BEA Systems Inc - the world's sixth largest independent software vendor - will set up its first research and development centre outside the United States to meet increasing demand for software solutions in China.

"We are considering whether to set it up in Beijing or Shanghai and hopefully it will become a reality in five to six months," said John Shum, vice-president and managing director of BEA China.

He said last week that the company might make the decision during the BEA China User and Partner Conference to be held tomorrow in Beijing.

The conference will be BEA's biggest event in China since it entered the nation five years ago.

Company Chairman and CEO Alfred Chuang and senior officials from the Chinese Government, BEA, Intel and its some 1,000 users and partners in China will attend.

Shum revealed the software application infrastructure company might also use the centre for developing advanced technologies of BEA's global network.

In addition to the research centre, he said BEA might also strengthen co-operation with some leading Chinese education institutions, including Tsinghua University.

The US business donated software and training services worth 240 million yuan (US$28.9 million) to the Ministry of Education earlier this year.

"These fully show our commitment to the Chinese market, which has become one of BEA's fastest growing markets in the world," Shum said.

The software vendor's revenue growth in the third financial quarter ending on October 30 was 3 per cent, but revenue in the Chinese market rose by about a half in the same period.

"Demand from Chinese enterprises and governments for information applications are increasingly sophisticated after the country entered the World Trade Organization and that will bring many opportunities for us," Shum added.

He predicted that electronic government; banking, securities and telecommunications will be the most promising sectors for BEA China in the coming years.

(China Daily 16-12-2002)