Next great success will be from Asia: Gates

The next great success will come from Asia, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates has said, expressing confidence in the rise of the continent in software sector.

Sixty per cent of people in the United States said the next success would come from Asia, Gates said, citing a survey done in America on "where will the next big success and where the next Bill Gates come from".

That's true as it's well recognised that the investment and changes here are leading to very innovative work, Gates said at the annual session of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) in the southern China town of Boao.

According to him, Microsoft established its first research centre in Asia about 10 years ago and is currently spending 60 per cent of its research and development budget in Asia. The quality of job by Microsoft's development centres in Asia is among the best in the world.

He said the opportunity that a person has used to be largely determined by the country they were living in, but now the opportunity is much more determined by the level of education they receive.

"And so not only is Asia benefiting from the uses of new technology, Asia will increasingly be the source of advances in technology," said Gates.

Microsoft will build research and development parks in Beijing and Shanghai to further expand its business in China, he said adding the parks will be built to meet the growing research and development demand in China and help ameliorate Microsoft's relationship with its clients and partners. The chairman did not offer details of the new move.