Bangkok--Aug 31--Hill & Knowlton
New architecture centre will build skills and applications under Thailand.Net project
In a drive to create world class Web services applications and highly trained software developers in Thailand, The National Science and Technology Development Agency’s Office of Computer Clustering Promotion (CCP) today announced a partnership with Microsoft Thailand to create a national nerve center of Web services architecture at the Thailand Science Park.
2o full time staff are already secured to run the center. Their aim will be to develop real-world installations and provide consultancy on projects using Microsoft’s .Net development platform which is comprised of an integrated set of tools for building and integrating Web services. The staff has also been given a mandate to build a developer community and provide training around Microsoft’s .Net development platform.
Importantly, ten graduate students have been selected from 90 hopefuls to work full time with the professional developers. Under the ‘Microsoft .Net Young Developers Scholarship Program’, these students will lead the next generation of developers with the objective of becoming fully certified developers within one year.
“Thailand has a great opportunity here to take hold of this next wave in the technological revolution,” said H.E. Dr. Pravich Rattanapian, Minister of Science and Technology. “Web services represent a real opportunity to create value for the country if we can develop cutting edge applications and export them to market. We have the creativity. We have the momentum. We now need to develop expertise and reputation in this area to ensure we succeed.”
Microsoft Thailand and the CCP have set key outcomes to achieve within the first year of the center’s operation. To drive revenue, the developers will aim to implement three real-world installations within the public or private sector and develop a further two proof of concept designs on complex business applications and services.
In addition to leading innovation and thinking, the center will promote Web services and provide high-level consultancy. In the consultancy role, the center will be a sounding board for companies and provide trouble shooting and fine-tuning of Web service applications that are now in operation. To drive further understanding, the developers will run training courses, seminars and clinics, and develop papers on .Net. A Web portal to encourage knowledge exchange and online discussion will also be launched later this year.
“Implementing Web services is no longer a distant option for companies that want to succeed and rise up against the competition”, said Mr. Nitikorn Klitsananon, one of the developers who will be working at the centre. “The potential of being able to link together all systems and people in an intelligent and relevant way will provide enormous competitive edge and deliver incremental cost and time savings. A well developed .Net architecture will mean that actionable data will no longer be locked up in different departments and on different systems, but will be delivered in a timely manner to those individuals that need to make decisions fast.”
Web services are based on the industry accepted XML open standard that is revolutionizing the way applications talk to other applications by allowing them to share data — regardless of programming languages. This means that systems that previously could not communicate together, for example a company’s accounting system and the inventory system, can now share data and provide a seamless solution. Microsoft(R) .NET is a set of Microsoft software technologies for connecting information, people, systems, and devices through the use of Web services.
While the 20 professional developers will be leading projects for the center, they will also have the help of the ten Microsoft .Net Young Developers on the scholarship program. These students will work alongside the developers at the center, be paid a salary and participate in all aspects of the day-to-day operations. In addition to encouraging new students to join the developer community, they will work on real .Net projects and develop a prototype for ‘Undergraduate Multidisciplinary Study Program’, with Thai universities.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for us,” said Mr. Matee Charoendee, a student who will take part in the scholarship program. There is a real buzz in Thailand around Web services as everyone involved in IT realizes that this is the future. We can only begin to imagine the benefits we can reap from this technology and Thailand should embrace this opportunity to lead the international field. I am honored to be working alongside these leaders in Web services design and hope that my contribution will be beneficial to the center’s commercial success.”
“As Thailand gears up for the Web services revolution we felt it was crucial to embrace Microsoft’s leading .Net development platform and begin to develop ideas and workable applications that will position the country as a leader in this technology,” added Mr. Santichai Emyoo, CCP Director. “We fully support the idea of building a Web services development hub under the Thailand.Net banner, which was launched in June 2005. It is essential that the public and private sector continue to collaborate on these types of projects for the future growth of the country’s economy.”
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.
Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
Note to editors: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/ on Microsoft’s corporate information pages.
For further information, please contact:
Geoff Kelly
Hill & Knowlton Thailand
Tel: 0-2627 3501 ext 104
Fax: 0-2627-3510
Email: [email protected]
Suphada Jaidee
Hill & Knowlton Thailand
Tel: 0-2627 3501 ext 209
Fax: 0-2627-3510
Email: [email protected]
Click for photo release at www.thaipr.net End.