Symantec will double the number of research and development (R&D) staff at its China Development Center in Beijing, the company said Tuesday.Symantec will add 300 more staff to the center by March 2007, turning it into one of the company’s main R&D sites, the company said. The China Development Center was set up in September 2004 and primarily serves to develop products for the Chinese market, it said.Symantec did not disclose the level of investment required to meet its staffing goal.As China’s market grows in importance to technology vendors, they have poured money into R&D centers and other facilities, looking to tap local technology expertise and develop products fine-tuned for the local market. The investments also serve a political purpose, winning goodwill by supporting the Chinese government’s stated goal of boosting investment in R&D. In addition to Symantec, several companies have announced plans to step up their R&D efforts in China, including Motorola, Nokia, SAP and Advanced Micro Devices.-Sumner Lemon, IDG News Service (Singapore Bureau) Related Links: Symantec Aims for $10B in Annual Sales by 2010 Symantec Looks to Restore ‘Swagger’ in Europe Intel, Symantec Squeeze Security into Firmware Symantec Taps VeriSign, Accenture to Boost SecurityCheck out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage. Related content brandpost Sponsored by Freshworks When your AI chatbots mess up AI ‘hallucinations’ present significant business risks, but new types of guardrails can keep them from doing serious damage By Paul Gillin Dec 08, 2023 4 mins Generative AI brandpost Sponsored by Dell New research: How IT leaders drive business benefits by accelerating device refresh strategies Security leaders have particular concerns that older devices are more vulnerable to increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks. By Laura McEwan Dec 08, 2023 3 mins Infrastructure Management case study Toyota transforms IT service desk with gen AI To help promote insourcing and quality control, Toyota Motor North America is leveraging generative AI for HR and IT service desk requests. By Thor Olavsrud Dec 08, 2023 7 mins Employee Experience Generative AI ICT Partners feature CSM certification: Costs, requirements, and all you need to know The Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) certification sets the standard for establishing Scrum theory, developing practical applications and rules, and leading teams and stakeholders through the development process. By Moira Alexander Dec 08, 2023 8 mins Certifications IT Skills Project Management Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe