VSO

VSO is an acronym with several meanings, referring to organizations and services in development, technology, and volunteering. The most prominent is Voluntary Service Overseas, a UK-based international development charity founded in 1958. VSO recruits and supports volunteers to work in developing countries, partnering with local organizations to address health, education, livelihoods, and social inclusion. Projects are typically designed to strengthen local capacity and promote sustainable development, with volunteers serving for extended periods and receiving training and safeguarding support. VSO operates in multiple regions, collaborating with governments, NGOs, and community groups to respond to local priorities.

In technology, Visual Studio Online, historically abbreviated VSO, was a cloud-based service for software development offered by Microsoft. It provided integrated tools for source control, work item tracking, and collaboration, and evolved through rebranding into what is now part of Azure DevOps Services under the broader Microsoft DevOps umbrella.

VSO can also be used as a generic term for a “Volunteer Service Organization”—a nonprofit or nongovernmental group that coordinates volunteer activities at local, regional, or national levels. Such organizations may focus on civic engagement, education, disaster response, health, or community development, and often depend on volunteers, partnerships, and fundraising to achieve their goals.

Overall, VSO encompasses both specific organizations with established missions and broader uses of the acronym to describe volunteer-oriented initiatives in different sectors.