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News from the Caribbean as of
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Microsoft opens optical media plant in Puerto Rico
Friday, October 6, 2006
HUMACAO, Puerto Rico: Microsoft Corporation, a global leader in computer software, services and technologies, on Thursday inaugurated its new optical media plant in Humacao, Puerto Rico, investing over $66 million in construction and equipment and more than 31,000 hours in training for its 180 employees.
The new plant in Humacao is the only Microsoft-owned optical media manufacturing facility worldwide and will produce 100 per cent of all the principal MS products for the Americas market, which includes both North and Latin America.
The announcement was made on Thursday by Governor Anibal Acevedo-Vila, Frank Holland, Vice President of Microsoft Operations in the Americas, and Rodolfo Acevedo, General Manager of Microsoft Puerto Rico. The expansion will make Puerto Rico central to Microsoft's operations in the Americas and strengthen the island's position within the global information technology industry.
"The exemplary and quick manner in which our employees have evolved to keep up with the fast-paced and constantly evolving nature of the software industry speaks very highly of the island's talented and capable workforce and gives us an added incentive to continue investing in the Puerto Rico market," Holland said.
The new facilities will create 94 new jobs in Humacao and enable Microsoft Puerto Rico to increase its production capacity threefold. Holland stated that the Humacao plant has the technology necessary for producing DVD-9, a new trend in software distribution, and is considering making Puerto Rico an integral component in Microsoft's future digital distribution chain as well.
Additionally, the plant will host a new operations center which will include forecasting and planning for Microsoft's Americas region and a quality management center.
"Microsoft's decision to locate all its optical media production operations on the island is a testament to Puerto Rico's competitiveness as a center for innovation and the power of our talented and capable workforce to attract new and significant investments from industry leaders worldwide," Boris Jaskille, Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company, stated.
Microsoft Corporation first established its presence in the island in 1990. In 2005, Microsoft generated 23,200 or 63 per cent of jobs in the IT sector and contributed approximately $10 million in investments and expenditures to the local economy.
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