BEIJING, Aug. 31 (Xinhuanet) -- Microsoft will release the first service pack for the Windows Vista operating system next year, although an unofficial patch has been making the rounds among netizens.

In a statement distributed to some domestic and overseas experts, Microsoft; said the trial version of the service pack will be released to 10,000 to 15,000 testers in a few weeks. The 50-MB service pack comes out less than a year after Windows Vista was released last November.

The service pack will be formally released in the first quarter next year after the test run of the trial version. Windows Vista's service pack 1 is focused on stability and improving performance. There will be no big change in either user interface or compatibility.

The initial version of the service pack will come in five languages: English, French, Spanish, German and Japanese. The full version will be released in 36 languages three months later.

Microsoft is also releasing service pack 3 for Windows XP in the first half of next year. The XP service pack will include all security updates, hot fixes and patches that have been provided until now. No other special functions than network access protection will be offered, it said. Windows Server 2008 will be released in the first quarter of next year.

The IT giant is expected to launch simultaneous marketing campaigns for it together with Visual Studio 2008 and SQL Server 2008 scheduled for release on Feb. 27.

(Agencies)