Microsoft to build research center in Indonesia

Microsoft to build research center in Indonesia

Primastuti Handayani, The Jakarta Post, Beijing

Indonesia's top two technology institutes -- Bandung Institute of
Technology (ITB) and Surabaya Institute of Technology (ITS), have
signed a deal with the Microsoft Research Center Asia-Beijing on
the setting up of a research center in the country.

The memorandum of understanding (MOU), hammered out during the
recently concluded visit of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to
China, was a follow-up from an earlier meeting between Susilo and
the U.S. software giant founder and CEO Bill Gates in Seattle.

"The company plans to soon set up the research center in
Indonesia," said Indonesia's Chamber of Commerce and Industry
(Kadin) chairman MS Hidayat.

The center is tasked with among others, formulating and
producing affordable Windows applications for developing nations.
By making its package more affordable, Microsoft is hoping to
gradually help reduce software piracy in Indonesia and
neighboring countries.

In a speech during his China tour, Susilo mentioned the
importance of Indonesians mastering information technology (IT)
and information and communications technology (ICT).

ITB rector Djoko Santoso and ITS rector Muhammad Nuh, who
signed the MOU, were included in Susilo's China entourage.
According to Nuh, both ITB and ITS would have no problems in
collaborating with Microsoft Research Center Asia-Beijing in
developing Indonesia's ICT.

The planned center in Indonesia would be Microsoft's fifth
after establishing similar bodies in the U.S., UK, China and
India.

Under the MOU, ITS will concentrate its research at its campus
on knowledge management, integrated systems, software
applications development, and multimedia design focusing on
marine technology, marine engineering, civil engineering and
mechanical engineering.

ITB meanwhile, will focus its research on next generation user
and data mining, digital multimedia for arts and graphics,
wireless communications and network computing.

"ITB and ITS already have their own research centers on their
respective campuses. But this agreement will speed up the
development of ICT in Indonesia," Djoko said.

Nuh added that by helping out the establishment of such a
research center, both universities could also upgrade their image
among the international research community.

The government plans to provide Microsoft's planned research
center with 300 hectares of land equipped with sufficient
broadband and telecommunications facilities, clean water and
electricity supply.

Hidayat said Microsoft and Indonesia have agreed to intensify
the drive against abuse of intellectual property rights.

A study by the Business Software Alliance (BSA) put Indonesia
in fifth place on its list of global software piracy for two
years running in 2003 and 2004, after Vietnam, Ukraine, China and
Zimbabwe.

"If Microsoft and Indonesia can reach a deal on how to solve
the problem, then they (Microsoft) will start producing (the
affordable software), including for e-government then commerce
and education," he said.