Japanese, South Korean and Chinese computer industry groups urged their governments to use operating systems freely available on the Internet in a statement coinciding with Microsoft Corp Chief Executive Steve Ballmer's visit to the region to promote his company's software.

　　The Japan IT Services Association, the China Software Industry Association and the Federation of Korean Information Industries will set up working groups to support organizations and businesses in adopting what's known as open-source operating systems, the industry groups said in a statement following a meeting in Osaka, Japan, last Friday.

　　The move comes as governments in Asia consider replacing Microsoft operating systems with those based on the Linux system of Raleigh, North Carolina-based Red Hat Inc. Besides being cheaper, Linux systems may help protect against computer viruses and attacks that exploit weaknesses in Microsoft products.

　　"The Japanese government is trying to standardize around Linux and many Asian governments are putting a lot of pressure on Microsoft by doing the same thing," Stephen Richards, vice president of sales for Computer Associates International Inc, said in an interview. "Over time, they need to learn to live with other platforms."

　　The industry associations in Asia say they will recommend that governments use open-source software insgroupsto guarantee and improve the quality of such products. They'll also develop a directory to track how open-source software is being used.The groups plan to meet in each of their home countries next year starting in Beijing in March, according to the statement.

　　Linux was developed in 1991 by Linus Torvalds, a native of Finland. Government agencies and financial companies use the software while companies such as Oracle Corp and BEA Systems Inc sell programs on which it runs.

　　Ballmer is visiting Japan for three days as part of Microsoft's efforts to set up working groups the company has said will help counter threats from software viruses.

　　Ballmer is due to meet China's Minister of Information Industry, Wang Xudong, on Thursday in Beijing, a ministry official said last week.