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Austin Gatt, currently in Lisbon attending Microsoft’s government leaders’ forum, will this morning be meeting the global giant’s chairman and chief software architect Bill Gates to discuss furthering the relationship between government and Microsoft.
Gatt and Gates are expected to discuss the extension of digital literacy and the adoption of ICT in education and the strengthening of employability for workers in the manufacturing industry through information technology.
The issue of access to upcoming technologies for students at beneficial pricing levels is also expected to be on the agenda for this morning’s meeting.
Gatt, yesterday also met Jean Phillip Courtois, president of Microsoft International but no information was available on the outcome of the meeting. A ministry spokesperson told Business Today that government and Microsoft will be making an announcement on the agreed initiatives in the coming weeks.
Government entered into the first agreement with Microsoft in February 2003. The highlight of the agreement was the availability of the source-code for the local industry and the heavily reduced rates for software packages for local students.
The agreement was reiterated in June 2004 and Microsoft was roped in to assist in the setting up of the community training learning centres among other initiatives.
Microsoft had revenues of USD36.8 billion for the fiscal year ending June 2004 and employs more than 55,000 people in 85 countries and regions around the world. |
