Intel extends its heartfelt sympathy and support to the people affected by the earthquake and subsequent tsunami that took place in Japan on March 11. The devastation stopped the world in its tracks, with people from all over world coming together to offer their support.

In an effort to assist our neighbors in Japan, Intel employees from around the world have contributed to the relief effort. To date, they have donated over $550,000 dollars which has been doubled through the Intel Foundation matching grant fund. The Intel Foundation has donated an additional one million dollars, bringing the total to over $2 million dollars to assist with the disaster relief.

Intel has also undertaken disaster relief efforts by working with local authorities to provide IT infrastructure recovery in the affected areas. A small team of Intel employees was dispatched to refugee shelters in the northern part of Japan to join a coordinated effort with the Sendai City Disaster Recovery Center, Natori City, and non-profit organization “Miyagi NPO Plaza” to set up Internet access using PCs and WiMAX wireless broadband. This will enable the shelter operations and NPOs to better manage the information on hundreds of refugees and critical food and medical supplies.

In this effort, Intel’s partners, including Daiwabo Information System Co., Ltd. and UQ Communications Inc., contributed their products and services to build the internet infrastructure. Intel plans to extend this effort to cover other shelters and to provide other IT equipment in response to the needs of local governments and NPOs.

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