DUBAI, United Arab Emirates and HAUGESUND, Norway, November 5 /PRNewswire/ --

- European firms adopt new Microsoft desktop and server platforms to 
improve employee productivity and their capacity for innovation.

Following the official launch of Windows 7 around the globe, Microsoft
Corp. announced that two Norwegian customers from the oil and gas industry
have successfully piloted the new Windows 7 platform. DeepOcean, a subsea
services and construction support firm, and Statoil, one of the world's
largest offshore oil companies, have deployed or are piloting the Windows 7
operating system, improving employee productivity and increasing overall
business performance.

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These developments come as further proof of Microsoft's continuing
commitment to the oil and gas industry and its efforts to better meet the
needs of oil and gas enterprises globally. For example, on Feb. 10, 2009,
Albrecht "Ali" Ferling, Ph.D., managing director of Microsoft's Worldwide Oil
and Gas Industries, announced that the leadership for his organization is now
located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. From Dubai, Microsoft will be
centrally located for ready access to its customers in the prevailing and
emerging energy centers of the world. Future demand growth will come largely
from countries such as China, India and those in the Middle East. Dubai,
located midway between Central Europe and the Far East, is ideal for business
travel to all oil capitals, from Houston to Beijing. And with the power
ultimately shifting from consumer to producer in the global energy equation,
the Middle East is an important location for Microsoft and its partners in
the global oil and gas industry.

Ferling said, "Our industry is facing unprecedented challenges, and doing
more with less is a priority for many of our customers. The role of IT as a
key enabler to drive business efficiency is more important than ever, and
Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 bring a powerful combination of cost
savings, greater productivity and improved capacity for innovation to our oil
and gas customers."

New Windows Desktop and Servers Boost Oil and Gas Employee Productivity

Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 have been developed with today's
economy in mind where long-term business success needs to be built on two
things: innovation and productivity. Their main features allow employees easy
access to information anywhere at any time while organizations can reduce
risk through improved security and drive cost savings through virtualization
and streamlined management capabilities.

In 2000, for example, DeepOcean was among the first in its industry to
implement the Windows platform for its onshore operations and offshore data
processing, moving from a UNIX-based platform with flat files because the
UNIX technology was out of date and the company wanted to develop new
applications on the Windows platform. DeepOcean is now migrating from a
UNIX-based platform to Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 because of its
need to support its sales force and engineers who travel between onshore and
offshore locations. These mobile employees rely on portable computers that
make up more than 25 percent of the company's computer fleet.

When DeepOcean migrated to the Windows platform, it implemented the
Windows NT 4.0 operating system on its 50 client computers and the Windows NT
Server 4.0 operating system on its 10 servers, which it is gradually
upgrading from Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2008 R2. DeepOcean uses
Microsoft Forefront Client Security to help protect its client and server
environment from Internet-based threats.

In an effort to enhance security for its portable computers and to
address challenges with its virtual private network solution, the company
also decided to migrate to the Windows 7 operating system. As a result of the
upgrade, DeepOcean has simplified IT management, enhanced IT security and
improved employee productivity.

"Windows 7 has enabled our mobile work force to connect to the corporate
network and access all the resources they need faster and more easily," said
Per Arne Stromo, IT manager at DeepOcean. "At the same time, Microsoft
technology offers us a highly secure and reliable tool to help protect our
confidential data and intellectual property even when on the road."

Statoil also wanted to improve employee productivity by making sure that
workers in its increasingly global operations could fully collaborate with
their colleagues. To address remote access issues that could hinder employee
productivity and collaboration, the oil company intends to implement the
Windows 7 and the Windows Server 2008 R2 operating systems, which together
offer features such as BranchCache to improve data access at branch offices
and DirectAccess to simplify remote connectivity. As a result of the upgrade,
Statoil will deliver seamless access to the corporate network for traveling
employees, improve information access at branch offices and enhance IT
security.

"Using Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2, we'll be able to better
support our strategy as a global company and more easily share information no
matter where our employees and consultants reside," said Petter Wersland,
leading advisor for IT Infrastructure, Statoil.

Building upon this core IT infrastructure, Microsoft, together with its
partners, is continuing to tackle the creation of technology solutions for
some of the industry's top priorities - better collaboration, unified
communications and role-based productivity - to fundamentally change the way
people work by introducing novel workflows and knowledge management
capabilities that maximize scarce labor talent and bring business-critical
information to workers wherever they are.

About Microsoft in Oil & Gas

Meeting the challenges of global energy supply and demand depends on
integrated business processes, breakthrough innovations and solid business
relationships. Together with its partners, Microsoft delivers technology
solutions that help people in the oil and gas industry make better decisions
faster. More information about Microsoft in the oil and gas industry can be
found at http://www.microsoft.com/oilandgas.

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.