LAGOS , N igeria — Aug. 12, 2013 — In recognition of International Youth Day, Microsoft Corp. Monday introduced the 4Afrika Scholarship program, as part of its 4Afrika Initiative, through which it will provide mentorship, leadership and technical training, certification, university-level education, and employment opportunities for promising African students. Mentorship will be provided by Microsoft employees from around the world, and employment opportunities will include internships and both part-time and full-time jobs within Microsoft, as well as with the company’s more than 10,000 partners across Africa.

Through the company’s 4Afrika Initiative and YouthSpark program, Microsoft has committed to helping millions of Africans get critical skills for entrepreneurship and employability. The 4Afrika Scholarship program is one way the company intends to meet that goal, by helping ensure that promising youth have access to the education, resources and skills they need to succeed, regardless of their financial situations. To help redress gender disparity in higher education in Africa, the company is actively encouraging young women to apply.

Microsoft also announced that in the coming year it will provide 4Afrika Scholarships to 1,000 youth to pursue associate degrees in computer science and business administration with the first participating higher-education institution, University of the People. The institution is an online university dedicated to the democratization of higher education, which is affiliated with the United Nations, the Clinton Global Initiative, New York University and the Yale Law School Information Society Project.

“Together with participating education institutions, Microsoft’s goal with the 4Afrika Scholarship program is to level the playing field for talented young African minds who might not otherwise have the resources, enabling them to get the education and skills they need to thrive in technology-related fields,” said Patrick Onwumere, director of youth enablement, Microsoft 4Afrika. “The 4Afrika Initiative was designed to help ensure that Africa can become globally competitive, and investing in our highly motivated youth is a critical step toward making that a reality.”

Students wanting to apply for these first 4Afrika Scholarships to attend University of the People must be at least 18 years old, have a high school diploma and be proficient in English, since all coursework is taught in English. They must also have access to the Internet to participate in the online classes. To help address the connectivity issue, the company is making working space available in its Microsoft Innovation Centers in Tunisia, Tanzania, Uganda and Botswana for successful applicants near those locations. In addition, Microsoft is working with various partner hubs across Africa to make similar arrangements for students in other locations.

“University of the People works hard to ensure that university-level education is a possibility for the masses, and through the 4Afrika Scholarship program, Microsoft is helping us extend that possibility even further in Africa,” said Shai Reshef, president, University of the People. “We are proud to be working with Microsoft to help create amazing opportunities and open new doors for Africa’s youth.”

Applications for 4Afrika Scholarships to University of the People can be submitted online at http://www.uopeople.org/4afrika. The first 4Afrika Scholarship students will begin classes in November 2013. Further information about the 4Afrika Scholarship program is available at http://www.youth4afrika.com.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://www.microsoft.com/news. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/news/contactpr.mspx.

SANTA CLARA, CA--NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) today reported revenue for the second quarter of fiscal 2014, ended July 28, 2013, of $977.2 million, up 2.4 percent from $954.7 million in the previous quarter.

REDMOND, Wash. , and TOKYO — Aug. 6 , 2013 — Microsoft Corp. today announced that Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Company is deploying approximately 30,000 Windows 8 tablets as new sales devices for its sales personnel under close cooperation between Fujitsu Limited and Microsoft Japan Co., Ltd. This is Japan’s largest and one of the world’s largest deployments of Windows 8 tablets this year. Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance will start to conduct sales activities using the new tablets nationwide starting in September 2013.

As part of an effort to enhance its customer service experience, Meiji Yasuda reviewed its procedures and services from the ground up, based on customer feedback, and developed face-to-face services that provide useful information in easy-to-understand terms.

Leveraging the advantages offered by tablets, Meiji Yasuda will enhance communication with its customers by using videos and other content to explain its products. It will also aim to focus more resources on improving service and boosting its competitiveness by streamlining contract processing and helping eliminate the need for printed documentation while providing enhanced security.

Fujitsu, the partner leading the implementation of this deployment, selected Microsoft’s Windows 8 Pro enterprise operating system to develop a specialized Windows 8 tablet to improve customer service by digitizing procedures and providing beneficial information in an easily understandable format. With this development, Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance will be the first Japanese life insurance company to adopt Windows 8 Pro.

More information about how organizations are turning to Microsoft technology is available on the Microsoft Customer Spotlight newsroom.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://www.microsoft.com/news. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/news/contactpr.mspx.

REDMOND, Wash. — Aug . 7 , 2013 — International Airlines Group (IAG), the parent company of British Airways and Iberia, and one of the world’s largest airline groups, has selected Microsoft Office 365 as the business communication solution for approximately 58,000 employees, enabling its workforce to collaborate virtually anytime, anywhere around the world.

“Giving our employees the tools and freedom to achieve more in their day-to-day activities was a key component in our decision to engage with Microsoft,” said Nigel Underwood, chief information officer, IAG. “Office 365 will allow employees to collaborate and achieve their work tasks regardless of the platform, product or device. This is an excellent example of IAG enabling change within the group to create a common IT platform for our airlines which will be more efficient and reduce our costs.”

IAG sought an all-encompassing solution for British Airways, Iberia, IAG Cargo and Avios that would provide a new way for employees to easily work together, as well as ensure access to the mission-critical enterprise tools a global airline group requires. The new Enterprise Agreement includes Office 365, with Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Lync Online and Yammer, and provides the necessary features and security to help British Airways and Iberia transform their businesses and use cloud-based solutions.

In particular, a key part of the airline’s strategy for the future is better internal communication and collaboration through the use of social tools. Yammer brings together the companies’ employees inside a private and secured enterprise network that enables communication, collaboration and information sharing regardless of business unit or location. For British Airways and Iberia, this addresses major areas such as quickly understanding feedback from customers, responding swiftly to market changes, and keeping all levels of the organization engaged in delivering the group’s vision.

British Airways, Iberia and Vueling are part of International Airlines Group, which is the third-largest airline group in Europe and the sixth-largest in the world based on revenue with 420 aircraft flying to 230 destinations and carrying more than 69 million passengers each year.

More information about how organizations are turning to Microsoft technology is available on the Microsoft Customer Spotlight newsroom.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://www.microsoft.com/news. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/news/contactpr.mspx.