Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer returned to one of the greatest sights of an American defeat after the current Iraq war to score one for the Redmond Company. Present in Vietnam, Ballmer actively participated in cementing an anti-piracy deal involving Microsoft products in one of the markets known for the alarming piracy rates worldwide.

Together with Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, Ballmer oversaw the inking of a set of agreements designed to obligate Vietnamese governmental offices to use nothing but licensed software. The agreement is an integer part of Microsoft's involvement in reducing the piracy rates in Asia. Vietnam is a hotspot on the international piracy map even ahead of Russia and China. According to data made public by the Business Software Alliance, Vietnam accounted for a piracy rate of over 90%.

Taking into consideration the fact that Microsoft's Windows platform and the office productivity suite are among the world's most used software products, it is in the Redmond Company's best interest to strike anti-piracy agreements at governmental levels and use them as a leverage point to enable the passing and enforcing of legislation.

Before the debut of the signing ceremony, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung revealed to Ballmer that Vietnam is committed to help ensure the protection of intellectual property. Microsoft CEO marked the occasion welcoming Vietnam as a strong member of the World Trade Organization.

"I see a prosperous future ahead for Vietnam, and the country is doing the right things by looking now at how it can foster a healthy local software ecosystem, which will help open up this market to the rest of the world," Ballmer said in a statement for the Sunday Morning Herald.

While Microsoft has integrated comprehensive anti-piracy measures for both Windows and Office with the Windows Genuine Advantage and the Office Genuine Advantage initiatives, code and service level protections are insufficient, and the company has to participate both in legislative and educational programs designed to fight piracy.