Bill Gates Outlines His .NET Vision and Launches MSN in India

Bill Gates Outlines His .NET Vision and Launches MSN in India

Chairman’s visit marks 25 years of Microsoft worldwide and ten years in India

NEW DELHI, India, Sept. 14, 2000 — Microsoft Corporation India Pvt. Ltd. today celebrated its 10 th anniversary in India with Bill Gates, Chairman and Chief Software Architect, Microsoft Corp. USA. Mr. Gates outlined his .NET vision for the future and announced the launch of MSN in India. At the event, Mr. Gates brought into focus the contribution of Microsoft’s Development Centre in Hyderabad to the global company vision. As a first step towards delivering on its .NET promise, Microsoft has set up a first-of-its-kind .NET Lab in Bangalore, to help partners, developers and customers make a smooth transition to .NET empowerment.

Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, elaborating on .NET, said today that Microsoft and industry partners will pioneer the “Next Generation Internet” through software that breaks down today’s barriers between “digital islands” — computers, devices, Web sites, organizations and industries — to help realize the full potential of the Internet. “The impact of the Internet has been spectacular to date, but the pace of innovation will accelerate over the next five years,” Gates said. “Our goal is to move beyond today’s world of standalone Web sites to an Internet of interchangeable components where devices and services can be assembled into cohesive, user-driven experiences.”

Mr.Rajiv Nair, President and the first employee at Microsoft India said,
“Being a part of the Indian IT industry in what has been its formative and most exciting decade has been incredible. Looking back, it makes me really proud to see how far we have come. We have always been committed to the future, constantly redefining it, and with .NET we are promising to do that again.”

Mr. Sanjay Mirchandani, Managing Director, Microsoft Corporation India Pvt. Ltd said,
“It’s a historic moment for all of us at Microsoft India as we mark the end of a tremendous decade for both Microsoft and the Indian IT industry. What better way to reflect on the past and celebrate the future than with Bill Gates! With the launch of MSN India we are delivering on our promise of the”
Everyday Web
“and bringing the world’s most popular web destination to our Indian consumers. We are extremely excited about what the .NET vision promises in the years to come and remain as strongly committed as ever to the Indian market, our customers, partners and developers.”

During the course of the day, Mr. Bill Gates also met Mr. Pramod Mahajan, Minister, Information & Technology and discussed Microsoft’s E-governance initiatives.

.NET

.NET signals a new era of personal empowerment and business opportunity for consumers, businesses and software developers. It encompasses Microsoft’s vision and road map for its next generation of software and services. Capitalizing on the explosion of Internet-based computing and communications, Microsoft .NET (pronounced “dot-net”) will provide easier, more personalized and more productive Internet experiences by harnessing constellations of smart devices and Web sites with advanced software through Internet protocols and formats.

Microsoft has plans for new products built on the .NET platform, including new generations of the Microsoft Windows® operating system, Windows DNA servers, Microsoft Office, and the MSN™ network of Internet services. Through the Visual Studio® development system, Microsoft will also provide a framework for developers to build next-generation Internet experiences as well as power a new breed of smart Internet devices.

Development Center

The Microsoft India Development Center established in August 1998 is currently working on a strategic technology piece of the .NET platform and building a key product for the platform. This product will provide functional frameworks for the .NET platform. The Microsoft India Development Center will also be building tools to enable the developer community leverage the new technologies of the .NET platform.

.NET Lab

To cater to the growing needs of Microsoft’s customers and partners, an advanced state-of-the-art .NET lab is being set up in Bangalore. The Lab will provide scalability and availability testing services, in addition to porting services. Completely geared for building on .NET platforms and technologies, the fully equipped lab will also provide .NET application design and architecture review services. The lab is expected to be operational by Q1 2001.

msn.co.in

Microsoft’s portal MSN, will now be available in India as msn.co.in. MSN India will deliver on the promise of the
“Everyday Web”
by combining best of breed local content coupled with great services. The India specific portal will launch with eight channels and over 30 content providers, offering News, Business, Sports, Entertainment and Weather information. The portal will be tightly integrated with MSN Hotmail and MSN Instant Messenger services. Today MSN Hotmail has a subscription base of 2 million users in India. One click personalization will ensure complete flexibility and customization features. MSN is an integrated network of content and services that help consumers get more from the Web — anytime, any place and from any device. MSN is available in 33 markets in 17 languages, and has a broader global presence than any other portal. MSN registered 201M unique visitors in June 2000.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software — any time, any place and on any device. Microsoft Corporation India Private Ltd is a subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation USA. It has had a presence in India since 1990 and currently has offices in New Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, Calcutta and Chennai.

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For further press information, please contact:

Aru Adil Sayed
Text 100 India
Mumbai
Tel: +91 22 2048319 / 20
Fax: +91 22 2850198
Email: [email protected]

Garima Misra
Text 100 India
New Delhi
Tel: +91 11 3363995/6/7/8
Fax: +91 11 3366880
Email: [email protected]

Anuroopa Pereira
Text 100 India
Bangalore
Tel: +91 80 2242284 / 2291914
Fax: +91 80 2239005
Email: [email protected]

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