Microsoft Launches Next Wave of Business Communications Software: We're already Certified!

Microsoft Launches Next Wave of Business Communications Software
Customers report savings of 25 percent to 30 percent from VoIP, conferencing
software; more than 50 partners announce new products and services.
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SAN FRANCISCO - Oct. 16, 2007 - Today, Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft
Corp., and Jeff Raikes, president of the Microsoft Business Division,
announced the worldwide availability of Microsoft's unified communications
software, taking the first step toward streamlining workplace communications
and helping reduce the cost of the average corporate voice over Internet
protocol (VoIP) system by half.

"In the next decade, sweeping technology innovations driven by the power of
software will transform communications," Gates said. "Working with partners,
we're making rapid advances that will enable fundamental advances in the way
people communicate and collaborate at work."

Joined by customers and partners, the Microsoft executives launched unified
communications and VoIP software that includes the following:

. MicrosoftR Office Communications Server 2007. Software that delivers VoIP,
video, instant messaging, conferencing and presence within the applications
people already know and use such as Microsoft Office system applications and
upcoming versions of Microsoft DynamicsT ERP products and the Microsoft CRM
release due later this year

. Microsoft Office Communicator 2007. Client software for phone, instant
messaging and video communications that works across the PC, mobile phone
and Web browser

. Microsoft Office Live Meeting. The next version of Microsoft's advanced
conferencing service that enables workers to conduct meetings, share
documents, utilize video and record discussions from virtually any computer

. Microsoft RoundTableT. A conferencing phone with a 360-degree camera that
captures a panoramic view of meeting participants, tracks the speaker and
can record meetings

. Service pack update of Microsoft Exchange Server 2007. The industry's
leading e-mail, voice mail, calendaring and unified messaging platform

"Unified communications software will transform business communications as
fundamentally as e-mail did in the 1990s," Raikes said. "Today, Microsoft is
in the VoIP game, and our customers and partners are already winning with
better economics and new business opportunities."

Dramatic Business Results for Customers

Gates and Raikes were joined today by hundreds of customers
(http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies) reporting dramatic time savings due
to more efficient communications and cost savings of 25 percent to 30
percent over traditional communications technologies. Gibson Guitar Corp.,
Global Crossing, L'Occitane, Quanta Computer USA Inc., Sanofi-Aventis, The
Shaw Group Inc., Virgin Megastores and Volvo Group were among the customers
that joined the event to discuss the positive impact of Microsoft technology
on their business.

"We are deploying Office Communications Server 2007 globally, and already
people are seeing substantial time savings and productivity gains," said
Etienne de Verdelhan, chief information officer with L'Occitane, a leading
global retailer of natural ingredient cosmetics with more than 900 stores in
over 60 countries. "Not only are we able to launch new business
communications with just one click, but user setup and administration is
extremely simple, which is critical for a company growing at our rapid
pace."

Supporting these findings, Forrester Consulting found in a study
commissioned by Microsoft that organizations may achieve significant
productivity improvements and cost savings with unified communications. The
Forrester study,1 created from the results of 15 in-depth interviews of
Microsoft unified communications customers, found that these customers can
achieve more than 500 percent return on investment (ROI) over three years by
deploying Office Communications Server 2007.

Partner Support

More than 50 partners joined Microsoft to announce new products and services
built on Microsoft's unified communications platform. These partners include
the following:

. Systems integrators. Seven hundred ninety-three partners have achieved
Microsoft's UC Specialization in less than four months since Microsoft
opened the program. These partners are trained to help customers deploy
Microsoft unified communications software.

. Telephony providers. Three global telephony leaders are announcing their
road maps to build next-generation software applications on Microsoft's
voice platform:

. Nortel Networks confirmed pending availability of five software-based
solutions and applications to enhance Office Communications Server as part
of the Innovative Communications Alliance
(http://www.innovativecommunicationsalliance.com). Nortel also confirmed it
is on track to more than double the number of Office Communications Server
certified engineers in the UC Systems Integration practice.

. Ericsson announced the Ericsson Enterprise Mobility Gateway, which will be
built on VoIP call management in Office Communications Server to bring
office communications to any mobile device, reducing mobile costs and
maximizing existing investments.

. Mitel Networks Corp. announced plans to develop a software-based solution
that leverages Office Communications Server's VoIP call management
capabilities to meet the specialized telephony needs of small and
medium-sized businesses in vertical markets.


. Independent software vendors. Independent software vendors announced plans
to incorporate presence and click-to-communicate features from Microsoft's
unified communications platform into their software applications. In
addition, SAP AG plans to integrate Office Communications Server with Duet
software, which is jointly developed with Microsoft and provides access to
SAP processes and data through Microsoft Office applications. This will
enable business users to see presence and to click to communicate while
working within Duet.

. Phone and device manufacturers. Seven manufacturers announced global
availability of 15 new Microsoft UC-qualified phones and devices today,
increasing choices for customers. Microsoft is working closely with more
than 15 strategic partners to develop new UC-enabled endpoints including
handsets, wireless phones, webcams and laptops. Conferencing leader Tandberg
also announced its plans to build a video and webconferencing solution
incorporating Microsoft unified communications software to ensure that
customers can maximize their investment in existing infrastructure.

Continued Commitment to Interoperability

Microsoft also unveiled Unified Communications Open Interoperability, a
telephony system qualification program, to give customers the assurance that
Microsoft unified communications software works with their telephony
systems. A list of qualified products, including eight products from five
companies that have already received the qualification, is available at
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=87482.

To view the keynote address, learn more about Microsoft's unified
communications software or download evaluation copies, customers can visit
http://www.microsoft.com/uc.

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

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David Cochrane
Senior Network Specialist
D&K Enterprise
Bridging the gap between humans and technology.