Pamela Passman Quotations

There have been some important steps taken in the last few weeks that, if brought to fruition, will have a significant impact on the software sector in China.

The benefits of technology training extend far beyond the individual who attends the courses at the centers -- they improve the social and economic opportunities of entire families, businesses and communities. These grants support the hard work of our local partners to provide the tools and training to foster true economic empowerment in all types of communities, from small, rural villages to urban areas in developed regions.

Sadly, disasters do happen. Through our long-term involvement with disaster response, we have built programs designed to maximize use of our technology expertise as well as our cash contributions. Our relationships with nonprofit organizations are designed to provide long-term value for the organizations and their ability to respond in crisis situations. We believe our most effective response to these situations is to put our tools and technology into action.

Microsoft has a very strong interest in the readiness of America's work force, and as a company we believe access to learning is critical in advancing U.S. interests globally. By partnering with the DOL, we are opening yet another avenue for the ongoing education necessary for workers to remain competitive.

Microsoft is partnering with these NGOs to drive further adoption of technology that can speed information when it is most critical. We at Microsoft believe it is important to help improve humanitarian efforts through financial donations, technical resources and the volunteer efforts of our employees worldwide. This grant is directed at improving collaboration among agencies, which is one of the most vital issues our NGO partners are trying to solve.

The intent is to bring together executives responsible for the technology needs of their organizations and those in charge of orchestrating responses to emergencies.

We're looking for the best talent wherever we can find it.

We're going to use the opportunity to share some of our technology and our vision about where the industry is going, and our commitment to China.

We have a very strong focus on this market. We've been investing and building a talented group of people there.

To address demographic and global economic trends, it's imperative that we act now to ensure that new and existing workers acquire the basic IT skills necessary for work and for continual learning. Through alliances like the one announced with the DOL today, Microsoft believes it can help make a measurable impact on the preparedness of millions of Americans and the ability of U.S. businesses to contribute to and benefit from the knowledge economy.