Microsoft (China) recently announced in Beijing that the research and development of Windows2000 Chinese edition was completed and would soon enter the production phase. Microsoft (China) plans to release Windows2000 into China's market March 20, 2000.

More than 2,500 core software engineers spent three years developing Windows2000. The project involved 790,000 customers and partners. A team of 25 spent three and a half years researching and developing Windows2000 Chinese edition and finished programming in June of 1999. After approximately eight months of adjusting and putting the finishing touches on the program, it was finally completed January 18, 2000.

To meet the special demands of China's market, the Microsoft China Research and Development Center increased Windows2000's support for Chinese, such as improving Microsoft pinyin input method 2.0, using Unicode surrogate technology to support more than 64,000 Chinese characters and supporting Chinese searches.