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Wanted: Software researchers in China

Irene Tham, CNET Asia CNet

Published: 10 May 2002 13:28 BST

Microsoft is on the lookout for research talent in China to focus on four core future technologies -- speech recognition and synthesis, digital pen, panoramic pictures and multimedia compression for wireless communications networks.

Over the next two years, the company will intensify its study of these areas with help from Asian educational institutions such as Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, University of Sydney, Tokyo University and Taiwan's Tsinghua University and Harbin Institute of Technology in China.

The software giant's research center in Beijing, founded in 1998, currently employs 150 full-time engineers. The team is set to expand to 200 people by 2003, Microsoft Research Asia Managing Director Zhang Ya-Qin told CNETAsia.

"The Beijing setup is the fastest growing in terms of headcount, compared with the remaining two facilities in the US and the UK, which already have a combined strength of about 450 researchers," said Zhang.

By scaling up its research operations in China, Microsoft hopes to tap into the country's huge knowledge pool.

The Chinese lab focuses on speech recognition and information processing technologies in Asian languages, such as Chinese, Japanese and Korean. In addition, the centre engages in generic research work in the areas of intelligent search and browsing, 3D face modelling and image rendering, among others.

Expenditure at the Beijing centre has topped $80m (£54m) to date, Zhang said, adding over 24 projects have become part of Microsoft's array of commercial software for both the Asian and global market.

Besides teaming up with academia, Microsoft has also forged partnerships with Chinese firms Shanghai Alliance Investment, Beijing Centergate Technology and Stone Group to develop business applications for the Asia-Pacific region.

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