Chennai (PTI): Microsoft Corporation India Pvt Ltd on Monday announced the inauguration of a technology lab it has set up at the city-based Indian Institute of Technology on Monday.

Microsoft is investing Rs 90 lakh initially in Microsoft Windows Technologies Lab that will harness innovation through research and provide a platform for faculty members and students to leverage it for a variety of research and training, Prof T A Gonsalves, Head, Department of Computer Science Education, IIT-M, told reporters during the inauguration.

The lab will offer best-of-the-breed MS technology for the teachers and students to work with, apart from helping students with their B Tech and M Tech projects as also the MS and Ph.D students in their research.

Will Poole, Vice President, Microsoft Corporation Ltd, said experts from the company will visit the lab to conduct seminars and workshops and also help the institution in research and innovation in the long run.

The initial focus will be on Windows Terminal services, device drivers, networking protocols, windows mobile and multi-modal localisation.

Six companies have already spoken to IIT for using the lab and TCS is one of them, Gonsalves said.

To a query on Microsoft's bid for Yahoo!, Will said the company was still interested in the deal but refused to comment further.