PT Microsoft Indonesia, the Indonesian subsidiary of US software giant Microsoft Corp., plans to set up a center this year to promote the use of information technology among the country's small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

"We have millions of SMEs but their competitiveness in the global market lags far behind those in neighboring countries. Our company is seeking a way to support them by using IT to improve their skills," the company's President Tony Chen was quoted Monday by The Jakarta Post as saying.

"If they (SMEs) succeed in growing, our economy will also grow and more jobs will be created," he said.

Data from the Ministry of Cooperatives, and Small and Medium Enterprises show that as of the end of last year there were 42.4 million SMEs nationwide employing a total of 79 million people.

Chen also said that the center could be opened some time this year. "We will open it in Jakarta," he said.

However, Chen denied previous reports that Microsoft would set up a research center here. He said that setting up such a center would not be feasible in the near future.

"I guess the rumor started when President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono asked Bill Gates (Microsoft CEO and founder) to consider opening a research center here when they met in Seattle," he said.

"But Bill replied by offering research collaboration between Microsoft and Indonesian universities. Our Beijing biggest research center, the second biggest after Redmond in the United States, will facilitate the collaboration. The agreement was signed in Beijing when Susilo visited China last month," he added.

Under the agreement, lecturers and students from the Bandung and Surabaya Institutes of Technology will be able to serve internships in the Beijing research center.

"In this case, Indonesia is a step ahead of its neighboring countries as Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines have yet to benefit from such a program," Chen said.

Source: Xinhua