MS to set up centre in Bangalore

The innovation centre will support local vendors as part of Microsoft's global initiative to set 30 more such centres.

Stepping up its India focus, software giant Microsoft said on Tuesday that it would launch the English version of its low-cost operating system 'Starter Edition' in the first quarter of next year and set up an innovation centre in Bangalore.

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"The Windows XP Starter Edition has already been launched in Hindi and Tamil and there is a demand for launching it in English. The English version of the operating system will be only for India," Microsoft Corporate Vice President (Worldwide Public Sector) Gerri Elliott said at a press conference.

Microsoft would launch Starter Edition in other languages as well. The Starter Edition is available at Rs 1,200.

The innovation centre that the company will set up in Bangalore will support local vendors as part of its global initiative to set 30 more such centres.

"The centre will be part of the Microsoft Technology Centre in Bangalore and will be inaugurated in January next year. The centre will be set up in collaboration with local partners," Elliott said.

The centre is aimed at helping developers, independent software vendors, students, entrepreneurs and governments to develop and deploy innovative software solutions.

Microsoft presently has 60 innovation centres around the world in countries like Germany, Malaysia and China and additional 30 innovation centres will open in 2006 with facilities in South Korea, South Africa and India.

The company, however, did not disclose the investment it would make for the innovation centres.