Chile's President Ricardo Lagos and Microsoft Corp. (NasdaqNM:MSFT - news) Chairman Bill Gates on Tuesday signed a pact aimed at boosting Chilean technology use, and Microsoft pledged $6.2 million in grants to that end. Microsoft Chile said it would donate software with a commercial worth of $1.2 million, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced it would give an additional $5 million to the South American country to provide computers, Internet access and training to some 300 Chilean public libraries.
Chile agreed to work harder at anti-piracy measures to protect intellectual property, while Microsoft said it will grant what software license discounts it ``deems convenient.'' One of the more politically stable South American countries in the last decade, Chile has traditionally depended on agricultural goods to support its economy. Lagos, on a two-day U.S. tour, has stated since taking office in March that he intends to boost the country's high-tech presence.
|