MICROSOFT TO CARRY OUT A NUMBER OF PROGRAMS IN ARMENIA IN 2008

ARMENPRESS
Oct 24, 2007

BUDAPEST, OCTOBER 24, ARMENPRESS: World leading company Microsoft is
going to carry out a number of programs in Armenia. Vahe Torossian,
vice president of Microsoft for Central and Eastern Europe, told
Armenpress that since its functioning in Armenia from May 2006 the
company was aimed at engaging the local government with which Microsoft
has signed a partnership agreement.

"Now it is more than one year our representation is functioning in
Armenia and I am very happy for the rise we have made in terms of
education, we are also committed by this partnership agreement that
our key major products like Windows and Office be translated into
Armenian," V. Torossian said.

According to him, Microsoft has also created good innovation
opportunities and they will think about creating innovation centers
in the next few months which will create more close relationship with
universities and Microsoft.

"In terms of growth we have to state that Microsoft Armenia has
1,000 percent growth during the year so it is the fastest growing
business. I see that they are very complete top companies in the
country which started to understand the importance of positioning
Armenia as a national competitive country in this global market and
we are very happy for it and are investing our sources in Armenia,"
V. Torossian noted.

Referring to the programs Microsoft is going to carry out in Armenia in
2008, Vahe Torossian said that they are mainly focusing on education,
intellectual property sectors, development of partnerical system,
localization of their products into Armenian.

"These are the four directions on which we are working together
with the Armenian government. There is an effective law in Armenia
on protection of intellectual property rights but it is not
functioning. We need to behave as an example. There is no reason
why the key big companies functioning in Armenia, who are employing
people, who are making money there are not going to pay for the
software they are using and we are going to address first to these
big companies and we are already doing it," Torossian said. Within
the framework of activity carried out in the direction of protection
of intellectual property, the company will continue carrying out its
programs in universities. As to free partnerical system, Microsoft
is cooperating with its local partners to develop local language in
Windows XP first and, according to the partnership agreement with
the government, has commitment to do it with Windows Vista.

The vice president of Microsoft CEE also said that Microsoft is trying
to help the local partnerical system to understand that they need to be
part of the solution and if they also violate the intellectual property
right the work carried out it that direction will become senseless.

"We have appointed one key distributor who is doing that and we started
to develop solution selling in Armenia which means that instead of
selling software we want them to sell solutions more and more. That
is what we are going to work on and I can say that so far everything
is going on successfully," the vice president of Microsoft CEE said.

"Our goal is to create jobs in Armenia and one way to do it is to make
sure that we are creating enough opportunities within the partnerical
system and for that we need to stop piracy rights," Torossian said.

Microsoft has around 25 partners in Armenia and if, according to
V. Torossian each of these partners is able to recruit free people
in the next six months it will already have a big impact. "We are
trying to bring opportunities of development from the outside, we
are looking for partnership with great talents. One opportunity is
to start to engage with Armenia will be to try to see that there are
people in some places outside of Armenia who are looking for great
developers and to create this type of network between external and
internal sectors," V. Torossian added.

As to the cooperation with the government he said that in May 2006
they started discussion with the former Armenian Prime Minister
Andranik Margarian and he would like to continue it: that is – what
is the dream for Armenia? "It is me as an Armenian living outside
but I feel that my heart is there and I would like to contribute to
some degree. Everything should start with the vision: what is Armenia
in 2040 or 2050? I would love to be part of the strategic thinking
for the country and one of the key differentiator that Armenia can
benefit from in the global economy. And I think that the country is
doing a lot probably there is not enough ambition for the future to
attract the talents back or to develop talents in the country and
that’s the thing next time I will come I will love to discuss it with
the government," the vice president of Microsoft CEE concluded.