Microsoft Eyes Asian MarketMicrosoft's chief executive officer, Steve Ballmer, said Thursday in Hong Kong the world's computer software giant is striving to become the leader in Asia's software market, which witnesses the fastest business growth in the world.To this end, Microsoft will take opportunities to increase investment in Asia or acquire local enterprises to expand production so that more people can enjoy the convenience brought by the Internet revolution, Ballmer said during an interview at the Fortune Global Forum. According to him, China is expected to become the world's third largest computer market, from its current fourth place, in a couple of years to come. The computer business in other parts of Asia, such as the Republic of Korea and Hong Kong, also records big increases. Ballmer said that Microsoft's enterprises in Asia will both spur local business and increase their exports. Microsoft has launched music broadcasting services on the Internet, which Ballmer said he is fully optimistic about, and is entering the fast growing hand-held equipment market. It will put forward the latest-generation office software and Window-XP operating system later this year, Ballmer said. The corporation offered each VIP at the forum a "ball computer" that can be put into the pocket to facilitate their contacts. The product will soon be seen in the market, Ballmer said. He said Microsoft scored a 2.8-percent growth in profits for the third quarter of the business year ending March 31, adding that the achievement was better than what analysts had forecast before. |
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