Steven Guggenheimer, Corporate Vice President of the original equipment manufacturer division at Microsoft Corporation today announced the opening of the Microsoft Software and Services Excellence Center (SSEC).

The main purpose of the center is to advance the potential of cloud computing across devices, in the data center and within new industries-all topics Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft, addressed when he visited Taiwan last year. Via the Microsoft SSEC, Microsoft combines its R&D expertise and technology leadership in software, services and cloud datacenter technologies with Taiwan’s global leadership in hardware innovation in order to create next- generation connected devices and cloud data centers, creating new business opportunities for Microsoft and its partners. Moreover, Microsoft will license patents from its industry-leading portfolio and share its software development expertise with academic and R&D institutes in Taiwan to help strengthen the software and services technologies for the Taiwan Information and Communication Technology (ICT) ecosystem.

“Over the past two decades, hardware manufacturers in Taiwan have established their global leadership in PCs, netbooks, cell phones, LCDs, and other IT technologies, which is important for the global ICT industry,” said Steven Guggenheimer, who helped celebrate the center’s opening. “The opening of the SSEC is a significant milestone for Microsoft and its hardware partners in our collaboration for the development of additional business opportunities in the era of cloud computing.”

“Cloud computing services are a strategic industry that the government is promoting, and the Microsoft Software and Service Excellent Center will expedite the development of the Taiwan ICT industry towards cloud services,” said Wu Ming-Ji, Director General, Department of Industrial Technology, Ministry of Economic Affairs. “The Taiwan ICT industry will be able to bring in the most advanced software technologies as well as cloud data center implementation experience from Microsoft to integrate them with the existing system and R&D resources provided by the government. This will not only strengthen the existing competitiveness of the Taiwan hardware industry but also develop new business opportunities from cloud services. We believe that the integration of existing government resources with innovations provided by Microsoft is going