PRAGUE, Czech Republic—Microsoft Corp. said it will open a business support center for mobile technology in the capital of the Czech Republic to serve European network operators and “manufacturers of mobile equipment.”
The Redmond, Wash.-based software giant did not specify the services or technologies it would support, but indicated that the center would be the first of its kind. The center’s new director, Jan Sebek, said that if successful the support center model would be pursued elsewhere around the globe.
Microsoft’s main foray into mobile technology so far has been its Windows Mobile operating system, which has found a market in the United States but has made weak inroads to the rest of the global market. The Symbian OS, largely owned by Nokia Corp., dominates the worldwide stage.
Microsoft said that 15 engineers will staff the support center in Prague beginning in January. The software company said that Prague’s central location, its advanced market for mobile technologies, and the availability of qualified engineers played a role in its decision to locate the new center in the city.
Prague is pursuing high-tech industries, having attracted foreign investment in industrial manufacturing, including automobile plants.
