Technology giants offer help in outbreak

Microsoft, IBM and Intel are offering free or favorable services and products covering special working methods in China during the outbreak of novel coronavirus pneumonia.

They include cloud services, online meeting, remote working, online security and AI-featured translation services.

Microsoft is offering Office 365 E1 services free for six months, including Microsoft Team product. It supports features including chat and file sharing functions suitable for modern team work; support for multi-party conferences for network video and dial-in calls and cross-platform mobile application support. 

The Microsoft Team offers services for 500,000 enterprises, including Lenovo and Kohler, in 181 regional markets. The AI-featured translation services support multi language meetings and communications.

IBM also offers free Immunity Check services for companies to help them improve data security and business procedures. 

Through the Immunity Checks, ransomware, zombie server manipulation and other malicious software will be revealed. They cover e-mail, shared files, financial information transmission and various other important assets, IBM said.

Intel also offers cloud video conference services, at only a 10th of the normal cost. 

Intel is cooperating with online meeting service providers including Alibaba’s Dingding, ZOOM, Tempro, Hisense and Newline.

With Microsoft’s Azure cloud services, people can adopt Cloud Desktop, which allows them access to various company systems with their own devices.