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We live in an era of unprecedented progress and prosperity. Today, about 1 billion people around the globe can expect to live long, productive and comfortable lives made rich by access to incredible amounts of  information and new ways to connect with the people they care about.

This is a wonderful accomplishment, and 1 billion is a very large number. But it is a relatively small fraction of the world’s 6.6 billion people. In fact, more than 5 billion people still lack access to the full range of economic and social opportunities that so many of us take for granted.

One of the most important determinants of whether you are part of the 1 billion or the 5 billion is access to the benefits of technology. Those of us with access to the tools of the digital information revolution– PCs, the Internet, productivity software, e-mail – can be full participants in the global knowledge economy. Those without access face diffi cult hurdles as  they strive to gain skills, knowledge, access to decent medical care, and transform their ideas into competitive businesses.

How important is access to Information Technology? A World Bank report released earlier this  year, found a very high correlation between the rate of technology progress and income  growth. According to that report, “ Technological progress distinguishes fast-growing  developing economies and slow growing ones.” It also distinguishes economies that have made great strides in reducing poverty and those that have been less successful.

Today, thousands of governmental and non governmental organisations worldwide are trying  to provide undeserved communities with access to affordable, relevant technology that can play a role in driving sustainable economic growth and development. Their efforts  are having a signifi cant positive impact for millions of people.

“The rise of what some people have called ‘strategic corporate philanthropy’ based on public- private partnerships that seek to address areas where social needs overlap with both corporate  expertise and business interest is an important step forward”

At Microsoft, we share the belief that Information Technology can have a dramatic positive  effect on people’s lives. We also believe that one of the best ways to accelerate the speed of technology adoption is through close partnerships between the public sector and the private  sector.

Public-private partnerships make it possible to multiply the impact that a single organisation  or company could hope to achieve working alone. These partnerships combine public sector  organisation’s knowledge of local communities with private company’s technical expertise  and implementation experience. As a result, public-private partnerships can develop and  deploy relevant and effective Information Technology solutions that solve specifi c challenges  with much greater speed.

The notion that businesses have a responsibility to promote the public good by supporting the  work of non-profi t and governmental organisations is not a new one. The late 1940s and early  1950s saw companies such as Ford, Western Electric, and Philip Morris form  foundations to manage corporate giving.

But much of this activity centered exclusively on fi nancial support. Today’s approach to  public-private partnerships, where the value of corporate involvement lies as much in expertise as it does in monetary support is relatively new, and grows in part out of efforts by a  number of United Nations agencies in the late 1990s to look for new ways to work with corporations to help address major global health issues. The rise of what some people have  called ‘strategic corporate philanthropy’ based on public-private partnerships that seek to  address areas where social needs overlap with both corporate expertise and business interest is  an important step forward. When a company like Microsoft is in a position to provide not just  money, but also the expertise and experience to help an organisation use technology to  achieve its goals more quickly and more effectively, it can speed the pace and scale of progress.

A great example is a programme run by the United Nations Educational, Scientifi c and  Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to create a set of global technology competency standards  for teachers. The goal is to ensure that teachers have the training and materials to provide  students with the technology skills they will need to participate in the global knowledge economy. The programme was created with the involvement of three major corporations:  Microsoft, Intel, and Cisco. All three companies are participating because of a shared belief that a technically literate workforce is an essential ingredient for sustainable economic growth.

Across Asia, public-private partnerships are playing an important role in creating new  economic opportunities. In South Korea, the Ministry of Information and Communication has  worked in close partnership with the private sector for nearly 15 years to build a National  Technology Industry. Today, South Korea is a global leader in Information and Communication Technologies and it is a model for how collaboration between the public and  private sectors can serve as a catalyst for creating a vibrant technology industry that  provides the foundation for new jobs and signifi cant economic growth.

The ultimate goal is to support the development of local economies that have the  infrastructure and skilled work force needed to create sustainable growth. My hope is, that  this will help in increasing the number of people who have the tools and knowledge to  participate in the digital revolution from 1 billion to 2 billion and beyond. As this happens and  more people join the global knowledge economy, they will spur further innovations that  address diffi cult issues faced by so many peoples around the world. This, more than anything, will be the key to creating a world where everyone can expect to lead long, healthy,  productive, and fulfi lling lives.

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