NIIT-Microsoft extend relationship to Philippines

Microsoft, Philippines have signed a MoU to support the efforts of the
Philippines in transforming itself into a knowledge-based economy. Through this
agreement, NIIT becomes the Premier Education and Training Partner of Microsoft
in Philippines. The MoU was signed by BG Purushotham, VP (Education and
Training), NIIT and Richard Francis, MD, Microsoft, Philippines.

Under this MoU, NIIT will introduce IT education and training
in the Philippines through its industry oriented curriculum and infrastructure.
NIIT Education centers in Philippines will offer training in Microsoft
Certifications, such as SQL Server, Microsoft Office 2000, Visual Basic, C++. It
will also offer a range of Microsoft technologies, including Microsoft Certified
Professionals (MCP), Microsoft Certified Solution Developer (MCSD) and Microsoft
Office User Specialist (MOUS).

"This is the first Premier Education and Training
Program outside of India that NIIT has with Microsoft. Through this partnership,
we will further build on the decade-long association with Microsoft to
contribute significantly to IT skills development in the Philippines, as we have
in other countries in the AP," opined Purushotham.

NIIT has grown its partnership with Microsoft from being one
of India's earliest users of Microsoft technologies, to working with very early
versions of Microsoft product in its software, education and R&D in the
90's. NIIT has developed some 1,000 hours of instruction on Microsoft
technologies covering various industry relevant curricula.

NIIT has been offering its education and training in the Asia
Pacific region since 1997 through education centers located in Malaysia,
Thailand, Indonesia and Philippines. "In the next year, we plan to double
the number of overseas education centers to over 200. We believe in the
potential of Asia Pacific region as a major education hub and are confident that
NIIT will be able to contribute significantly to the absorption of Microsoft
technologies in each of these countries with partners like Microsoft,"
informed Purushotham.

NIIT entered the Philippines IT education and training market
in March 2001 and now has its education centers in the Metro Manila. NIIT's
efforts in localization of its content and delivery methodology distinguish it
from other IT education and training providers in Malaysia, Indonesia and
Thailand. In each of these countries, NIIT trains in local languages in addition
to English.