August 13, 2009
Microsoft, Taiwan Agency to Jointly Develop Cloud Computing Technology
Taipei, Aug. 12, 2009 (CENS)--Microsoft Corp. and Taiwan`s government-financed NCP (Networked Communications Program) Office have jointly announced a plan to jointly develop cloud computing technologies and related applications.
Initiated by National Science Council and integrating resources from the government, academia and enterprises, NCP is a 5-year program dedicated to Taiwan`s development of communication, network and application service technologies in line with growing trends in the world.
After signing the cooperation contract with the NCP Office`s director Wu-Jing-shown, Hon Hsiao-wuen, managing director of Microsoft Research Asia, said that Microsoft has decided to invest US$9.1 billion in R&D in fiscal 2009, far higher than the corresponding figures of US$6.3 billion by its U.S. counterpart IBM, US$5.2 billion by Cisco, US$2.8 billion by Google and US$1.1 billion by Apple, despite the global financial tsunami early this year. The budget, he added, is estimated to surge to US$9.5 billion for fiscal 2010, indicating the firm`s unparalleled concentration on R&D.
Besides, Hon noted, Microsoft is going to set up Taiwan`s first exhibition center of cloud computing technology in Hsinchu County, northern Taiwan. Through the cooperation, Microsoft hopes to further foster the industrial development and even bring evolution into IT (information technology) industries on the island.
Meanwhile, Wu said that his team has been well experienced in building experimental platforms for communication software and hardware. With financial and technical assistance from Microsoft, Wu is quite optimistic about a big progress in Taiwan`s R&D capability of cloud computing and related technologies.
(by Steve Chuang)
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