Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates is on a two-day visit to
China to drum up business is the world’s single biggest market.
Gates is meeting with top government officials and several computer,
telecommunications and banking executives. Gates is positioning Microsoft
ahead of a planned restructuring of several key Chinese government
ministries, including that which regulates the information technology
industries.
Last year, Microsoft said it would invest $750 million in China over the
next three years. Microsoft is looking to close several deals with the
Chinese, and already has a deal with the Industrial Commercial Bank of China
to create an encrypted security system for its evolving online banking
business. The bank is expected to begin offering a new online banking system
by July 2003, according to China’s People’s Daily.
Microsoft is expected to sign a memorandum of understanding on Friday with
China Unicom , China’s second largest wireless carrier.
Microsoft is aiming to get its next generation mobile software inside phones
in China and markets worldwide. Microsoft and China Unicom are expected to
co-develop software and data services for CDMA 1X technology, a new high
speed variant, with Microsoft’s Pocket PC Phone Edition.
China is also looking to boost the Chinese software industry, and to that
end, it says it will spend $2.2 million to build a research laboratory in
Beijing over the next five years.
Microsoft is looking to work with the leading Chinese personal computer
maker: Legend Group. Back in September 2002, Microsoft inked a deal with
Legend to co-develop tablet PC’s and laptops with enhanced screen functions.
Legend is also working with Microsoft on Internet mobile phones. The Tianji
line of Net phones are being built around Microsoft’s software.
