Microsoft Opens Software and Services Excellence Center

TAIPEI, Taiwan, June 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Steve Guggenheimer, corporate vice president of the Original Equipment Manufacturer Division at Microsoft Corp., announced the official opening of the Microsoft Software and Services Excellence Center (SSEC).

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The objective of the center is to advance the potential of cloud computing across devices, in the datacenter and within new industries — all topics Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer addressed when he visited Taiwan last year. Via the SSEC, Microsoft combines its research and development (R&D) expertise and technology leadership in software, services and cloud datacenter technologies with Taiwan's global leadership in hardware innovation to create next-generation connected devices and cloud datacenters, creating new business opportunities for Microsoft and its partners. Moreover, Microsoft will license patents from its industry-leading portfolio and share its software development expertise with academic and R&D institutes in Taiwan to help strengthen the software and services technologies for the Taiwan Information and Communication Technology (ICT) ecosystem.

"Over the past two decades, hardware manufacturers in Taiwan have established their global leadership in PCs, netbooks, cell phones, LCDs and other IT technologies, which is important for the global ICT industry," said Guggenheimer, who helped celebrate the center's opening. "The opening of the SSEC is a significant milestone for Microsoft and its hardware partners in our collaboration for the development of additional business opportunities in the era of cloud computing."

"Cloud computing services are a strategic industry that the government is promoting, and the Microsoft Software and Services Excellence Center will expedite the development of the Taiwan ICT industry toward cloud services," said Wu Ming-Ji, director general, Department of Industrial Technology, Ministry of Economic Affairs. "The Taiwan ICT industry will be able to bring in the most advanced software technologies, as well as cloud datacenter implementation experience from Microsoft to integrate them with the existing system and R&D resources provided by the government. This will not only strengthen the existing competitiveness of the Taiwan hardware industry but also develop new business opportunities from cloud services. We believe that the integration of existing government resources with innovations provided by Microsoft is going to help upgrade the Taiwan hardware industry, which will be even more successful in the era of cloud computing."

The Microsoft SSEC commenced cooperation with many Taiwan companies long before its opening. Already, there are significant initial achievements with Quanta Computer Inc., Delta Electronics Inc. and Compal Electronics Inc. In the next three years, more than 100 Taiwan ICT companies are expected to participate in developing cloud computing solutions.

"I am pleased to announce our three-way research collaboration between Quanta Computer, Delta Electronics and Microsoft Research's eXtreme Computing Group to create a new generation of cloud servers," said Dan Reed, corporate vice president, eXtreme Computing Group, Microsoft Corp. "The collaboration creates a unique opportunity to bring together leading-edge hardware with new software concepts to enable fundamental breakthroughs."

The first prototype cloud server from the collaboration will be deployed at the SSEC later this year.

"Cloud computing is a mega-trend in our industry. The Microsoft SSEC is an important milestone for Taiwan's bourgeoning efforts in cloud computing. This center will allow Compal to work closely with Microsoft to build next-generation products and solutions with advanced user experiences and cloud-based services and explore the potential of private and public cloud scenarios," said Ray Chen, CEO of Innovation Center, Compal Electronics.

At the opening ceremony, Guggenheimer discussed Microsoft's cloud computing strategy and its efforts to provide hardware partners with opportunities to build on its expertise across both client and datacenter assets. In support of the new SSEC opening, Guggenheimer outlined how Microsoft will take its own expertise in datacenter technology, from running some of the largest datacenters in the world and from its server technologies, which now run 75 percent of the world's X86 servers to help hardware manufacturers build container solutions in support of cloud computing.

The Microsoft SSEC has these three goals:

• System software for cloud datacenters. The SSEC covers cloud datacenter management and data load planning, container-based computer specifications, and cloud datacenter management guidelines and paradigms.
• Smart devices for cloud computing. The SSEC includes natural interfaces for next- generation PCs and other devices, system software for smart Internet-access devices, and system software for seamless cross-platform integration.
• Technology transfer and R&D sharing. The SSEC will have annual announcements of leading-edge software technologies, cooperative efforts with academia, and individual project-based patent licensing and transfers.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

SOURCE Microsoft Corp.