Microsoft in pact with seven Chinese firms to expand footprint

Microsoft has tied up with seven companies in China in a bid to gain greater access to China's large market and share of government business.

The announcement came on the day that the country's president Xi Jinping and a delegation visited Microsoft's campus at Redmond, Washington.

Other companies like Cisco Systems and Hewlett-Packard also announced tie-ups with Chinese busineses, a market that has proved complex for US companies due to the strong backing of the government for local players.

Microsoft, for instance announced an agreement with its cloud partner in Beijing, 21Vianet, and IT company Unisplendour for providing custom hybrid cloud solutions and services to Chinese customers, especially state-owned enterprises.

During his visit to the campus, the Chinese president met with senior company executives and board members, "watched technology demos and reviewed innovative new devices," a Microsoft review of the meeting said.