Yonhap News reports that Microsoft has released a policy paper endorsing the trade agreement with Korea: Microsoft urges Obama to help approve Korea FTA:
In a policy report titled "The IT Industry Depends on Fair Trade and Open Markets," Microsoft said, "Korea, by far the most significant of the FTAs in economic terms, establishes a foothold for the U.S. in Asia and ensures that a key market is committed to transparency and regulatory due process, along with expanding trade opportunities for the IT sector."
"Trade liberalization, when accompanied by strong rules and a commitment to enforcement, is good for America," it said. "Staying on the sidelines is not the answer to how to enhance our competitiveness vis-a-vis Europe and Asia."
Last spring the Washington State Council on International Trade promoted a state-wide coalition to encourage Congress to pass the trade agreement. The coalition was chaired by the state Farm Bureau and Microsoft: Farm Bureau, Microsoft Co-chair Korea FTA Coalition:
For U.S. services providers, from telecommunications, insurance, information technology, entertainment and financial services, the agreement represents a big win in terms of new market access opportunities. For Washington's high-tech industries, the agreement also strengthens protections for intellectual property by deterring piracy and unauthorized sharing of music, video and software and other content over the Internet. This is vital in Korea, where broadband access is even more widespread than in the United States.
Microsoft is cooperating with Hyundai-Kia and the Korean Ministry of Knowledge Economy to enhance IT features in Hyundai-Kia cars - especially in cars for the U.S. market: Hyundai-Kia, Microsoft join for in-vehicle electronics
The Korean collaboration helps Microsoft expand its automotive industry business. The companies also are working to put Microsoft Auto software, the same software that powers Ford Motor Co.'s Sync system, into Hyundai-Kia vehicles in 2010.
Hyundai will get first crack at the center's results. "The first products will be exclusive to Hyundai-Kia vehicles, especially for the U.S. market," Lee told Automotive News in an English-language interview.
Beginning in late 2010, those products will be introduced into vehicles. Some early examples will likely include voice-operated audio systems, Bluetooth connectivity and telematics.
Other projects include panoramic views on navigation displays and multilingual voice recognition.
These new features will go head-to-head with new features in Ford cars: Ford to introduce next generation of Sync system:
Ford Motor Co, aiming to keep ahead of rivals, will introduce new features for its Sync system that provides voice-activated links to mobile phones and digital music players, the automaker said on Wednesday.
Sync, a surprise hit for Ford in 2007 that helped boost sales of its Focus compact car and appeal to younger buyers, will provide access to traffic alerts, directions and news in features available in the Spring that will be free for the first three years, the automaker said.
The Sync system, developed with Microsoft Corp, gave Ford a voice-command activated system that can be upgraded along the rapid consumer electronics cycle where new products are introduced every few months rather than over the years-long vehicle production cycle.
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