BANGALORE: Microsoft is getting aggressive with its plans to tap huge demand
that exists in India for software in Indian languages. Speaking to CIOL Bureau,
Microsoft India Program Manager (Localization) Raveesh Gupta said that
Microsoft, so far, has been able to make significant achievements in educating
all three relevant communities - influencers, developer partners and customers.
"We are working with a number of independent software vendors (ISVs) and
holding workshops for them at different cities, helping them create applications
on Windows XP and Indian language platforms. About 1,000 on-site seminars are
being conducted for our strategic customers. ", he added.
Raveesh also pointed out that Microsoft has won 'significantly large'
eGovernance projects from a few state governments that are based on Indian
languages. He, however, declined to provide details of these projects by saying
that they would be announced in a few weeks.
He admitted that the demand for applications and tools in local languages is
huge. "The fact is that nobody is immune to Indian language software. Even
those who use English-based applications would like to use a few applications
that are based on Indian languages, for instance sending SMS, chatting, e-mail.
There is no official figures of this market, but once the market matures, the
demand will increase significantly," he added.
Currently, Windows XP and Office XP support a few Indian languages.
Microsoft's initiative in local language software is three fold - engage with
developers to support them in developing applications based on Microsoft
platforms, impress upon the influencers such as governments about the importance
of implementing local language software and latest technologies such as Unicode
and actual sales of these software. It is working with a few ISVs such as
Modular Infotech, Webduniya, NCST and CDAC, among others.
On the standardization of keyboards, Raveesh said that it was a difficult
proposition. "We have given up on that and reconciled to the fact that
there would be about three to four standards that will exists in each language.
And, we support all of them. In any case, it does not matter which keyboard you
use if they all adopt the Unicode technology," he added.
One of the challenges Microsoft faces is that of translation of menus and
commands in its software. "There are not too many options available with us
and the ones that exist are very old. It is a difficult task to arrive at a
translation in every language that is universal and can be standardized,"
Raveesh said.