REDMOND, Wash. — Feb. 13, 2014 — Microsoft Corp. and Voxx Electronics Corp. (formerly Audiovox Electronics Corp.) announced on Thursday a worldwide patent licensing agreement providing Voxx Electronics with broad coverage under Microsoft’s patent portfolio for devices running the Android OS, including rear-seat entertainment devices, tablets and other consumer devices. While the contents of the agreement are confidential, the parties indicate that Microsoft will receive royalties from Voxx Electronics under the agreement.

“Microsoft and Voxx Electronics have a history of collaboration, and this agreement further demonstrates the value both companies place on responsible intellectual property licensing,” said Nick Psyhogeos, associate general counsel, IP licensing of the Innovation and Intellectual Property Group at Microsoft. “Licensing agreements are an effective way to share technology and accelerate innovation.”

“Our customers depend on Voxx Electronics to deliver cutting-edge mobile and consumer electronics, and the licensing deal with Microsoft enables us to better deliver those technologies in mobile devices and the ‘connected cars’ of today and tomorrow,” said Tom Malone, president of Voxx Electronics.

Microsoft’s commitment to licensing intellectual property

The patent agreement is another example of the important role intellectual property (IP) plays in ensuring a healthy and vibrant technology ecosystem. Since Microsoft launched its IP licensing program in December 2003, the company has entered into more than 1,100 licensing agreements and continues to develop programs that open Microsoft’s IP portfolio for customers, partners and competitors. The program was developed to provide access to Microsoft’s significant R&D investments and its growing, broad patent and IP portfolio. Microsoft’s specific patent licensing program for Android device-makers has resulted in signed license agreements with numerous companies including Samsung, LG, HTC, Acer and Barnes & Noble.

More information about Microsoft’s licensing programs is available at http://www.microsoft.com/iplicensing.

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

Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://www.microsoft.com/news. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/news/contactpr.mspx.

REDMOND, Wash. — Feb. 12, 2014 — Preorders for the new Nokia Lumia Icon will be offered at all Microsoft retail store locations, Microsoft Corp. announced Wednesday. The Lumia Icon is available for preorder immediately at Microsoft retail store locations and will hit store shelves and the Microsoft online store Feb. 20. Customers who purchase a Lumia Icon before March 16, 2014, at Microsoft retail store locations and the Microsoft online store will receive a free Nokia Wireless Charging accessory valued between $49 and $69.*

Nokia Lumia Icon February 11, 2014 The Nokia Lumia Icon is fast, sleek and powerful.

Downloads: Web

“The Microsoft retail stores are excited to offer our customers the new Nokia Lumia Icon for purchase,” said Kelly Soligon, senior director, Marketing and Experiences for Microsoft retail stores. “Microsoft retail store customers not only get access to this great new Windows Phone from Nokia, they also have a chance to customize it from top to bottom and receive a complimentary, personalized setup session with a Microsoft retail store associate.”

The Nokia Lumia Icon offers a 5-inch, HD, reduced-glare display and a 20-megapixel camera sensor that features Nokia PureView technology and ZEISS optics. With four high-performance mics and Nokia Rich Recording, the Lumia Icon captures HD video while reducing background noise. Powered by the latest version of Windows Phone 8, the Nokia Lumia Icon comes with Live Tiles, which let you pin your favorite people, apps and more to your Start Screen for updates you care about and a phone that is uniquely yours. Windows Phone 8 also offers more than 220,000 apps with about 500 new apps added daily. For a more dynamic experience, the Lumia Icon phone pairs great with the Nokia Lumia 2520 tablet, also available at Microsoft retail stores. More information on the Icon is available on the Windows Phone blog.

The Icon will be available for $199 for new Verizon customers or for existing customers who are eligible for an upgrade with a new two-year agreement.

The Microsoft retail store offers a range of best-in-class choices to fit anyone’s needs and budgets, with a mission to help customers get the most choice, value and service with their technology investments. The stores offer a curated assortment of selected products, including Windows 8.1 PCs, tablets, Windows Phones, Xbox One, Microsoft Office 365 and more.

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

* Qualifying customers at retail stores may receive a free Nokia Wireless Charging Plate or a free Nokia Wireless Charging Stand. Qualifying online customers will receive a free Nokia Wireless Charging Plate. Offers are not valid on prior orders or purchases; cannot be combined with other offers, transferred, or otherwise redeemed for cash or gift cards. Taxes may apply. Microsoft reserves the right to cancel, change or suspend offers at any time without notice. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.

Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://www.microsoft.com/news. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/news/contactpr.mspx.

REDMOND, Wash. — Feb . 1 2 , 201 4 — Microsoft Corp. announced three new global partnerships Wednesday with the Organization of American States, Europol and FIS to increase cooperation between international law enforcement and the private sector in combatting cybercrime and helping build a safer Internet.

Microsoft officials signed memorandums of understanding with representatives of the three organizations during the company’s first annual Cybercrime Enforcement Summit, which brought together more than 60 leaders and experts from law enforcement, academia and the private sector to share legal and technical solutions to confront the global spread of cybercrime. The conference follows the opening last fall of the Microsoft Cybercrime Center, a state-of-the-art facility designed specifically to advance the global fight against cybercrime.

The agreements establish a framework for cooperation and are intended to spur collaboration and help Microsoft work with each of the three organizations to pursue criminal enterprises engaged in cybercrime. Microsoft, the OAS, Europol and FIS anticipate that the collaboration will enable them to strengthen their forensic and technical analysis of malware and botnets; assessment and investigation of emerging malware threats; enforcement actions against cybercriminals; and the ultimate dismantling of these criminal organizations.

“Cybercriminals are increasingly sophisticated in preying on consumers, including children and senior citizens,” said Brad Smith, Microsoft executive vice president and general counsel. “These agreements will help the private and public sectors fight cybercrime more effectively, while protecting our customers’ privacy.”

Microsoft is excited to mark its first collaboration with the Organization of American States. The OAS was established in part to strengthen collaboration among its member states, which currently includes all 34 independent states of the Americas. OAS is committed to developing a culture of cybersecurity by taking effective, preventative measures to anticipate, address and respond to cyberattacks.

“There are no borders when it comes to cybercrime, and the criminals are located worldwide, making it impossible for any one organization to fight cybercrime alone,” said OAS Ambassador Adam Blackwell. “We must harness the power of partnerships to have a greater impact against these criminals and keep the Internet safer for everyone.”

Microsoft often collaborates with law enforcement organizations. One example is the recent partnership with Europol to successfully disrupt the dangerous ZeroAccess botnet, which infected up to 2 million computers and stole millions of dollars from online advertisers. Europol, which boasts its own European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) based at Europol headquarters in The Hague, Netherlands, has supported numerous major cybercrime operations involving malicious software and online child exploitation. Today’s agreement solidifies Europol’s commitment to continue providing targeted and effective approaches to combat cybercrime in Europe.

“The ZeroAccess botnet disruption demonstrated the power of our combined efforts as our coordinated approach forced the cybercriminals in this case to walk away from their criminal enterprise,” said Europol’s Assistant Director Troels Oerting, who is in charge of EC3. “This kind of collaboration is the new model needed to attack cybercrime, and that is why we’re committed to working with Microsoft so we can take more aggressive action in the future.”

Financial crimes in particular pose a serious cybersecurity threat. As the world’s largest provider of financial technology, FIS™ is on the front lines of the fight to maintain cybersecurity of payments and financial transactions worldwide. By signing this MOU, FIS is taking another step on behalf of its financial institution clients to help protect them against cybercrime.

“This partnership with Microsoft will help FIS to better protect its clients from cybercrime and make global financial transactions safer for our clients and their customers,” said Greg Montana, EVP and chief risk officer, FIS. “We’re pleased to partner with companies like Microsoft, which are taking aggressive action to address cybercrime at every opportunity. We look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship with Microsoft.”

More information about Microsoft’s efforts to fight cybercrime and the new Microsoft Cybercrime Center can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/news/presskits/dcu. About the Organization of American States

The Organization of American states is the world’s oldest regional organization, dating back to the First International Conference of American States, held in Washington, D.C., from October 1889 to April 1890. Today, the OAS brings together all 34 independent states of the Americas and constitutes the main political, juridical, and social governmental forum in the Hemisphere. In addition, it has granted permanent observer status to 67 states, as well as to the European Union (EU).

About Europol

Europol is the European Union’s law enforcement agency whose main goal is to help achieve a safer Europe for the benefit of all EU citizens. It does this by assisting the European Union’s Member States in their fight against serious international crime and terrorism.

About FIS

FIS (NYSE: FIS) is the world’s largest global provider dedicated to banking and payments technologies. With a long history deeply rooted in the financial services sector, FIS serves more than 14,000 institutions in over 110 countries. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., FIS employs more than 39,000 people worldwide and holds leadership positions in payment processing and banking solutions, providing software, services and outsourcing of the technology that drives financial institutions. First in financial technology, FIS tops the annual FinTech 100 list, is 434 on the Fortune 500 and is a member of Standard & Poor’s 500® Index. For more information about FIS, visit www.fisglobal.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.

Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://www.microsoft.com/news. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/news/contactpr.mspx.

REDMOND, Wash. — Feb. 10 , 201 4 — In support of international Safer Internet Day (SID) and following the release of the latest results of the third annual Microsoft Computing Safety Index (MCSI), Microsoft Corp. is asking consumers to “Do 1 Thing” to stay safer online and commit to doing so on a new, interactive website, http://www.microsoft.com/saferonline.

The new site allows Internet users around the world to share how they plan to avoid online risks, learn what other people are doing to help protect themselves and receive instant tips to enhance their digital lifestyle.

“The Internet touches our lives every day; we email to stay connected, share photos and videos, pay bills, and shop,” said Jacqueline Beauchere, chief online safety officer, Microsoft. “Sometimes, though, the very experiences that we love about the Internet put us at risk.”

According to the MCSI survey, the annual worldwide impact of phishing and various forms of identity theft could be as high as $5 billion, with the cost of repairing damage to peoples’ online reputation higher yet at nearly $6 billion, or an estimated average of $632 per loss. This means that education and guidance about how to avoid online risks remain key and is why Microsoft is asking people to “Do 1 Thing” today and make it part of their daily digital routine.

Of the more than 10,000 consumers surveyed:

• 15 percent said they were victims of a phishing attack, losing on average $158.

• 13 percent said their professional reputation had been compromised, costing on average $535 to repair.

• 9 percent said they had suffered identity theft at an average cost of $218.

Yet despite such losses, only 36 percent said they limit what strangers see on social networks and the amount of personal information online, while 33 percent said they adjust their social network privacy settings. And, only 33 percent use a PIN (personal identification number) or password to lock their mobile device.

“There are many things you can do to stay safer online. If we all do just one thing, imagine how much safer we all will be, together,” Beauchere said. “Go to our website to share your one thing. Tell the world that you’re committed to helping keep the Internet safer and more secure. And once you do, you’ll be part of that positive change.”

Internet users can make more informed decisions and help better protect their online activities by visiting http://www.microsoft.com/saferonline, which provides a range of hints, tips and guidance including the following:

• Help guard your devices and online accounts. Use a unique four-digit PIN for mobile devices and strong passwords for online accounts.

• Perform sensitive transactions over secured networks. This includes paying bills, banking or shopping. Don’t share personal account information over “borrowed” or public Wi-Fi connections.

• Take charge of your online reputation. Discover what information about you is on the Internet, periodically re-evaluate it, and remove unwanted or inaccurate content to cultivate an accurate, positive reputation.

• Help protect your social circles. Use privacy settings to manage the information you share and with whom you share it. Be selective about what you post and accepting friends.

About the Microso f t Computing Safety Index survey

Now it its third year, the MCSI survey measures the online safety behavior of almost 10,500 consumers in 20 countries. The survey was conducted March through May 2013 and asked consumers to share their online experiences for the 12 months prior. Countries in the survey include Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.

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.

Note to editors : For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://www.microsoft.com/news. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/news/contactpr.mspx.

SINGAPORE — Feb. 11, 2014 — Tuesday at the Singapore Airshow 2014, Microsoft Corp. and Lufthansa Systems are showcasing the new BoardConnect app for Windows 8. The app allows airlines to create a unique experience for their in-flight passenger entertainment systems. The interactive solution will allow users to watch the latest movies, order food, shop, find information about their destinations and much more. The entertainment platform can be quickly customized for new airline customers and allows them to configure devices to offer a uniquely branded product to their passengers.

“We are making BoardConnect available on Windows 8 to give passengers even more choices to use the platform,” said Norbert Müller, senior vice president of BoardConnect at Lufthansa Systems. “This makes it easy for airlines to give their passengers a superior in-flight entertainment experience that allows them to watch a wide range of movies, look at flight information and shop, all from their seat.”

The mobile era is causing a fundamental disruption in the aviation industry. With the cloud making technology more accessible than ever, businesses in the aviation industry have to shift and increase their technology investments in areas where they haven’t historically focused. Now, technology can be a route to cost savings, growing revenue and staying ahead of the competition.

Lufthansa Systems joins other companies building aviation-focused solutions for Windows. Microsoft and Lufthansa Systems are working to give airlines a mobile advantage by creating an in-flight entertainment experience that delights passengers, moving pilots to electronic flight bags in the cockpit, and providing flight attendants with devices and apps that provide powerful point-of-sale and customer service capabilities.

“Airlines recognize that technological advances are a way to rise above the competition and be seen as innovators in the industry,” said Susan Hauser, corporate vice president, Enterprise & Partner Group at Microsoft. “We are excited to work with our partners to create a powerful set of devices and services that will help airlines be more efficient and productive and allow them to give their passengers a much better flying experience.”

In addition to the new BoardConnect app, Lufthansa Systems’ Purser Mobile Device application, mCabin, will also be available on Windows 8 devices in the near future. The mCabin solution provides airline crews with all relevant flight details at a glance. An interactive duty calendar, briefings, crew positioning, and passenger information and reporting help airlines improve their onboard services and, subsequently, customer satisfaction. This marks another area of cooperation between Microsoft and Lufthansa Systems.

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

Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://www.microsoft.com/news. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/news/contactpr.mspx.

NEW YORK — Feb. 6 , 2014 — Microsoft Corp. has been selected to be the cloud encoding and hosting platform provider for NBC Olympics, a division of the NBC Sports Group, during its production of the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, Feb. 6–23. As a result, viewers will be able to watch Winter Olympics programming via more than 50 live high-definition streams and on demand. The announcement was made today by Richard Cordella, senior vice president and general manager, Digital Media, NBC Sports Group, and Scott Guthrie, acting lead of Microsoft’s Cloud and Enterprise Group.

Through the power of cloud computing, NBC will use Windows Azure Media Services, a highly scalable video service platform hosted in Microsoft’s datacenters, to publish and stream coverage of the 2014 Sochi Winter Games. Whether on an Internet-connected TV, tablet or smartphone, viewers will be able to access live and on-demand content via the NBC Sports Live Extra app available free on Windows 8 and Windows RT devices, Windows Phone, Android, and iOS. In addition, viewers can go to NBCOlympics.com to view live or on-demand Olympics events on a PC or Mac — all being streamed with support from Windows Azure Media Services.

Microsoft customers watching the Winter Olympics will benefit from a connected viewing experience across any Windows Phone 8 or Windows 8, Windows RT, Windows 8.1 or Windows RT 8.1 device.

“During the 2012 London Olympics Games, viewers with connected devices watched, on average, six hours of NBC Olympics’ coverage a day, and we anticipate this demand will continue to grow for the upcoming Sochi Olympic Games,” Guthrie said. “To meet that demand, Windows Azure is leading the way by providing end-to-end live streaming of the Winter Olympics entirely in the cloud, including encoding, transcoding and streaming, for the first time in history. Our partnership with NBC Olympics delivers an immersive viewing experience, bringing the 2014 Olympic Winter Games to viewers’ fingertips, thanks to our powerful cloud technology and One Microsoft approach.”

“We are pleased to be working once again with Microsoft, and we are confident that Windows Azure Media Services will help us provide the most robust streaming experience ever for a Winter Olympics,” Cordella said.

Microsoft has a broad partner ecosystem that extends to the cloud. To deliver NBC Olympics on-demand and live streaming coverage of the 2014 Olympic Winter Games, Microsoft is working with Adobe Systems Inc. and its Primetime TV publishing and monetization platform, including Adobe Primetime Player SDKs for Android, iOS, Windows, Mac OS and other platforms, to ensure full scalability and monetization of video streams across millions of U.S. households. In addition, Microsoft is working with iStreamPlanet and its cloud-based, live video workflow solution Aventus to power live video ingest and multiple bit rate encoding, including ad insertion, for NBC’s streaming coverage of the Olympic Games.

About NBC Olympics

A division of the NBC Sports Group, NBC Olympics is responsible for producing, programming and promoting NBCUniversal’s Olympic coverage. It is renowned for its unsurpassed Olympic heritage, award-winning production, and ability to aggregate the largest audiences in U.S. television history.

For more information on NBC Olympics’ coverage of the Sochi Olympics, please visit: http://nbcsportsgrouppressbox.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.

Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://www.microsoft.com/news. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/news/contactpr.mspx.

REDMOND, Wash. — Feb. 4, 2014 — Microsoft Corp. today announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Satya Nadella as Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Directors effective immediately. Nadella previously held the position of Executive Vice President of Microsoft’s Cloud and Enterprise group.

“During this time of transformation, there is no better person to lead Microsoft than Satya Nadella,” said Bill Gates, Microsoft’s Founder and Member of the Board of Directors. “Satya is a proven leader with hard-core engineering skills, business vision and the ability to bring people together. His vision for how technology will be used and experienced around the world is exactly what Microsoft needs as the company enters its next chapter of expanded product innovation and growth.”

Since joining the company in 1992, Nadella has spearheaded major strategy and technical shifts across the company’s portfolio of products and services, most notably the company’s move to the cloud and the development of one of the largest cloud infrastructures in the world supporting Bing, Xbox, Office and other services. During his tenure overseeing Microsoft’s Server and Tools Business, the division outperformed the market and took share from competitors.

“Microsoft is one of those rare companies to have truly revolutionized the world through technology, and I couldn’t be more honored to have been chosen to lead the company,” Nadella said. “The opportunity ahead for Microsoft is vast, but to seize it, we must focus clearly, move faster and continue to transform. A big part of my job is to accelerate our ability to bring innovative products to our customers more quickly.”

“Having worked with him for more than 20 years, I know that Satya is the right leader at the right time for Microsoft,” said Steve Ballmer, who announced on Aug. 23, 2013 that he would retire once a successor was named. “I’ve had the distinct privilege of working with the most talented employees and senior leadership team in the industry, and I know their passion and hunger for greatness will only grow stronger under Satya’s leadership.”

Microsoft also announced that Bill Gates, previously Chairman of the Board of Directors, will assume a new role on the Board as Founder and Technology Advisor, and will devote more time to the company, supporting Nadella in shaping technology and product direction. John Thompson, lead independent director for the Board of Directors, will assume the role of Chairman of the Board of Directors and remain an independent director on the Board.

“Satya is clearly the best person to lead Microsoft, and he has the unanimous support of our Board,” Thompson said. “The Board took the thoughtful approach that our shareholders, customers, partners and employees expected and deserved.”

With the addition of Nadella, Microsoft’s Board of Directors consists of Ballmer; Dina Dublon, former Chief Financial Officer of JPMorgan Chase; Gates; Maria M. Klawe, President of Harvey Mudd College; Stephen J. Luczo, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Seagate Technology PLC; David F. Marquardt, General Partner at August Capital; Nadella; Charles H. Noski, former Vice Chairman of Bank of America Corp.; Dr. Helmut Panke, former Chairman of the Board of Management at BMW Bayerische Motoren Werke AG; and Thompson, Chief Executive Officer of Virtual Instruments. Seven of the 10 board members are independent of Microsoft, which is consistent with the requirement in the company’s governance guidelines that a substantial majority be independent.

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

Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://www.microsoft.com/news. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/news/contactpr.mspx.

“I am very enthusiastic about Satya Nadella’s appointment as CEO of Microsoft. As an active contributor to the CEO search process, I have spent a lot of time with Satya and he is clearly the best choice to lead the company. I look forward to working with Satya, Chairman John Thompson and the rest of the Board of Directors to create value for all shareholders.”

From: Steve Ballmer
To: All Employees
Date: Feb. 4, 2014
Subject: Satya Nadella - Microsoft’s New CEO

Today is an incredibly exciting day as we announce Satya Nadella as the new CEO of Microsoft. Satya will be a great CEO, and I am pumped for the future of Microsoft. You can read the full announcement here.

Satya is a proven leader. He’s got strong technical skills and great business insights. He has a remarkable ability to see what's going on in the market, to sense opportunity, and to really understand how we come together at Microsoft to execute against those opportunities in a collaborative way. I have worked closely with Satya for many years and I have seen these skills many times. He is not alone, though. Our Senior Leadership Team has never been stronger, and together this group will drive us forward.

Microsoft is one of the great companies in the world. I love this company. I love the bigness and boldness of what we do. I love the way we partner with other companies to come together to change the world. I love the breadth and the diversity of all of the customers we empower, from students in the classroom to consumers to small businesses to governments to the largest enterprises.

Above all, I love the spirit of this place, the passion, and the perseverance, which has been the cornerstone of our culture from the very beginning.

Stay focused and keep moving forward. I am excited about what we will do. Satya’s appointment confirms that.

Thanks for making Microsoft the most amazing place to work on the planet, and thanks for the chance to lead.

Steve

From: Satya Nadella
To: All Employees
Date: Feb. 4, 2014
Subject: RE: Satya Nadella – Microsoft’s New CEO

Today is a very humbling day for me. It reminds me of my very first day at Microsoft, 22 years ago. Like you, I had a choice about where to come to work. I came here because I believed Microsoft was the best company in the world. I saw then how clearly we empower people to do magical things with our creations and ultimately make the world a better place. I knew there was no better company to join if I wanted to make a difference. This is the very same inspiration that continues to drive me today.

It is an incredible honor for me to lead and serve this great company of ours. Steve and Bill have taken it from an idea to one of the greatest and most universally admired companies in the world. I’ve been fortunate to work closely with both Bill and Steve in my different roles at Microsoft, and as I step in as CEO, I’ve asked Bill to devote additional time to the company, focused on technology and products. I’m also looking forward to working with John Thompson as our new Chairman of the Board.

While we have seen great success, we are hungry to do more. Our industry does not respect tradition — it only respects innovation. This is a critical time for the industry and for Microsoft. Make no mistake, we are headed for greater places — as technology evolves and we evolve with and ahead of it. Our job is to ensure that Microsoft thrives in a mobile and cloud-first world.

As we start a new phase of our journey together, I wanted to share some background on myself and what inspires and motivates me.

Who am I?

I am 46. I’ve been married for 22 years and we have 3 kids. And like anyone else, a lot of what I do and how I think has been shaped by my family and my overall life experiences. Many who know me say I am also defined by my curiosity and thirst for learning. I buy more books than I can finish. I sign up for more online courses than I can complete. I fundamentally believe that if you are not learning new things, you stop doing great and useful things. So family, curiosity and hunger for knowledge all define me.

Why am I here?

I am here for the same reason I think most people join Microsoft — to change the world through technology that empowers people to do amazing things. I know it can sound hyperbolic — and yet it’s true. We have done it, we’re doing it today, and we are the team that will do it again.

I believe over the next decade computing will become even more ubiquitous and intelligence will become ambient. The coevolution of software and new hardware form factors will intermediate and digitize — many of the things we do and experience in business, life and our world. This will be made possible by an ever-growing network of connected devices, incredible computing capacity from the cloud, insights from big data, and intelligence from machine learning.

This is a software-powered world.

It will better connect us to our friends and families and help us see, express, and share our world in ways never before possible. It will enable businesses to engage customers in more meaningful ways.

I am here because we have unparalleled capability to make an impact.

Why are we here?

In our early history, our mission was about the PC on every desk and home, a goal we have mostly achieved in the developed world. Today we’re focused on a broader range of devices. While the deal is not yet complete, we will welcome to our family Nokia devices and services and the new mobile capabilities they bring us.

As we look forward, we must zero in on what Microsoft can uniquely contribute to the world. The opportunity ahead will require us to reimagine a lot of what we have done in the past for a mobile and cloud-first world, and do new things.

We are the only ones who can harness the power of software and deliver it through devices and services that truly empower every individual and every organization. We are the only company with history and continued focus in building platforms and ecosystems that create broad opportunity.

Qi Lu captured it well in a recent meeting when he said that Microsoft uniquely empowers people to "do more." This doesn’t mean that we need to do more things, but that the work we do empowers the world to do more of what they care about — get stuff done, have fun, communicate and accomplish great things. This is the core of who we are, and driving this core value in all that we do — be it the cloud or device experiences — is why we are here.

What do we do next?

To paraphrase a quote from Oscar Wilde — we need to believe in the impossible and remove the improbable.

This starts with clarity of purpose and sense of mission that will lead us to imagine the impossible and deliver it. We need to prioritize innovation that is centered on our core value of empowering users and organizations to “do more.” We have picked a set of high-value activities as part of our One Microsoft strategy. And with every service and device launch going forward we need to bring more innovation to bear around these scenarios.

Next, every one of us needs to do our best work, lead and help drive cultural change. We sometimes underestimate what we each can do to make things happen and overestimate what others need to do to move us forward. We must change this.

Finally, I truly believe that each of us must find meaning in our work. The best work happens when you know that it's not just work, but something that will improve other people's lives. This is the opportunity that drives each of us at this company.

Many companies aspire to change the world. But very few have all the elements required: talent, resources, and perseverance. Microsoft has proven that it has all three in abundance. And as the new CEO, I can’t ask for a better foundation.

Let’s build on this foundation together.

Satya

NAIROBI, Kenya — Feb. 3, 2014 — On Monday, Microsoft Corp. announced the five African startups it will award innovation grants designed to provide the financial support needed to cross borders and empower the next generation of developers and entrepreneurs in Africa. The grant is part of the company’s 4Afrika Initiative, which was launched in February 2013 to facilitate the company’s active engagement in Africa’s economic development to improve its global competitiveness.

February 02, 2014 The 4Afrika Initiative will award grants to five African startups: access.mobile, Africa 118, Gamsole, Kytabu, and Save & Buy. The grants will provide financial support to empower the next generation of entrepreneurs in Africa.

Downloads: Web

Last year, Microsoft 4Afrika extended the Microsoft Ventures partnership program to Africa, with startup accelerator 88mph as its first partner. Through the 4Afrika Initiative, Microsoft is now extending its support to include grants to startups, selecting five startups as the first set of recipients. The startups were selected based on the uniqueness and scalability of their solutions, their business models and the relevance of the key problems they are addressing. The solutions and apps developed by the startups are relevant to consumers and the African market, ranging from agriculture, education and consumer (gaming).

These startups will receive funding:

• access.mobile LLC (Uganda) A solution with a key focus in the agriculture and healthcare industries, giving enterprises the ability to collect, analyze and share clear, real-time information about their operations and supply chain activity.

• Africa 118 (Kenya) A mobile directory services solution that helps bridge the information gap both for enterprises and consumers.

• Gamsole (Nigeria) A mobile game production company creating Windows games, with downloads topping more than 4 million.

• Kytabu (Kenya) A textbook leasing application for low-cost tablets. Students can save more than 60 percent of their education cost by renting their textbooks on an hourly, weekly, monthly, school term or annual plan.

• Save & Buy (Nigeria) A Web and mobile platform that enables Nigerians to save toward the purchase of items conveniently and securely through e-commerce channels.

In addition to grants, Microsoft will provide technical support and mentorship to help these startups develop their businesses through the company’s Center of Expertise. This group of Microsoft technology enthusiasts focuses on using Microsoft tools and technologies to solve business problems. The 4Afrika Initiative aims to help startups break through barriers and reach new heights with the help of Microsoft’s data platform solutions, unified communications, optimized desktops and enterprise project management.

“As part of the 4Afrika initiative, we are excited to be supporting startups that have developed innovative solutions that address key issues in Africa,” said Amrote Abdella, director of startup engagement and Partnerships for 4Afrika. “Our support is aimed to showcase the importance of local innovation, but, more important, it highlights the great potential that African innovators have in competing with world-class developers and entrepreneurs.”

Abiola Olaniran, CEO of Gamsole, which has already developed some of the most popular Windows Phone games in Africa, said, “The Microsoft 4Afrika innovation grant provides a great support as it helps entrepreneurs to further bootstrap their companies without giving up equity or control. It allows us to not miss out on the kind of fast growth that only major cash infusion can provide.”

“A critical success factor in driving the economic success of entrepreneurs in Africa is access to capital together with a solid incubation foundation. Microsoft 4Afrika is partnering with local organizations in creating opportunities for ‘smart capital’ to be available to our young innovators,” said Fernando de Sousa, general manager for Microsoft 4Afrika. “Smart capital combines access to finance, technical skills development, business mentoring, sharing of global best practices and access to markets with the infrastructure provided by local partners to enable world-class companies to emerge from Africa.”

The Microsoft 4Afrika Initiative is designed to help Africa improve its global competitiveness and, in just under a year, has successfully launched various programs across the continent, including these recent innovation grants, to reach is 2016 goal. This will help place tens of millions of smart devices in the hands of African youth, bring 1 million African small and medium-sized enterprises online, upskill 100,000 members of Africa’s workforce, and help an additional 100,000 recent graduates develop skills for employability, 75 percent of whom Microsoft will help place in jobs.

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

Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://www.microsoft.com/news. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/news/contactpr.mspx.

In response to an announcement by the US Attorney General and the Director of National Intelligence about increased transparency on national security orders, the companies who dismissed their motions with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court released the following joint statement.

"We filed our lawsuits because we believe that the public has a right to know about the volume and types of national security requests we receive. We're pleased the Department of Justice has agreed that we and other providers can disclose this information. While this is a very positive step, we'll continue to encourage Congress to take additional steps to address all of the reforms we believe are needed.”

REDMOND , Wash. — Jan . 2 7 , 2014 — Bing.com and FOX News Channel (FNC) are teaming up again on the Bing Pulse online voting tool for the State of the Union address and Republican response on Tuesday, Jan. 28, at 9 p.m. EST. The first-of-its-kind technology, which was introduced during the 2013 State of the Union, enables viewers to track and share their opinions and reactions in real time via their smartphone, PC or tablet. For the 2013 State of the Union, the Bing Pulse received 12.9 million votes during the address. Live results were also shown on FNC.

During the address and the response, people will be able to not only provide their feedback, but also look at the Bing Pulse online or on FNC to see what other viewers think of both the speech and the Republican response in real time as the remarks are being delivered. The Bing Pulse also provides an intensity score, which highlights the key moments of the address or when the greatest numbers of viewers vote at the same time. New this year is an online annotated graphing feature that enables people with one click to understand exactly what was said during those polling spikes. Also new this year are poll questions about some of the key topics in the speeches.

“We deployed the Bing Pulse for the 2013 State of the Union because we thought it was the perfect tool to give people an opportunity to react in real time to the address,” said Mark Penn, executive vice president of Advertising and Strategy at Microsoft. “Over the course of 59 minutes, we conducted the largest live online poll in history with 12.9 million votes registered. That response showed how much people want to make their voices heard during significant political moments. This year, we’re adding more features and are covering the Republican response as well.”

In addition to teaming up with FNC for its State of the Union coverage, the Bing Pulse runs three nights a week on “Special Report with Bret Baier” (6 p.m. EST). According to Nielsen, “Special Report” delivers on average 2.2 million viewers a night with Bing Pulse drawing over half a million votes per week.

How i t w orks

The Bing Pulse allows people to share their opinion of the State of the Union by “voting” every five seconds on their reactions to the content of the speech. Viewers simply go to Bing.com/politics from a computer, tablet or mobile device to connect with the poll while watching the president’s address or Republican response on television or through a live feed on the Bing.com/politics hub.

Unlike typical polls, Bing Pulse allows people to self-identify by gender and political party affiliation to provide additional aggregate data analysis to the results shown online and on FNC.

As the speeches progress, viewers have five choices to characterize how they are feeling about what they are hearing: strongly agree, somewhat agree, neutral, somewhat disagree and strongly disagree. The live count of the number of “pulses,” or votes, becomes a line graph of how users react to the State of the Union, as well as the Republican response throughout both speeches, and will be visible on the television screen on FNC. Viewers watching the speech on other networks can have a robust State of the Union companion experience by participating in the Bing Pulse and seeing the live poll results online. During the course of the speeches, the Bing Pulse online poll results will be updated every few seconds on FNC with data also available at Bing.com/politics. More in-depth news and analysis will be available at http://www.foxnews.com/sotu.

Comprehensive, n onpartisan State of the Union e xperience

The Bing Pulse is part of a comprehensive, nonpartisan State of the Union experience on Bing.com/politics and on FNC. In addition to the Bing Pulse, the site provides a single destination for up-to-the-minute political news, expert information and real-time conversations on major policy issues. Bing.com/politics features include these:

• A live feed of President Obama’s State of the Union address and the Republican response

• An annotated graph allowing users to see what parts of the State of the Union are soaring and what parts are tanking

• Real-time news results using the Bing news filter that helps people navigate the news by filtering coverage from left-leaning and right-leaning sources

• A live feed of social conversations on Twitter so people can stay informed on what leading political pundits are saying about the speech

About Bing

Bing is the search engine from Microsoft. It was introduced in 2009 with a mission to empower people with knowledge — to answer any question and provide useful tools to help you best accomplish your goals, from the everyday to the extraordinary. Bing continues on that mission today by moving beyond the search box to power intelligent experiences across a range of devices and services from Microsoft and third parties.

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.

Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://www.microsoft.com/news. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/news/contactpr.mspx.

Note to reporters covering the State of the Union: Bing will provide insights from the Bing Pulse during and following the State of the Union. To receive this information, follow us on Twitter at #BingSOTU.

DAVOS, Switzerland — Jan. 24, 2014 — A new global survey of Internet users conducted by Microsoft Corp. reveals distinct regional findings and differing viewpoints between the developed and developing world. However, overwhelmingly the more than 10,000 people surveyed from 10 nations said they embrace personal technology, particularly in emerging markets, and see it as the foundation of innovation and economic empowerment.

Microsoft unveiled the results of its new survey today at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in the report titled, “Views from Around the Globe: How Personal Technology is Changing Our Lives.”

Mark Penn, Microsoft Executive Vice President of Advertising and Strategy, presented the poll’s findings followed by a panel discussion moderated by award-winning journalist and author Maria Bartiromo. The panel included Marc R. Benioff, chairman and CEO, Salesforce.com; Maurice Lévy, chairman and CEO, Publicis Group; Bill McDermott, co-CEO, SAP; Alan Murray, president, Pew Research Center; and former U.S. Treasury Secretary and current Charles W. Elliot university professor, Harvard University, Lawrence H. Summers.

“Whether you live in a world capital or a remote village, personal technology is seen as empowering and as a vehicle to individual economic growth,” Penn said. “Despite varying rates of personal technology adoption and cultural differences, there is an overwhelming sense globally that improvements are being experienced across the board.”

Among the key findings of the study are these:

• A majority of the people surveyed around the world believe that personal technology has the most positive impact on innovation in business and empowering people to start a new business.

• People surveyed in developing countries — especially Brazil, Russia, India and China — believe that personal technology is creating job opportunities and helping bridge economic gaps.

• People in China say that personal technology has positively impacted personal freedom more than people in any other country surveyed.

• Those in developing countries — especially India — say that personal technology is improving education, health and healthcare.

• In Brazil, people say that personal technology had a strong impact on arts and culture.

• In China and India, they say their quality of life has improved due to personal technology.

Although personal technology was seen overwhelmingly as a positive force in both developed and developing countries, there were concerns that focused on personal safety and security, family bonds, and, most significantly, privacy. Interestingly, the survey found that the developing countries are more willing to trade privacy for security. Despite privacy concerns, however, nearly three-quarters of parents around the world want their children to have more, not less, access to personal technology. This is particularly true in developing countries, where parents are especially supportive of increased access to technology. Opinions are mixed in developed countries, where more parents feel there should be limits to technology access.

About the poll

The Microsoft poll was conducted between Dec. 26, 2013, and Jan. 3, 2014, and surveyed 10,009 Internet users in the United States, France, Brazil, Russia, China, India, Japan, Germany, Mexico and Turkey. The results were then weighted based on the size of the Internet populations in each of the 10 countries. The full survey findings and comprehensive analysis of the poll can be found at http://blogs.technet.com/b/microsoft_blog/archive/2014/01/23/personal-technology-is-changing-lives-around-the-world-what-we-learned-from-talking-to-10-000-people-in-10-countries.aspx.

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.

Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://www.microsoft.com/news. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/news/contactpr.mspx.

REDMOND, Wash. — January 23, 2014 — Microsoft Corp. today announced revenue of $24.52 billion for the quarter ended December 31, 2013. Gross margin, operating income, net income, and diluted earnings per share for the quarter were $16.24 billion, $7.97 billion, $6.56 billion, and $0.78 per share, respectively.

The following table reconciles these financial results reported in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) to non-GAAP financial results. We have provided this non-GAAP financial information to aid investors in better understanding the company’s performance.

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“Our Commercial segment continues to outpace the overall market, and our Devices and Consumer segment had a great holiday quarter,” said Steve Ballmer, chief executive officer at Microsoft. “The investments we are making in devices and services that deliver high-value experiences to our customers, and the work we are doing with our partners, are driving strong results and positioning us well for long-term growth.”

“We delivered record revenue as demand for our business offerings remains high and we made strong progress in our Devices and Consumer segment,” said Amy Hood, chief financial officer at Microsoft. “These results reflect our focus on execution, cost discipline, and long-term shareholder value as we continue to drive the strategic transformation of the company.”

Devices and Consumer revenue grew 13% to $11.91 billion.

• Windows OEM revenue declined 3%, reflecting strong 12% growth in Windows OEM Pro revenue, offset by continued softness in the consumer PC market.

• Surface revenue more than doubled sequentially, from $400 million in the first quarter to $893 million in the second quarter.

• The company sold 7.4 million Xbox console units into the retail channel, including 3.9 million Xbox One consoles and 3.5 million Xbox 360 consoles.

• Bing search share grew to 18.2% and search advertising revenue grew 34%.

Commercial revenue grew 10% to $12.67 billion.

• SQL Server continued to gain market share with revenue growing double-digits.

• System Center showed continued strength with double-digit revenue growth.

• Commercial cloud services revenue more than doubled.

• Office 365 commercial seats and Azure customers both grew triple-digits.

"We significantly outpaced enterprise IT spend as we continue to take share from our competitors by delivering the devices and services our customers need as they transition to the cloud,” said Kevin Turner, chief operating officer at Microsoft. “Our commercial cloud services revenue grew more than 100% year-over-year, as customers are embracing Office 365, Azure, and Dynamics CRM Online, and making long-term commitments to the Microsoft platform.”

Business Outlook

Microsoft will provide forward-looking guidance in connection with this quarterly earnings announcement on its earnings conference call and webcast detailed below.

Webcast Details

Amy Hood, executive vice president and chief financial officer, Frank Brod, chief accounting officer, and Chris Suh, general manager of Investor Relations, will host a conference call and webcast at 2:30 p.m. PST (5:30 p.m. EST) today to discuss details of the company’s performance for the quarter and certain forward-looking information. The session may be accessed at http://www.microsoft.com/investor/. The webcast will be available for replay through the close of business on January 23, 2015.

Adjusted Financial Results and Non-GAAP Measures

During the second quarter of fiscal year 2013, GAAP revenue, operating income, and diluted earnings per share included the net deferral of $1.3 billion of revenue for the Windows Upgrade Offer, the Office Upgrade Offer and Pre-sales, and the Video Game Deferral, and the recognition of previously deferred revenue of $783 million for Windows 8 Pre-sales. These items are defined below. In addition to these financial results reported in accordance with GAAP, we have provided certain non-GAAP financial information to aid investors in better understanding the company’s performance. Presenting these measures without the impact of these items gives additional insight into operational performance and helps clarify trends affecting the company’s business. For comparability of reporting, management considers this information in conjunction with GAAP amounts in evaluating business performance. These non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered as a substitute for, or superior to, the measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP.

Non-GAAP Definitions

Revenue deferred on sales of Windows 7 with an option to upgrade to Windows 8 Pro at a discounted price (“Windows Upgrade Offer”).

Revenue deferred on pre-sales of Windows 8 to OEMs and retailers before general availability (“Windows 8 Pre-sales”).

Revenue deferred on sales of the previous version of the Microsoft Office system with a guarantee to be upgraded to the new Office at minimal or no cost and pre-sales of the new Office to OEMs and retailers before general availability (collectively, the “Office Deferral”).

Revenue deferred on sales of video games with the right to receive specified software upgrades/enhancements (“Video Game Deferral”).

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.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this release that are “forward-looking statements” are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially because of factors such as:

• intense competition in all of Microsoft’s markets;

• increasing focus on services presents execution and competitive risks;

• significant investments in new products and services that may not be profitable;

• acquisitions, joint ventures, and strategic alliances, including our acquisition of Nokia’s Devices and Services business, may have an adverse effect on our business;

• Microsoft’s continued ability to protect its intellectual property rights;

• claims that Microsoft has infringed the intellectual property rights of others;

• the possibility of unauthorized disclosure of significant portions of Microsoft’s source code;

• cyber-attacks and security vulnerabilities in Microsoft products that could reduce revenue or lead to liability;

• disclosure of personal data that could result in liability and harm to Microsoft’s reputation;

• outages, data losses, and disruptions of our online services if we fail to maintain an adequate operations infrastructure;

• government litigation and regulation that may limit how Microsoft designs and markets its products;

• Microsoft’s ability to attract and retain talented employees;

• delays in product development and related product release schedules;

• adverse economic or market conditions may harm our business;

• adverse results in legal disputes;

• unanticipated tax liabilities;

• our hardware and software products may experience quality or supply problems;

• impairment of goodwill or amortizable intangible assets causing a charge to earnings;

• exposure to increased economic and regulatory uncertainties from operating a global business; and

• catastrophic events or geo-political conditions may disrupt our business.

For more information about risks and uncertainties associated with Microsoft’s business, please refer to the “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Risk Factors” sections of Microsoft’s SEC filings, including, but not limited to, its annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, copies of which may be obtained by contacting Microsoft’s Investor Relations department at (800) 285-7772 or at Microsoft’s Investor Relations website at http://www.microsoft.com/investor/.

All information in this release is as of January 23, 2014. The company undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statement to conform the statement to actual results or changes in the company’s expectations.

For more information, financial analysts and investors only:

Chris Suh, general manager, Investor Relations, (425) 706-4400

Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://www.microsoft.com/news/. Web links, telephone numbers, and titles were correct at time of publication, but may since have changed. Shareholder and financial information, as well as today’s 2:30 p.m. PST conference call with investors and analysts, is available at http://www.microsoft.com/investor/.

REDMOND, Wash. — Jan. 16, 2014 — RCS MediaGroup, the leading Italian multimedia publishing company, primarily operating in Italy and Spain, has modernized and unified its communications infrastructure and enabled flexible, cloud-based collaboration through a comprehensive Microsoft technology solution that includes Microsoft Office 365, Windows Azure, Microsoft Lync 2013, Windows Server 2012 and Microsoft SharePoint 2013.

“With the benefits of a consistent approach for the end user, complete transparency for the delivery and the availability of Office applications, there will be more and more opportunities for our employees to continue to deliver new, innovative ideas,” said Umberto Tonelli, chief information officer of RCS MediaGroup. “For the IT department, this is a win-win situation; we are protecting our investments in technology, diminishing the risk of a massive deployment and finding new space to introduce innovation.”

RCS, longtime partner with Microsoft, turned to Microsoft Corp. because it needed to modernize its existing infrastructure while maintaining the security and quality of its business data and systems. With Microsoft cloud solutions, RCS has benefited from security-enhanced cloud storage, improved its disaster preparedness through the protection of relevant assets such as digitized historical archives of newspapers, simplified its communications infrastructure, and provided agile project management offerings for a mobile, distributed workforce that is using these solutions to manage more than 200 projects within its Digital Product Development Department. Moreover, using modern Windows apps and storage in the cloud, RCS has developed a solution for the sales force of its book publishing company, RCS Libri, that allows sales agents to retrieve the new books catalogue while on the go and present it interactively to their customers. Using the modern Windows app, they can directly place orders from the catalogue in front of the customer, dramatically reducing the selling cycle. After an agent’s visit, the modern Windows app allows the customer to review the catalog through a Web interface and place additional orders. The sales agents benefit as well from using Office 365 and Lync to communicate with their network, within and outside RCS.

Moreover, the new platform provides the marketing teams with a new collaborative environment, based on Office 365, where they can invite selected customers to focus groups to discuss and vote on the new digital products that RCS is planning to release.

Using a combination of Office 365 cloud environment and SharePoint 2013 on-premises, RCS will transform its intranet from a pure top-down communications tool to an interactive self-service feature for virtual desk. In addition to company information and self-service features for administrative tasks, it provides all employees with tools that support their business activities, allow them to collaborate with their network, contribute to and search the enterprise knowledge base, access their personal productivity tools (email, calendar, tasks, etc.), and manage their personal profile, information and files. The integrated solution enables RCS employees to share documents and images, manage projects, and communicate from virtually any location with mobile technology tools that support access from smartphones, tablets and other devices. Employees located in Italy can use Lync to quickly and easily connect with fellow employees in other locations around the world, such as the U.S., Spain, Mexico and China, as well as with vendors and partners. Ultimately, the company has been able to create a better and more productive working environment for its employees.

More information about how organizations are turning to Microsoft technology is available on the Microsoft Customer Spotlight newsroom.

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

Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://www.microsoft.com/news. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/news/contactpr.mspx.

Editor’s note – Jan. 16, 2014 – The quote from Ya-Qin Zhang in the press release below was updated post-publication.

SHANGHAI — Jan. 16 , 201 4 — Microsoft Open Technologies Inc. (MS Open Tech), a subsidiary of Microsoft Corp. dedicated to bridging Microsoft and non-Microsoft technologies, on Thursday announced the opening of a subsidiary in China, Microsoft Open Technologies (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. (MS Open Tech Shanghai).

January 15, 2014 Jean Paoli, President of Microsoft Open Technologies, Inc., during his keynote at the launch of Microsoft Open Technologies in Shanghai, China on Jan. 16, 2014.

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MS Open Tech Shanghai will have a robust team of engineers, standards professionals and technical evangelists with roots in open source and open standards. The Chinese subsidiary will focus on facilitating interactions between Microsoft proprietary development processes and the company’s open innovation efforts on services and devices by advancing the investments in interoperability, open standards and open source.

A July 26, 2013, Gartner Research report, titled “Global Data Point: Gartner, Hype Cycle for ICT in China, 2013,” states, “There is growing interest in China in the evolution of cloud technologies, open-source software, shared services, data center technologies such as the software-defined network, smart cities and green IT/sustainability.”[1]

As interest in cloud computing and open source technologies increases in China, Microsoft is focused on providing local customers with greater choice and opportunity to work successfully in heterogeneous IT environments. Through its operations in Shanghai, MS Open Tech will play a pivotal role by driving investments in interoperability and standards in Microsoft products, contributing to the open source community, and enabling open source software on Microsoft platforms, such as Windows Azure.

Jean Paoli, president of MS Open Tech, said, “We are committed to fostering Chinese innovation. Our new subsidiary will offer more flexibility to iterate and release open source software created in China, participate in existing open source and open standards efforts, and collaborate with the community of open source developers in China.”

Mr. Zhao Zhuping, Governor of the Minhang District of Shanghai, extended his congratulations to MS Open Tech Shanghai and said, “The development of open source software and the open source community requires long-term commitment. We are delighted to see the investments and efforts that Microsoft has made to advance the local open source ecosystem, which will enhance interactions between the local and global open source communities and help cultivate local talents.”

January 15, 2014 Government officials, industry leaders and Microsoft executives celebrate the launch of Microsoft Open Technologies in Shanghai, China on Jan. 16, 2014. From left: Samuel Shen, Chief Operating Officer, Microsoft China; Yang Genxing, Chairman, Shanghai Software Industry Association; S. Somasegar, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Corporation; Mr. Zhao Zhuping, Governor of Minhang District; Jean Paoli, President, Microsoft Open Technologies, Inc.; Lu Shouqun, Honorary Chairman, China Open Source Software Promotion Union (COPU); Lang Sheng Yun, Managing Director, Microsoft Open Technologies Shanghai; Shen Wen, President, Shanghai Zizhu Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone.

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Qiu Shanqin, chairman of China Open Source Software Promotion Union (COPU), said, “MS Open Tech China will enhance the collaboration between Microsoft and China technology companies in the area of open technologies. It will elevate technology innovation, promote the development of software industry in China and become a driver of economic development. MS Open Tech will also help attract more talent, which is the foundation of any community. I hope MS Open Tech will participate in and become an active member of the open source community in China and cultivate the Chinese open source community into a leading community in the world.”

Ya-Qin Zhang, corporate vice president, Microsoft China, said, “China is a strategic market for Microsoft. Over the past few years, Microsoft has significantly expanded the scope of R&D in China to not only help build global products but also help address the needs of China customers, partners and government. The establishment of Microsoft Open Technologies Shanghai is another key milestone in this journey, providing more choices for customers and developers, and more technology innovation for businesses, governments, and consumers, in particular in the era of cloud, big data, mobility and social.”

MS Open Tech works globally with many Microsoft product groups to ensure that open source technologies work well with Microsoft products and open standards are supported. MS Open Tech is helping developers reach more people in more ways across multiple devices by engaging with a variety of standards organizations, such as DMTF, ECMA, IETF, OASIS, W3C, ISO/IEC, and open source communities, including Apache Cordova, Apache Qpid, Blink, Cocos2D, Doctrine, Drupal, Joomla, JQuery, MongoDB, Mozilla, Node.js, Ogre3D, Outercurve, Redis, Symfony, WebKit and WordPress.

MS Open Tech plays an active role among standards-setting organizations, including initiatives for interoperable cloud services and the future of the open Web. In many cases, the subsidiary submits open source prototypes to test a potential standard’s use and interoperability.

More information and updates about MS Open Tech Shanghai are available by subscribing to the MS Open Tech Blog or visiting the MS Open Tech Chinese subsidiary website.

About Microsoft Open Technologies

Microsoft Open Technologies Inc. (MS Open Tech), is a wholly owned subsidiary of Microsoft Corp. dedicated to advancing the company’s investment in openness including interoperability, open standards and open source. MS Open Tech is focused on providing our customers with even greater choice and opportunity to bridge Microsoft and non-Microsoft technologies together in heterogeneous environments, because we’re convinced that openness is good for our customers, good for the community and good for our business. For additional information on MS Open Tech, visit www.msopentech.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.

[1] Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose .

Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://www.microsoft.com/news. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/news/contactpr.mspx.

NEW YORK — Jan. 13 , 2014 — At the National Retail Federation (NRF)’s Annual Convention on Monday, Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq “MSFT”) showcased the latest release of Microsoft Dynamics for Retail. The release features innovation in modern, mobile commerce, catalog and call center sales, as well as advanced operations for warehousing and transportation and logistics management. Managed by a true omni-channel commerce engine, these new capabilities further enhance the unique end-to-end value proposition of Microsoft Dynamics for Retail to help businesses such as Ashley Furniture Industries Inc., Delta Air Lines Inc. and Jean Coutu Group Inc. deliver amazing experiences that make happy customers.

Building on its commitment to deliver complete shopping experiences, Microsoft announced new alliances with Vantiv Inc. and Sitecore, as well as an expanded relationship with IBM. In addition, the company highlighted solution innovations on Windows Mobile devices and Microsoft Surface 2, reinforcing the company’s unique position as a retailer and developer of enterprise hardware and business applications. All of this helps ensure that customers get industry-leading solutions that help them reduce costs and complexity and enable them to always be ready for what’s next.

“Success in a retail environment that is modern, mobile, global and ‘always on’ requires businesses to create the personal and highly differentiated customer interactions,” said Kirill Tatarinov, executive vice president, Microsoft Business Solutions. “Microsoft is committed to helping businesses deliver amazing retail experiences today. It is at the core of our vision for the retail industry to help businesses connect without compromise across channels, on any device, anywhere.”

Industry-leading mobile commerce options and complete end-to-e nd e - c ommerce solution

As part of Microsoft’s alliance with Vantiv, a leading provider of payment processing services and related technology solutions, Microsoft Dynamics for Retail will deliver a new range of solutions for mobile POS and cloud-connected payments that can help businesses maximize their customer reach at any scale, end-to-end. From simple mobile payment collection in the field and individual direct-sales transactions to retail store operations and more, the combination of Microsoft’s technology with Vantiv’s scalable, integrated payment processing services and technology will make it easy for businesses to take advantage of their most important asset, people, to offer seamless, best-in-class experiences.

“Our alliance with Microsoft is a great example of how Vantiv is extending payment and POS innovation to our merchant partners,” said Elizabeth Rector, senior vice president of e-commerce and mobile at Vantiv. “Microsoft Dynamic’s POS leadership and reseller network combined with Vantiv’s omni-channel payments platform and vast distribution channels enable an entirely new scale of mobile payment solutions, delivering a true 360-degree experience to mid-market and enterprise merchants across any vertical.”

Offering customers the first end-to-end, enterprise e-commerce solution based entirely on Microsoft technology, the company also announced an alliance with Sitecore, a global leader in customer experience management software, to integrate its leading customer experience platform with the leading omni-channel commerce capabilities of Microsoft Dynamics. This combined solution will give businesses the ability to design completely connected online experiences optimized for the behaviors, devices and preferences of visitors with complete, real-time, omni-channel order management.

“This alliance is a game-changer for the retail industry. The integration of Sitecore’s best-in-class experience platform with Microsoft’s powerful, proven commerce solution will allow organizations to harness the power of real-time data insights to personalize and deliver compelling, consistent brand experiences — online, in-store and across any channel,” said Darren Guarnaccia, chief strategy officer for Sitecore. “Sitecore and Microsoft both offer trusted enterprise solutions globally and have a strong foundation of exceptional technology and joint customer success to build from.”

Microsoft and IBM team to deliver innovation and value to retailers

Microsoft also announced an expanded relationship with IBM, combining the powerful capabilities of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3 in retail and distribution with IBM’s proven global leadership in delivering integrated, enterprise retail solutions. The relationship also includes plans for IBM to develop and deploy differentiated intellectual property to offer unique, enhanced value to customers around world.

“IBM’s expanded collaboration with Microsoft will deliver innovative technology solutions that will help retailers seamlessly connect to their customers while delivering an exceptional brand experience,” said Brian Minnix, partner, Worldwide Retail Competency Center Lead, IBM. “We look forward to teaming with Microsoft to design differentiated retail solutions and services for today’s connected customers.”

More information on the new capabilities of Microsoft Dynamics for Retail can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics/retail.aspx.

About Microsoft Dynamics

At the heart of every successful business are the people who make things happen. Microsoft Dynamics designs modern business solutions that empower individuals with intuitive tools that allow them to do their best work. Our proactive, easy-to-use business applications adapt to the way people and systems work, enabling businesses to rapidly deploy and be forward-looking in an ever-changing world.

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.

Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://www.microsoft.com/news. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/news/contactpr.mspx.

REDMOND, Wash. , and SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Jan. 13, 2014 — GoDaddy , the Web’s top platform for small business, and Microsoft Corp. announced on Monday a long-term strategic partnership to offer Office 365 as GoDaddy’s exclusive core business-class email and productivity service to its small-business customers. This partnership supports GoDaddy’s ongoing push to deliver premium small-business management solutions. Serving 12 million customers worldwide, GoDaddy has created a simple experience for small businesses with industry-leading productivity tools backed by best-in-class customer support at an affordable price.

“Combining our small-business expertise together with Microsoft’s productivity offerings opens new doors for small businesses to easily get the tools they need to get more done in their day,” said Steven Aldrich, senior vice president of Business Applications, GoDaddy. “We’ve created a simple way to attach Office 365 to a domain name, helping small-business owners look professional and work anywhere, making the business of running their business easier.”

The strategic agreement between Microsoft and GoDaddy provides small businesses with seamless access to professional email connected to their domain names, cloud storage and a full suite of Microsoft productivity solutions. Plus, with GoDaddy, users receive around-the-clock live customer service, helping save time best spent focusing on their business. Also as part of the agreement, Microsoft created a unique offering of domain-based email and storage especially built with GoDaddy’s very small businesses in mind.

Office 365 offers business-class email, shared calendars, instant messaging, online conferencing and access to the most up-to-date documents. These capabilities are delivered as a cloud service available to users wherever they are, online or offline and across a variety of devices, offering access to the most up-to-date versions of the files and tools they need to get things done. Unlike some offerings designed for consumers or small businesses, Office 365 includes built-in security features that help deflect malware, spam, phishing attacks and other threats.

“We’re excited that GoDaddy has chosen to exclusively offer Office 365 to its small- business customers, giving them easy and supported access to productivity tools being used by some of the most successful businesses in the world,” said John Case, corporate vice president, Microsoft Office. “GoDaddy’s relationship with small businesses combined with Office 365, the fastest-growing Microsoft product in history, will help bring the benefits of Office 365 and modern cloud services to even more companies, whether they’re seeking to modernize how they do business or simply starting up.”

There are an estimated 28 million small businesses in the U.S. alone[1] and 125 million worldwide.[2] Of those 28 million, 92 percent of businesses have fewer than four employees. According to a Boston Consulting Group global study commissioned by Microsoft, if more small and medium-sized businesses adopted the latest in IT tools, it could potentially boost their revenues by a combined $770 billion and create more than 6 million jobs.[2]

Office 365 from GoDaddy is currently available in the U.S. and Canada and will expand globally within the next three months.

About GoDaddy

GoDaddy now serves more than 12 million paying customers worldwide and is the largest Web hosting and domain name registrar on the planet. GoDaddy leverages its award-winning talent and personalized approach to help small business owners create their digital identity, build websites and grow online. To learn more about the company, visit GoDaddy.com/PR.

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.

[1] GoDaddy research; U.S. Census Bureau, Longitudinal Business Database 1977–2010, 2009 County Business Patterns, 2010, http://censtats.census.gov/cgi-bin/nonemployer/nonsect.pl, http://www.sba.gov/advocacy/849/12162

[2] Source: International Finance Corp., member of the World Bank Group, “Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises

Around the World: How Many Are There, and What Affects the Count?” 2010

Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://www.microsoft.com/news. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/news/contactpr.mspx.