In the press recently there has been some confusion about Microsoft�s support for industry standards, such as Bluetooth wireless technology and USB 2.0. I would like to clarify Microsoft�s actual intent in supporting these technologies.

Microsoft is a big supporter of both USB 2.0 and Bluetooth, as well as many other connection and wireless standards, such as IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 1394, and USB 1.0. We have been and remain committed to delivering support for these new standards in Windows XP and some of our other operating system products. The issue for USB 2.0 and Bluetooth is only the timing of availability for native support for Windows, and not any decision to choose support for one technology over another.

At Microsoft we think both USB 2.0 and Bluetooth are great technologies, and we have been working with the related standards bodies and industry partners from the inception phases onward to develop operating system support. However, because of the lack of production-quality devices to test, and because Windows XP must be ready for PCs that will ship for the 2001 holiday season, Windows XP will not have native support for either technology when it is first released to PC system manufacturers. Microsoft�s goal is to deliver support for both Bluetooth and USB 2.0 soon after Windows XP is first available. However, the method for releasing that support is not yet determined.

The Windows operating system supports many different technologies and standards. Microsoft will continue to work toward delivering support for the latest standards and improving support for existing standards. We are very excited about what the future holds with emerging standards such as USB 2.0 and Bluetooth wireless technology, and we will work hard to deliver quality support to our customers and partners. Sincerely, Carl Stork -General Manager, Windows Hardware Strategy - Microsoft Corporation