Financial Times

Microsoft explores alternate methods to curb piracy
By Akhry Ameer
The Microsoft Corporation will seek a novel approach to curb piracy of its software in the retail market through its corporate clientele. The software giant also announced the local launch of its Microsoft Office 2003 and Windows Server 2003 systems to the media recently.

The model of providing an individual user license for every user sold under the corporate license, has been tried in other countries and will be used in Sri Lanka shortly according to Keith Samuel, Chief Executive Officer of Ceylinco Networking Technologies (Pvt) Ltd, Microsoft's local Market Development Partner.

Microsoft's regional staff said the new systems have been designed to provide greater productivity and efficiency. The new Office 2003 system comprises of eighteen different services and applications and have been focused for productivity improvement in four areas. These include features such as improved control of spam mail, greater information sharing among teams, easier publishing of information on the web, group management of projects, etc.

The Windows Server 2003 system has been benchmarked to deliver 30% more efficiency over its predecessors. It also has scaled versions for small office, enterprise, data center type operations. Features include improved and intelligent sharing of networked printers, file encryption, etc.

Faycal Bouchlagem, Director - Business Development Emerging Markets (South East Asia) said that the new systems will driven through its local partners. Accordingly the company made presentations to 125 local partners and 800 corporate customers last week.

Bouchlagem also said that many of the other Microsoft initiatives announced recently with signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the government are being finalized. The local subsidiary office is to be ceremonially launched in February. The immediate short term programmes being finalized is an innovation centre and a programme to train teachers on the use of Information Technology.

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