Taipei, Jan. 27 (CNA) As information and telecommunication technology (ICT) is expected to connect all corporations, homes and individuals in the future, Chunghwa Telecom (CHT) and Microsoft announced Friday that both sides have agreed to develop joint service offerings for a "Taiwan e-Future."
CHT and Microsoft signed a letter of intent to co-develop various enterprise level one-stop-shopping IT services and personal value-added services. Also included in the joint effort are various public benefit programs to reduce the digital gap and a training center to cultivate domestic IT and communication talent.
With its 3.6 million broadband users, CHT hopes to make telecommunication services a helping hand in the average person's daily life, and a business partner for all enterprises -- especially small- and medium-sized businesses, said CHT President Lu Shyue-ching.
In addition to integrating corporate and individual users through telecommunications and networks, CHT and Microsoft will participate in a program organized by the Changhua County Bureau of Education to reduce the digital gap for students in remote areas and disadvantaged
groups.
Microsoft Taiwan will donate software to students, while CHT will provide ADSL or other Internet connection services, said Tim Chen, Microsoft's corporate vice president and CEO for the Greater China region.
CHT will build Microsoft's collaborative platform into its own enterprise backbone network, provide corporate clients with the ability to conduct audio/video conferencing and support IT applications.
"By partnering with CHT, we hope to integrate telecommunication and software to provide enterprises with one-stop-shopping IT services, and also to promote digital family services, " Chen said.