12月31日,微软宣布已购并Internet电子邮件服务商Hotmail公司。双方都没有透露这笔交易的具体数字,但分析家们估计交易额大约在1亿5000万美元左右。 96年1月成立的Hotmail公司是一家为Internet用户提供免费电子邮件的服务商。目前大约有950万用户。这次微软把它纳入到旗下是为了加强自己的Internet服务,开展了将近两年半的Microsoftnetwork目前只有230万用户,这项业务一直被认为是微软的包袱。(辰) On December 31, Microsoft announced that it has acquired Internet mail service provider Hotmail. Both parties did not disclose the specific figures of the transaction, but analysts estimate that the transaction amount is about 150 million US dollars. Hotmail, established in January of 1996, is a service provider that provides free e-mail to Internet users. There are currently about 9.5 million users. This time, Microsoft incorporated it into its business to strengthen its own Internet services. The nearly two-and-a-half-year-old Microsoft network currently has only 2.3 million users. This service has always been considered a burden for Microsoft. (Chen)