Microsoft has officially announced  the launch of MSN Indonesia, a localized web site of worldwide  portal msn.com.

"Of the 350 million subscribers to msn.com, 306,000 are Hotmail users and 110,000 are MSN Messenger users from Indonesia, so we  want to make it easier for them by providing a local MSN site,  using the Indonesian language as an interface," PT Microsoft  Indonesia president Tony Chen was quoted Saturday by The Jakarta  Post as saying.

Besides Hotmail and MSN Messenger, the new site, msn.co.id,  will offer local news, search engines, online shopping, as well as electronic dating services + all services offered by the original portal.

 Meanwhile, Shriram Adukoorie, director of MSN South Asia,  admitted that partnerships with local companies in providing local news and other content were still being negotiated, so the web  site was only partially finished on the launch date.

 "We invite local companies to enter into partnerships with us  in running this web site + for example, partnerships with local  media to provide the latest news for our web site," Shriram said.

 Nevertheless, Shriram was confident that the number of local  customers would grow by 100 percent over the next 12 months.

 MSN Indonesia will also offer services such as MSN Mobile so  that subscribers can receive e-mail messages, breaking news or  chat with their friends via mobile phone.

 Indonesia, with a total population of over 210 million, is a  land of opportunity for business people offering online services.

 Although not many people have Internet access at home, many  users, including those residing in minor cities, enjoy Internet  facilities through local Internet cafes and in schools.

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