Microsoft opens tech center in S'pore

SINGAPORE--Software vendor launches its first Microsoft Tech Centre in Southeast Asia, with an investment of S$23 million (US$18.4 million) over the next five years.

The facility spans 7,000 square feet and is located within the Microsoft Singapore office at One Marina Boulevard.

Customers will be able to see demos of Microsoft products and business scenarios in the Envisioning Centre.

A demo of the use of Kinect as a virtual fitting room. Users can tweak outfits to their size and see how a particular clothing fits on them. E-merchants, for example, can use the motion-sensing device to enhance their customers' online shopping experience, added Chong Lee, director of Asia-Pacific Microsoft Tech Centre.

Microsoft used large whiteboards to create "white walls" in rooms, where developers or visitors can write on the wall with whiteboard markers and reuse the space.

Products and technologies on showcase at the center include ultrabooks running on the Windows 8 operating system, as well as Nokia Windows Phone devices.

The consumer experience space mimics a typical living room in which customers can test different Kinect games and applications.