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Microsoft is donating $ 1 billion worth cloud services over the next three years as part of its philanthropic activities. The move has raised questions about whether it could be aimed at bringing more users onto its platform.

According to The Seattle Times, Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella announced the move in Davos, Switzerland where he is attending the World Economic Forum. As part of the stated objecting of serving public good, Microsoft will support non-profits on its cloud platforms, university researchers while it seeks to improve last-mile internet connectivity.

"Microsoft is empowering mission-driven organizations around the planet with a donation of cloud computing services - the most transformative technologies of our generation," Nadella said according to a press release.

"Now more than 70,000 organizations will have access to technology that will help them solve our greatest societal challenges and ultimately improve the human condition and drive new growth equally." Microsoft announced it would support 20 internet connectivity and community training projects in 15 countries by mid 2017.

The Redmond giant's announcement was subject to scrutiny as many doubted if it was a business ploy to get more users onto its platforms given that Microsoft will be investing resources over the next three years.

Tech Crunch's Frederic Lardinois wondered if the move aimed at university users was to turn students and researchers into long-term customers familiar and comfortable with Microsoft's technologies.