engine - 11:59 am on Feb 19, 2008 (gmt 0)

Microsoft Corp unveiled a new initiative on Monday that will give college and high school students around the world free access to technology tools used to develop and design software. The development and design tools are available immediately to college students in the United States, Western Europe and China, but Microsoft said it will eventually extend the program to other countries and high school students, potentially reaching 1 billion students.

Microsoft Lets Students Have Free Access To Development Tools [uk.reuters.com]