Microsoft announces innovation framework

New Delhi, Oct 18

Microsoft India announced the launch of the Microsoft innovation
framework at its third 'India is innovation' summit held in Bangalore
recently. The 'India is innovation' summit is the annual event Microsoft
hosts to bring together independent software vendors (ISVs), venture capitalists
and industry representatives to encourage the development of technologies, IT
applications, solutions and services for the domestic and global markets.

The event was attended by over 100 entrepreneurs, 200 ISVs and
25 venture capitalists from around the world. The speakers at the event included
Craig Mundie, Chief Research and Strategy Officer, Microsoft Corporation; Dr
Ashok Ganguly, Director, Reserve Bank of India; Ajit Balakrishnan, Founder and
CEO, Rediff.com and Kishore Biyani, CEO, Future Group, among others.

The summit was kicked off with a presentation by Microsoft India
on the ongoing innovative work from the Microsoft Research India Lab, the India
development center and the innovative business models that the sales and
marketing subsidiary has developed for the Indian market.

Ravi Venkatesan, Chairman, Microsoft India said, "We
believe that India is at an inflection point and if it has to move up the value
chain in the global knowledge economy, then the entire ecosystem has to
innovate. For us, innovating with India is as important as innovating from and
for India."

According to a Microsoft statement, the announcment at the
summit involves a number of investments designed to increase innovation in
India. A major component of this framework is the shared vision of Microsoft and
partners to create the world's first innovation triangle park (ITP) in Pune.
Symbiosis International University and College of Engineering, Pune, are the
first partners to enter the alliance. As a long-term effort involving multiple
private and public sector partnerships,Microsoft will contribute its expertise
from over 100 innovation centers, 15 technology centers and five research
centers that it currently runs globally to create a world-class facility.