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Microsoft Corporation India Private Limited today announced a strategy aimed at supporting the Ministry of Communication and IT, Government of India in its efforts to address the issue of the digital divide in India. The announcement is the result of a series of in-depth discussions that took place yesterday at Microsoft’s Redmond headquarters between the visiting Indian delegation led by Shri Dayanidhi Maran, Minister of Communications & Information Technology and Mr. Bill Gates, Chairman and Chief Software Architect, Microsoft Corporation and senior Microsoft executives including Mr. Will Poole, Senior Vice President.
Microsoft and the delegation from India committed to collaborating in strategic areas including enabling access to affordable and language based computing, accelerating IT literacy, facilitating adoption of E-governance at an accelerated pace, enabling research on Indian Language Computing technologies and co-operation around IT security.
On the occasion Shri Maran said, "The announcements by Microsoft including the launch of a new multilingual Windows XP Starter Edition for India, are steps in the right direction. The various steps announced today address important issues like IT literacy, taking high-quality, interactive IT education to schools in India, availability of local language computing solutions and e-governance”. He further added, “There is an urgent need to enable affordable access to locally relevant IT applications at a broad level. I believe that through effective private-government partnerships we can deliver on this objective.”
Giving details of the announcements made, Mr. Bill Gates said, “We are delighted to be working with Minister Maran towards our common goal of bridging the digital divide for people across India. In particular, I’m excited about the promotion of e-Governance technologies, the expansion of teacher education and broadening our Windows XP Starter Edition for India offering to better meet the needs of Indian citizens.”
Following is the range of collaborative initiatives outlined by the two sides:
v Broaden language availability for First Time PC Users - Offer a multilingual Windows XP Starter Edition licensed and built exclusively for use in India and intended for speakers of any of nine Indic languages who may also want to use English. The option of using English in addition to the Indian languages is being provided for the first time. The product has evolved based on customer and partner feedback and is designed to better meet the aspirational needs of Indian citizens, particularly first-time users.
v Transform Education instruction through ICT based learning – Microsoft would adopt 100 schools in 6 states initially to provide an interactive learning environment that, when combined with in-classroom PC’s and projectors, would provide an engaging and transformational learning experience for students in their local language. The intention is to roll out across the country based on the experience gained.
v Ensure affordable access to technology in rural areas – Microsoft would support the program of the Ministry of Communications & IT to establish 100,000 rural kiosks by offering a range of affordable products, services, consultancy, training and support.
v Offer special package in collaboration with partners to deliver a broadband and PC package, especially for first time users, at an affordable monthly installment to support India’s broadband strategy. This would be in partnership with companies such as BSNL, MTNL, HCL, HP, SBI, ICICI and others. Microsoft would also make available its education content under this program.
v Facilitate adoption of e-Government – Microsoft will set up an E-governance Center of Excellence along with an Indian institution and commit funding of USD $2 million over three years for pilots of IT applications. The center will be guided by an advisory body of eminent people. Microsoft will also share its knowledge and experiences in working with governments across the world on E-Governance projects.
v Enable local language computing – Microsoft intends to collaborate with Govt. of India agencies including C-DAC and the Indian scientific community to conduct research in Indic language computing technologies. A suitable institutional framework in this regard will be explored.
v Create a more secure IT environment - Microsoft and Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) set up by Department of IT will cooperate through a Security Cooperation Program (SCP) to create a more secure computing environment in India.
RM/AMA- 220905 Microsoft-DIT
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