Microsoft Europe launches $125m dot-com unit

NEWS Microsoft Europe has formed a spin-off group aimed at advising dot-com companies, into which it will plough $125m. Walter Seemayer, current director of business solutions group at Microsoft and president of the as yet unnamed group, said the business will offer technical advice and support to start-up Internet companies. It will also help established companies create business-to-business market similar to the one announced this week by Nestlé and Danone. Competency centres will also feature amongst the group's business plans. These will focus on allowing dot coms to test their sites before going live. Microsoft said it had formed partnerships with Arthur Andersen, Cap Gemini and KPMG to incubate the start-ups.