Microsoft over the last six years.
I was in Russia two years ago. I very much wanted to come here because, they told me, the Russian market has changed a lot and the economic growth is awfully big, he said.
In Moscow he met with Vice-President Igor Shuvalov.
I tried to understand how our company could help in the realisation of national priorities set by the government, Ballmer said.
In his opinion, the Russian government understands that information technologies promote such priority areas as health protection, housing construction and education.
Talking of Windows XP Starter Edition, Ballmer stressed that it is not "a cheap Windows", as many see it, but a good Windows version for low-cost computers and beginners.
He thinks that Starter Edition will not hold much of the Russian market because parents buying computers for their children's training prefer modern powerful computers.
But, if the government wants to back up low-cost computers, we have what to propose, Ballmer said.
There are about five million active Hotmail users, he said.
Now, his company is viewing the possibility of creating a Russian version of the on-line Microsoft Network (MSN) service and the Hotmail electronic mail.
In the opinion of the Microsoft director general, which has met with partners of the subunit Microsoft Business Solutions, which develops corporative information systems, things in Russia are better than anywhere in the world.
It is one of the most successful areas for Microsoft business on the Russian market, Mr. Ballmer believes.
