Posted on Leave a comment

Sony Semiconductor Solutions and Microsoft partner to create smart camera solutions for enterprise customers

Companies collaborate to make video analytics solutions more accessible in order to drive better business outcomes

TOKYO — May 19, 2020 — Sony Semiconductor Solutions (Sony) and Microsoft Corp. (Microsoft) today announced they are partnering to create solutions that make AI-powered smart cameras and video analytics easier to access and deploy for their mutual customers.

Sony logoAs a result of the partnership, the companies will embed Microsoft Azure AI capabilities on Sony’s intelligent vision sensor IMX500, which extracts useful information out of images in smart cameras and other devices. Sony will also create a smart camera managed app powered by Azure IoT and Cognitive Services that complements the IMX500 sensor and expands the range and capability of video analytics opportunities for enterprise customers. The combination of these two solutions will bring together Sony’s cutting-edge imaging & sensing technologies, including the unique functionality of high-speed edge AI processing, with Microsoft’s cloud expertise and AI platform to uncover new video analytics opportunities for customers and partners across a variety of industries.

“By linking Sony’s innovative imaging and sensing technology with Microsoft’s excellent cloud AI services, we will deliver a powerful and convenient platform to the smart camera market. Through this platform, we hope to support the creativity of our partners and contribute to overcoming challenges in various industries,” said Terushi Shimizu, Representative Director and President, Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation.

“Video analytics and smart cameras can drive better business insights and outcomes across a wide range of scenarios for businesses,” said Takeshi Numoto, corporate vice president and commercial chief marketing officer at Microsoft. “Through this partnership, we’re combining Microsoft’s expertise in providing trusted, enterprise-grade AI and analytics solutions with Sony’s established leadership in the imaging sensors market to help uncover new opportunities for our mutual customers and partners.”

Video analytics has emerged as a way for enterprise customers across industries to uncover new revenue opportunities, streamline operations and solve challenges. For example, retailers can use smart cameras to detect when to refill products on a shelf or to better understand the optimal number of available open checkout counters according to the queue length. Additionally, a manufacturer might use a smart camera to identify hazards on its manufacturing floor in real time before injuries occur. Traditionally, however, such applications — which rely on gathering data distributed among many smart cameras across different sites like stores, warehouses and distribution centers — struggle to optimize the allocation of compute resources, resulting in cost or power consumption increases.

To address these challenges, Sony and Microsoft will partner to simplify access to computer vision solutions by embedding Azure AI technology from Microsoft into Sony’s intelligent vision sensor IMX500 as well as enabling partners to embed their own AI models. This integration will result in smarter, more advanced cameras for use in enterprise scenarios as well as a more efficient allocation of resources between the edge and the cloud to drive cost and power consumption efficiencies.

Sony’s smart camera managed app powered by Azure is targeted toward independent software vendors (ISVs) specializing in computer vision and video analytics solutions, as well as smart camera original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) aspiring to add value to their hardware offerings. The app will complement the IMX500 sensor and will serve as the foundation on which ISVs and OEMs can train AI models to create their own customer- and industry-specific video analytics and computer vision solutions that address enterprise customer demands. The app will simplify key workflows and take reasonable security measures designed to protect data privacy and security, allowing ISVs to spend less time on routine, low-value integration and provisioning work and more time on creating unique solutions to meet customers’ demands. It will also enable enterprise customers to more easily find, train and deploy AI models for video analytics scenarios.

As part of the partnership, Microsoft and Sony will also work together to facilitate hands-on co-innovation with partners and enterprise customers in the areas of computer vision and video analytics as part of Microsoft’s AI & IoT Insider Labs program. Microsoft’s AI & IoT Insider Labs offer access and facilities to help build, develop, prototype and test customer solutions, working in partnership with Microsoft experts and other solution providers like Sony. The companies will begin working with select customers within these co-innovation centers later this year.

About Microsoft

Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

About Sony Semiconductor Solutions

Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation is the global leader in image sensors. We strive to provide advanced imaging technologies that bring greater convenience and joy to people’s lives. In addition, we also work to develop and bring to market new kinds of sensing technologies with the aim of offering various solutions that will take the visual and recognition capabilities of both human and machines to greater heights. For more information, please visit: https://www.sony-semicon.co.jp/e/

For more information, press only:

Microsoft

Microsoft Media Relations, WE Communications for Microsoft, (425) 638-7777, rrt@we-worldwide.com

Sony

Sony Corporate Communications, Sony.Pressroom@sony.co.jp

 

Posted on Leave a comment

FedEx and Microsoft join forces to transform commerce

Companies to collaborate to reinvent the end-to-end commerce experience globally; FedEx Surround announced today as first solution

MEMPHIS, Tenn., and REDMOND, Wash. — May 18, 2020 — FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) and Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) on Monday announced a new multiyear collaboration to help transform commerce by combining the global digital and logistics network of FedEx with the power of Microsoft’s intelligent cloud. Together, FedEx and Microsoft aim to create opportunities for their customers through multiple joint offerings powered by Azure and Dynamics 365 that will use data and analytics solutions to reinvent the most critical aspects of the commerce experience and enable businesses to better compete in today’s increasingly digital landscape.

“FedEx has been reimagining the supply chain since our first day of operation, and we are taking it to a new level with today’s announcement,” said Frederick W. Smith, chairman and CEO, FedEx. “Together with Microsoft, we will combine the immense power of technology with the vast scale of our infrastructure to help revolutionize commerce and create a network for what’s next for our customers.”

This new strategic alliance represents a long-term commitment between the companies to fuel innovation, collaborate on product development and share subject-matter expertise. Today, FedEx networks link more than 99% of the world’s gross domestic product across 220 countries and territories, and Microsoft Azure is trusted by more than 95% of Fortune 500 companies. By combining the breadth and scale of the FedEx network and the Microsoft cloud, businesses will have an unprecedented level of control and insight into the global movement of goods.

“Now more than ever, organizations are counting on an efficient and capable supply chain to remain competitive and open for business,” said Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft.  “Together with FedEx, we will apply the power of Azure, Dynamics 365 and their AI capabilities to this urgent need, building new commerce experiences that transform logistics for our mutual customers around the world.”

Announcing FedEx Surround — driving digital illumination of the physical world

FedEx Surround, the first solution resulting from the FedEx and Microsoft collaboration, allows any business to enhance visibility into its supply chain by leveraging data to provide near-real-time analytics into shipment tracking, which will drive more precise logistics and inventory management. While most carriers are reactive to global logistics dynamics with limited visibility options built into a package’s journey, FedEx Surround will provide near-real-time insights — down to the granular level of ZIP code, for example — to shine a digital light on the progress and movement of physical inventory.

The benefits offered by FedEx Surround will extend to any business with a supply chain and particularly those that depend on highly time-sensitive deliveries. For example, a hospital may urgently need a package to help save a life, or a part may need rapid transport to a manufacturing facility to avoid an operational shutdown. In each instance, the near-real-time data insights provided by FedEx Surround offer a significant advantage to not only the organizations using the platform but also the people they serve.

FedEx Surround can also collect multiple data points gathered through the enhanced scanning and proprietary IoT technology of FedEx and analyze them using Microsoft’s broad suite of AI, machine learning and analytics solutions. This will provide participating businesses with not only enhanced visibility of a package’s location during its journey, but also knowledge of global commerce conditions and external challenges in near-real-time, such as severe weather or natural disasters, mechanical delays, clearance issues, and incorrect addresses. This unprecedented level of data-driven insight will give FedEx Surround customers the opportunity to intervene early and act to avoid logistical slowdowns before they occur to reduce friction and costs. And with every package that ships, FedEx Surround will analyze past trends to identify future opportunities for streamlined shipping, creating a stronger and more resilient commercial ecosystem.

Information regarding FedEx Surround availability will be shared beginning this summer, and customer access will be rolled out in the months ahead.

FedEx and Microsoft expect to announce additional solutions as part of their collaboration in the coming months, which will leverage even more Microsoft technologies, including Dynamics 365. This includes reimagining commerce experiences for businesses to offer consumers more integrated ways to shop, and faster and more efficient deliveries.

Those interested in more details, including visual assets, should visit www.fedex.com/transform.

About FedEx Corp.

FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) provides customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services. With annual revenues of $70 billion, the company offers integrated business solutions through operating companies competing collectively and managed collaboratively, under the respected FedEx brand. Consistently ranked among the world’s most admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its more than 475,000 team members to remain focused on safety, the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of their customers and communities. To learn more about how FedEx connects people and possibilities around the world, please visit about.fedex.com.

About Microsoft

Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

For more information, press only:

Microsoft Media Relations, WE Communications for Microsoft, (425) 638-7777, rrt@we-worldwide.com

FedEx Media Relations, (901) 434-8100, mediarelations@fedex.com

Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://news.microsoft.com. 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 https://news.microsoft.com/microsoft-public-relations-contacts.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release may be considered forward-looking statements, such as statements relating to FedEx and Microsoft managements’ views with respect to future events and financial performance. Forward-looking statements include those preceded by, followed by or that include the words “will,” “may,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “estimates,” “targets,” “projects,” “intends” or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from historical experience or from future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the rate of future e-commerce growth and our ability to successfully compete in the e-commerce market, our ability to successfully introduce e-commerce solutions in the expected time frame, customer acceptance of the FedEx Surround platform and other factors which can be found in FedEx Corp.’s and Microsoft’s respective press releases and filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made. FedEx and Microsoft do not undertake or assume any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Posted on Leave a comment

UnitedHealth Group and Microsoft collaborate to launch ProtectWell™ protocol and app to support return-to-workplace planning and COVID-19 symptom screening

  • ProtectWell™ provides employers a return-to-workplace framework backed by CDC guidelines and the latest clinical science
  • Protocol is supported by the ProtectWell™ smartphone app that screens for COVID-19 symptoms and clears employees for daily work
  • Solution powered by Microsoft technologies to enable scalability, security, privacy and compliance
  • ProtectWell™ will be offered free of charge to employers in the United States

MINNETONKA, Minn., and REDMOND, Wash. (May 15, 2020) – UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) and Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) have joined forces to launch ProtectWell™, an innovative return-to-workplace protocol that enables employers to bring employees back to work in a safer environment. ProtectWell™ helps employees determine they are safe to go to work, co-workers know their colleagues have been screened, and employers feel confident that their workplace is ready to do business. ProtectWell™ incorporates Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines and the latest clinical research to limit the spread of COVID-19 by screening employees for symptoms and establishing guidelines to support the health and safety of the workforce and workplace.

ProtectWell™ combines UnitedHealth Group’s clinical and data analytics capabilities with Microsoft’s technology leadership to help in the next phases of COVID-19 recovery efforts. The ProtectWell™ app is powered by Microsoft Azure, AI and analytics solutions, and also takes advantage of the Microsoft Healthcare Bot service, which is being used around the world for AI-assisted COVID-19 symptom triaging.

UnitedHealth Group logoThe ProtectWell™ protocol is supported by a smartphone app that allows employers to offer workers a simple screening tool designed for everyday use. The ProtectWell™ app includes an AI-powered health care bot that asks users a series of questions to screen for COVID-19 symptoms or exposure. If risk of infection is indicated, employers can direct their employees to a streamlined COVID-19 testing process that enables closed-loop ordering and reporting of test results directly back to employers. Health care information is managed by UnitedHealth Group and employers in accordance with occupational health laws.

In addition, ProtectWell™ includes guidelines and resources to support a safe work environment, including physical distancing, personal hygiene, sanitation and more. Employers can also choose additional custom content specific to their workforce for a personalized experience.

Microsoft logo“As we plan for a safe and careful return to the workplace, employers need clear guidelines to ensure a safe environment and a robust process for employees to screen themselves for COVID-19 symptoms,” said Ken Ehlert, chief scientific officer, UnitedHealth Group. “We are pleased to collaborate with Microsoft to launch ProtectWell™, a simple and effective tool to ensure employers and employees have the information and resources they need to keep themselves, their colleagues and the public safe and healthy.”

Microsoft Executive Vice President, Worldwide Commercial Business, Judson Althoff said: “As businesses begin to reopen, employers will need to monitor and manage their workforce for COVID-19 symptoms to help ensure those at risk of spreading the virus stay home until cleared by medical providers. Microsoft is pleased to join with UnitedHealth Group to launch ProtectWell™, which helps organizations manage the complexity of this undertaking.”

UnitedHealth Group has implemented ProtectWell™ with its own frontline health care workers, is in process of implementing the tool across its business to enable safe return of team members to the workplace, and is making the platform available to all employers in the United States at no charge. Microsoft intends to deploy ProtectWell™ for its U.S.-based employees.

The ProtectWell™ smartphone app is powered by Microsoft Azure, together with its industry-leading security and compliance offerings, and allows employers to better plan, manage resources, care for their employees, and reallocate resources to help safeguard their workforce, workplace and business continuity. UnitedHealth Group will maintain control over protected health care data and will manage opt-in and consent requirements needed from app users. Microsoft will not have access to identifiable information shared via the ProtectWell™ app. De-identified workforce health trends and analytics information will help employers and policymakers make informed occupational and public health decisions.

ProtectWell™ is the latest of many initiatives announced by UnitedHealth Group to combat COVID-19. Other initiatives to date include:

  • Providing $1.5 billion in direct customer and consumer support through premium credits, cost-sharing waivers and other efforts.
  • Accelerating payments to providers throughout the crisis, with an initial tranche of nearly $2 billion.
  • Waiving cost-sharing for COVID-19 testing and treatment for U.S. members of UnitedHealthcare plans and simplifying access to care by reducing prior-authorization requirements.
  • Pioneering self-administered swab procedures to expand COVID-19 testing, reduce needed personal protective equipment and protect health care workers from unnecessary exposure to COVID-19.
  • Supporting the Mayo Clinic’s groundbreaking research into the therapeutic potential of using plasma from COVID-19 survivors.
  • Deploying 3,000 “light ventilators” to address critical shortages in the nation’s supply of ventilators.
  • Significantly expanding access to telehealth and virtual visits and redeploying 10,000 Optum clinicians to expand telehealth capabilities.
  • Providing a special enrollment period for fully insured customers to allow employees who did not opt in for coverage during the regular enrollment period to secure coverage.
  • Conducting proactive personal outreach to support seniors and the most vulnerable populations among our members.
  • Launching a free nationwide emotional support line to manage the stress and anxiety caused by COVID-19.
  • Investing nearly $75 million to help at-risk populations, support communities and protect the health care workforce.
  • Converting company cafeterias to provide more than 75,000 meals a week for people in need and keep our cafe team at work.

About UnitedHealth Group
UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) is a diversified health care company dedicated to helping people live healthier lives and helping to make the health system work better for everyone. UnitedHealth Group offers a broad spectrum of products and services through two distinct platforms: UnitedHealthcare, which provides health care coverage and benefits services; and Optum, which provides information and technology-enabled health services. For more information, visit UnitedHealth Group at www.unitedhealthgroup.com or follow @UnitedHealthGrp on Twitter.

About Microsoft
Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

For more information, press only:

UnitedHealth Group Contact:

Eric Hausman, 952-936-3963, Eric.Hausman@uhg.com

Microsoft Contact:

Microsoft Media Relations, WE Communications for Microsoft, (425) 638-7777, rrt@we-worldwide.com

Posted on Leave a comment

Microsoft announces pricing terms for its exchange offers and increases the New 2060 Notes Issue Cap

REDMOND, Wash. — May 14, 2020 — Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) (“Microsoft”) announced today the pricing terms with respect to its offers to (i) exchange (the “Pool 1 Offer”) the ten series of notes described in the table below (collectively, the “Pool 1 Notes”) for a new series of Microsoft’s 2.525% notes due June 1, 2050 (the “New 2050 Notes”) and a cash payment, as applicable. For each $1,000 principal amount of Pool 1 Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn prior to 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on May 28, 2020 (the “Expiration Time”) and accepted by Microsoft, the following table sets forth the yield, the total exchange consideration, the principal amount of the New 2050 Notes and the amount of the cash payment, as applicable:

Pool 1 Table(1)
Title of
Security
CUSIP
Number
Acceptance Priority Level Reference
UST Security(2)
Fixed
Spread
(basis
points)
Yield(3) Early
Exchange
Premium(4)
Total
Exchange
Consideration
(4)(5)
Principal
Amount
of New
Notes(6)
Cash Payment(4)
4.875% Notes due 2043 594918AX2 1 30-year +110 2.375% $30 $1,441.62 $1,000.00 $441.62
5.300% Notes due 2041 594918AM6 2 30-year +105 2.325% $30 $1,486.31 $1,000.00 $486.31
4.450% Notes due 2045 594918BL7 3 30-year +110 2.375% $30 $1,388.59 $1,000.00 $388.59
4.250% Notes due 2047 594918CA0 4 30-year +110 2.375% $30 $1,363.95 $1,000.00 $363.95
5.200% Notes due 2039 594918AD6 5 30-year +95 2.225% $30 $1,458.92 $1,000.00 $458.92
4.500% Notes due 2040 594918AJ3 6 30-year +100 2.275% $30 $1,360.57 $1,000.00 $360.57
3.750% Notes due 2043 594918AU8 7 30-year +110 2.375% $30 $1,237.91 $1,000.00 $237.91
3.750% Notes due 2045 594918BD5 8 30-year +110 2.375% $30 $1,251.94 $1,000.00 $251.94
4.100% Notes due 2037 594918BZ6 9 30-year +87 2.145% $30 $1,266.05 $1,000.00 $266.05
4.200% Notes due 2035 594918BK9 10 30-year +75 2.025% $30 $1,278.89 $1,000.00 $278.89
  1. The figures in this table assume a settlement date of June 1, 2020.
  2. The “30-year Reference UST Security” refers to the 2.375% U.S. Treasury Notes due November 15, 2049.
  3. Reflects the bid-side yield of the 30-year Reference UST Security as of the pricing time of 1.275% plus the applicable Fixed Spread, calculated in accordance with the procedures set forth in the Prospectus.
  4. Per $1,000 principal amount of Pool 1 Notes.
  5. Holders who validly tender Pool 1 Notes after 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on May 13, 2020 (the “Early Exchange Time”) will not be eligible to receive the Early Exchange Premium of $30 principal amount of the New 2050 Notes for each $1,000 principal amount of Pool 1 Notes validly tendered and not withdrawn. For the avoidance of doubt, the $30 per $1,000 Early Exchange Premium is included within the total exchange consideration and is not in addition to the total exchange c
  6. Does not reflect any accrued and unpaid interest. The Company will pay accrued and unpaid interest on the Existing Notes up to, but not including, the settlement date.

and (ii) exchange (the “Pool 2 Offer” and, together with the Pool 1 Offer, the “Exchange Offers”) the four series of notes described in the table below (collectively, the “Pool 2 Notes” and, together with the Pool 1 Notes, the “Existing Notes”) for a new series of Microsoft 2.675% notes due June 1, 2060 (the “New 2060 Notes” and, together with the New 2050 Notes, the “New Notes”) and a cash payment, as applicable. For each $1,000 principal amount of Pool 2 Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn prior to the Expiration Time and accepted by Microsoft, the following table sets forth the yield, the total exchange consideration, the principal amount of the New 2060 Notes and the amount of the cash payment, as applicable:

Pool 2 Table(1)
Title of
Security
CUSIP
Number
Acceptance Priority Level Reference
UST Security(2)
Fixed
Spread
(basis
points)
Yield(3) Early
Exchange
Premium(4)
Total
Exchange
Consideration
(4)(5)
Principal
Amount
of New
Notes(6)
Cash Payment(4)
4.750% Notes due 2055 594918BM5 1 30-year +125 2.525% $30 $1,514.30 $1,138.86 $375.44
4.000% Notes due 2055 594918BE3 2 30-year +125 2.525% $30 $1,336.46 $1,000.00 $336.46
4.500% Notes due 2057 594918CB8 3 30-year +125 2.525% $30 $1,466.62 $1,107.32 $359.30
3.950% Notes due 2056 594918BU7 4 30-year +125 2.525% $30 $1,333.83 $1,000.00 $333.83
  1. The figures in this table reflect any optional adjustments of the total exchange consideration as permitted under the terms and conditions in the Prospectus forming part of the Registration Statement and assume a settlement date of June 1, 2020.
  2. The “30-year Reference UST Security” refers to the 2.375% U.S. Treasury Notes due November 15, 2049.
  3. Reflects the buy-side yield of the 30-year Reference UST Security as of the pricing time of 1.275% plus the applicable Fixed Spread, calculated in accordance with the procedures set forth in the Prospectus.
  4. Per $1,000 principal amount of Pool 2 Notes.
  5. Holders who validly tender Pool 2 Notes after the Early Exchange Time will not be eligible to receive the Early Exchange Premium of $30 principal amount of the New 2060 Notes for each $1,000 principal amount of Pool 2 Notes validly tendered and not withdrawn. For the avoidance of doubt, the $30 per $1,000 Early Exchange Premium is included within the total exchange consideration and is not in addition to the total exchange c
  6. Does not reflect any accrued and unpaid interest. The Company will pay accrued and unpaid interest on the Existing Notes up to, but not including, the settlement date.

The aggregate principal amount of Pool 1 Notes and Pool 2 Notes of each series that are accepted for exchange will be based on the order of acceptance priority for such series, as applicable, as set forth in the tables above, up to $6,250,000,000 aggregate principal amount (the “New 2050 Notes Issue Cap”) and up to $3,750,000,000 aggregate principal amount (the “New 2060 Notes Issue Cap,” increased from $3,000,000,000), respectively. Holders who validly tender the Existing Notes after the Early Exchange Time but on or before the Expiration Time will only be eligible to receive the Exchange Consideration, which equals the Total Exchange Consideration minus the Early Exchange Premium as detailed in the tables above.

As permitted under the terms and conditions in the Registration Statement (as defined below), the Company has elected to increase the Cash Payment Percent of Premium on the 4.750% Notes due 2055 from 70% to 73%, the 4.500% Notes due 2057 from 70% to 77%, and the 3.950% Notes due 2056 from 90% to 100%. These changes are reflected in the Cash Payment amounts shown in the tables above.

In addition to the principal amount of New Notes and applicable cash payment specified in the tables above, holders with Existing Notes that are accepted for exchange will receive a cash payment representing (i) all or a portion of the accrued and unpaid interest to, but not including, the settlement date, and (ii) amounts due in lieu of any fractional amounts of New Notes, in each case, as described in the Prospectus.

A Registration Statement on Form S-4, including a prospectus (the “Prospectus”), which is subject to change, relating to the New Notes has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on April 30, 2020 (the “Registration Statement”) but has not yet become effective. The New Notes may not be sold nor may offers to buy be accepted prior to the time the Registration Statement becomes effective. If and when issued, the New Notes will be registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. This news release does not constitute an offer or a solicitation by Microsoft of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any state in which such offer or solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state.

Consummation of the Exchange Offers is subject to a number of conditions as set forth in the Prospectus included in the Registration Statement, including, among other things, the Registration Statement of which the Prospectus forms a part having been declared effective by the SEC and remaining effective on the settlement date.

The Exchange Offers are made only by and pursuant to the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Prospectus, which forms a part of the Registration Statement after it is declared effective by the SEC, and the information in this news release is qualified by reference to such Prospectus and the Registration Statement. None of Microsoft, the dealer managers, or the information agent and exchange agent makes any recommendations as to whether holders should tender their Existing Notes pursuant to the Exchange Offers. Holders must make their own decisions as to whether to tender Existing Notes and, if so, the principal amount of Existing Notes to tender.

Copies of the Prospectus pursuant to which the Exchange Offers are being made, may be obtained from D.F. King & Co., Inc., the information agent and exchange agent for the Exchange Offers, at 212-269-5552 (to exchange), at 800-431-9645 (for information U.S. Toll-free), at 212-269-5550 (information for brokers), at www.dfking.com/microsoft, or at microsoft@dfking.com.  Questions regarding the terms and conditions of the Exchange Offers should be directed to the following joint lead dealer managers:

  BofA Securities

620 South Tryon Street, 20th Floor

Charlotte, NC 28255

Toll Free: (888) 292-0070

Collect: (980) 387-3907

Attn: Liability Management Group

    Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.

60 Wall Street

New York, NY 10005

Toll Free: (866) 627-0391

Collect: (212) 250-2955

Attn: Liability Management Group

In order to participate in any Exchange Offer, holders of the Existing Notes located or resident in Canada are required to complete, sign and submit to the exchange agent a Canadian Eligibility Form, which may be obtained from D.F. King & Co., Inc. contacts above, to confirm they satisfy applicable Canadian eligibility requirements and to provide certain additional information.

Any holder of the Existing Notes located in any Member State of the European Economic Area or in the United Kingdom that is a retain investor will not be able to participate in the Exchange Offers. For these purposes, a retain investor means a person who is one or more of the following: (i) a retail client as defined in point (11) of Article 4(1) of the EU Directive on Markets in Financial Instruments (2014/65/EU) (as amended, “MiFID II”); or (ii) a customer within the meaning of Directive (EU) 2016/97, where that customer would not qualify as a professional client as defined in point (10) of Article (4)(1) of MiFID II.

About Microsoft

Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this news release are “forward-looking statements” based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially because of factors described above as well as:

  • intense competition in all of our markets that may lead to lower revenue or operating margins;
  • increasing focus on cloud-based services presenting execution and competitive risks;
  • significant investments in products and services that may not achieve expected returns;
  • acquisitions, joint ventures, and strategic alliances that may have an adverse effect on our business;
  • impairment of goodwill or amortizable intangible assets causing a significant charge to earnings;
  • cyberattacks and security vulnerabilities that could lead to reduced revenue, increased costs, liability claims, or harm to our reputation or competitive position;
  • disclosure and misuse of personal data that could cause liability and harm to our reputation;
  • the possibility that we may not be able to protect information stored in our products and services from use by others;
  • abuse of our advertising or social platforms that may harm our reputation or user engagement;
  • the development of the internet of things presenting security, privacy, and execution risks;
  • issues about the use of artificial intelligence in our offerings that may result in competitive harm, legal liability, or reputational harm;
  • excessive outages, data losses, and disruptions of our online services if we fail to maintain an adequate operations infrastructure;
  • quality or supply problems;
  • the possibility that we may fail to protect our source code;
  • legal changes, our evolving business model, piracy, and other factors may decrease the value of our intellectual property;
  • claims that Microsoft has infringed the intellectual property rights of others;
  • claims against us that may result in adverse outcomes in legal disputes;
  • government litigation and regulatory activity relating to competition rules that may limit how we design and market our products;
  • potential liability under trade protection, anti-corruption, and other laws resulting from our global operations;
  • laws and regulations relating to the handling of personal data that may impede the adoption of our services or result in increased costs, legal claims, fines, or reputational damage;
  • additional tax liabilities;
  • damage to our reputation or our brands that may harm our business and operating results;
  • exposure to increased economic and operational uncertainties from operating a global business, including the effects of foreign currency exchange;
  • uncertainties relating to our business with government customers;
  • adverse economic or market conditions that may harm our business;
  • catastrophic events or geopolitical conditions, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, that may disrupt our business; and
  • the dependence of our business on our ability to attract and retain talented employees.

For more information about risks and uncertainties associated with Microsoft’s business, please refer to the “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Risk Factors” sections of Microsoft’s SEC filings, including, but not limited to, its annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q that are incorporated by reference in the Prospectus forming a part of the Registration Statement, copies of which may be obtained by contacting Microsoft’s Investor Relations department at (800) 285-7772 or at Microsoft’s Investor Relations website at http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/investor.

Posted on Leave a comment

Microsoft announces early participation results of exchange offers

REDMOND, Wash. — May 14, 2020 — Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) (“Microsoft”) announced today the early participation results of its offers to (i) exchange (the “Pool 1 Offer”) the ten series of notes described in the table below (collectively, the “Pool 1 Notes”) for a new series of Microsoft’s notes due June 1, 2050 (the “New 2050 Notes”) and a cash payment, as applicable:

Pool 1 Table
Title of Security CUSIP
Number
Principal Amount
Outstanding
Acceptance Priority
Level
Principal
Amount
Tendered (1)
4.875% Notes due 2043 594918AX2 $500,000,000 1 $316,270,000
5.300% Notes due 2041 594918AM6 $1,000,000,000 2 $224,322,000
4.450% Notes due 2045 594918BL7 $3,000,000,000 3 $1,774,667,000
4.250% Notes due 2047 594918CA0 $3,000,000,000 4 $1,443,710,000
5.200% Notes due 2039 594918AD6 $750,000,000 5 $191,415,000
4.500% Notes due 2040 594918AJ3 $1,000,000,000 6 $427,782,000
3.750% Notes due 2043 594918AU8 $500,000,000 7 $252,918,000
3.750% Notes due 2045 594918BD5 $1,750,000,000 8 $1,106,308,000
4.100% Notes due 2037 594918BZ6 $2,500,000,000 9 $1,568,040,000
4.200% Notes due 2035 594918BK9 $1,000,000,000 10 $324,503,000

 

  1. The aggregate principal amounts of each series that have been validly tendered for exchange and not validly withdrawn, as of 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on May 13, 2020 (the “Early Exchange Time”), based on information provided by the exchange agent to Microsoft.

and (ii) exchange (the “Pool 2 Offer” and, together with the Pool 1 Offer, the “Exchange Offers”) the four series of notes described in table below (collectively, the “Pool 2 Notes” and, together with the Pool 1 Notes, the “Existing Notes”) for a new series of Microsoft’s notes due June 1, 2060 (the “New 2060 Notes” and, together with the New 2050 Notes, the “New Notes”) and a cash payment, as applicable:

Pool 2 Table
Title of Security CUSIP
Number
Principal Amount
Outstanding
Acceptance Priority
Level
Principal
Amount
Tendered (1)
4.750% Notes due 2055 594918BM5 $1,000,000,000 1 $672,725,000
4.000% Notes due 2055 594918BE3 $2,250,000,000 2 $1,492,344,000
4.500% Notes due 2057 594918CB8 $2,000,000,000 3 $992,305,000
3.950% Notes due 2056 594918BU7 $2,250,000,000 4 $1,696,715,000
  1. The aggregate principal amounts of each series that have been validly tendered for exchange and not validly withdrawn, as of the Early Exchange Time, based on information provided by the exchange agent to Microsoft.

In the Exchange Offers, according to the information provided by D.F. King & Co., Inc., the information agent and exchange agent for the Exchange Offers, $7,629,935,000 in aggregate principal amount of the Pool 1 Notes and $4,854,089,000 in aggregate principal amount of the Pool 2 Notes were validly tendered and not validly withdrawn at or prior to the Early Exchange Time, as more fully set forth above.

Pricing for the Exchange Offers is expected to occur at 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on May 14, 2020. The Exchange Offers are scheduled to expire at 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on May 28, 2020, unless extended by Microsoft (such date and time, as they may be extended, the “Expiration Time”). The “Settlement Date” will be promptly following the Expiration Time and is expected to be June 1, 2020, which is the second business day following the Expiration Time.

A Registration Statement on Form S-4, including a prospectus (the “Prospectus”), which is subject to change, relating to the New Notes has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on April 30, 2020 (the “Registration Statement”) but has not yet become effective. The New Notes may not be sold nor may offers to buy be accepted prior to the time the Registration Statement becomes effective. If and when issued, the New Notes will be registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. This news release does not constitute an offer or a solicitation by Microsoft of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any state in which such offer or solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state.

Consummation of the Exchange Offers is subject to a number of conditions as set forth in the Prospectus included in the Registration Statement, including, among other things, the Registration Statement of which the Prospectus forms a part having been declared effective by the SEC and remaining effective on the settlement date. The Exchange Offers are made only by and pursuant to the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Prospectus, which forms a part of the Registration Statement after it is declared effective by the SEC, and the information in this news release is qualified by reference to such Prospectus and the Registration Statement. None of Microsoft, the dealer managers, or the information agent and exchange agent makes any recommendations as to whether holders should tender their Existing Notes pursuant to the Exchange Offers. Holders must make their own decisions as to whether to tender Existing Notes and, if so, the principal amount of Existing Notes to tender.

Copies of the Prospectus, pursuant to which the Exchange Offers are being made, may be obtained from D.F. King & Co., Inc., the information agent and exchange agent for the Exchange Offers, at 212-269-5552 (to exchange), at 800-431-9645 (for information U.S. Toll-free), at 212-269-5550 (information for brokers), at www.dfking.com/microsoft, or at microsoft@dfking.com. Questions regarding the terms and conditions of the Exchange Offers should be directed to the following joint lead dealer managers:

BofA Securities

620 South Tryon Street, 20th Floor

Charlotte, NC 28255

Toll Free: (888) 292-0070

Collect: (980) 387-3907

Attn: Liability Management Group

Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.

60 Wall Street

New York, NY 10005

Toll Free: (866) 627-0391

Collect: (212) 250-2955

Attn: Liability Management Group

In order to participate in any Exchange Offer, holders of the Existing Notes located or resident in Canada are required to complete, sign and submit to the exchange agent a Canadian Eligibility Form, which may be obtained from D.F. King & Co., Inc. contacts above, to confirm they satisfy applicable Canadian eligibility requirements and to provide certain additional information.

Any holder of the Existing Notes located in any Member State of the European Economic Area or in the United Kingdom that is a retain investor will not be able to participate in the Exchange Offers. For these purposes, a retain investor means a person who is one or more of the following: (i) a retail client as defined in point (11) of Article 4(1) of the EU Directive on Markets in Financial Instruments (2014/65/EU) (as amended, “MiFID II”); or (ii) a customer within the meaning of Directive (EU) 2016/97, where that customer would not qualify as a professional client as defined in point (10) of Article (4)(1) of MiFID II.

About Microsoft

Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this news release are “forward-looking statements” based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially because of factors described above as well as:

  • intense competition in all of our markets that may lead to lower revenue or operating margins;
  • increasing focus on cloud-based services presenting execution and competitive risks;
  • significant investments in products and services that may not achieve expected returns;
  • acquisitions, joint ventures, and strategic alliances that may have an adverse effect on our business;
  • impairment of goodwill or amortizable intangible assets causing a significant charge to earnings;
  • cyberattacks and security vulnerabilities that could lead to reduced revenue, increased costs, liability claims, or harm to our reputation or competitive position;
  • disclosure and misuse of personal data that could cause liability and harm to our reputation;
  • the possibility that we may not be able to protect information stored in our products and services from use by others;
  • abuse of our advertising or social platforms that may harm our reputation or user engagement;
  • the development of the internet of things presenting security, privacy, and execution risks;
  • issues about the use of artificial intelligence in our offerings that may result in competitive harm, legal liability, or reputational harm;
  • excessive outages, data losses, and disruptions of our online services if we fail to maintain an adequate operations infrastructure;
  • quality or supply problems;
  • the possibility that we may fail to protect our source code;
  • legal changes, our evolving business model, piracy, and other factors may decrease the value of our intellectual property;
  • claims that Microsoft has infringed the intellectual property rights of others;
  • claims against us that may result in adverse outcomes in legal disputes;
  • government litigation and regulatory activity relating to competition rules that may limit how we design and market our products;
  • potential liability under trade protection, anti-corruption, and other laws resulting from our global operations;
  • laws and regulations relating to the handling of personal data that may impede the adoption of our services or result in increased costs, legal claims, fines, or reputational damage;
  • additional tax liabilities;
  • damage to our reputation or our brands that may harm our business and operating results;
  • exposure to increased economic and operational uncertainties from operating a global business, including the effects of foreign currency exchange;
  • uncertainties relating to our business with government customers;
  • adverse economic or market conditions that may harm our business;
  • catastrophic events or geopolitical conditions, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, that may disrupt our business; and
  • the dependence of our business on our ability to attract and retain talented employees.

For more information about risks and uncertainties associated with Microsoft’s business, please refer to the “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Risk Factors” sections of Microsoft’s SEC filings, including, but not limited to, its annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q that are incorporated by reference in the Prospectus forming a part of the Registration Statement, copies of which may be obtained by contacting Microsoft’s Investor Relations department at (800) 285-7772 or at Microsoft’s Investor Relations website at http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/investor.

Posted on Leave a comment

Adaptive Biotechnologies and Microsoft launch virtual ImmuneRACE study to inform novel COVID-19 diagnostics to address unmet needs in testing

LabCorp, through its Covance drug development business, will provide a safe, in-person COVID-19 sample collection service from the convenience of patients’ homes

De-identified data about immune response to COVID-19 will be made freely available to advance public health solutions

SEATTLE and REDMOND, Wash. — May 5, 2020 Adaptive Biotechnologies Corp. (Nasdaq: ADPT) announced on Tuesday it has begun enrolling a virtual clinical study, ImmuneRACE, as part of a broader effort it has undertaken with Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) to rapidly map and measure the immune response to the COVID-19 virus to inform improved diagnostics to fulfill the need for more reliable testing. The study calls for 1,000 participants in select U.S. metropolitan areas impacted by COVID-19. De-identified data will be made freely available to public health officials, academia and industry to help accelerate solutions to the pandemic. LabCorp (NYSE: LH), through its Covance drug development business, will manage the collection of blood samples and nose/throat swabs from participants in the comfort and safety of their own homes.

Additional multimedia resources are available at https://www.adaptivebiotech.com/about-us/media-resources/.

There are currently two types of tests for COVID-19. PCR tests indicate the presence of live virus from a nose or throat swab, and serology tests indicate exposure to and potential immunity against the virus by measuring the presence of antibodies in the blood. Adaptive and Microsoft believe a third type of test can potentially help address current challenges with testing, resulting in the following scenarios:

  • Complementary or alternative diagnostic testing for individuals with known exposures or symptoms
  • Ability to triage patients and inform treatment strategies based on risk
  • Ongoing immunity surveillance testing of the population to inform decisions on restrictions

“We’ve spent the past decade learning how the adaptive immune system naturally detects and treats all disease, and we are well-positioned to apply our immune medicine platform specifically to COVID-19. We’re hopeful that we can contribute important information that will become part of an immune scan to help reopen society,” said Chad Robins, CEO and co-founder of Adaptive Biotechnologies. “As many are sheltering in place wondering how they can help, we wanted to launch ImmuneRACE with Microsoft and give people an opportunity to participate. These efforts are complementary to many global initiatives underway to study the virus itself.”

As part of the study, the partners will measure the presence of specialized cells of the immune system in the blood, called T cells, that identify the disease early on and proliferate to combat the infection. Together, Adaptive and Microsoft are mapping and measuring the immune response of T cells specific to many diseases and are now applying their combined capabilities to COVID-19.

“We are dedicated to being part of the solution against COVID-19,” said Peter Lee, corporate vice president, AI and Research, Microsoft. “Immune response data may augment what we have been learning to date to help determine who is at greater risk of developing more severe symptoms and may help with future containment efforts. Anyone who has been affected by COVID-19 holds key information that can help contain and manage the virus.”

In March, the companies announced an expansion of their existing partnership to use machine learning to map the immune system response to many different diseases, including infectious diseases, autoimmune disorders and cancer, at scale to study COVID-19. The information obtained from study participants, including how the immune system identifies the virus and how people are responding to the virus, will be integrated with data obtained from samples provided by hospitals and other institutions across the globe. The accuracy of the immune response signature will be continually improved and updated online in real time as more study samples are sequenced and by using Microsoft’s hyperscale machine learning capabilities and the Azure cloud platform.

Other industry leaders, including Illumina and Providence, have also joined forces with Microsoft and Adaptive to accelerate this critical effort against COVID-19.

How to join ImmuneRACE

ImmuneRACE will enroll 1,000 individuals from more than 20 metropolitan areas in the U.S. You can be part of the solution if you are between the ages of 18 and 89 and:

  • Currently have COVID-19
  • Have recently recovered from COVID-19
  • Were exposed to someone diagnosed with COVID-19

If you decide to participate and qualify for the study, you will be asked to provide relevant information about your medical history, symptoms and previous diagnostic tests.

Patients who qualify for the study can schedule a blood draw and swab collection in the convenience of their own home. The phlebotomist completing sample collection will be using appropriate personal protective equipment to safely conduct the visit when entering participant’s homes.

Every effort will be made to ensure confidentiality of protected health information in accordance with HIPAA. Those wanting to participate or learn about more ways to join in the fight against COVID-19 should visit www.ImmuneRACE.com.

About the Adaptive and Microsoft partnership

Adaptive and Microsoft partnered in 2018 to create a TCR-Antigen Map, an approach to translating the genetics of the adaptive immune system to understand at scale how it works. Together we are using immunosequencing and machine learning to map T-cell receptor (TCR) sequences to diseases and disease-associated antigens. Using these data, we aim to develop a blood test for the early and accurate detection of many diseases, translating the natural diagnostic capability of the immune system into the clinic. In 2019, we confirmed clinical signals in two diseases, and established our first proof of concept in Lyme Disease. Adaptive expects to submit our first clinical application to the FDA in 2020.

About Adaptive Biotechnologies

Adaptive Biotechnologies is a commercial-stage biotechnology company focused on harnessing the inherent biology of the adaptive immune system to transform the diagnosis and treatment of disease. We believe the adaptive immune system is nature’s most finely tuned diagnostic and therapeutic for most diseases, but the inability to decode it has prevented the medical community from fully leveraging its capabilities. Our proprietary immune medicine platform reveals and translates the massive genetics of the adaptive immune system with scale, precision and speed to develop products in life sciences research, clinical diagnostics, and drug discovery. We have two commercial products, and a robust clinical pipeline to diagnose, monitor and enable the treatment of diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions and infectious diseases. Our goal is to develop and commercialize immune-driven clinical products tailored to each individual patient. For more information, please visit adaptivebiotech.com and follow us on www.twitter.com/adaptivebiotech.

About Illumina

Illumina is improving human health by unlocking the power of the genome. Our focus on innovation has established us as the global leader in DNA sequencing and array-based technologies, serving customers in the research, clinical, and applied markets. Our products are used for applications in the life sciences, oncology, reproductive health, agriculture, and other emerging segments. To learn more, visit www.illumina.com and follow @illumina.

About LabCorp

LabCorp (NYSE: LH), an S&P 500 company, is a leading global life sciences company that is deeply integrated in guiding patient care, providing comprehensive clinical laboratory and end-to-end drug development services. With a mission to improve health and improve lives, LabCorp delivers world-class diagnostics solutions, brings innovative medicines to patients faster, and uses technology to improve the delivery of care. LabCorp reported revenue of more than $11.5 billion in 2019. To learn more about LabCorp, visit www.LabCorp.com, and to learn more about LabCorp’s Covance drug development business, visit www.Covance.com.

About Providence

Providence is a national, not-for-profit Catholic health system comprising a diverse family of organizations and driven by a belief that health is a human right. With 51 hospitals, 1,085 physician clinics, senior services, supportive housing and many other health and educational services, the health system and its partners employ more than 119,000 caregivers serving communities across seven states – Alaska, California, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, and Washington, with system offices in Renton, Wash., and Irvine, Calif.

About Microsoft

Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

For more information, press only:

Microsoft Media Relations, WE Communications for Microsoft, (425) 638-7777, rrt@we-worldwide.com

Beth Keshishian, Adaptive Media, (917) 912-7195, media@adaptivebiotech.com

Lynn Lewis or Carrie Mendivil, Adaptive Investor, (415) 937-5405, investors@adaptivebiotech.com

Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://news.microsoft.com. 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 https://news.microsoft.com/microsoft-public-relations-contacts.

Posted on Leave a comment

Microsoft announces registered exchange offers

REDMOND, Wash. — April 30, 2020 — Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) (“Microsoft”) announced today the commencement of offers to (i) exchange (the “Pool 1 Offer”) the ten series of notes described in the table below (collectively, the “Pool 1 Notes”) for a new series of Microsoft’s notes due June 1, 2050 (the “New 2050 Notes”) and a cash payment, as applicable, and (ii) exchange (the “Pool 2 Offer” and, together with the Pool 1 Offer, the “Exchange Offers”) the four series of notes described in the table below (collectively, the “Pool 2 Notes” and, together with the Pool 1 Notes, the “Existing Notes”) for a new series of Microsoft’s notes due June 1, 2060 (the “New 2060 Notes” and, together with the New 2050 Notes, the “New Notes”) and a cash payment, as applicable.

A Registration Statement on Form S-4, including a prospectus (the “Prospectus”), which is subject to change, relating to the issuance of the New Notes has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on April 30, 2020 (the “Registration Statement”), but has not yet become effective. The New Notes may not be sold nor may offers to buy be accepted prior to the time the Registration Statement becomes effective. If and when issued, the New Notes will be registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The aggregate principal amount of Pool 1 Notes of each series that are accepted for exchange will be based on the order of acceptance priority for such series as set forth in the table below, and such that the aggregate principal amount of Pool 1 Notes accepted in the Pool 1 Offer results in the issuance of New 2050 Notes in an amount not exceeding $6,250,000,000 (the “New 2050 Notes Issue Cap”). The Pool 1 Notes are as follows:

Pool 1 Table
Title of Security CUSIP
Number
Principal Amount Outstanding (MM) Acceptance Priority

Level

Reference UST Security (1)  

Fixed Spread

(basis points)

Cash Payment

Percent of Premium (2)

Early Exchange Premium (3) (4)
4.875% Notes due 2043 594918AX2 $500.0 1 30-year +110 100% $30
5.300% Notes due 2041 594918AM6 $1,000.0 2 30-year +105 100% $30
4.450% Notes due 2045 594918BL7 $3,000.0 3 30-year +110 100% $30
4.250% Notes due 2047 594918CA0 $3,000.0 4 30-year +110 100% $30
5.200% Notes due 2039 594918AD6 $750.0 5 30-year +95 100% $30
4.500% Notes due 2040 594918AJ3 $1,000.0 6 30-year +100 100% $30
3.750% Notes due 2043 594918AU8 $500.0 7 30-year +110 100% $30
3.750% Notes due 2045 594918BD5 $1,750.0 8 30-year +110 100% $30
4.100% Notes due 2037 594918BZ6 $2,500.0 9 30-year +87 100% $30
4.200% Notes due 2035 594918BK9 $1,000.0 10 30-year +75 100% $30

(1)   The “30-year Reference UST Security” refers to the 2.375% U.S. Treasury Notes due November 15, 2049.

(2)    The “Cash Payment Percent of Premium” is the percent (as set forth with respect to each series of Pool 1 Notes in the table above) of the amount by which the Total Exchange Consideration (as defined below and calculated at the Pricing Time (as defined below)) exceeds $1,000 per $1,000 principal amount of such Pool 1 Notes.

(3)   Per $1,000 principal amount of Pool 1 Notes.

(4)   Holders who validly tender Pool 1 Notes after the Early Exchange Time (as defined below) but on or before the Expiration Time (as defined below) will not be eligible to receive the “Early Exchange Premium” of $30 principal amount of New 2050 Notes for each $1,000 principal amount of Pool 1 Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn. For the avoidance of doubt, the $30 per $1,000 Early Exchange Premium is included within the Total Exchange Consideration, as calculated using the Fixed Spread over the 30-year Reference UST Security as described herein, and not in addition to the Total Exchange Consideration.

The aggregate principal amount of Pool 2 Notes of each series that are accepted for exchange will be based on the order of acceptance priority for such series as set forth in the table below, and such that the aggregate principal amount of Pool 2 Notes accepted in the Pool 2 Offer results in the issuance of New 2060 Notes in an amount not exceeding $3,000,000,000 (the “New 2060 Notes Issue Cap” and, together with the New 2050 Notes Issue Cap, the “New Notes Issue Cap”). The Pool 2 Notes are as follows:

Pool 2 Table
Title of Security CUSIP
Number
Principal Amount Outstanding (MM) Acceptance Priority

Level

Reference UST Security (1)  

Fixed Spread (basis points)

Cash Payment Percent of Premium (2) Early Exchange Premium (3) (4)
4.750% Notes due 2055 594918BM5 $1,000.0 1 30-year +125 70% $30
4.000% Notes due 2055 594918BE3 $2,250.0 2 30-year +125 100% $30
4.500% Notes due 2057 594918CB8 $2,000.0 3 30-year +125 70% $30
3.950% Notes due 2056 594918BU7 $2,250.0 4 30-year +125 90% $30

(1)   The “30-year Reference UST Security” refers to the 2.375% U.S. Treasury Notes due November 15, 2049.

(2)    The “Cash Payment Percent of Premium” is the percent (as set forth with respect to each series of Pool 2 Notes in the table above) of the amount by which the Total Exchange Consideration (calculated at the Pricing Time) exceeds $1,000 per $1,000 principal amount of such Pool 2 Notes.

(3)    Per $1,000 principal amount of Pool 2 Notes.

(4)    Holders who validly tender Pool 2 Notes after the Early Exchange Time but on or before the Expiration Time will not be eligible to receive the “Early Exchange Premium” of $30 principal amount of New 2060 Notes for each $1,000 principal amount of Pool 2 Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn. For the avoidance of doubt, the $30 per $1,000 Early Exchange Premium is included within the Total Exchange Consideration, as calculated using the Fixed Spread over the 30-year Reference UST Security as described herein, and not in addition to the Total Exchange Consideration.

The aggregate principal amount of New Notes to be issued pursuant to the Exchange Offers will be subject to the applicable New Notes Issue Cap. We may in our sole discretion, subject to the applicable law, increase either or both of the New 2050 Notes Issue Cap or the New 2060 Notes Issue Cap. We will accept tenders of Existing Notes by series in accordance with the “acceptance priority level” (in numerical priority order) for each such series as set forth in the applicable table above.

Set forth below is a table summarizing the terms of the New Notes offered in the Exchange Offers:

Title of Series Maturity Date Aggregate Principal Amount of Existing Notes Accepted for Tender (MM) Benchmark Security Spread to Benchmark Security
New 2050 Notes June 1, 2050 An amount of Pool 1 Notes such that the aggregate principal amount of New 2050 Notes issued does not exceed $6,250.0 2.375% U.S. Treasury Notes due November 15, 2049 +125 bps
New 2060 Notes June 1, 2060 An amount of Pool 2 Notes such that the aggregate principal amount of New 2060 Notes issued does not exceed $3,000.0 2.375% U.S. Treasury Notes due November 15, 2049 +140 bps

Microsoft will pay interest on the New Notes at a rate per annum equal to the yield, calculated in accordance with standard market practice, that corresponds to the bid-side price of the 2.375% 30-year Reference UST Security due November 15, 2049, as of the Pricing Time, as displayed on the Bloomberg Government Pricing Monitor page FIT 1 plus the fixed spread set forth in the table above.

The following is a summary of certain key elements of the Exchange Offers:

The Exchange Offers will expire at 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on May 28, 2020, unless extended by Microsoft (such date and time, as they may be extended, the “Expiration Time”). The “Settlement Date” will be promptly following the Expiration Time and is expected to be June 1, 2020, which is the second business day following the Expiration Time.

To be eligible to receive the Early Exchange Premium, holders must validly tender their Existing Notes at or prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on May 13, 2020, unless extended by Microsoft (such date and time, as they may be extended, the “Early Exchange Time”). Tenders of Existing Notes in the Exchange Offers may be validly withdrawn at any time at or prior to the Expiration Time, but will thereafter be irrevocable, except in certain limited circumstances where additional withdrawal rights are required by law. Microsoft reserves the right to remove one or more of the Existing Notes from the Exchange Offers if certain conditions (described below) for such series of Existing Notes will not be achieved.

If holders validly tender Existing Notes prior to the Early Exchange Time and do not validly withdraw such tendered Existing Notes prior to the Expiration Time, and such Existing Notes are accepted by Microsoft, such holders will receive, for each $1,000 principal amount of Existing Notes tendered and accepted, a combination of a principal amount of New Notes and a cash payment with an aggregate value equal to the Total Exchange Consideration (as defined below) as follows:

  • an aggregate principal amount of New Notes equal to (a) the Total Exchange Consideration for such Existing Notes minus (b) the Cash Component (as defined below); and
  • a cash payment equal to the Cash Component.

If holders validly tender Existing Notes after the Early Exchange Time, but prior to the Expiration Time, and such Existing Notes are accepted by Microsoft, such holders will receive, for each $1,000 principal amount of Existing Notes tendered and accepted, a combination of a principal amount of New Notes and a cash payment with an aggregate value equal to the Exchange Consideration (as defined below) as follows:

  • an aggregate principal amount of New Notes equal to (a) the Total Exchange Consideration for such Existing Notes minus (b) the Cash Component minus (c) the Early Exchange Premium; and
  • a cash payment equal to the Cash Component.

In addition to the Total Exchange Consideration or Exchange Consideration, as applicable, holders with Existing Notes that are accepted for exchange will receive a cash payment representing (i) all or a portion of the accrued and unpaid interest to, but not including, the Settlement Date and (ii) amounts due in lieu of any fractional amounts of New Notes. As The Depository Trust company (“DTC”) is the record holder of the Existing Notes, all holders of any Existing Notes will also receive any applicable accrued and unpaid interest on those Existing Notes in accordance with DTC procedures, regardless of the record dates with respect to each series of Existing Notes.

The “Pricing Time” will be 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on May 14, 2020, unless the Early Exchange Time is extended, in which case a new Pricing Time may be established with respect to the Exchange Offers. In the event that the Early Exchange Time is not extended, the Pricing Time will remain the same.

The “Total Exchange Consideration” (calculated at the Pricing Time in accordance with the Prospectus) for the Existing Notes validly tendered prior to the Early Exchange Time, and not validly withdrawn prior to the Expiration Time, is equal to the discounted value on the Settlement Date of the remaining payments of principal and interest per $1,000 principal amount of the Existing Notes through the applicable maturity date or par call date (as applicable) of the Existing Notes, using a yield equal to the sum of: (i) the bid-side yield on the applicable 30-year Reference UST Security set forth with respect to each series of Existing Notes in the tables above plus (ii) the applicable fixed spread set forth with respect to each series of Existing Notes in the tables above, minus accrued and unpaid interest on such series of Existing Notes up to but not including the Settlement Date. For avoidance of doubt, the $30 per $1,000 Early Exchange Premium is included within the Total Exchange Consideration, as calculated using the Fixed Spread of the 30-year Reference UST security and is not in addition to the Total Exchange Consideration.

The “Exchange Consideration” for the Existing Notes validly tendered after the Early Exchange Time but prior to the Expiration Time is equal to the Total Exchange Consideration minus the applicable Early Exchange Premium.

The “Cash Component” means the portion of the Total Exchange Consideration to be paid to holders in cash and is equal to (i) the applicable Cash Payment Percent of Premium for such series of Existing Notes multiplied by (ii) (a) the applicable Total Exchange Consideration for such series of Existing Notes minus (b) $1,000.

The completion of the Exchange Offers for each series of Existing Notes is subject to, and conditional upon, the satisfaction or waiver of certain conditions, including, among other things (i) the Registration Statement having been declared effective by the SEC on or prior to the Expiration Time and remaining effective on the Settlement Date; (ii) the condition that, as of the Pricing Time, the combination of the yield of the New Notes and the Total Exchange Consideration for the applicable series of Existing Notes would result in the New Notes and such Existing Notes not being treated as “substantially different” under FASB Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 470-50; (iii) the requirement, with respect to the Exchange Offers of New Notes for Existing Notes, that we issue at least (a) $500,000,000 aggregate principal amount of New 2050 Notes and (b) $500,000,000 aggregate principal amount of New 2060 Notes; (iv) the Yield Condition (as described in the Prospectus) (for any applicable series of Existing Notes); and (v) that nothing has occurred or may occur that would or might, in our reasonable judgment, be expected to prohibit, prevent, restrict or delay an Exchange Offer or delay the scheduled Pricing Time or impair us from realizing the anticipated benefits of an Exchange Offer. Microsoft may, at its option, waive any such conditions at or by the Expiration Time, except the condition that the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part has been declared effective by the SEC on or prior to the Expiration Time and remains effective on the Settlement Date.

Copies of the Prospectus pursuant to which the Exchange Offers are being made, may be obtained from D.F. King & Co., Inc., the information agent and exchange agent for the Exchange Offers, at 212-269-5552 (to exchange), at 800-431-9645 (for information U.S. Toll-free), at 212-269-5550 (information for brokers), at www.dfking.com/microsoft, or at microsoft@dfking.com. Questions regarding the terms and conditions of the Exchange Offers should be directed to the following joint lead dealer managers:

BofA Securities
620 South Tryon Street, 20th Floor
Charlotte, NC 28255
Toll Free: (888) 292-0070
Collect: (980) 387-3907
Attn: Liability Management Group
Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.
60 Wall Street
New York, NY 10005
Toll Free: (866) 627-0391
Collect: (212) 250-2955
Attn: Liability Management Group

The Exchange Offers are made only by and pursuant to the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Prospectus, which forms a part of the Registration Statement after it is declared effective by the SEC, and the information in this news release is qualified by reference to such Prospectus and the Registration Statement. None of Microsoft, the dealer managers or the information agent and exchange agent makes any recommendations as to whether holders should tender their Existing Notes pursuant to the Exchange Offers. Holders must make their own decisions as to whether to tender Existing Notes, and, if so, the principal amount of Existing Notes to tender.

This news release does not constitute an offer or a solicitation by Microsoft of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

In order to participate in any Exchange Offer, holders of the Existing Notes located or resident in Canada are required to complete, sign and submit to the exchange agent a Canadian Eligibility Form, which may be obtained from D.F. King & Co., Inc. contacts above, to confirm they satisfy applicable Canadian eligibility requirements and to provide certain additional information.

Any holder of the Existing Notes located in any Member State of the European Economic Area or in the United Kingdom that is a retain investor will not be able to participate in the Exchange Offers. For these purposes, a retain investor means a person who is one or more of the following: (i) a retail client as defined in point (11) of Article 4(1) of the EU Directive on Markets in Financial Instruments (2014/65/EU) (as amended, “MiFID II”); or (ii) a customer within the meaning of Directive (EU) 2016/97, where that customer would not qualify as a professional client as defined in point (10) of Article (4)(1) of MiFID II.

About Microsoft

Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this news release are “forward-looking statements” based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially because of factors described above as well as:

  • intense competition in all of our markets that may lead to lower revenue or operating margins;
  • increasing focus on cloud-based services presenting execution and competitive risks;
  • significant investments in products and services that may not achieve expected returns;
  • acquisitions, joint ventures, and strategic alliances that may have an adverse effect on our business;
  • impairment of goodwill or amortizable intangible assets causing a significant charge to earnings;
  • cyberattacks and security vulnerabilities that could lead to reduced revenue, increased costs, liability claims, or harm to our reputation or competitive position;
  • disclosure and misuse of personal data that could cause liability and harm to our reputation;
  • the possibility that we may not be able to protect information stored in our products and services from use by others;
  • abuse of our advertising or social platforms that may harm our reputation or user engagement;
  • the development of the internet of things presenting security, privacy, and execution risks;
  • issues about the use of artificial intelligence in our offerings that may result in competitive harm, legal liability, or reputational harm;
  • excessive outages, data losses, and disruptions of our online services if we fail to maintain an adequate operations infrastructure;
  • quality or supply problems;
  • the possibility that we may fail to protect our source code;
  • legal changes, our evolving business model, piracy, and other factors may decrease the value of our intellectual property;
  • claims that Microsoft has infringed the intellectual property rights of others;
  • claims against us that may result in adverse outcomes in legal disputes;
  • government litigation and regulatory activity relating to competition rules that may limit how we design and market our products;
  • potential liability under trade protection, anti-corruption, and other laws resulting from our global operations;
  • laws and regulations relating to the handling of personal data that may impede the adoption of our services or result in increased costs, legal claims, fines, or reputational damage;
  • additional tax liabilities;
  • damage to our reputation or our brands that may harm our business and operating results;
  • exposure to increased economic and operational uncertainties from operating a global business, including the effects of foreign currency exchange;
  • uncertainties relating to our business with government customers;
  • adverse economic or market conditions that may harm our business;
  • catastrophic events or geo-political conditions, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, that may disrupt our business; and
  • the dependence of our business on our ability to attract and retain talented employees.

For more information about risks and uncertainties associated with Microsoft’s business, please refer to the “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Risk Factors” sections of Microsoft’s SEC filings, including, but not limited to, its annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q that are incorporated by reference in the Prospectus forming a part of the Registration Statement, copies of which may be obtained by contacting Microsoft’s Investor Relations department at (800) 285-7772 or at Microsoft’s Investor Relations website at http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/investor.

Posted on Leave a comment

C3.ai selects Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Teams to power the next phase of growth

C3.ai and Microsoft logos

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., and REDMOND, Wash. — April 27, 2020 — C3.ai, a leading innovator in enterprise AI software for accelerating digital transformation, announced plans to collaborate with Microsoft Corp. to enhance C3.ai’s global customer experience and elevate sales performance using intelligent cloud technology.

As demand for enterprise-grade, AI applications continues to grow, so does the need for modern CRM tools to help businesses identify new leads, manage existing relationships, and deliver customized experiences with real-time insights. As a result, C3.ai adopted and deployed Dynamics 365 Sales and Microsoft Teams in less than two weeks to help streamline sales operations, collaborate in real time, expand mobile capabilities to power remote selling and generate new business opportunities.

As industries worldwide shift to a digital-first approach, remote selling is becoming more important than ever. C3.ai recognized the need to not only provide sellers with comprehensive data and insights, but also remote access to enable efficient pipeline execution worldwide. With Dynamics 365 Sales, and key integrations across Microsoft Teams, C3.ai can better prioritize workloads, enhance sales experiences with mixed reality, and manage customer needs with conversation intelligence and sentiment analysis to discover what makes customers respond positively with relationship analytics based on unified data from Dynamics 365, Office 365 and LinkedIn.

“At C3.ai, we’re growing rapidly and needed a CRM solution that could scale with us, supporting our global sales and service teams,” said Thomas M. Siebel, CEO, C3.ai, and founder and CEO of Siebel Systems. “After an extensive review of commercially available CRM solutions, it became clear to us that Dynamics 365 Sales is, by far, the best CRM product in the market. We were able to deploy it into production globally in only eight days. We have experienced a significant increase in sales productivity across all sectors, even during the global COVID-19 shutdown.”

For years, C3.ai and Microsoft have successfully collaborated in the enterprise AI space. The companies have tightly integrated the C3 AI Suite and Microsoft Azure to deliver an enterprise-scale platform for AI application development, optimized to run on Azure. Looking ahead to the next phase, C3.ai will aim to build a unified experience across the various departments of the organization by deploying Dynamics 365 Customer Service and Dynamics 365 Marketing and building deeper Teams integrations.

“We’re looking forward to working with C3.ai to further its business goals with our intelligent cloud services,” said Hayden Stafford, corporate vice president, Business Applications, Microsoft. “With Dynamics 365 at the center of its business transformation, the C3.ai team can streamline customer engagement across sales and customer service to bring a unique, tailored experience to its employees and customers.”

About C3.ai

C3.ai is a leading AI software provider for accelerating digital transformation. C3.ai delivers the C3 AI Suite for developing, deploying, and operating large-scale AI, predictive analytics, and IoT applications in addition to an increasingly broad portfolio of turn-key AI applications. The core of the C3.ai offering is a revolutionary, model-driven AI architecture that dramatically enhances data science and application development.

About Microsoft

Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) is the leading platform and productivity company for the mobile-first, cloud-first world, and its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

For more information, press only:

Microsoft Media Relations, WE Communications for Microsoft, (425) 638-7777, rrt@we-worldwide.com
April Marks, C3.ai, (917) 574-5512, pr@c3.ai

Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://news.microsoft.com. 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 https://news.microsoft.com/microsoft-public-relations-contacts.

Posted on Leave a comment

The Coca-Cola Company announces strategic partnership with Microsoft to transform global engagement and experiences

ATLANTA and REDMOND, Wash. — April 27, 2020 — The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: “KO”) on Monday announced a five-year agreement with Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: “MSFT”) to standardize its business operations on Microsoft’s cloud and deliver rich new digital experiences that will provide innovative solutions to modernize how the company engages with employees and customers.

With this agreement, the companies will utilize the capabilities of Microsoft Azure, Dynamics 365 and Microsoft 365. These solutions will help The Coca-Cola Company gain new insights from data across the enterprise, enabling a 360-degree view of the business, and providing enhanced customer and employee experiences.

“At The Coca-Cola Company, innovation and growth are key pillars of our business,” said Barry Simpson, senior vice president and chief information and integrated services officer of The Coca-Cola Company. “This partnership with Microsoft allows us to really step change our employee experience through replacing previously disparate and fragmented systems. These platforms allow us to deliver relevant, personalized experiences as we network our organization.”

“Coca-Cola is a pioneer and forward-thinking leader in its industry,” said Judson Althoff, executive vice president, Worldwide Commercial Business, Microsoft. “Today, the company is taking its digital innovation a step further, leveraging Dynamics 365, Microsoft 365 and Azure to better connect people and opportunities through breakthrough productivity and powerful information management that will drive continued business success over the next decade.”

Building on the goal of empowering employees with a networked way to access information and support, the company has expanded beyond a chat interface and designed a compelling and comprehensive app-based experience available on employee mobile devices. The Coca-Cola Company is also deploying Dynamics 365 Customer Service, the Power Platform and Microsoft Teams to all its employees, updating productivity with the enhanced security that runs across Azure and Microsoft 365 cloud services.

Once deployed, new Dynamics 365 AI-driven insights and real-time dashboards will allow call center managers to monitor performance metrics for overall employee satisfaction scores and benefit from real-time insights into which call topics are driving scores. These investments will also enable The Coca-Cola Company to access the latest innovations in the Dynamics 365 portfolio of applications and expanding capabilities that offer a true 360-degree customer and business view, unifying processes and providing forward-looking intelligence, enabling employees to proactively drive decisions and action.

The Coca-Cola Company is also rolling out Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams worldwide, equipping employees with a single hub to connect and collaborate across chat, calling, meetings and documents. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, The Coca-Cola Company is leveraging Microsoft’s collaboration technologies to support the increased demand of a largely remote workforce. These technologies are enabling The Coca-Cola Company to host many internal meetings on a global, regional and local scale, and with the global shelter-in-place mandates, on April 21, 2020, the company held a virtual quarterly earnings townhall meeting for employees using Microsoft 365 Live Events, which enables “broadcast-style” video presentations for large-scale audiences, both live and on demand.

About The Coca-Cola Company

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is a total beverage company, offering over 500 brands in more than 200 countries and territories. In addition to the company’s Coca-Cola brand, our portfolio includes AdeS, Ayataka, Costa, Dasani, Del Valle, Fanta, Georgia, Gold Peak, Honest, innocent, Minute Maid, Powerade, Simply, smartwater, Sprite, vitaminwater and ZICO. We’re constantly transforming our portfolio, from reducing sugar in our drinks to bringing innovative new products to market. We’re also working to reduce our environmental impact by replenishing water and promoting recycling. With our bottling partners, we employ more than 700,000 people, helping bring economic opportunity to local communities worldwide. Learn more at www.coca-colacompany.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

About Microsoft

Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) is the leading platform and productivity company for the mobile-first, cloud-first world, and its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

For more information, press only:

Microsoft Media Relations, WE Communications for Microsoft, (425) 638-7777, rrt@we-worldwide.com

The Coca-Cola Company, Scott Leith, sleith@coca-cola.com

Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://news.microsoft.com. 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 https://news.microsoft.com/microsoft-public-relations-contacts.

Posted on Leave a comment

UNICEF and Microsoft launch global learning platform to help address COVID-19 education crisis

As school closures in more than 190 countries force over 1.57 billion students from their classrooms, the Learning Passport aims to keep children learning

NEW YORK, 20 April 2020 – UNICEF and Microsoft Corp. today announced the expansion of a global learning platform to help children and youth affected by COVID-19 continue their education at home.

The Learning Passport started off as a partnership between UNICEF, Microsoft and the  University of Cambridge, and its departments Cambridge University Press and Cambridge Assessment, designed to provide education for displaced and refugee children through a digital remote learning platform. It has now undergone rapid expansion to facilitate country-level curriculum for children and youth whose schools have been forced to close due to COVID-19. The platform will also provide key resources to teachers and educators.

“From school closures, to isolation, to a persistent sense of fear and anxiety, the effects of this pandemic are impacting childhoods worldwide,” said Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director. “We need to come together and explore every avenue to keep children learning and help them through this difficult time. With long-term partners like Microsoft, we are able to swiftly deploy innovative, scalable solutions for children and youth. The adaptations made to the Learning Passport are a powerful reminder of what we can achieve together for children as the crisis deepens globally.”

According to the latest available data from UNESCO, 1.57 billion students have been affected by school closures in more than 190 countries worldwide.[1]

The Learning Passport, which has been in development for the past 18 months, was due to start as a pilot program this year. When the global pandemic hit and schools were closed worldwide, the program underwent rapid expansion of its reach. Now all countries with a curriculum capable of being taught online will be able to facilitate online learning for children and youth with devices at home.

Kosovo, Timor-Leste and Ukraine – which have closed their school gates in the past weeks to help halt transmission of the virus – are the first to roll out their online curriculum through the Learning Passport. The content available to schoolchildren includes online books, videos and additional support for parents of children with learning disabilities. “Just as COVID-19’s impact has no borders, its solutions must not have borders, as it requires the collaboration across public and private sectors to ensure every student stays engaged and continues learning,” said Brad Smith, president of Microsoft. “UNICEF’s Learning Passport is uniquely positioned as a scalable learning solution to bridge the digital learning gap for millions of students to bring their classroom into their home during the pandemic.”

Children and young people continuing their education online can do so through a country-specific platform, accessed via their country’s learningpassport.unicef.org page. The platform for each country provides a digitized curriculum with textbooks and a selection of supplemental content, in national languages, that is jointly curated at country-level to best serve learners’ and educators’ specific needs. The Learning Passport captures a record of the curriculum subjects each student learns and guides learners with little additional support needed.

The Learning Passport is an example of how UNICEF partners with business – based on a shared-value approach, where producing social value and addressing its challenges also makes perfect business sense.

The Learning Passport is part of the Generation Unlimited Global Breakthrough on Remote Learning and Work that aims to use technology to address challenges faced by learners, facilitators and education providers, particularly in conflict-affected and humanitarian contexts. Generation Unlimited is a global multi-sector partnership to meet the urgent need for expanded education, training and employment opportunities for young people.

###

Notes to editors:

All references to Kosovo shall be understood in the context of UN Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999).

About Microsoft

Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

About Generation Unlimited

Generation Unlimited is global partnership working to prepare young people to become productive and engaged citizens. It connects secondary-age education and training to employment and entrepreneurship, empowering every young person to thrive in the world of work.

About UNICEF

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone. For more information about UNICEF and its work for children, visit www.unicef.org. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

UNICEF does not endorse any company, brand, product or service.

[1] https://en.unesco.org/covid19/educationresponse