XP signs up big users in Singapore, India

Jennifer Tan and Arif Sharif

SINGAPORE/NEW DELHI: US software giant Microsoft Corp drummed up publicity

for Windows XP, its most ambitious operating system, by signing up high-profile

corporate users in Asia ahead of its launch in New York on Thursday.

In Singapore, Microsoft said DBS Bank, Southeast Asia's largest bank, and

Singapore Exchange Ltd., the country's stock market, were the first two

corporate users of the Windows Messenger feature built into Windows XP.

In New Delhi, Microsoft said several leading Indian organizations such as the

National Stock Exchange, software giant Infosys and pharma leader Ranbaxy Labs

had agreed to adopt the product.

Windows Messenger allows tailored, real-time communication between businesses

and customers through text notification, voice and video conferencing as well as

providing digital media, games and photography and remote processing.

Mark Phibbs, general manager of business development for Microsoft Asia, told

Reuters the Windows XP launch was "critical in this economic environment as

the impact will be positive for PC (personal computer) sales".

"The major PC vendors are our partners, and we have agreed that it is

critical for them that we invigorate the PC industry in Asia," he said. The

region may be facing an economic crunch, but the new features of Windows XP such

as its multimedia capabilities, should be a draw, Phibbs added.

More launches to come



The company launched the new system in India, Malaysia, Singapore and Australia
on Thursday. The launch campaign will move to Taiwan, Philippines and Vietnam

next Tuesday and to Hong Kong, Indonesia, China and Japan in November.

Asia-Pacific sales account for about 20 per cent of Microsoft's global

revenues.

The widely anticipated operating system, which has been pre-installed on new

personal computers for weeks now, is available as a separate product in shops as

of Thursday.

Microsoft officials in India said they expected a surge in sales of Windows

upgrades and expected it to power at least 30-40 per cent of the new PCs shipped

in the next three months.

Bill Gates, Microsoft's co-founder and chairman, will formally launch Windows

XP (for eXPerience) later on Thursday in New York, kicking off a $250 million

marketing campaign.

(C) Reuters Limited.