TO boost fair competition in the global market, Microsoft Corp., the largest software company in the world, is pushing for the use of genuine Microsoft software among small and medium-sized businesses, such as Internet cafés.
This, as the same company helps develop a “growing” consciousness among Cebuanos of the use of genuine software through education and engineering.
George Parilla, Micro-soft marketing manager, said Internet cafés are part of the emerging sectors Microsoft is servicing.
As an example, he cited Yeeha! Internetan, which is making a name internationally with its outlets in other countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, Korea and India.
All its branches bear signage and license to prove they are using genuine Microsoft software, said Yeeha! Internetan president Wayne Schofield.
Last Friday, Schofield and Parilla attended the opening and blessing of Yeeha’s fifth branch in Cebu and its 10th outlet in Asia.
“Yeeha is a global brand. It is also working closely with Microsoft, which is a global brand, too. With this, Yeeha can compete globally. To be globally competitive, one also needs to value Intellectual Property Rights (IPR),” Parilla said.
Economy
By valuing IPR, he said, a business is helping the country’s economy. He cited recent data, which shows that for every peso the country spends on Microsoft service, P16 goes back to the national information technology industry in terms of hardware and other services.
Microsoft will be introducing programs in the coming months for Internet cafés in Cebu, he said.
“We have a lot of sessions towards productivity and maximizing current information technology and software infrastructure. I hope there will still be a lot of Internet cafés, such as Yeeha! that will be conscious about doing the right thing,” Parilla said.
He added that by using genuine Microsoft, a business can assure its customers that its software is regularly updated and that it will not be prone to computer attacks, worms and viruses.
Parilla noted, though, that consciousness on the significance of using genuine software is “growing.” (NRC)
