Makati City (29 January) -- The Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) and Microsoft Philippines have announced a partnership program dubbed BizSpark aimed at accelerating the success of entrepreneurs and early-stage startups.

The launch of BizSpark represents a unified effort of the government and the private sector to ensure that opportunities are made available for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and startups, and to transform them into viable, competitive, world-class organizations.

Through the BizSpark Program, CICT and Microsoft will offer entrepreneurs fast, easy and affordable access to full-featured Microsoft development tools and server licenses. Only a nominal fee of USD$100 will be payable upon successful completion of the three-year program. BizSpark is available worldwide to privately-held companies and individuals building a software-based product or service who have been in business less than three years and have less than USD$1 million in revenue.

Under the Program, participating startups will be provided with a three-year Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) Premium subscription. MSDN is a broad set of design and development tools needed to build, test, and maintain an application on the Microsoft platform. Participants will also be eligible for professional support services and expert information resources, as well as business networking and peer networking.

For startups building hosted software, BizSpark includes production licenses for the application and management servers including Windows Server, SQL Server, SharePoint Portal Server, Biztalk Server and Systems Center. Startups will also have the opportunity to be profiled and promoted on the BizsparkDB, an online startup directory, where promising startups from around the world can gain market visibility.

In the Philippines, CICT, along with other industry partners, including the National ICT Conference of the Philippines (NICP), the Philippine Software Industry Association (PSIA), and the Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP) will provide guidance, mentorship and resources to help startups gain the competitive advantage needed to succeed in the global market. The CICT will also be in charge of verifying applications from startups interested in the program.

In joint statements, CICT Secretary Ray Anthony Roxas-Chua III and Mr. Jay Joson, Developer Platform Evangelism Director of Microsoft Philippines, said that Filipino SMEs and startups need the support of the industry to boost their chances of succeeding, more so amidst the current economic crisis.

"Microsoft BizSpark gives startups a boost by providing them with the tools to create in-demand applications and bring these solutions before the global market, allowing local companies to demonstrate their edge and capability at that level", said Secretary Roxas-Chua.

"Current economic conditions pose challenges to SMEs and startups, making business sustainability harder to attain. As development champion of the Philippine Cyber Corridor, under the directive of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the CICT is mandated to mobilize leaders in the ICT industry to explore ways to help other small players to develop high-quality products, gain access to the markets, and spur the growth of the Filipino IT market in the process," he added.

For his part, Joson said: "Every business organization goes through a similar beginning. To grow, they must have the right tools, direction, and exposure, Now more than ever, Filipino SMEs and startups need support from the industry to succeed and this is what we and the CICT are providing through BizSpark."

According to Joson, entrepreneurs drive innovation and create new jobs, and working with them enables Microsoft to empower the local economy. "The development of local businesses is closely tied to the growth of the national economy, and this is why we are offering Microsoft BizSpark-to jumpstart young companies and help them flourish," said Joson.

Regional deployment of the Program in the Philippines will be overseen by the NICP, an umbrella organization of Regional ICT Councils, which are tasked to assess the e-readiness of cities and provinces and mobilize local governments, businesses and IT players to develop these cities and provinces into ICT hubs.

As part of the Philippine Cyber Corridor, the ICT hubs are intended to attract foreign investors in the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry to areas outside of Metro Manila, thereby redirecting IT investments and creating jobs to boost local economies. The local BPO industry earned USD 5 billion in revenues in 2007, and has generated close to 400,000 jobs to date.