Move includes Chmura Krajowa partnership and a new data centre region to improve cloud access
Elly Yates-Roberts |
Microsoft has announced a $1 billion digital transformation plan for Poland which will include a new data centre region in the country and a partnership with cloud provider Chmura Krajowa to give organisations across all industries access to secure, enterprise-grade cloud services.
According to a Microsoft press release about the project, the seven-year initiative will also focus heavily on upskilling local talent with “cloud-based competencies to empower local organisations to drive and accelerate their digital transformation, boost competitiveness and support employment opportunities in market.”
“I am proud to announce our $1 billion investment in Poland’s continued digital transformation and the development of the ‘Polish Digital Valley’,” said Jean-Phillippe Courtois, executive vice president and president of Microsoft global sales, marketing and operations. “Microsoft’s global-scale cloud in Poland will allow an ever-wider use, faster implementation and more benefits to those public institutions and businesses in critical sectors along with Poland’s thriving start-up community. Our mission is to empower the people and organisations of Poland to achieve more.”
The partnership between Microsoft and Chmura Krajowa aims to support public institutions and businesses in critical sectors such as government, health, education, manufacturing, retail, energy, finance and insurance.
A major part of the new plan is Microsoft’s reskilling initiative which will be used to expand employment opportunities for professionals and youth in Poland. Microsoft aims to enhance the digital skills of around 150,000 citizens in a bid to increase competitiveness of Polish businesses. The skills development programme will include training, e-learning programs, workshops and hackathons covering cloud computing, artificial intelligence and machine learning, big data and the internet of things (IoT).
“I deeply believe that Microsoft’s investment in Poland will be important for enterprises, public institutions and the education system and will enable them to digitally transform and implement new work standards,” said Mateusz Morawiecki, prime minister of Poland. “Our primary goal is to accelerate Poland’s transformation into a technological hub for the region of Central and Eastern Europe.”
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