Chinese computer giant Lenovo Group has made another step towards becoming a more significant world player, fully endorsing the adoption of genuine software in its computers in partnership with US giant Microsoft and Chinese top software firms UFIDA and Kingsoft.

Lenovo formed an alliance with the three firms in Beijing yesterday and vowed to pre-install software from the partners on all its computers from December.

It is the world's third largest computer maker since acquiring IBM's personal computer business last year.

Microsoft will be able to access all new Lenovo computer users with its Windows operating systems and will also provide its Office software together with the competing product WPS Office from the local competitor Kingsoft.

The Beijing-based Kingsoft will also provide its famous electronic dictionary software Ciba and anti-virus software Duba.

UFIDA, a top accounting and enterprise management software firm in Beijing, will offer its solutions for small and medium enterprises.

Yang Yuanqing, chairman of the Chinese computer giant, said the co-operation will enhance Lenovo's competitiveness; it will have genuine copies of software, services from software companies and solution development based on the software, but at very low prices.

Chen Shaopeng, Lenovo vice-president and general manager of its Chinese operations, said the prices of the software will be "very very low."

The price of a computer pre-installed with software from the three firms will be 500 to 1,000 yuan (US$60-120) less than computers with the same software before.

Chen said Lenovo had such a bargain from software vendors that buyers would be able to afford the prices.

"If we did not see the changing attitude of buyers who want genuine copies and affordable prices, we would not be able to do this now." he said.

(China Daily November 16, 2005)