this is built around three core principles:
Relevance + Access + Affordability
To complete this loop of human development it is critical to reach out to the underserved with solutions that offer:
Relevance – need to be relevant to their needs
IT industry must offer software and services in people’s local languages and dialects, tuned to their culture
Access – easily attainable
IT industry can do more to lower costs and get additional value from shared computing resources, by making it simpler for students, families and communities to use technology together
Affordability – within financial reach
IT industry must work harder to find new ways to reduce the cost of technology and develop a flexible, sustainable business model that makes it available and affordable to all OA

7. Corporate social responsibility programs of private sector companies
Mapping the Organizational Models - Hybrids and Partnerships Emerge at Different Points Along the Continuum
Gov’t or donor agency-sponsored programs implemented by civil society organizations
Public Sector
Private Sector
Civil Society Sector
Public-private
partnership
Corporate social responsibility programs of private sector companies

8. The Implement of Mobile Classroom Training
Arrival
Classroom Space
(before settling)
Arrange the seats
Move and Open the Protection Rack
Set-up of notebooks
Training

10. Media Coverage March 12, 2007 China Times
Microsoft is one of the leading companies in Taiwan who have been funding in information education for college students, women and indigenous residents for many years.
Microsoft hopes to collaborate with more resources to expand the impacts of grants, and is recruiting the 40,000 volunteers to help 130,000 those who are trying to cross the digital gap. – Alex Huang, Regional Director, Greater China,

11. Media Coverage
The magazine "Business Next" (pp.66-68, 144th, released in Dec., 2006) publish the cover story of Women UP Project. Within this article, the efforts of Women UP I and II are stated which will let the public much familiar with public grants of Microsoft. "Never too old to learn", said grandma Chen, who is 75 years old. Although her eyesight is not clear as young people, she still learns very hard and write down every detail she don't understand and keep practicing and practicing. She promises she will share what she learned from the course as possible as she can in the future. This is one of the best practice of Women UP II which stands the spirit of unlimited potential of everybody.
"Business Next" (pp.66-68, 144th, released in Dec., 2006)

12. Media Coverage
There was a special report on the PC Office on Aug 1, 2007, which mentioned the great effort that Microsoft contributes in bridging Women's digital divide through Women UP program. In this report, women up program are presented in details, including the reason why this project is exclusively for women, the list of cooperation organizations in the past years. Three women's successful cases are also stated, especially for the improvement of their economic situation and great progress in their lives after Women UP training.

13. Media Coverage

14. Thanks www.microsoft.com/about/corporatecitizenship/us/default.mspx
“When the Mouse Meets the Frying Pan”
– WOMEN UP, Microsoft Chinese Taipei