Dalian/Shanghai – BT has announced the launch of a Technology and Service Centre based in Dalian and a Research & Development Centre based in Shanghai. Ben Verwaayen, CEO of BT Group, Francois Barrault, CEO of BT Global Services and Bill Lam, Vice President for North-East Asia, pointed to both centres as a further demonstration of the importance of the Chinese market to BT. BT’s Dalian Technology and Service Centre will provide software development as well as service delivery and a variety of support services. BT’s R&D Centre in Shanghai will also work closely with the BT China teams to assist customers and partners in China in harnessing technological innovations and taking on challenges. Verwaayen said, “China is now a heavyweight in the global economy and many new and dynamic Chinese enterprises are looking for a partner that can consistently provide world class ICT services to assist their growth into international markets. With more than 400 million rising consumers and the Olympics 2008 around the corner, many global customers are keen to take advantage of China as a key growth market.”