OEMs will be required to ship with each computer either a 'BIOS-locked' CD-ROM that ties the CD to a particular make or model of computer or to put a backup copy of the OS on the hard disk
Windows 2000 Professional, Windows 2000 Server, and Windows 2000 Advanced Server will begin the manufacturing process immediately, with a target retail release date of Feb. 17, 2000; DataCenter Server should be available by June 2000
Confidence in the Windows NT 4 Service Pack release process was shaken in late November 1999 as Microsoft unexpectedly released SP6a
Windows NT 4.0 Server Terminal Server Edition SP5 contains only bug fixes and is essentially the same product as the NT 4.0 SP5 released in May 1999
Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000 have earned the FIPS 140-1 level 1 rating for cryptographic security
Millennium is an upgrade to Windows 98, targeted at consumers, that Microsoft plans to deliver in the year 2000
In anticipation of economic recovery and dramatic growth in computer and network use in Asia, Microsoft expanded telecommunication investments in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan
IE 5.01, a minor upgrade that rolls up bug fixes and improves security, is shipping; IE 5.5, currently in public beta, adds a couple of features (such as print preview) and supports several new Web content formats
This release is an important step in Microsoft's BizTalk initiative, which is defining communication protocols for business-to-business e-commerce that Microsoft will support in its server products