Microsoft said yesterday it has expanded the reach of its
customer service center in Shanghai to cover the entire
Asia-Pacific region.
The move is widely seen as a vote of confidence by the world's
largest software company in the mainland's development as an
international IT service and support center.
"Shanghai is playing an increasingly important role in
Microsoft's global development strategy," said Wing-Dar Ker,
general manager of Microsoft's customer service center for the
Asia-Pacific region. Ker said the Shanghai center will bring
together Microsoft's customer service, technical support and
resources from across the region.
Ker said the increasing number of skilled IT professionals in
China and the growth of the global IT service industry were key
factors in the decision. "China is providing an average of 30,000
to 40,000 graduates specializing in information technology every
year," Ker said. These talented IT engineers and designers "are
giving big support to Microsoft's business expansion in the
Asia-Pacific region".
The Shanghai center works with the Suzhou Global Institution of
Software Technologies to train IT service and support professionals
for the industry.
Microsoft said this collaboration helps colleges to use its
expertise to cultivate an IT talent pool for the local
industry.
The service center is expected to train up to 300 qualified
staff in the coming three years.
It was set up in 1997 and employs more than 850 IT professionals
who provide a 24-hour service, seven days a week to global
customers.
(China Daily December 7, 2007)
