Finding local partners has been one of the biggest achievements for Microsoft in China after Haupter, who used to help the software giant to find new partners in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, came to China.
Wu Lianfeng, associate vice-president of consultancy IDC China, said because of policy restrictions and stronger local competitors, overseas IT companies will need to join hands with Chinese partners to explore business opportunities.
In 2013, one year after Haupter, took over Microsoft's China business, the company introduced its cloud service with Shanghai-based 21Vianet Group Inc. The cloud computing market in China is closed to sole overseas providers.
Last December, Microsoft set up a joint venture with a State-owned technology firm China Electronics Technology Group to bring the United States company's latest operating system Windows 10 to government procurement market.
"We want to deepen our footprint of our business in China having entered the market more than 20 years back," said Haupter.
He said the JV has received the first government customers and the first product, running on Windows 10, is under test.
"Our technical people are working together here in China with Chinese officials to deliver a product which is meeting the needs and requirements we were asked to deliver," he said.
In the consumer market, Microsoft has several Chinese hardware partners that are making personal computers and mobile devices running on the Windows operating system.
Hardware makers in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, an electronics manufacturing hub, have developed about 200 devices running Windows, which are exported to 53 overseas markets. Microsoft said total sales reached 6 billion yuan ($928 million).
Last year, the company announced an unlikely partnership with Xiaomi Corp, a top Android device maker that had never launched Windows-based products.
In the mobile market where Apple Inc's iOS and Google Inc's Android controlled almost all the market share, getting the biggest Android phone vendor to accept Windows operating system was considered a big achievement.
"What I like in our partnership with Xiaomi is that they have a fantastic way of reaching out to the users and improve their product on an ongoing basis with customer feedback," said Haupter.
He said the partnership will enable the two companies jointly produce products customers are "interested in", and "willing to pay money for".
CLOSE-UP
Ralph Haupter
Chairman and chief executive of Microsoft Greater China
Born: Stuttgart, Germany
Current role: Microsoft corporate vice-president, CEO of Greater China Region
Previous positions: Vice-president of Microsoft Germany
Education:
Bachelor of engineering (graduated in 1992)
MBA (graduated in 1998)
Marriage status: Married with two children
Hobbies: Skiing, biking, golfing. Also a semi-professional musician for about 10 years
