Microsoft Pours $1 Billion Into Poland’s Digital Transformation

Microsoft (MSFT) has announced a $1 billion seven-year investment plan to accelerate innovation and digital transformation in the “Polish Digital Valley.”

This includes the opening of a new Microsoft datacenter region in Poland to provide startups, enterprises and government with secure, enterprise-grade cloud services.

At the same time, Microsoft and domestic cloud provider Chmura Krajowa have signed a strategic agreement to provide digital transformation expertise and broad access to cloud solutions across the country's industries and enterprises.

Microsoft has a nearly 30-year track record of working with Polish organizations and businesses of all sizes, and already boasts a network of more than 6,000 local partners, the company says.

“Our primary goal is to accelerate Poland’s transformation into a technological hub for the region of Central and Eastern Europe,” said Mateusz Morawiecki, prime minister of Poland.

“Microsoft’s global-scale cloud in Poland will allow an ever-wider use, faster implementation and more benefits to those public institutions and businesses in critical sectors along with Poland’s thriving start-up community,” said Jean-Phillippe Courtois, executive VP, Microsoft Global Sales, Marketing and Operations.

Crucially, Microsoft also aims to boost the digital competencies of an estimated 150,000 business employees and IT professionals, educators, students and citizens to support this digital transformation.

The skills development program will include trainings, e-learning programs, workshops and hackathons covering cloud computing, developing with AI and machine learning technologies, big data and the Internet of Things (IoT).

Overall analysts have a very bullish Strong Buy consensus on MSFT stock, with 21 out of 22 analysts rating the stock a buy. Meanwhile the $198 average analyst price target indicates 11% upside potential lies ahead. Shares are currently trading up 13% on a year-to-date basis. (See Microsoft Stock Analysis on TipRanks).

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