Microsoft to add muscles to local software economies

BANGALORE: Microsoft Corp. will create a global network of 90 Microsoft Innovation Centers (MICs) designed to foster strong, self-sustaining local software economies.

Microsoft will operate the centers in alliance with local governments, academic institutions, industry organizations and software vendors, with the ultimate goal of fueling long-term economic growth in regions where the centers are located.

Sanjay Parthasarathy, Microsoft corporate vice president for the Developer and Platform Evangelism Group, announced the debut of the centers as part of the second annual Microsoft Government Leaders Forum (GLF) Asia in New Delhi.

The MIC network will begin serving local regions immediately from 60 existing Microsoft facilities in Australia, Brazil, China, Germany, Japan, Malaysia and other countries - all of which have aligned their programs and services to help spur local software innovation and economic development.

An additional 30 MICs will open in 2006, with facilities planned in Korea, India and South Africa.

"We are especially pleased to be supporting the national IT goals of many of our host countries, including efforts focused on job creation, fostering innovation and entrepreneurship, and creating more competitive software ISVs," said Bill Gates, Microsoft chairman and chief software architect, prior to the GLF event. "We are listening to our government partners and strongly support their goal of long-term economic growth."

The centers will provide facilities and resources for students, professional developers, architects, IT professionals and researchers. Hands-on labs and other programs focus on technical and business skills development and spurring advances in areas such as 64-bit architecture, Windows Vista development and innovative application design.

Partnership programs build software-quality certification and assessment, support for student-led research projects, and proof-of-concept projects and workshops, Microsoft said in a statement.