======================================================================== Goa's phone numbers change from Nov 10, 2002. Prefix old number with a 2. New numbers will be seven-digit 2XXXXXX (where XXXXXX is the old number). ========================================================================
Excerpt: It could take several months' income for an average Indian to buy Microsoft's software," said Frederick Noronha, founder of Bytesforall.org, whose group works for information technology access to poor people. "Microsoft's software may be ubiquitous, but it restricts many freedoms of the users like any other proprietary software," Noronha said from Bangalore, India's technology hub. =================== Headline: Microsoft invests $400M in India Souce: Kitchener-Waterloo Record (Canada. 13 Nov. 2002 at: http://www.therecord.com/business/technology/z111219A.html Full text: Hoping to stave off a rise in the popularity of free, open-source software, Microsoft Corp. chairman Bill Gates has announced a $400-million-US investment in India. The three-year initiative -- part philanthropy, part business boost -- seeks to entrench products of the world's dominant software company in schools and among India's multitude of talented programmers. "We are very optimistic as to what will happen to information technology in this country,'' Gates said yesterday. India's strength, he said, lies in its education system, a fast-developing communications infrastructure and its vast pool of skilled labour. India's software industry has bucked a global slowdown to post high growth in revenues and employment. Last year, its exports grew by 29 per cent. Microsoft will invest about a quarter of the $400 million in its software development centre in the southern city of Hyderabad -- the company's only such facility outside the United States. Gates said the centre's staff will more than triple to 500 by 2005. About $20 million will go toward computer training for teachers and students at government-run schools. Microsoft aims to reach 80,000 teachers and 3.5 million students under Project Shiksha, the Hindi word for education. Microsoft also plans to set up 10 information technology training centres in partnership with Indian states. Gates sought to downplay India's growing enthusiasm for the open-source Linux operating system, noting that Microsoft's Windows remains far ahead of its competition. But Indian software companies are increasingly opting for Linux. Users say they prefer the open-source system because its basic code is non-proprietary, can be freely modified and makes better sense for the developing world than Windows. Gates' announcement "is irrelevant to 95 per cent of Indians -- it could take several months' income for an average Indian to buy Microsoft's software,'' said Frederick Noronha, founder of Bytesforall.org, whose group works for information technology access to poor people. ---------------------- Don't forget - you saw it on GoaNet! ---------------------------------------------------------- What's On In Goa (WOIG): Nov 06 Children's book exhibn opens, Walkabout, Anjuna... (all weekdays) Nov 06 ArtHouse, Calangute: Chaitali's acrylics on canvas till 19.11 Nov 07 Revision of electoral rolls (till Nov 30) See schedule. Nov 07 Creative science, for children, Goa Sc Centre (till 16.11) Nov 10 Corporate summit on IT and biotechnology, Intl Centre (till 11.11) Nov 17 Goan Engineers and Assoc meet, at Pickering, Canada. Nov 20 Fr Agnelo's 75th death anniversary, Pilar Dec 01 Two day conference, Goa Agenda. IT For Society. (Ends 2.12) Every Sunday: Music therapy sessions at Moira, 5 pm. 278, N.Portugal ----------------------------------------------------------
