Microsoft announced on November 4 that it would spend 50 million US dollars to establish its Asia Regional Engineering Center in Shanghai.

The Center will offer technical support and services for users in Asia except in Japan, said Michael Rawding, president of Microsoft Greater China.

He said that Microsoft admires the economic environment and the quality of personnel in Shanghai, adding that the establishment of the Center is a landmark for Microsoft's sustained development in China.

The Asia Regional Engineering Center is Microsoft's fifth engineering center, following four others in the United States, Japan, Europe and Australia.

The Center used to be Microsoft's Greater China Regional Support Center established in 1997 and has dealt with over 80,000 technical cases since then, said Tang Jun, general manager of the Asia Regional Engineering Center.

It is expected to be Microsoft's most creative engineering center, he added. (Xinhua)