Saturday, September 23, 2006 Microsoft to open office in Cebu for Visayas, Mindanao markets
Recognizing the vast potential of the Visayas and Mindanao market to its growth in the country, Microsoft Philippines has decided to open an office in Cebu.
The move is also one of the strategies of the company to address the rampant use of unlicensed Microsoft software, specifically by players of the growing Internet café sector in the Visayas and Mindanao.
“The Visayas and Mindanao markets are very important to our business, definitely contributing to the phenomenal growth that we have had in the current year alone. With the competitive Cebu business climate and the many products that Microsoft has and will be releasing in the near future, we thought it best to have a presence (here) to support our customers and partners,” said Antonio Javier, Microsoft Philippines managing director.
Boy Bawal, sales operations director for Southern Philippines, said the local office will enable Microsoft to respond efficiently to the concerns of the local market.
IT hub
“We also believe that Cebu is the next information technology hub in the country,” he said in an interview last Thursday.
Bawal said Microsoft has also observed and recognized the high software piracy rate in the south, especially in Internet cafés.
Instead of threatening Internet cafés that are using unlicensed software, Microsoft has employed a positive strategy to combat the problem.
Link
Bawal said the company has been talking to members of Internet café associations in key cities in Visayas and Mindanao, such as Cebu and Davao.
Microsoft is encouraging members of the groups to get licensed software by linking with financing institutions for assistance.
“They themselves confessed to us that they are using unlicensed software but they are willing to pay for the license, if only they can. We are linking them with financing institutions so that they can pay on installment basis,” he said.
Bawal said the Microsoft-Cebu office was officially opened in July. It is temporarily holding office in the Ayala FGU Center, Cebu Business Park.
In November, the office will be move to the Asiatown IT Park.
Microsoft has about 2,000 partners all over the country and some of its Microsoft gold certified partners are Cebu-based, according to a statement. (JBN)
