Category Archives: your Microsoft ENG
Safer Internet Day: 9000 Belgian youngsters trained and Computing Safety Index published
http://blog.microsoft.be/2013/02/05/safer-internet-day-9000-belgian-youngsters-trained-and-computing-safety-index-published/
Typically when leave our homes, we lock our doors. We take this simple and, perhaps, habitual step to help protect our families and our belongings. Yet, when we go online, we don’t always take the same precautions with our personal information.
Today, on Safer Internet Day (SID), we want to remind consumers the world over to promote responsible use of the Internet and mobile technology. Organized by Brussels-based Insafe and co-founded by the European Union, this year marks the tenth celebration of SID and, once again, Microsoft is playing an active role.
In Belgium 9000 youngsters between 9 and 12 have been trained by volunteers of Microsoft and Belgacom with the support of Child Focus on this day to go on the internet is a safe way. They give a general course on the theme: how to make safe passwords, protect their online identity, recongise trusted websites, and avoid cyberbullying. Afterwards teachers get additional course material so they can further go in depth on good online practices.
Microsoft has also released results of the second annual Microsoft Computing Safety Index (MCSI), a survey of consumer online safety behaviors in 20 countries. This year, a mobile component has been added to the study, enabling comparisons between people’s PC and mobile practices.The MCSI average across all countries found that more than half (55 percent) of respondents are experiencing multiple online risks, yet only 16 percent say they are taking multiple steps to proactively protect themselves and their data. As for mobile, just over one-quarter (28 percent) said they run regular updates on their mobile devices, compared to 42 percent who said they regularly update their PC software. Inattention to basic device health and maintenance has the ability to further compound an individual’s online risk.
All of Microsoft’s advice and guidance about staying safer online starts with four basic steps:
- Turning the firewall “on” and leaving it “on;” (know that there is no legitimate reason to ever turn the firewall “off”),
- Installing and keeping current antivirus software,
- Installing and maintaining antispyware software, and
- Turning “on” and always using automatic updates.
If you want to protect your own digital life, you’d better make these habits your own too.
Under the banner of this year’s SID theme, “Connect with Respect,” Microsoft is asking everyone to take stock of their online habits to ensure they are as protected as possible when going online. Consumers can see where they rank in an abbreviated version of the Microsoft Computing Safety Index Survey and parents can encourage teens to take our “Safer Online Teen Challenge.”
The New Year and Safer Internet Day are the perfect time of year to get smarter about online safety. So, join the movement. (See, http://www.microsoft.com/security for all of our advice and guidance, and follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com/Safer_Online and Facebook www.facebook.com/SaferOnline.)
Don’t throw away your office material; give it second life!
By Laurence Verriest
Microsoft Belux recently bought new office chairs. And this means that we had “to get rid” of 226 older chairs that were replaced. Those chairs were still in good condition so we felt it wasn’t ok to just throw them in the garbage. We decided to donate the chairs to a good cause but how to organize something like this?
After some research we found the project of the NGO Human Business (http://www.hu-bu.be ) . Through their website it is possible to donate Office furniture, enabling social-profit organizations to equip themselves in office furniture and technology at no or low cost. It’s very simple, if a company wants to give away furniture, you can ask Hu-bu to send a mailing to schools and NGO’s. Through their platform they take care of the practicalities, and this is all for free. It was a very successful choice, in 1 day already 18 nonprofits reacted and we had to close subscriptions. This means that 100s of employees of those NGO’s benefited of new chairs and 18 NGO’s could save costs and continue working. This is very useful with the increasing lack of subsidies. Especially as a response to the last barometer of NGO’s in Belgium saying that 1 NGO out of 4 have seen their financial situation get worse in the past year due to the economic crisis (source; http://www.kbs-frb.be/pressitem.aspx?id=303269&langtype=2067&hq_e=el&hq_m=2158723&hq_l=4&hq_v=f12c40fa01 ) .
Partners in Learning Global Forum 2012 in Prague
by Koen Daems, (daemsk@microsoft.com)
The Partners in Learning network one of the largest educator communities in the world, bringing together teachers, school leaders and education leaders through a variety of activities and initiatives. The central portal of this Partners in Learning Network is www.pil-network.com. Every year the Partners in Learning come together to exchange experiences and to celebrate achievements from schools and individual teachers. This year’s edition was held in Prague, between November 28th and December 1st.
Microsoft Belux was accompanied by Gaston Ternes, the school principal of the Lycée Aline Mayrisch from Luxembourg and by Mr Faems, ICT coordinator in the Jonatan School in St-Niklaas in Belgium.
The Lycée Aline Mayrisch (www.laml.lu) is a Mentor School, which means they have a clear strategy for the use of technology in (and outside) the school. Since many years they have implemented a system in which each student has its own laptop. Being a Mentor School, they are happy to share their experiences with other schools that want to go on a similar journey.
Earlier this year, Bram Faems was the winner of the European Partners in Learning Forum, which gave him a ticket to the Global Forum, where he participated in the Innovative Teachers contest with the Jonatan Academy (www.jonatan.be/academie/english). You can read about the Forum in Bram’s own words: www.leesvoer.be/geen-categorie/partners-in-learning-global-forum-you-moved-me. All the winners in the different categories can be found here: http://www.pil-network.com/Discussion/2183af04-5f23-49c1-8c49-c3063eaca1f8
Thursday 22 November: National Homeworking day in Belgium
“We need all labour forces we have. Don’t waste time” says the Minister of Labour
This Thursday Belgium works collectively from home. It is the third National Homeworking Day. An initiative that 4 partner organisations, – Getronics, PwC, AOS Studley, FPS Social Security and Microsoft- brought to life to promote flexworking in Belgium.About 2500 people commited on the website www.nationalethuiswerkdag.be to work from home. They are convinced they will not only increase their efficiency, but they will also lighten the rushhour traffic and thus adding their part to a better environment.
Flexworking was already very popular among knowledge workers, now management seems to be convinced of the benefits as well. A recent survey by the business magazine Trends showed that almost three quarters of the office workers can work part of their at another location or according to a schedule that better fit their private life. Doing so, they improve their work/life balance.
The times have never been more favourable towards flexworking. The only thing you need is a PC and an internet connection, to link to your office’s systems. Voice over IP, communication solutions like Skype of Lync allow you to meet and collaborate online, while your smartphone gives you access to your data while on the move.
That is why the New World of Work Alliance has been created . We will need all the labour force we can get in the future” say the Belgian minister of Labour in Belgium. “we cannot waste time and therefor should work as flexible as possible.
Thursday 22 November: National Homeworking day in Belgium
“We need all labour forces we have. Don’t waste time” says the Minister of Labour
This Thursday Belgium works collectively from home. It is the third National Homeworking Day. An initiative that 4 partner organisations, – Getronics, PwC, AOS Studley, FPS Social Security and Microsoft- brought to life to promote flexworking in Belgium.About 2500 people commited on the website www.nationalethuiswerkdag.be to work from home. They are convinced they will not only increase their efficiency, but they will also lighten the rushhour traffic and thus adding their part to a better environment.
Flexworking was already very popular among knowledge workers, now management seems to be convinced of the benefits as well. A recent survey by the business magazine Trends showed that almost three quarters of the office workers can work part of their at another location or according to a schedule that better fit their private life. Doing so, they improve their work/life balance.
The times have never been more favourable towards flexworking. The only thing you need is a PC and an internet connection, to link to your office’s systems. Voice over IP, communication solutions like Skype of Lync allow you to meet and collaborate online, while your smartphone gives you access to your data while on the move.
That is why the New World of Work Alliance has been created . We will need all the labour force we can get in the future” say the Belgian minister of Labour in Belgium. “we cannot waste time and therefor should work as flexible as possible.
YouthSpark offers education, employment and entrepreneurship to youngsters
Microsoft Corp announced a new global initiative, Microsoft YouthSpark, that aims to create opportunities for 300 million youth in more than 100 countries over the next three years of which 69 million in Europe. This company-wide initiative empowers youth to imagine and realize their full potential by connecting them with greater opportunities for education, employment and entrepreneurship.
Through Microsoft YouthSpark, Microsoft will dedicate the majority of its cash contributions to nonprofits that serve the youth population around the world. The company is also launching a range of new youth-focused Citizenship initiatives that can be found at Microsoft YouthSpark Hub, an online space where people can explore and access all of the youth services, programs and resources provided by Microsoft and its nonprofits partners;
The company is also announcing its collaboration with nonprofits around the world. In Belgium Microsoft has been collaborating for quite some years with Child Focus, Close The Gap, NFTE en COF asbl (www.childfocus.be; www.close-the-gap.org, www.nfte.be and www.cof.be .)
Launching the new initiative, Steve Ballmer, CEO, Microsoft said, “Today we are making a commitment to help 300 million young people around the world achieve their dreams by focusing our Citizenship efforts and other company resources on connecting young people with opportunities for education, employment and entrepreneurship. We believe that working with our partners we can help empower young people to change their world, and we are committed to doing just that.”
Microsoft is announcing YouthSpark in response to the growing economic and social challenges facing today’s youth, as highlighted in the Microsoft-commissioned Opportunity for Action report from the International Youth Foundation in March 2012. The report showed that nearly 75 million young people worldwide were unemployed in 2011. As the global youth population of 1.2 billion continues to grow, the opportunity divide – the gap between those who have the access and skills to be successful, and those who do not – is widening. In Belgium 22,5% of the youngsters under 25 is unemployed. In some cities the percentage even rises to 40% http://economie.fgov.be/nl/statistieken/
Microsoft YouthSpark goes beyond philanthropy and brings together a range of global programs that empower young people with access to technology and a better education and inspire young people to imagine the opportunities they have to realize their potential including:
- Office365 for EDU: Free technology tools for all students and teachers, powering learning and collaboration: email, instant messaging, group video and voice chat, and online document viewing and editing.
- Skype in the Classroom: A free, global community for teachers to connect their students with other students and guest speakers from around the world.
- Partners in Learning: A professional development program for government officials, school leaders, and educators to help them with new approaches to teaching and learning, using technology to help students develop 21st century skills.
- DreamSpark: Free access to Microsoft designer and developer tools for students and educators, helping advance key technical skills at a critical time in a student’s development during the high school and college years.
- Imagine Cup: The world’s premier youth technology competition which challenges students to apply their knowledge and passion to develop technical solutions for social impact, engaging games and to demonstrate innovation that can benefit others, local communities, and the world.
- BizSpark: A software startup program, providing young entrepreneurs with access to Microsoft software development tools and connections with key industry players, including investors, to help them start a new business.
For more information on Microsoft YouthSpark programs, visit the online YouthSpark Hub http://www.microsoft.com/about/corporatecitizenship/en-us/youthspark/youthsparkhub/default.aspx
More information on the Belgian Citizenship program is to be found at www.microsoft.be/citizenship
YouthSpark offers education, employment and entrepreneurship to youngsters
Microsoft Corp announced a new global initiative, Microsoft YouthSpark, that aims to create opportunities for 300 million youth in more than 100 countries over the next three years of which 69 million in Europe. This company-wide initiative empowers youth to imagine and realize their full potential by connecting them with greater opportunities for education, employment and entrepreneurship.
Through Microsoft YouthSpark, Microsoft will dedicate the majority of its cash contributions to nonprofits that serve the youth population around the world. The company is also launching a range of new youth-focused Citizenship initiatives that can be found at Microsoft YouthSpark Hub, an online space where people can explore and access all of the youth services, programs and resources provided by Microsoft and its nonprofits partners;
The company is also announcing its collaboration with nonprofits around the world. In Belgium Microsoft has been collaborating for quite some years with Child Focus, Close The Gap, NFTE en COF asbl (www.childfocus.be; www.close-the-gap.org, www.nfte.be and www.cof.be .)
Launching the new initiative, Steve Ballmer, CEO, Microsoft said, “Today we are making a commitment to help 300 million young people around the world achieve their dreams by focusing our Citizenship efforts and other company resources on connecting young people with opportunities for education, employment and entrepreneurship. We believe that working with our partners we can help empower young people to change their world, and we are committed to doing just that.”
Microsoft is announcing YouthSpark in response to the growing economic and social challenges facing today’s youth, as highlighted in the Microsoft-commissioned Opportunity for Action report from the International Youth Foundation in March 2012. The report showed that nearly 75 million young people worldwide were unemployed in 2011. As the global youth population of 1.2 billion continues to grow, the opportunity divide – the gap between those who have the access and skills to be successful, and those who do not – is widening. In Belgium 22,5% of the youngsters under 25 is unemployed. In some cities the percentage even rises to 40% http://economie.fgov.be/nl/statistieken/
Microsoft YouthSpark goes beyond philanthropy and brings together a range of global programs that empower young people with access to technology and a better education and inspire young people to imagine the opportunities they have to realize their potential including:
- Office365 for EDU: Free technology tools for all students and teachers, powering learning and collaboration: email, instant messaging, group video and voice chat, and online document viewing and editing.
- Skype in the Classroom: A free, global community for teachers to connect their students with other students and guest speakers from around the world.
- Partners in Learning: A professional development program for government officials, school leaders, and educators to help them with new approaches to teaching and learning, using technology to help students develop 21st century skills.
- DreamSpark: Free access to Microsoft designer and developer tools for students and educators, helping advance key technical skills at a critical time in a student’s development during the high school and college years.
- Imagine Cup: The world’s premier youth technology competition which challenges students to apply their knowledge and passion to develop technical solutions for social impact, engaging games and to demonstrate innovation that can benefit others, local communities, and the world.
- BizSpark: A software startup program, providing young entrepreneurs with access to Microsoft software development tools and connections with key industry players, including investors, to help them start a new business.
For more information on Microsoft YouthSpark programs, visit the online YouthSpark Hub http://www.microsoft.com/about/corporatecitizenship/en-us/youthspark/youthsparkhub/default.aspx
More information on the Belgian Citizenship program is to be found at www.microsoft.be/citizenship
Microsoft wins the Solidaritest Award
Microsoft, along with Swift and Interpartner Assistance, has won the Solidaritest Award, organised by the Red Cross Belgium. This Award honours companies that devote themselves to societal solidarity, wheher outside or inside the organisation.
According to the jury, Microsoft was a top winner this year. For the greater part because of its software donation program that is of extremely high value: more than 17 million euro in 2011. Since the start of the program in 2007, Microsoft has donated software to more than 3000 non profit organisations. These donations are organised by SOCIALware, a neutral partner that links to the NGOs.
All employees of Microsoft are very much devoted to solidarity actions, fundraising and volunteer work. The company grants them 3 days out of office to do this type of benevolence actions. It shows that Corporate Social Responsibility at Microsoft is deep inside its DNA.
“Of course we’re very happy with this recoginition of our CSR work” say Laurence Verriest, coordinator of the programs. “The main area of our actions is youngsters. When looking at the economic crisis and the impact on jobs, we realize there is an “opportunity divide”. There is a gap between people with access, skills and opportunities to become successful and the ones without. All our CSR actions create opportunities for youngsters to realize their potential. “
A proud Philippe Rogge, GM of Microsoft, among the other winners (photo Red Cross)
Microsoft wins the Solidaritest Award
Microsoft, along with Swift and Interpartner Assistance, has won the Solidaritest Award, organised by the Red Cross Belgium. This Award honours companies that devote themselves to societal solidarity, wheher outside or inside the organisation.
According to the jury, Microsoft was a top winner this year. For the greater part because of its software donation program that is of extremely high value: more than 17 million euro in 2011. Since the start of the program in 2007, Microsoft has donated software to more than 3000 non profit organisations. These donations are organised by SOCIALware, a neutral partner that links to the NGOs.
All employees of Microsoft are very much devoted to solidarity actions, fundraising and volunteer work. The company grants them 3 days out of office to do this type of benevolence actions. It shows that Corporate Social Responsibility at Microsoft is deep inside its DNA.
“Of course we’re very happy with this recoginition of our CSR work” say Laurence Verriest, coordinator of the programs. “The main area of our actions is youngsters. When looking at the economic crisis and the impact on jobs, we realize there is an “opportunity divide”. There is a gap between people with access, skills and opportunities to become successful and the ones without. All our CSR actions create opportunities for youngsters to realize their potential. “
A proud Philippe Rogge, GM of Microsoft, among the other winners (photo Red Cross)
Microsoft is becoming carbon neutral
On May 8, Microsoft has announced its plan to become carbon neutral next July this year. Microsoft has also decided to adopt an internal carbon price which will make the company financially responsible for the cost of its carbon emissions.
Microsoft is growing to become leaner, greener and more accountable because Microsoft believes that the organization has a responsibility to minimize its impact on the environment ; and so the company has made a commitment to become carbon neutral for its data centers, software development labs, offices and also employees air travel.
The measures that Microsoft will put in place to achieve carbon neutrality are intended to lessen its environmental footprint while also helping the company to manage risk, increase efficiency and support the growth of the business.
3 strategic pillars to achieve its objectives:
- Be lean. Microsoft is setting targets to drive more efficiency with the energy that the company consumes in its data centers, labs, and offices as well as to reduce its use of air travel. Technology will play an important role in both how the company achieves those targets and how Microsoft measures its progress along the way.
- Be green. Microsoft is purchasing more renewable energy and establishing goals to reduce its waste and water use.
- Be accountable. Microsoft is quantifying the carbon impact of its operations and driving responsible business decisions around energy use and air travel by setting an internal price on carbon, measuring its emissions, and charging a carbon fee to the teams responsible for those emissions. Microsoft is also working to reduce the carbon impact of its supply chain.
Environmental sustainability is an important focus across the Microsoft’s organization. The firm believes that making a commitment to becoming carbon neutral and implementing a carbon fee will be good for both the environment and business.
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