Microsoft Executives Outline Next-Generation Business Opportunities for Partners With New Products, Tools and Programmes

DENVER, July 10 /PRNewswire/ --

- Microsoft delivers best practices for software-plus-services
delivery models at its Worldwide Partner Conference 2007.

Microsoft Corp today kicked off the Microsoft(R) Worldwide Partner
Conference 2007 by showcasing the innovative products, services and business
models that will expose Microsoft partners to increased levels of opportunity
in a rapidly changing market. The combination of upcoming Microsoft product
releases and the evolution of software delivery is creating important new
opportunities for Microsoft partners to deliver greater customer value and
choice.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO )

In their keynotes, Steve Ballmer, chief executive officer of Microsoft,
and Kevin Turner, chief operating officer, focused on the critical role that
Microsoft partners play in delivering innovation and value to businesses
around the world, particularly through a software-plus-services strategy.
Ballmer outlined four pillars that serve as the foundation for Microsoft's
approach to software delivery:

-- Deliver a consistent, seamless user experience across devices
    -- Provide deployment options - on-premise or hosted - based on customer
       needs
    -- Extend development platform and tools to encompass services in
       addition to clients and servers
    -- Support new business models and define the ways partners can increase
       their revenue and grow their businesses

"Everyone in our industry is rethinking the relationship between software
and services," Ballmer said. "We believe the future is in software plus
services - combinations that give customers more options and create great new
opportunities for partners. Microsoft, with our partners, is positioned to
lead the way."

As part of this focus on software plus services, Turner announced a
partner-led programme for early customer access for Microsoft Dynamics(TM)
Live CRM, giving Microsoft another fast and flexible way to address the
unique customer relationship management (CRM) needs of each customer. This
new Live service gives Microsoft Dynamics CRM partners opportunities to
deliver customer value and grow their businesses by developing and deploying
solutions through Live, on-premise and partner-hosted delivery methods. More
information about Microsoft Dynamics Live CRM is available at
http://www.microsoft.com/Presspass/press/2007/jul07/07-10CRMWPCPR.mspx.

Driving Customer Value and Partner Revenue Through Software Plus Services

To help partners understand how they can increase their opportunities and
revenue through the software-plus-services approach, Microsoft is
highlighting some of the ways in which partners can monetise the new
opportunities, including advertising, hosting, referrals, customisation,
reselling, consulting, design, development, support and training.

"Our product portfolio, long-term investments in XML and .Net and the
diversity of our partner ecosystem give Microsoft a competitive advantage in
the software-plus-services era," said Allison L. Watson, corporate vice
president, Microsoft Worldwide Partner Group. "This unique combination allows
us to empower people and partners in their roles with rich solutions that
drive new business opportunities. Ultimately, the software-plus-services
transformation is about giving customers more choice and flexibility in how
software is delivered."

Turner also outlined new partner opportunities created by the
introduction of successful products such as the Windows Vista(R) operating
system, the 2007 Microsoft Office system and Microsoft Exchange Server 2007
and People-Ready Business offerings. "Every partner aims to be the best at
what they do, and Microsoft is here to help them achieve their goals by
providing solutions and tools that allow them to provide customers what is
right for their business at the right time," he said.

In anticipation for the most significant Microsoft enterprise event in
the next year, Turner announced that Windows Server(R) 2008, Visual Studio(R)
2008 and Microsoft SQL Server(TM) 2008 will launch together at an event in
Los Angeles on Feb. 27, 2008, kicking off hundreds of launch events around
the world. As the next wave of innovation from Microsoft's Server and Tools
Business, these three products will provide a reliable and security-enhanced
enterprise platform, serve as the foundation for the next generation of
web-based service applications, and broadly support virtualisation and
business intelligence. Windows Server 2008, SQL Server 2008 and Visual Studio
2008 represent tremendous opportunities for partners and customers, and as
part of the launch wave throughout 2008, Microsoft is planning extensive and
far-reaching IT pro, developer and partner outreach, including worldwide
training, online and virtual events, as well as myriad resources that will be
made available in the coming months to help ensure partners and customers are
ready to capitalise on the new benefits offered by these products.

Maximising the Opportunity Created by Windows Vista

Further evidence of the value of the Windows Vista operating system is
highlighted by the release of a Microsoft-commissioned IDC white paper titled
"The Economic Impact of Microsoft's Windows Vista Worldwide in the Coming
Year" (Doc# 6282007, July 2007), outlining the opportunity being created by
Windows Vista in the coming year. The report notes that for every dollar of
Microsoft revenue from Windows Vista in 2008, the partner ecosystem beyond
Microsoft will reap roughly US$22. Microsoft today delivered new tools
designed to help partners capitalise on this opportunity: the Windows Vista
Hardware Assessment 2.0 and the Windows Vista Business Value Assessment. Both
are part of a new programme announced called Windows(R) Partner Solutions,
which enables value-added resellers, system integrators and managed service
providers to deliver customised solutions that meet the specific needs of
their customers to help them potentially realise an increased value of up to
US$130 per PC annually. The Windows Vista Hardware Assessment 2.0 helps
partners determine their customers' hardware and device readiness for Windows
Vista within hours, and this new version adds increased network assessment
support for up to 25,000 PCs and hardware assessment for the 2007 Microsoft
Office system. Also available for partners is the new Windows Vista Business
Value Assessment. Developed in coordination with IDC and Alinean Inc, the
tool helps partners calculate the financial benefit of their customers
upgrading to Windows Vista and is specifically geared toward the midsized
customer segment.

Microsoft also reaffirmed its commitment to help partners level the
playing field against unscrupulous resellers of counterfeit software through
the Windows Genuine Advantage programme and highlighted ASAP Software Inc and
Tata Consultancy Services Ltd as partners endorsing the programme. In 2006
global software piracy represented a loss to the industry of more than US$40
billion, according to the Business Software Alliance.

Microsoft Introduces an Easy Way for Partners to Maximise Sales
Opportunities

Microsoft today is also introducing a new tool to help partners maximise
sales opportunities. Microsoft LicenseWise is a one-stop shop for accessing
up-to-date, comprehensive product and licensing information. Microsoft
LicenseWise helps partners strengthen their customer relationships through
quick access to additional licensing guidance and gives them the ability to
assemble and customise customer solution quotes. Microsoft LicenseWise is
linked with the Microsoft Product Licensing Advisor to strengthen
collaboration between partners and their customers through a seamless,
consistent and predictable interaction.

New Resources That Build Partner Opportunity

Microsoft's Information Worker Group today announced a set of new and
updated resources that open up more opportunities for partners that team up
with Microsoft to deliver Information Worker solutions. Partner opportunities
span solutions built on the Microsoft Office system platform and extend to
new products and programmes in areas such as unified communications, business
intelligence, software plus services and Microsoft Office Business
Applications. Key announcements include an updated Microsoft Office Live
Solution Developers programme, a new Microsoft Office Business Applications
OnRamp programme, and new Desktop and SharePoint(R) Deployment Planning
Services programmes.

Microsoft Makes a Commitment to Help Partners Deliver Solutions

Microsoft's promise is to help partners deliver value consistently and
predictably through one of 13 competencies to help ensure that partners
receive the benefits, tools, information and business opportunities that are
most valuable to them. Microsoft today announced two new competencies that
highlight growth areas and opportunities:

-- Hosting Solutions (formerly a specialisation in the Advanced
       Infrastructure Solutions Competency)
    -- Business Intelligence Solutions (formerly a specialisation in the
       Information Worker competency)

More information about the Worldwide Partner Conference is available at
the virtual event site at http://partner.microsoft.com/digitalwpc. Visitors
can watch select keynotes live or on-demand, register to view sessions, and
learn more about the news and events coming out of the conference.

About the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference

More information about the Worldwide Partner Conference is available on
the virtual event site at http://partner.microsoft.com/digitalwpc. Visitors
can watch select keynotes live or on demand, register to view sessions, and
learn more about the news and events coming out of the conference.

The Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference provides Microsoft's partner
community with access to key marketing and business strategies, leadership,
and information regarding specific customer solutions designed to help
partners succeed in the marketplace. Along with informative learning
opportunities covering sales, marketing, services and technology, the
Worldwide Partner Conference is an ideal setting for partners to garner
valuable knowledge from their peers and from Microsoft. More information can
be found at http://www.microsoft.com/partner/events/wwpartnerconference and
https://partner.microsoft.com.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in
software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize
their full potential.

About Microsoft EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa)

Microsoft has operated in EMEA since 1982. In the region Microsoft
employs more than 12,000 people in 60 subsidiaries, delivering products and
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