Microsoft announced On May 6 the commencement of construction on a new R&D center in Beijing, China. Microsoft's investment in this new facility is estimated at US$280 million, and construction is slated for completion by 2010, according to a Reuters report.

This new center, reportedly to become Microsoft's largest R&D facility outside of the United States upon completion, will cover an area of 11,600 square meters and is projected to create about 3,000 new job openings by 2010, Sina News reported. Counting in Microsoft's current China R&D personnel of 1,500, the new Beijing facility is estimated to house a total of 5,000 employees eventually, also according to Sina News.