Microsoft – Microsoft campus close to Seattle will probably be used to manage COVID-19 vaccines

Microsoft is popping its empty campus right into a COVID-19 vaccination website.

The Redmond, Wash.-based tech large is working with the state of Washington and native hospitals to open up buildings at its headquarters for vaccine administration.

Microsoft President Brad Smith made the announcement Monday as a part of Gov. Jay Inslee’s information convention detailing the state’s new COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan.

The corporate will present each area and assist employees to assist administer vaccines for Washington residents. Smith mentioned the aim by subsequent month is to have its campus be one of many mass vaccination websites throughout the state.

“This isn’t going to be a website for Microsoft workers; that is going to be a website for folks locally,” Smith mentioned.

Smith added that Microsoft helps cut back the price of administering vaccines and serving to uninsured folks get vaccinated.

Microsoft’s sprawling campus in Redmond is at present the high-tech equal of a ghost city as workers make money working from home amid the pandemic.

Microsoft is amongst a gaggle of Washington-based companies together with Starbucks and Costco which are a part of the brand new Washington State Vaccine Command and Coordination Middle. The corporate can be offering “technology expertise and support.” Microsoft didn’t have additional particulars when contacted by GeekWire.

“Technology plays a role in the distribution of vaccines, as it does in the distribution of everything in the world today,” Smith mentioned. He famous the Part Finder app that helps folks determine when they’re eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, and the back-end programs that assist scheduling appointments and website locators.

Starbucks helps with “operational efficiency, scalable modeling and human-centered design expertise and support,” whereas Costco helps with “vaccine delivery by pharmacies.”

Different stakeholders within the public-private partnership embody Kaiser Permanente; native unions; and the Nationwide Guard.

Microsoft is working with Salesforce and Oracle as a part of a separate deal for digital vaccination information.

Inslee introduced Monday that the state goals to achieve 45,000 each day vaccinations. The governor additionally lowered the age threshold from 70 to 65, which gives entry to just about 400,000 extra folks, and introduced plans for different mass vaccination websites.

“The focus on setting a bold goal and building distribution capacity ahead of supply is precisely what the people of Washington need,” Smith mentioned.

Microsoft’s position as a vaccination website additionally sparked some jokes on Twitter:

I suppose I’ve to go for this outdated chestnut:

“I used to be vaccinated on Microsoft campus.”

“How’d it go?”

“Nice, besides it will not work correctly till model 3.0” https://t.co/ZY9Bu3ndol

— Dina Bass (@dinabass) January 19, 2021

“I used to be vaccinated on Microsoft campus.”

“How’d it go?”
It harm a bit. They informed me that’s “Great Feedback.”

— Treb Gatte (@tgatte) January 19, 2021