Beijing Zhongsou Online Software Limited (China Search), a leading Chinese Internet search engine developer and provider, plans to launch its IPO on NASDAQ in one year , said Chen Pei, president of Zhongsou Online, at the Forum on Internet Media of China 2004 recently held in Nanchang, east China’s Jiangxi Province.

"The IPO should be carried out mainly depending on our turnover and marketing from our search software this year," Chen said. "But it has been put in our timetable and the deadline has been set for one year already."

“Zhongsou Online used to be part of Hong Kong listed HC International, Inc. The separation from HC360 is an initial strategy for our IPO on NASDAQ," Chen explained. Zhongsou Online initiated to form China's first and largest alliance based on search engine application with more than 1,000 member websites including Sina, Sohu, and Tom Online.

The world's leading search engine provider Google.com is said to launch its own Internet browser. "We did most of our services earlier than Google," said Chen. "What our goal is not China's leading Baidu.com or even Google, Zhongsou Online has set Microsoft as our goal. That's why we developed our own browser instead of using IE any longer." In addition, Chen reiterated that it should be Zhongsou not Sohu's Sogou or Google, Baidu who launched the third generation smart Chinese search engine and desktop search technology.

(China.org.cn November 18, 2004)