Microsoft China President Quits, Joins Shanda
Networking
Microsoft China's president Tang Jun will depart the
company, and will join the country's largest online gaming
company, Shanda Networking, as its president.
Shanghai-based Shanda Networking, is China's largest
online gaming website, and is headed by 30-year old Timothy
Chen Tianqiao, who is widely praised as the leading evangelist
of online gaming in China. The company plans to list
on Nasdaq shortly. Chen will give up his current position
in Shanda Networking to Tang Jun.
Tang Jun became president of Microsoft China in March
2002, and was instrumental in building its global support
center. Microsoft has a global support center based in
Shanghai, which has grown from a small office employing
several people in 1995, to an operation of nearly 1,000
persons now. The center focuses mainly on providing support
to Microsoft applications end-users all over the world.
In addition, Microsoft has a growing Asia
research center in Beijing.
Microsoft China announced that although Tang Jun was
leaving the company, it would keep the title of "honorary
president" for him in recognition of his contributions
to the company over the years.
Timothy Chen Tianqiao has announced that his intention
is to bring in a professional management team to lead
Shanda after it goes public. While continuing to play
a role in the company, he will not be involved in the
day-to-day management of the company.
The company started as the China distributor for a Korean
game developer, distributing the game "Legend"
in China. The relationship with the Korean distributor
has not been smooth, and there have been extensive accusations
and litigation threats on both sides. Currently, Shanda
has been developing its own products, which it will host
on its own network. Since the games are hosted on Shanda's
network, and subscribers pay to play online, the company
has circumvented the problem of piracy which is so big
in China.
The technological development team at Shanda was headed
up by Chen's brother Chen Danian. Now, it has more than
250 developers working on next-generation products. Chen
has said that the company plans to buy a leading game
engine maker to form the core of Shanda USA, a new US
subsidiary. According to him, the only company to have
the same technology is IBM.
According to Chen, Disney brought animation to the world,
and online gaming will be just as instrumental in bringing
China's companies to the world. Shanda estimates that
it will grow 50 - 100 percent this year.
With a net worth of US$490 million, Chen is now the sixth
wealthiest man in China, according to Forbes magazine.
After taking a rest, he plans to enter Chinese politics.
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