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What Every SOHO Should Know in ’96 

Redmond, Wash., January 9, 1996 — Two thousand three hundred dollars. That’s the average annual budget that most SOHOs (small offices and home offices) allocate to market their businesses after print advertising buys, according to Link Resources.
“And it isn’t enough in this highly competitive marketplace,”
says Jay Levinson, a member of the Microsoft Publisher SOHO Council, a newly formed organization of SOHO authors, marketing experts and entrepreneurs. The Council is helping small businesses and home offices get
“more bang for their budget buck”
through an ongoing nationwide educational campaign sponsored by Microsoft Publisher.

Members of the Council include Jay Levinson, author of Guerilla Marketing for the Home-based Business; Paul Tulenko, syndicated Scripps Howard small business columnist and founder of the Paul Tulenko Institute, a consulting firm for companies and individuals; Brad Edwards, entrepreneur and founder of My Fortune; Chuck Green, author of The Desktop Publisher’s Idea Book and the forthcoming Clip Art Crazy, and Ruthann Lorentzen, Director of Marketing for the Microsoft Consumer Division.

“It’s not that SOHOs need to work harder at marketing,”
says Ruthann Lorentzen,
“they need to work smarter especially since they are competing for customer attention with 25 million other SOHOs as well as big businesses.”
For 1996, the Microsoft Publisher SOHO Council recommends these 10 tips no matter how small the marketing budget:

DO-IT-YOURSELF-MARKETING Bring design and printing in-house to save money by using desktop publishing products that help you create professional quality marketing materials with a step-by-step, how-to instructional approach.

CONSIDER NEWSLETTERS . An easy, cost-effective and dramatic way to
“sell”
your business and its expertise is through a simple, desktop published newsletter.
“By combining useful information with”
stories
“about your company’s pursuits and successes, you can position yourself as a leader in your business category. Newsletters provide the style and depth simple letters cannot and are a great way to win and keep customers,”
says Council member Chuck Green.

ONLINE NETWORKING . Participating in online chats can expand the contacts you make through memberships in professional clubs. More importantly, these chats also can give you the social interchange, new ideas and business leads that you may be missing since you’re not in a big office and collaborating with a large staff.

THE DATABASE . Good marketing plans are rooted in an active, up-to-date database system. Consider using your database to segment your market and focus your communication. Stay in touch with customers in as many ways as possible, via phone, e-mail, mailings, etc.

CARE & FEEDING OF THE CUSTOMER BASE . Don’t overlook innovative and inexpensive ways to stay in touch with your clients…from pager/voice-mail and fax services to mail merges to send customized newsletters and product information. Also consider teleconferencing and e-mail, when appropriate.

BE HUMAN .
“Don’t overlook the phone to stay in touch with clients and to”
cold call
“prospects. In this technology age, customers appreciate the personal touch, and I’ve found that the more cold calls I make, the more I am to capture prospects,”
explains Council member and entrepreneur Brad Edwards.

TECH-WISE OR BUSINESS FOOLISH . Web sites can be seductive, but before you pay to play, be sure you strategically integrate your site into your overall marketing program. Also, keep your site up-to-date and ever-changing so people continue to sign on and aren’t bored.

CONSIDER SURROUNDINGS . Your company’s image plays an essential role in your marketing direction. Schedule business meetings where you’ll appear to be the most professional. Your home office may not position you in the best light. Conference centers can be the answer.

PLAN AHEAD . Set aside an hour each week to consider your marketing initiatives. Ask yourself what’s working and what’s not. Most SOHOs could spend more time thinking creatively and less time in putting out
“fires.”

NEVER STOP LEARNING . Don’t work in a vacuum, there are too many ideas that can be at your fingertips in seconds via classes, television courses, and such organizations as the Microsoft SOHO Council. Questions for the Council can be sent via e-mail to dpercifi@edelman.com or by mail to: Microsoft Publisher SOHO Council, 1500 Broadway, 25th Floor, New York, NY l0036.
“Today, SOHOs can compete with the Fortune 500 by actively marketing their businesses, no matter what the budget,”
concludes Council member Paul Tulenko,
“especially if they consider these 10 easy initiatives.”

The Microsoft Publisher SOHO Council will offer additional suggestions and forecasts for SOHOs throughout the coming year. The Council will be available online in the future.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing everyday.

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Microsoft Previews Macintosh Version of Internet Assistant for Word 

SAN FRANCISCO —
, Jan. 9, 1996 — Microsoft Corp. today demonstrated for the first time its Internet Assistant version 2.0 for Microsoft® Word for the Macintosh®
. The product, scheduled for release in the first quarter of 1996, is a no-charge add-on that will make it easy for Macintosh users to create and edit hypertext markup language (HTML) documents for Internet and Intranet sites from within Microsoft Word 6.0.1. Microsoft demonstrated the software for members of the press, analysts and attendees at MACWORLD in San Francisco.

The new version of Internet Assistant augments Microsoft Office – the world’s most popular business software suite – a complete cross-platform solution for open environments using both Windows®
operating system-based and Macintosh computers. It is also evidence of Microsoft’s continued commitment to the Macintosh platform.

“When users create documents for an Intranet or Internet site, they want to take advantage of the same tools they use every day,”
said Dave Meltzer, group product manager at Microsoft.
“Internet Assistant works within Microsoft Word for the Macintosh, so Macintosh users already know how to use it, and they can take advantage of powerful Microsoft Word features such as AutoFormat and AutoCorrect.”

”
It is important for Microsoft to extend its solutions into the Internet. This new version for the Mac
™of Internet Assistant for Microsoft Word is a key part of that solution because of Word’s dominant share of the Mac word processing market,”
said Pieter Hartsook, editor of The Hartsook Letter, a Macintosh market research service on the Internet at http://www.hartsook.com.
“In making optimum use of its familiar Word application by automating the process of formatting documents for the World Wide Web, Microsoft is giving millions of Macintosh users tremendous power to become active Internet participants and creators.”

Internet Assistant is a full-featured Internet authoring tool that automatically converts Microsoft Word for Macintosh files to HTML format and provides users with an interface for inserting hyperlinks, images and forms into their documents. Users gain richly formatted Internet documents without having to understand the complexities of HTML, the standard authoring language for the Web.

Internet Assistant for Microsoft Word for the Macintosh provides the following:

• Full support of HTML common today. Internet Assistant will support authoring of commonly used HTML extensions such as tables, font size, image height and width, centering, background picture and background color. Internet Assistant supports Microsoft Internet Explorer’s new HTML tags such as marquee text, watermarks,
  in-line video, superscript and subscript, and background sounds.

• Easy-to-use hyperlink and forms interface. It’s easy to create hyperlinks and Internet forms with Internet Assistant’s interface. Users can create hyperlinks between HTML documents and other Microsoft Office documents on the Internet or an Intranet. Users can also insert hyperlinks in Word documents intended either for the corporate network or the Internet.

• Easy viewing and editing of HTML source code. This feature allows for easy toggling between HTML source code and a WYSIWYG view of the document. Users can edit the source code directly, if they choose.

• Ability to write and test hyperlinks from within a single interface. Users can test hyperlinks from within Internet Assistant or click on the toolbar to toggle to their Web browser for a WYSIWYG view of their work.

Computer users worldwide can obtain information on Microsoft products for the Macintosh at the Mac Office World Wide Web home page (http://www.microsoft.com/
macoffice). Internet Assistant version 2.0 for Microsoft Word for the Macintosh is scheduled to be available for download from that site at no charge (other than the cost of connect time, where applicable) during the first quarter of 1996. Microsoft will also make Internet Assistant available on diskette at a nominal charge.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.

Microsoft and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

Macintosh is a registered trademark and Mac is a trademark of Apple Computer Inc.

For Online Product Information:

Microsoft Office for Macintosh Web site: http://www.microsoft.com/macoffice

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Microsoft Announces Support for the IEEE 1394 Bus Interface Standard 

REDMOND, Wash., Jan. 8, 1996 — Microsoft Corp. today announced support of the IEEE 1394 serial bus interface standard in future releases of the Microsoft® Windows®
family of operating systems. IEEE 1394 enables high-performance multimedia connections and control of business and consumer electronic devices such as camcorders, televisions, stereos, CD changers, set-top boxes, mixing consoles and music keyboards, as well as traditional PC devices such as hard drives, CD-ROM drives, printers and scanners, and docking stations for portable computers.

In addition, Microsoft and Sony Electronics Inc. have signed a letter of intent to develop open device driver interfaces (DDIs), APIs and an open host controller interface for IEEE 1394. Microsoft has also signed a letter of intent with Compaq Computer Corp. to accelerate adoption of the IEEE 1394 high-speed serial interface as a standard in the PC industry. This includes defining an open host controller interface specification. Both of these efforts will be undertaken in cooperation with the 1394 Trade Association.

“The IEEE 1394 interface is an enabling technology for expanding PC connectivity to a greater range of devices and to new classes of peripherals, such as consumer entertainment appliances,”
said Brad Silverberg, senior vice president of the personal systems division at Microsoft.
“IEEE 1394 enables PCs to play a central role in consumer entertainment systems. We are pleased to be working with the leading companies in the consumer electronics industry to develop the IEEE 1394 serial bus interface standard.”

“Microsoft’s support for the proposed IEEE 1394 specification is a step forward in integrating consumer electronics devices with PC applications,”
said Carl Yankowski, president and COO of Sony Electronics.
“We believe that the proposed 1394 standard will help pave the way for future lifestyle changes arising from the meaningful convergence of audio, video, computers and communications.”

“We believe the IEEE 1394 serial bus interface standard that Microsoft is supporting will make it easier to use and connect PCs and high-speed peripherals, and enhance business and consumer high-performance applications such as image capture, multimedia, and multibay Plug and Play for portable PCs,”
said Hugh Barnes, vice president and chief technical officer, Compaq Computer Corp.
“By taking a leadership role in developing the IEEE serial bus, Compaq is continuing its tradition of establishing and promoting standards that are open and have real end-user benefits.”

Microsoft is playing a leading role in developing and promoting an open IEEE 1394 serial bus interface specification. Microsoft is a member of the 1394 Trade Association, an industry group formed to help promote the industrywide adoption of the IEEE 1394 interface and to help ensure device interoperability. Microsoft hosted the IEEE 1394 meeting in July and will be hosting a 1394 driver architecture design preview in March 1996.

Industry Support for IEEE 1394

Many industry-leading hardware manufacturers have pledged their support for the 1394 specification.

“Microsoft’s support for IEEE 1394 will fundamentally integrate PCs with the multimedia capabilities of consumer and professional electronics products as well as provide a high-speed connection to worldwide communications such as the Internet,”
said Gary A. Hoffman, chairman of the 1394 Trade Association and CEO of Skipstone Inc.

“Adaptec is committed to IEEE 1394 and to working with industry leaders such as Microsoft and Sony to standardize the IEEE 1394 software interface,”
said S. Sundaresh, executive vice president and general manager of the personal I/O business unit at Adaptec.
“Adaptec’s expertise in I/O and systems-level architecture will allow us to create I/O solutions that will bring consumer electronics and PC products together.”

“We see the IEEE 1394 specification enabling interconnection among a broad range of consumer electronics products and multimedia PCs,”
said Suhas Patil, executive vice president of products and technology for Cirrus Logic Inc.
“Its high-speed digital interface will facilitate the convergence of computing and consumer applications. We look forward to participation in the semiconductor opportunities created by the broad acceptance of the 1394 specification.”

“The IEEE 1394 serial bus will address some fundamental system issues encountered when digital video is moved to and from a mass-storage device,”
said Charlie Sander, senior vice president of research and development at Conner Peripherals.
“Conner is excited to be in on the ground floor of its development.”

“As a contributor to the IEEE 1394 specification, Digital is please to continue its support and to work with Microsoft and other industry leaders,”
said Scott Cutler, vice president of technology at Digital Equipment Corp.’s PC business unit.
“The high performance IEEE 1394 standard is a key technological link that will redefine the way PCs integrate with consumer and professional multimedia components.”

“Texas Instruments is very excited to be working with Microsoft and Sony to develop 1394/FireWire chip sets,”
said Larry Blackledge, 1394 market development manager at Texas Instruments.
“We are working with the leading PC, peripheral and consumer electronic companies to further facilitate support of 1394/FireWire. Consumers will be amazed by the new all-digital audio and video applications that this technology enables, including digital video disks (DVDs) and high-speed Internet connectivity via their TV set-top boxes.”

“The IEEE 1394 specification is an industry extension to high-performance serial interfaces,”
said John Burger, vice president of marketing for Western Digital’s personal storage group.
“Western Digital supports industry standards and considers high speed serial I/O to be necessary for the industry as it enables new uses for storage-intensive applications.”

About IEEE 1394

The IEEE 1394 serial bus interface offers high-speed communications and fully supports isochronous real-time data services. It also supports Plug and Play, allowing
“hot plugging”
of up to 63 external peripherals for convenient system reconfiguration by the user. Users will find that attaching a 1394 device is as easy as plugging a cord into an electrical outlet. IEEE 1394 also allows peer-to-peer device communication, such as communication between a scanner and a printer, to take place without consuming system memory and CPU resources.

For multimedia applications, the IEEE interface enables real-time digital data transfer for audio and video capture, editing and playback, as well as for distributed multimedia applications such as desktop conferencing. For example, users can easily transfer images from a camcorder to a PC. These images can be edited and replayed on the PC or TV screen while users simultaneously print color pictures. For traditional data storage, IEEE 1394 is faster and less expensive than comparable SCSI interfaces, supporting data transfer rates of 400 megabits per second and increasing in speed in the future.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.

Microsoft and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

The post Microsoft Announces Support for the IEEE 1394 Bus Interface Standard appeared first on Stories.

Microsoft’s Entertainment Group Works With Atomic Games… 

REDMOND, Wash. —
Jan. 9,
1996 — Microsoft Corp. announced today it has formed games-development relationships with Atomic Games, Crystal Dynamics, Rainbow America and Terminal Reality. The announcement further demonstrates Microsoft’s commitment to publish games for the Microsoft® Windows® 95 operating system. It comes a month after the company announced its acquisition of the Bruce Artwick Organization of Champaign, Ill., developers of the best-selling game software title, Microsoft Flight Simulator®
.

Atomic Games of Houston, Texas, well known for its development of the award-winning V for Victory and Worlds at War strategy games, will work with Microsoft to bring the
much-anticipated, real-time World War II strategy game Close Combat to market. Close Combat will be Microsoft’s first entry into strategy gaming and is scheduled to be available on CD-ROM next summer for both the Windows 95 and Macintosh®
platforms.

Additionally, Microsoft and Palo Alto, Calif.-based Crystal Dynamics, a leading software developer for next-generation gaming platforms such as Sega® Saturn and SONY®
PlayStation game consoles, plan to bring the No. 1 selling title for the 3DO gaming platform, GEX, to Windows 95. GEX, a side-scrolling action game that features a wisecracking gecko named GEX, received the 1994 Editor’s Gold Choice Award from Electronic Gaming Monthly magazine and Game Fan magazine’s Best Action Platform Game for 1994.

Phoenix, Ariz.-based Rainbow America, developer of the recently released title The Hive, will work with Microsoft to develop an underwater action game for Windows 95-based PCs. As part of product development, Microsoft will benefit from Rainbow America’s work with TRG3, artists experienced in TV-quality, computer-generated effects that produced visuals for such hits as Star Trek: The Voyager, and SeaQuest.

Continuing its relationship with Terminal Reality Inc. (TRI), which developed the
fast-paced space-action arcade game Microsoft Fury3, Microsoft and TRI will produce several titles, including an off-road driving simulation. Additionally, Microsoft and TRI look forward to developing future titles showcasing the speed, ease and excitement of gaming under Windows 95.

“We are very pleased to build our games portfolio by forming relationships with proven games developers,”
said Tony Garcia, manager of the entertainment business unit at Microsoft.
“We are committed to bringing exciting new titles to market and are thrilled to have these talented games developers as partners.”

The Microsoft entertainment business unit portfolio includes the best-selling entertainment title Flight Simulator; Fury, a space-age action game for Windows®
; and Golf 2.0 on CD-ROM, the newest golf title with multiplayer capability. The entertainment business unit has also publicly announced development partnerships with games developers and organizations such as Access Software, McDonnell Douglas and Larry Holland.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.

Microsoft, Windows and Flight Simulator are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

Macintosh is a registered trademark of Apple Computer Inc.

Sega is a registered trademark of Sega Of America.

SONY is a registered trademark of Sony Corp.

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Microsoft Games for Windows 95 CD Coming Soon to Retail Outlets 

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 8, 1996 — Microsoft Corp. today announced that the Games for Windows® 95 CD is scheduled to be available at retail outlets Jan. 15, 1996, priced at approximately $9.95. Microsoft has allied with leading game makers to give users a taste of the power, ease and excitement of gaming under the Microsoft®
Windows 95 operating system. The CD features 39 playable trial-version games and demonstrations developed specifically for Windows 95 and offers a state-of-the-art, interactive 3-D graphical interface.

Games developed for Windows 95, including all the titles on the Games for Windows 95 CD, take advantage of AutoPlay technology, which makes installation of games on Windows 95 as easy as inserting a CD into a computer. New games designed for Windows 95 exploit the operating system’s power and features to surpass MS-DOS®
operating system-based games and deliver fast, high-resolution graphics, high-fidelity sound, great multiplayer connectivity and digitally precise, responsive joystick control – all without installation hassles. Only games designed specifically for Windows 95 offers this combination of great game performance and ease of installation.

“Finally, users don’t need to worry about installing new games on their PCs,”
said Brad Silverberg, senior vice president of the personal systems division at Microsoft.
“Windows 95 offers users everything that an MS-DOS-based or game-machine game does, plus automatic installation, a broad spectrum of titles, unparalleled quality of game play, and access to advanced technology such as multiplayer gaming. The Games for Windows 95 CD is a great way for anyone interested in gaming to try hot new titles and experience the benefits that Windows 95 offers as a leading game platform.”

Thirty-Nine Windows 95-Based Games Featured

The Games for Windows 95 CD offers users hours of exciting game play, featuring the hottest games developed for Windows 95. The CD includes fully playable samples of the following titles:

• Al Unser Jr. Arcade Racing (Mindscape Inc.)

• Arcade America (7th Level)

• Atari 2600 Action Pack (Activision Inc.)

• Battle Beast (7th Level)

• Beavis and Butthead in Virtual Stupidity (Viacom New Media)

• Commodore 64 15-Pack (Activision)

• DogZ (PF. Magic)

• DOOM for Windows 95 (id Software)

• Double Switch (Digital Pictures)

• Endorfun (Time Warner Interactive Inc.)

• Full Tilt! Pinball (Maxis)

• Fury3 (Microsoft)

• Havoc (Reality Bytes)

• The Hive (Trimark Interactive)

• Ice & Fire (Zombie)

• Locus (Zombie)

• MechWarrior 2 (Activision)

• Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure (Activision)

• Pressure Drop (Starhill Productions)

• Return Fire (Time Warner)

• Shanghai: Great Moments (Activision)

• SU-27 Flanker (Strategic Simulations Inc.)

• TriTryst (Virgin Interactive Entertainment)

• Under Pressure (Starhill Productions)

• Zork: Nemisis (Activision)

Also included are demonstrations of 13 other game titles for Windows 95.

Windows 95 Is the PC Platform of Choice for the Game Industry

The game industry strongly supports Windows 95. Forty of the game industry’s leading companies are shipping more than 75 games and accessories specifically designed to exploit the power and features of Windows 95. Commercial availability of game titles and the Games for Windows 95 CD are the latest steps in the game industry’s move to Windows 95. Microsoft announced enhanced gaming support in Windows 95 at the Computer Game Developers Conference in April 1995 and delivered the final Windows 95 Game Development Kit in September 1995. Leading game manufacturers joined Microsoft in launching Windows 95 as a game platform in a special industry event on Oct. 30, 1995.

Leading third-party developers worked aggressively to deliver new Windows 95-based game titles in time for the holiday season and are committed to Windows 95 as the platform of choice for new games in 1996.

“Our first original Windows 95-based title, Full Tilt! Pinball, is selling very well, as is the native Windows 95-based version of SimCity 2000,”
said Robin Harper, vice president of marketing at Maxis.
“Since consumers have exhibited such enthusiasm for both new games and adaptations of existing games on Windows 95, all future Maxis entertainment software will be developed for this platform.”

Windows 95 offers features that make it the platform of choice for gaming, including AutoPlay for automatic game installation; the new DirectX APIs for enhanced graphics, sound, joystick control and multi-player connectivity; and Plug and Play to simplify hardware setup.

“Windows 95 is the showcase for unparalleled game play through faster, enhanced graphics and increased sound capabilities,”
said Bobby Kotick, chairman and CEO of Activision Inc.
“Whether running an action, adventure or mystery title, Windows 95 maximizes the potential to bring consumers the most cutting-edge gaming experience available.”

“The tidal wave of new titles for Windows 95 and the release of the Games for
Windows 95 CD are the latest evidence of the gaming industry’s shift to Windows 95 as the primary PC platform for game play,”
said Tim Bajarin, president of Creative Strategies Research.
“By the 1996 holiday season, I expect that most new game titles will be designed specifically to take advantage of the impressive gaming capabilities of Windows 95.”

System Requirements

To play the Games for Windows 95 CD, users need a Windows 95-compatible PC, 8 MB of memory and a compatible sound card. A compatible joystick is optional.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.

Microsoft, Windows and MS-DOS are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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Microsoft Wins Three Retailing, Merchandising Awards 

Microsoft Wins Three Retailing, Merchandising Awards

Reflect Effectiveness of Efforts to Support Distribution Channel for Software

LAS VEGAS – Jan. 5, 1996 – Recognized for its efforts to assist the broad range of retailers that sell Microsoft®
products to end users, Microsoft Corp. has recently received three awards that highlight the company’s programs in retail merchandising and support.

The most recent award will be presented here this evening during the Winter Consumer Electronics Show. Computer Retail News, a leading trade publication for computer software and hardware retailers, will present Microsoft with its Top Shelf Hall of Fame award. This new award, first presented this year, reflects Microsoft’s long-standing achievements in supporting the retail distribution channel for personal computer software. The Hall of Fame award will be presented to Steve Schiro, vice president of the end-user customer unit at Microsoft, at a dinner sponsored by Computer Retail News.

Microsoft’s innovative new merchandising and display programs were recently recognized in two other competitions. The prestigious International Store Interiors Design Competition,
co-sponsored by Visual Merchandising & Store Design magazine, presented Microsoft with a first-place award in the category of
“new or totally renovated shop within a department store.”
This award was given for the Microsoft Concept Shop, a store-within-a-store design currently being tested in several retail outlets throughout the United States.

In addition, the graphic elements of the Microsoft merchandising program – the signs and logos that identify the various floor and wall elements – were recognized recently by the Columbus Society of Communicating Arts in Columbus, Ohio. Microsoft was awarded first prize for brand-level graphics in the society’s annual design competition.

“It’s gratifying to receive all of these awards,”
said Schiro,
“because what they really represent is recognition by the retail channel and channel-oriented publications that our ongoing efforts to be the best possible vendor partner for the retail distribution channel are working. Our goal has been to develop channel support and merchandising programs that are truly effective for retailers, and these awards reflect that.”

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.

Microsoft is either a registered trademark or a trademark of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

The post Microsoft Wins Three Retailing, Merchandising Awards appeared first on Stories.

NFL, NBC Sports and Microsoft Launch Super Bowl Web Site 

NEW YORK and REDMOND, Wash., Jan. 3, 1996 — With the completion of the NFL regular season, pro football fans are getting ready for the playoffs and the ultimate season finale: Super Bowl XXX (Jan. 28, 1996, Tempe, Ariz.). For the first time, the NFL, in conjunction with NBC Sports and Microsoft Corp., will bring all of the excitement and activities surrounding the biggest one-day sports event to cyberspace with the launch of a new Web site – http://superbowl.com.

Throughout the next month, superbowl.com will provide fans worldwide with previews and up-to-the-minute news on all the playoff games; team and game analysis from NBC Sports talent; information on past Super Bowls, including video and audio clips of the game’s most memorable moments; as well as fan message boards, chat areas and a Super Bowl cybershop.

Scheduled to begin Jan. 18, once the AFC and NFC championship teams are determined, superbowl.com will report live from Tempe on the two teams playing in Super Bowl XXX and the events surrounding the game. Superbowl.com will provide background information on the teams plus continuous updates and coverage of the events of the week prior to the Super Bowl. Fans will be able to chat with NFL stars and NBC Sports talent, and get all the latest news and photos from events and news conferences in Tempe. During the Super Bowl game, superbowl.com will feature online commentary and analysis from NFL and NBC experts, live play-by-play and statistics.

Microsoft is the key technology partner and has been instrumental in the creation and management of superbowl.com. The site combines state-of-the-art technologies such as interactive chats and multimedia images and sound, to give users a highly-interactive experience. While the Web site is accessible to any user connected to the Internet, users of the new Microsoft®
Internet Explorer version 2.0 will have exclusive access to additional features such as inline sound and inline video. The site resides on the Microsoft Internet Information Server, a Web server that runs on the Windows NT
™
operating system, to help ensure reliability, speed of access and ease of use.

To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Super Bowl, the site’s home page will feature a different Super Bowl multimedia flashback each day. The site also will feature an area where fans will have a unique opportunity to contribute to the content of the television special
“Behind the Scenes: Super Bowl XXX,”
to be telecast by NBC on Saturday, Jan. 27 (5-6 p.m.). Users of superbowl.com will be able to suggest features for inclusion in the special.

“With the help of NBC and Microsoft, we are bringing the excitement of the NFL playoffs and one of the world’s premier sporting events to cyberspace for the first time, providing fans worldwide with an upclose look at this special anniversary of the Super Bowl,”
said Ann Kirschner, vice president of programming and media development for NFL Enterprises.
“If you can’t actually be there in Tempe, superbowl.com is the next best thing for NFL fans in January.”

“Superbowl.com is one of the most dynamic sites on the Web,”
said Mike Conte, group manager in the personal systems division at Microsoft.
“We think it really shows off our innovative Internet technologies such as sound, video and graphics. It offers users, particularly those using Internet Explorer, an advanced interactive experience.”

“We are excited about this innovative opportunity to expand our relationship with the NFL and Microsoft,”
said Jon Miller, senior vice president, NBC Sports programming.
“It is hard to believe that the Super Bowl, the biggest annual sports event, could get even bigger. But NBC, the NFL and Microsoft are making that happen.”

Superbowl.com was created by NFL Enterprises, NBC Sports Online and their technology partner Microsoft. The site will reside at http://superbowl.com on the Microsoft Internet Information Server.

Microsoft and Windows NT are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

Note to editors: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft home page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass. To receive Microsoft press releases by fax, please call (800) 859-5915 in the United States or (201) 333-0314 internationally.

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Microsoft Continues to Outsource Internal Support and Services 

REDMOND, Wash., Jan. 2, 1996 — Microsoft Corp. is moving ahead with its comprehensive outsourcing policy, which seeks to contract everyday network management chores and PC procurement and repair to vendors that specialize in support for corporate computing systems.

Microsoft’s outsourcing policy is shaped by issues that are similar to those facing many major corporations – the need to maximize computing resources and budgets, minimize administrative overhead, and maintain focus on the company’s core competencies. Outsourcing contracts, awarded to companies with successful responses to proposals solicited by Microsoft, are based on an assessment of demonstrated service commitment, excellence and suitability of support solutions, financial stability, and price.

As part of its outsourcing strategy, Microsoft this year has signed contracts with Vanstar Corp. and ENTEX Information Services Inc. A primary European procurement vendor will be selected and announced by spring 1996.

Vanstar, based in Pleasanton, Calif., will manage Microsoft’s PC procurements, including delivery, setup and installation of both PCs and peripherals. The three-year contract applies to approximately 12,500 desktops at Microsoft’s domestic sites and is worth approximately $550 million.

Vanstar is a national leader in technology integration, service and support. The company offers a life-cycle management approach to its networking services, covering key phases of the process, including analysis, design, planning, implementation, support, monitoring and maintenance. Vanstar has integrated its proprietary order management systems with Microsoft’s financial-control systems and has assumed full management responsibility for day-to-day operations as well as for the 114 Vanstar employees working on-site at Microsoft.

“Until recently, procurement has been spread among nearly 50 resellers worldwide. This is neither efficient nor the best use of our resources,”
said Joe Monteleone, director of PC procurement at Microsoft.
“Like that of any major corporation, our outsourcing policy seeks to reduce the number of administrative transactions while placing state-of-the-art PCs on desktops. We selected Vanstar for this procurement contract because it provided the right skills and tools for placing, tracking and analyzing procurement orders.”

The agreement between Microsoft and Vanstar calls for a shared-risk pricing model whereby Vanstar can benefit from reducing Microsoft’s overall costs.

ENTEX, based in Rye Brook, N.Y., is a leading PC systems integrator and provider of desktop services that recently won a three-year contract for internal help desk and PC services, covering approximately 40,000 PCs installed at 25 Microsoft locations.

“Microsoft is outsourcing nonstrategic, standard and generic network support to ENTEX, while keeping in-house the strategic skills that support emerging technologies within our network,”
said Chris Gibbons, chief information officer, information technology group at Microsoft.
“We are in the business of developing and marketing great software, services and new technologies rather than day-to-day management of networks.”

ENTEX, which has been a service provider to Microsoft for the past eight years, has more than 300 dedicated personnel working at Microsoft locations around the world, from the Redmond campus to Microsoft’s subsidiary in Dublin, Ireland. The contract, which makes ENTEX the primary desktop-service provider to Microsoft, is worth $50 million over three years and takes advantage of ENTEX’s life-cycle approach.

“Regions will have the autonomy to choose providers for their specific needs, but overall, the trend is to optimize the number of resellers we outsource to,”
said Gary Myall, general manager for computer operations and network services, information technology group at Microsoft.
“We are seeking a track record in excellence and suitability-to-task in our vendors and will distribute contracts accordingly.”

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.

Microsoft is either a registered trademark or trademark of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

The post Microsoft Continues to Outsource Internal Support and Services appeared first on Stories.

Microsoft Teams With Recreational Software Advisory Council To Pioneer Parental Control Over Internet Access 

REDMOND, Wash., Feb. 28, 1996 — Microsoft Corp. and the Recreational Software Advisory Council (RSAC) today announced they have joined efforts to build technology to advance parental control over Internet access and content. Together, RSAC’s rating system adapted for the Internet (RSACi) and Microsoft’s Content Advisor feature, to be included in the next version of the Microsoft®
Internet Explorer Web browser, will make it possible for parents to easily monitor the content viewed by their children on the World Wide Web.

Microsoft and RSAC are working with industry leaders to develop a solution based on the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C’s) Platform for Internet Content Selection (PICS). In particular, current parental control software vendors Microsystems Software Inc. and SurfWatch Software Inc. are adapting their products to be compatible with the PICS specification and RSAC solutions. The new RSACi rating system derives from of a group of organizations that includes the World Wide Web Consortium, AT & T Bell Laboratories, Bell Atlantic and Mediascope Inc.

Microsoft is the first Internet browser vendor to integrate support for parental control based on the PICS specification. The feature, dubbed Content Advisor, will ship in the next version of Microsoft Internet Explorer for the Windows®
95 and Windows NT
™operating systems, which is expected to enter beta testing this spring. Soon after, a version for Microsoft Internet Explorer for the Macintosh®
will also go to beta test. Microsoft will openly publish the APIs for the Content Advisor feature at the Internet Professional Developers Conference in San Francisco on March 12 and will make the software freely available to other companies to use in the creation of compatible rating systems and browsers.

Also today, RSAC announced the launch of the RSACi, or RSAC on the Internet, an objective, PICS-compatible, content-labeling advisory system that empowers parents and consumers to make informed choices about what they and their children experience on the Internet. RSACi utilizes the nonprofit organization’s experience in developing a content rating system for the computer games industry. The RSACi rating system is a fully automated, paperless system that is completely Web-based and relies on a quick, easy-to-use questionnaire. The adapted system will appear on RSAC’s Web site (http://www.rsac.org) in April and will be fully supported by Microsoft Internet Explorer. To encourage widespread rating of Internet content, RSAC will make its rating application available for no charge for the first year it is available on the Internet.

The PICS committee earlier this month released a new draft of its specification, which is designed to enable content providers to label voluntarily the content they create and distribute. The PICS specification establishes conventions for describing rating systems and for label formats, so that PICS-compatible software can read labels from any source. Microsoft and RSAC, along with special-interest groups such as the World Wide Web Consortium and the Center for Democracy and Technology, are active members of PICS.

“Microsoft’s active cooperation with RSAC and our PICS effort, and Microsoft Internet Explorer’s new ability to support any PICS-compliant ratings system, are clear examples of how the industry can come up with voluntary and effective solutions to meet public policy concerns about Internet access for children,”
said Tim Berners-Lee, director of the World Wide Web Consortium.

“Microsoft is excited to be one of the first vendors to deliver a complete and open solution based on the PICS specification for parents and educators,”
said Brad Silverberg, senior vice president of the Internet platform and tools division at Microsoft.
“By teaming with leading industry participants, we are able to offer the most complete solution that allows everyone to choose the type of Internet content that enters their homes.”

“Recent support for the telecommunications bill sent a clear message to the Internet community – that, in the face of transmissions deemed ‘indecent,’ the protection of free speech is subverted,”
said Stephen Balkam, executive director of RSAC.
“The RSACi system provides objective, detailed information about the content of an Internet site, based on the levels of sex, nudity, violence and offensive language located within that site. In this way, the parent or consumer is then left to decide what is objectionable, or indecent.”

Parents can use the Content Advisor feature of Internet Explorer in conjunction with existing parental-control software products, such as Microsystems Software’s CyberPatrol and SurfWatch Software’s SurfWatch, which restrict access based on a predefined list of Web sites that the product developer decides may be objectionable to parents. For maximum security, the Content Advisor feature will also allow a combination of methods to be used. By the end of this month, Microsoft plans to make available on its Web site a page describing available parental control software solutions so that parents and educators have a single place to find the solution that best meets their needs.

“SurfWatch is pleased to be working with RSAC and Microsoft in delivering a rating system that fulfills the promise of the PICS platform,”
said Ann Duvall, president of SurfWatch Software.
“Our experience as the first software in the marketplace to give parents and teachers choice over what their children see shows that technology does indeed provide an alternative to Internet censorship.”

“Earlier this year, Microsystems delivered the first PICS-compatible server,”
said Nigel Spicer, president and COO of Microsystems Software.
“We are pleased to advance the PICS standard further by incorporating full support for PICS labels and RSACi in a new version of Cyber Patrol. This version of Cyber Patrol will be released on the same day as RSACi, allowing parents to take advantage of the RSACi labels as soon as they are available.”

Microsoft and other industry partners are assisting RSAC by donating the server software, hardware and technical resources to power the RSAC Web site. The site will be powered by two dual-Pentium® Dell®
PowerEdge servers running the Microsoft BackOffice
™
family and the Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS).
“We’re excited about offering customers a complete solution for Internet content viewing,”
said Lary Evans, vice president, Dell Server Group.
“With our powerful industry-standard servers, we are donating the platform that enables this important initiative.”

RSAC is an independent, nonprofit organization that empowers the public, especially parents, to make informed decisions about electronic media by means of an open, objective, content advisory system. RSAC’s system provides information about the level of sex, nudity, violence and offensive language (vulgar or hate-motivated) in software games and Web sites. As further evidence of their commitment to freedom of choice, RSAC’s rating system will allow users to make distinct choices, such as allowing nudity in the context of medical or classical works but not sexually explicit nudity. Its URL is http://www.rsac.org.

PICS is a cross-industry working group whose goal is to facilitate the development of technologies to give users of interactive media, such as the Internet, control over the kinds of material to which they and their children have access. PICS members believe that individuals, groups and businesses should have easy access to the widest possible range of content-selection products and a diversity of voluntary rating systems. Its URL is http://www.w3.org/pub/PICS.

The W3C exists to develop common protocols and reference codes for the evolution of the World Wide Web. It is an industry consortium hosted by MIT’s Laboratory for Computer Science and INRIA. Services provided by the Consortium include a repository of information about the World Wide Web for developers and users, a reference code implementation to embody and promote protocols, and various prototype and sample applications to demonstrate use of new technology. Membership is open to any organization. To date, the Consortium comprises more than 130 organizations.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.

Microsoft, Windows, Windows NT and BackOffice are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

Macintosh is a registered trademark of Apple Computer Inc.

Pentium is a registered trademark of Intel Corp.

Dell is a registered trademark of Dell Computer Corp.

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