SINGAPORE - Free software will soon be available to an estimated 120,000 tertiary students in Singapore to help them develop computer software, mobile applications, code instructions for robots and create websites or even games for the Xbox 360 console.

Microsoft yesterday introduced its educational initiative called DreamSpark in Singapore to offer students its latest technology and software tools. The initiative was launched in the United States in February.

The National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University will be the first educational institutions in South-east Asia to participate under the first phase of the programme.

Microsoft plans to expand the programme to countries like Malaysia and Vietnam soon.

The second phase, to be completed by the end of the year, will include other tertiary institutions like polytechnics and the Singapore Management University.

The third phase will extend the DreamSpark initiative to all Ministry of Education schools in Singapore by next year.

Microsoft explains that the programme is designed to foster new talent in the local IT industry. According to data research company IDC, the Asia-Pacific region will generate 2.8 million new IT-related jobs over the next four years.

DreamSpark's free software offering will be open to all students in the participating institutions. It will include products like Microsoft's Visual Studio 2008 Professional Edition, XNA Game Studio 2.0 and Expression Studio.

The firm declined to reveal the monetary value attached to its investment in the programme. However, programming software is usually expensive. For example, Visual Studio 2008 usually costs a hefty US$799 ($1098) for a single-user licence.

For details, visit the Microsoft DreamSpark website at channel8.msdn.com. - TODAY/fa