The joint venture, Shanghai Wicresoft Co. Ltd., has Shanghai Alliance Investment Co. Ltd. as its local partner.

It will offer two kinds of software services -- the outsourcing of software services to large multi-national corporations and the development of proprietary application products for both Chinese and international customers.

The new company, which will formally operate in July, will provide technical support for Microsoft's Windows and Office software packages worldwide.

Industrial analysts here said the joint venture is a part of Microsoft's effort to localize its software technology in China.

Third stage of development

By agreement of the two parts, Microsoft will commit an executive team to the company for two years, which will be responsible for research and development, technical support and business operations as well as training local management team.

Jun Tang, President of Microsoft China, will be the CEO of Wicresoft.

Craig Mundie, a technical officer with Microsoft, said that the establishment of the new joint venture signifies the start of Microsoft's third stage of development in China, which is committed to helping Chinese partners to nurture software know-how with their own intellectual property right.

In the first two stages, Microsoft has set up its own marketing and distribution systems and has established a research and development center in Shanghai, he said.

(Xinhua News Agency April 12, 2002)