REDMOND, Wash. Feb. 5, 2001 Microsoft Corp. announced product names today for the upcoming new Microsoft Windows desktop operating system and Microsoft Office desktop applications suite. Windows (formerly code-named "Whistler") will become Windows XP, and Office (formerly code-named "Office 10") will become Office XP. The XP name is short for "experience," symbolizing the rich and extended user experiences Windows and Office can offer by embracing Web services that span a broad range of devices. "These breakthrough versions of Windows and Office will give people the most powerful end-to-end computing experiences ever available," said Bill Gates, chairman and chief software architect of Microsoft. "The coming generation of Windows XP and Office XP will enable customers to communicate and collaborate more effectively, be more creative and productive, and have more fun with technology." Windows XP and Office XP are important steps toward the Microsoft .NET vision of empowering customers to move beyond disconnected applications, services and devices to complete, connected computing experiences that redefine the relationship between people, software and the Internet.