Bangkok--Jun 30--Hill & Knowlton Thailand
Microsoft and Royal Thai Government Partner to Drive Knowledge Economy Web Services Industry, Education and e-Government Gateway projects get underway
During his visit to Thailand today, Microsoft Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates announced three projects in partnership with the Royal Thai Government designed to take advantage of worldwide trends in technology. In a series of high-level meetings and seminars, Mr. Gates detailed these trends and how they will positively affect consumers, citizens and businesses.
Under the agreements, Microsoft will invest over THB 140 million (approximately US$3.4 million) of cash, manpower and resources in ‘Thailand.Net’, a multi-staged strategy to build a world-class software ecosystem based on XML, the common programming language for Web services. “Thailand has great potential as a leader in Web services,” Gates said. “By embracing open standards and XML, the nation has enormous opportunities to create valuable new services delivering highly relevant information on any device. This could have tremendous benefits for Thai businesses and the economy as a whole.”
Within Thailand.Net, Mr. Gates announced the launch of the world’s first Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) ‘5 Star Program’; an online five-stage approach for developers to become internationally certified at their own pace. The site, free of charge and localized using Thai language, is designed to train 69,000 developers in Web services and professionally certify a target number of 2,600 to an international standard. Following beta testing the site will go live in August 2005.
To ensure that skills are built up at primary and secondary levels of education, the company is also evolving its Partners in Learning (PiL) program through the new ‘Digital Phase’. Designed to compliment the Ministry of Education’s Education Roadmap and support lifelong learning, the project will provide affordable world class software to new PCs in schools throughout Thailand and create online communities and resources.
The third project will help kick-start the ‘Thailand Gateway’, a form of e-Government based on worldwide best practices. The goal is to place the citizen at the centre of public information. Microsoft will initially invest THB 4 million (approximately US$100,000) in terms of manpower and technology know-how for this effort.
Thailand.Net will see Microsoft embark on a three year strategy designed to position Thailand at the forefront of technology by creating a Web services development ‘Super-Hub’ for commercialization at home and abroad.
Other key aspects of Thailand.Net include:
- Building skills - Microsoft will promote lifelong learning in web services by funding the training of up to 20,000 local teachers, hundreds of thousands of students, and professionally certify 2,600 developers in the technology through new and existing programs
- Building local ISV industry — Microsoft will work with the Thai Government enhance the local software eco-system by building a Solutions Marketplace based on integrated innovation, linking local independent software vendors (ISVs) with domestic, regional and global customers. Sales and marketing training will also be given to up to 500 local ISVs.
- Building e-Commerce— the Thai Government will partner with Microsoft to embrace, develop and promote Thai Web services to the World. Through the development and marketing of a ‘Global Web Services Super-hub’, best-in-class Web services produced in Thailand will be sold throughout the World, driving business value for the entire country.
While today marked the official launch of Thailand.Net, initial aspects of the project are already underway within the country. In January 2005, for example, Microsoft's global Imagine Cup competition saw 118 Thai student teams develop applications using XML. Then, in March 2005, the company’s Academic Alliance program got underway with 36 universities now working with Microsoft to integrate Web services into their curriculum.
“Web services is a key priority for Thailand,” added Mr. Suwit Khunkitti, Minister for Information Communications and Technology, Thailand. “We see tremendous potential among our graduates and developers to contribute towards creating a software eco-system that can rival any in the world. By programming and exporting world-class applications around integrated innovation, this industry will help to shape the way we live and communicate in the future. As an indicator, the web services market is estimated to be worth US$32 billion by the year 2010, translating into potentially tens of thousands of well paid jobs and wealth creation for the country.”
Partners in Learning - the Digital Phase, meanwhile, will focus on building ICT skills among local school children through the Education Roadmap developed by the Ministry of Education. In addition to providing affordable software for PCs in schools across the country, Microsoft will build an e-learning portal and create an online teacher collaboration community that will link teachers with their peers in Thailand and around the world. Already across Thailand, Microsoft has helped to reach 422,000 students and train over 10,000 teachers in ICT under the existing Partners in Learning program.
Furthermore, under Partners in Learning - the Digital Phase, Microsoft will work with the Ministry of Education to digitize key texts, beginning with thousands of pages of literature contained in the Ministry of Education. It is possible that up to 100 million pages could be digitized every year, giving access to important and searchable content for students and teachers via the Internet. In addition to the THB 40 million (approximately US$ 1 million) incremental investment by Microsoft, schools throughout Thailand will save millions in cash from the program.
“The Digital Age is upon us and Thailand’s children need the resources for lifelong learning that will allow them to train and become competent in ICT skills,” commented Dr. Adisai Bodharamik, Minister of Education for Thailand. “We have ambitious goals to empower our school children to succeed in tomorrow’s workforce, ultimately helping to drive jobs and wealth for the entire country. Technology will play a vital role in that transformation and the long term Partners in Learning collaboration with Microsoft will help us to meet those goals.”
The third project, Thailand e-Government Gateway, will involve an initial investment being made to transfer knowledge and experience gained from the UK Government Gateway project, a form of e-Government internationally recognized as a best practice model. Using XML to deliver integrated innovation through web services, the project aims to deliver user-centric information to Thai citizens from government departments and Ministries. This will be the first phase in what is anticipated to be a multi-phased project.
“Today’s announcements signify a new chapter in working together with all key stakeholders in Thailand to drive jobs and wealth for Thailand in the Digital Age of tomorrow,” added Andrew. “Through Lifelong Learning programs in ICT, Thailand can help build the foundation of a world-class software eco-system based on web services and, ultimately, driving business value for the economy as a whole.”
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.
Established in 1993, Microsoft (Thailand) Limited provides world-class software that is easy to use and localized to suit the local market’s needs. It also has a compelling and consistent platform to build powerful business solutions that can scale from a notebook computer to a mainframe — class multiprocessor systems using Microsoft technology. For further information, information, please visit the Microsoft (Thailand) website at: http://www.microsoft.com/thailand.
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