Colombo, Dec 05: Microsoft Corp said today it will set up a unit in Sri Lanka this year in a move likely to give the country's young information technology sector a boost. "We plan to open a subsidiary in Sri Lanka by the end of December," Faycal Bouchlaghem, Microsoft's regional director of business development, told a news conference.
The unit - in a tie-up with Sri Lanka's Ceylinco Group - will ``focus on the sales and marketing of our products and services in the country,'' Bouchlaghem said.
In an agreement signed with the government last month, Microsoft pledged to set up a unit here and invest millions of dollars in Sri Lanka, specifically in educational projects.
Microsoft already sells its products through distributors in the island. But by setting up a direct operation, the company would help to develop the country's IT sector, he said.
The company plans ``to develop localized windows software through our language interface programs and run specific programs for the government and private sectors,'' he said. Bureau Report