By CHRIS GRAEME
MICROSOFT CEO Steve Ballmer was in Lisbon last week to reinforce cooperation projects between computer giant Microsoft and the Portuguese government.
Addressing members of the government and business leaders at the former FIL in Alcântara, the successor to Bill Gates praised Portugal’s efforts in introducing information technology, computers and broadband internet into 100 per cent of the nation’s schools in just less than five years.
The American also saluted Portugal’s launch of the affordable laptop personal computer aimed at schoolchildren and college students, the Magalhães or Magellan, which has been sold to countries all over the world including Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, Angola, Mozambique and several European countries said to be interested in the computer.
Steve Ballmer, who said he was impressed with Portugal’s technological innovation, said that the Magalhães computer was “an excellent business opportunity for Portugal”.
“This represents a step forward for Portugal as an international supplier of this type of laptop computer, which has new software that will be produced here through a partnership with Intel,” he said at a signing ceremony with the Portuguese government for the internationalisation of the computer.
“The Magalhães computer learning suite will not only be available in Portugal but also throughout the rest of the world, constituting a complete package of software, training, services and support created exclusively by Microsoft for this laptop,” he said, adding that the project “promised to create employment”.
Step forward
The initiative aims to encourage the international adoption of an educational portable computer and help young people gain technology access both in the classroom and at home as part of the Portuguese government’s E-Escolinhas (E-schools) programme.
Steve Ballmer said he was enthusiastic about the initiative, which he called “unique and amazing at a global level” which showed that Portugal was able “to promote innovation and access to technology”.
He highlighted Portugal as a centre of innovation of “growing importance”, adding that the new protocol represented “a significant step forward”.
“This new cooperation agreement opens the door to a new phase in collaboration between the two entities with regards to the Technological Plan which began in 2006 with the aim of modernising Portugal,” he added.
In education, for example, the accords will grant greater access to technology for both pupils and teachers whereby Microsoft will collaborate with the government in modernising the technology of schools, colleges and universities.
Another objective will be to provide subsidised access to technology at all levels for start-up schemes for new small businesses.
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