soL English

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer was in Ankara to announce the opening of Microsoft Innovation Center which is founded in Bilkent University. The most important task of Microsoft Innovation Center in this process will be “Microsoft Government Project”.

soL (NEWS DESK) Microsoft that will prepare software especially together with the “e-government” project of Turkish state is settling to Turkey institutionally too. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer who has come to Turkey to announce Microsoft Innovation Center which has been founded to dominate the software market in Turkey, develop its own financing and consulting services and prepare software to public institutions, met with President Abdullah Gül, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Minister of Transport and Communication Binali Yıldırım and Minister of National Education Hüseyin Çelik.

Will Turkey be Thailand of Europe?
Ballmer who talked at the press conference in Ankara, asserted that Turkey can be the software center of Europe and its region. Ballmer, who expressed that Turkey can be an important software and innovation center, said “Microsoft aims for, with ecosystem of partners, being supportive to development of IT industry in Turkey and to perform Turkey’s own potential”. Ballmer signed that co-operations will be done with public and private sector institutions and organizations in this respect.

Health, education and youth first target
Ballmer said that the software projects have been developed in the scope of academics, students, financiers, health and education in the Microsoft Innovation Center. Microsoft, also, will try to attract the students with “DreamSpark Programme”. Ballmer expressed the students will be able to prepare software with this project. Ballmer said that students who participate in the programme can make use of the Microsoft source of information which they need. Steve Ballmer has high-level negotiations on his visit to Turkey. Ballmer, who met President Abdullah Gül and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, talked especially about education, health and communication software infrastructure.