Date:13/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/13/stories/2008081359931000.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Microsoft now eyes developing countries

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: Marking its decennial celebrations of its operations from here, Microsoft India Development Centre (MSIDC), the largest Research and Development centre outside Redmond in the U.S., plans to focus on making computing accessible through mobile phones in the new and emerging markets.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy inaugurated the third building of Microsoft that was meant exclusively for the IDC here on Tuesday.

IT growth

He said that the State’s contribution to the country’s IT exports was eight per cent in 2003-04; while it went up to 15 per cent in the last four years.

Microsoft top-brass, including Bill Gates, Steve Ballmer, and Ray Ozzie (chief software architect) addressed the gathering through video.