Windows 2000 Should Ship Year-End; Microsoft to Spend $3.8 Billion on R&D

During the Dell [1] DirectConnect conference this week, Microsoft [2] chairman and CEO Bill Gates told 1,200 managers he believed Windows 2000 will ship by the end of the year. Gates also reported that Microsoft will spend $3.8 billion this year on research and development endeavors.

Gates said the tie-in with Austin-based Dell Computer Corporation starts with the two companies' efforts to change the traditional way work is accomplished by employing a paperless and efficient work environment. For example, Microsoft is working with Dell to develop new technologies for end-to-end direct business that leverage the Internet's abilities. This includes an online IT desk enabling users to quickly fix problems rather than calling a technician.

Gates also informed the audience that Microsoft's next move is to help revolutionize the workplace by creating software that works anyplace and on any device.