Dr Zhang is particularly familiar with growth, being a co-founder of Microsoft’s R&D Labs in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen - first established a decade ago. Since then they have grown to employ 3,500 people, Microsoft’s largest R&D group outside of the US.

“We are working in five areas: mobile embedded, web search and advertising, servers, entertainment, and specific emerging technologies for new markets.” Dr Zhang explained that this last category specifically focussed on development targeted at emerging markets for Microsoft such as China itself.

“The China market is growing very fast. But right now it is very small part of the revenue.” Dr Zhang declined to comment on exactly what proportion of Microsoft’s revenues came from sales into China but he confirmed; “It would be one of the fastest growing markets.”

However at present Microsoft was; “Investing more in the talent than on developing the market,” according to Dr Zhang.

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