Yongzhong Office Software, a private company composed of government-backed agencies in Wuxi and a group of Chinese returned from overseas, has successfully integrated Microsoft's (MSFT) Office, Excel and Powerpoint functions into one piece of proprietary software. The company plans now to first market the software in Japan.

Local media hail the software as the "first real office software" in China, and the company has sold an initial 10000 installations to a Japanese dealer. Though this initial transaction of US$750000 is small, the company plans much larger deals with Japanese firms by the end of Q1 2005.

Asian countries have become critical of Microsoft in recent years for the company's monopolistic pricing and closed source-code stances. Linux-based workstations and companies like Yongzhong have moved to secure lucrative contracts with companies and governments wary of using Microsoft-based systems.