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| Sunday, 1 February 2004 |
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Microsoft to start local operations soon Global IT giant Microsoft Corporation (MC) will kick-start its local operations with the setting up of an office in Sri Lanka soon. MC will open an office in Colombo and will initially develop the IT infrastructure in the country to assist the country's e-Sri Lanka initiative, implemented by the Government. "In this region, five out of seven countries enjoy the highest IT growth rate in the world," Director Business Development, South East Asia, Faycal Bouchlaghem told a media conference. He said Sri Lanka has enormous potential in terms of IT development. With the development of this sector, more than 10 million IT related jobs will be created in Asia, which would contribute a considerable proportion of any country's GDP growth in the region. "During Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's recent visit to the USA, we came to an agreement to support Sri Lanka's IT development on the information technology development sector," he added. Bouchlaghem said a US survey had found out that a 10 per cent growth in the IT sector will increase the GDP of any country by 13 per cent. Addressing the media at the launch of Microsoft Office System and Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Bouchlaghem said that MC will, at the outset, focus on five basic areas such as business values, trustworthy computing, Sri Lankan community, partnership with other companies and local economic impact. He said that MC will also assist primary and secondary schools in the country to develop IT and supply office packages at an affordable rate. "Sri Lanka can be an IT hub in the region and we want to create the background for it," Bouchlaghem added. The local branch intends to invite Microsoft Chief Bill Gates to Sri Lanka, he hinted. "We want to create the environment for him to come here," he added. Bouchlaghem, quoting MC statistics, said they intend to cater to 300 million people by 2006 and anticipate a 150 per cent growth in the sector by that time. Latest Microsoft products will be made available very soon by the company. (HS) |
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