REDMOND, Wash. — June 3, 2013 — Today, Microsoft Corp. announced Chip In, a new seasonal buying program to help students get the Windows PC or tablet they need for school. With Chip In, students crowdsource contributions from friends and family toward the purchase of a new Windows PC or tablet. Microsoft will chip in 10 percent of the purchase price on select PCs, and the first 10,000 students to fully fund their PC will also get a four-year subscription to Office 365 University.*

“We know that heading to college is one of the top reasons students buy a new PC — it’s a powerful tool to support their education and stay in touch with their families and friends,” said Kristina Libby, head of Consumer Communications for Windows. “With Chip In from Microsoft, students can leverage the power of their social networks to help them get a new PC and Office 365 University this back-to-school season.”

How d oes it w ork?

Students can participate in Chip In exclusively at http://www.windowschipin.com. Participating students choose from a wide range of qualified Windows 8 PCs and tablets and create a “giving page.” Then they can share their page with friends and family via social media or email to ask for contributions in any amount up to the total cost of the PC.

The first 10,000 students to fully fund their PC before Sept. 1 will also get a four-year subscription of Office 365 University. The subscription gives students the latest, most complete Office applications (which can be downloaded on up to two devices), 20 GB of additional SkyDrive storage and 60 Skype world minutes.

Chip In runs now through Sept. 1, 2013. To participate, students need a valid .edu email address or documentation to prove enrollment in a university or accredited institution. More about the offer can be found at http://www.windowschipin.com.

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

* Office 365 University four-year subscriptions available to the first 10,000 participants who fully fund a PC through Chip In.

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 LAVAL, Quebec — June 3, 2013 — Microsoft Corp. and InCycle Software Inc. today announced that Microsoft has reached an agreement to acquire the InRelease Business Unit from InCycle Software, a leading provider of application lifecycle management (ALM) services and Release Management solutions on the .NET platform. The acquisition of the continuous deployment solution, InRelease, will add Release Management capabilities to Microsoft’s ALM and DevOps solutions, helping customers deliver applications faster, better and more efficiently.

“DevOps is an increasingly important part of ALM and a growing area of interest to chief information officers as businesses are pressured to develop and deploy quality applications at an increasingly faster pace,” said S. Somasegar, corporate vice president, Developer Division for Microsoft. “The InRelease continuous delivery solution will automate the development-to-production release process from Visual Studio Team Foundation Server, helping enable faster and simpler delivery of applications.”

InCycle Software’s InRelease Release Management solution was developed using the latest Microsoft technologies and integrated directly with Visual Studio Team Foundation Server to provide a mechanism in which application components can be deployed automatically to various target servers in different environments. This also enables all the configuration information to be centralized, managing the deployments as part of a business-driven release workflow that involves multiple roles in the organization. A continuous deployment approach brings together key stakeholders from across the build-deploy-test process to ensure that the application delivers the highest-quality experience across every operating environment to which the application is deployed. This constant feedback loop also allows development teams to bring applications to deployment at a much more rapid release cadence.

“InRelease was designed to build upon the existing features in Visual Studio, and we’re excited it will now be part of an integrated ALM solution bringing value to Visual Studio customers everywhere,” said Claude Remillard, president of InCycle Software.

Under the terms of the acquisition agreement, Microsoft will acquire the business unit of InCycle Software that provides its InRelease automated deployment solution. InCycle Software, a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, will remain a separate entity focused on ALM consulting.

Somasegar added, “InCycle Software will continue on as a valued partner to Microsoft, and a great resource for customers evaluating ALM solutions based on the InRelease technology.”

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

About InCycle Software

Microsoft Gold partner since 2005, InCycle Software is the North American leader in Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) consulting services that help .NET organizations go to the next level.

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.

NEW ORLEANS — June 3, 2013 — At TechEd North America 2013, Microsoft Corp. introduced a portfolio of new solutions to help businesses thrive in the era of cloud computing and connected devices. In today’s keynote address, Server & Tools Corporate Vice President Brad Anderson and fellow executives showcased how new offerings across client, datacenter infrastructure, public cloud and application development help deliver the most comprehensive, connected enterprise platform.

“The products and services introduced today illustrate how Microsoft is the company that businesses can bet on as they embrace cloud computing, deliver critical applications, and empower employee productivity in new and exciting ways,” Anderson said. “Only Microsoft connects the dots for the enterprise from ‘client to cloud.’”

Today’s keynote featured several customers, including luxury car manufacturer Aston Martin. The company is an example of the many enterprises that use the full range of Microsoft products and cloud platforms for IT success.

“Our staff’s sole purpose is to provide advanced technology that enables Aston Martin to build the most beautiful, iconic sports cars in the world,” said Daniel Roach-Rooke, IT infrastructure manager, Aston Martin. “From corporate desktops and software development to private and public cloud, Microsoft is our IT vendor of choice.”

Fueling hybrid cloud

At TechEd, Microsoft introduced upcoming releases of its key enterprise IT solutions for hybrid cloud: Windows Server 2012 R2, System Center 2012 R2 and SQL Server 2014. Available in preview later this month, the products break down boundaries between customer datacenters, service provider datacenters and Windows Azure. Using them, enterprises can make IT services and applications available across clouds and scale them up or down according to business needs. Windows Server 2012 R2 and System Center 2012 R2 are slated to release by the end of calendar year 2013, with SQL Server 2014 slated for release shortly thereafter.

With advances in virtualization, software-defined networking, data storage and recovery, in-memory transaction processing, and more, these solutions were engineered with Microsoft’s “cloud-first” focus, including a faster pace of development and release to market. They incorporate Microsoft’s experience running large-scale cloud services, connect to Windows Azure and work together to provide a consistent platform for powerful hybrid cloud scenarios. More information can be found at blog posts by Anderson about Windows Server and System Center and by Quentin Clark about SQL Server.

Further showcasing Microsoft’s hybrid cloud advantage, today the company also announced the public preview of Windows Azure BizTalk Services for enterprise integration solutions, both on-premises and in the cloud. In addition, Windows Azure now offers industry-leading, per-minute billing for virtual machines, Web roles and worker roles that improves cloud economics for customers. More information is available at the Windows Azure blog.

Windows 8.1: Empowering modern business

During the keynote address, Iain McDonald, partner director of program management for Windows, detailed key business features in the recently announced Windows 8.1 update — including advances in security, management, mobility and networking — to offer the best business tablets with the most powerful operating system for today’s modern business needs.

New networking features in Windows 8.1 aim to improve mobile productivity for today’s workforce, with system-on-a-chip (SoC)-integrated mobile broadband, native Miracast wireless display and near field communication (NFC)-based pairing with enterprise printers. Security is also enhanced in the new update to address device proliferation and to protect corporate data and applications with fingerprint-based biometrics, multifactor authentication on tablets and remote business data removal to securely wipe company data from a device. And improved management capabilities in Windows 8.1 give customers more flexibility with supported options such as System Center Configuration Manager 2012 R2 and new mobile device management (MDM) solutions with third-party MDM partners, in addition to updated Windows Intune support.

On June 26, at the Build 2013 developer conference in San Francisco, Microsoft will release a public preview of the Windows 8.1 update for Windows 8 and Windows RT customers. More information on new features found in Windows 8.1 for businesses, including updated Windows deployment guidance for businesses, is available on the Windows for your Business blog.

Fostering modern application development

Microsoft today also introduced Visual Studio 2013 and demonstrated new capabilities for improving the application lifecycle, both on-premises and in the cloud. A preview of Visual Studio 2013, with its new enhancements for agile portfolio planning, developer productivity, team collaboration, quality enablement and DevOps, is slated for release in the coming weeks, timed with the Build conference.

Furthermore, Microsoft today announced an agreement to acquire InCycle Software Inc.’s InRelease Business Unit. InRelease is a leading release management solution for Microsoft .NET and Windows Server applications. This acquisition will extend Microsoft’s offerings in the application lifecycle management and DevOps market. More information is available on S. Somasegar’s blog.

In addition, the company today announced new benefits that enable Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) subscribers to more easily develop and test more applications with Windows Azure. New enhancements include up to $150 worth of Windows Azure platform services per month at no additional cost for Visual Studio Professional, Premium or Ultimate MSDN subscribers and new use rights to run select MSDN software in the cloud.

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. — May 29, 2013 — It doesn’t matter if you’re a man or a woman: The way people use (or misuse) their mobile phones can really grate on your nerves. A Microsoft Safer Online Facebook poll revealed that many smartphone users don’t mind their mobile manners — but men and women both find people who constantly check their mobile phones to be the most annoying.

Of course, the frustrations don’t stop there. The following are the agreed-upon top five pet peeves:

1. Checking phones constantly

2. Talking loudly

3. Using or not silencing phones when appropriate

4. Using phones during face-to-face conversation

5. Delaying traffic by using phones

Other mobile annoyances included accidentally pocket-dialing someone and simply losing their phones, opening the door to potential digital damage. Thirty-nine percent of respondents also agreed that they believe men and women equally practice mobile phone safety, but this may not be the reality.

“Although we’re all bothered by certain mobile phone behaviors, the more important point is knowing how to help protect one’s device and information from scammers, rogue software and the oversharing of digital details,” said Jacqueline Beauchere, chief online safety officer, Microsoft Corp. “We know from earlier research that men and women practice mobile safety very differently.”

So who does a better job protecting their personal information on mobile phones? According to the Microsoft Computing Safety Index (MCSI), men do a slightly better job using technical tools:

• Thirty-five percent use a PIN or password to lock their mobile device compared with 33 percent of women.

• Thirty-five percent use secured wireless networks versus 32 percent of women.

• Thirty-two percent keep their mobile devices up to date contrasted with 24 percent of women.

Yet men seem to experience more mobile pitfalls, receiving more emails from strangers asking for personal information (70 percent versus 65 percent), more rogue antivirus popups (66 percent versus 58 percent), and more online impersonation experiences (31 percent versus 26 percent).

Women tend to be more protective of their online reputations, taking additional steps to limit personal information online (40 percent versus 37 percent) and what strangers can see on social networking sites (40 percent versus 32 percent), as well as being more selective about what they text (34 percent versus 31 percent).

As always, protecting yourself online is paramount in today’s online world. Microsoft offers the following tips to help you stay safe when using your mobile devices — in turn, ensuring you don’t annoy your friends:

• Silence your mobile phone. Know when to put the phone away, and be present.

• Help protect your privacy online. Don’t overshare. Think before posting your whereabouts, and save vacation highlights and photos for your return.

• Use location-based services safely. Think carefully about turning on geotagging. Share your location only with people you trust. Pay attention to where and when you check in, and get permission before you check in your friends.

• Conduct financial transactions on a secure network. Don’t use “borrowed” or public Wi-Fi hotspots.

• Lock your mobile phone. Keep your info secret with a unique, four-digit PIN.

Take the Microsoft Safer Online Facebook poll, and find more information about the poll results and mobile phone safety at http:/www.microsoft.com/security.

About the 2012 MCSI

The MCSI surveyed more than 10,000 PC, smartphone and tablet users in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Russia, Singapore, Spain, South Korea, Turkey, the U.K. and the U.S. about their personal approach to online safety. More information on the MCSI can be found here.

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. — May 29, 2013 — Microsoft Corp. today announced the 86 teams that will travel to St. Petersburg, Russia, in July to compete in the 11th annual Imagine Cup Worldwide Finals in pursuit of $1,000,000 in cash prizes and other awards. Each team’s innovative ideas, mastery of integrated technology and development of a strong business plan helped them compete in their country during the year, then rise above their peers for the opportunity to represent their country at Microsoft’s annual global student technology competition. Imagine Cup is part of the Microsoft YouthSpark initiative to create opportunities for millions of young people around the world.

More students competed in Imagine Cup worldwide this year than ever before, with a more than 70 percent increase from 2012. The best projects advanced to country-level competitions that determined the national teams, while additional teams advanced via a global online competition. Students could compete via Competitions as well as themed Challenges. Competitions are cornerstone events for Imagine Cup that require students to complete applications built on Microsoft technology aligned to three key focus areas: Innovation, World Citizenship and Games.

Challenges provide an opportunity for students to participate in Imagine Cup by learning, prototyping and creating applications using the newest Microsoft technologies. They occur online only, and the top three teams in each category will attend the Worldwide Finals to compete for first-, second- or third-place awards. Challenge categories include the Windows Azure Challenge, Windows Phone Challenge and Windows 8 App Challenge.

“For more than a decade, Imagine Cup has cultivated entrepreneurship in students and has provided them with a vehicle to bring their creativity to life through apps, software platforms and social networks,” said Steve Guggenheimer, corporate vice president and chief evangelist at Microsoft. “Participating in initiatives such as Imagine Cup, DreamSpark and BizSpark gives students skills to transition from the classroom to the professional world as business owners, programmers, game designers and entrepreneurs.”

Team Colinked from the University of Exeter will represent the United Kingdom at the Imagine Cup Worldwide Finals this year in the Innovation Competition, a new category created to celebrate the wider world of student innovations. The team created an app called soundSYNK that uses Bluetooth technology to link an unlimited number of Windows Phones and streams the same song on all of them in perfect timing, effectively creating a symphony of speakers.

“soundSYNK is an impromptu social network that brings people together through the instant sharing of music,” said Edward Noel, a member of Team Colinked. “In a year’s time we hope to be a fully functioning startup with an app on millions of smartphones.”

Imagine Cup welcomes Matt Smith

In addition to the 86 teams attending this year’s final event in Russia, Microsoft is pleased to announce that Matt Smith, who plays the intelligent and witty iconic time traveler on the BBC, will join Imagine Cup students onstage as host of the Worldwide Finals awards ceremony, which will be streamed live online worldwide July 11.

Each year Imagine Cup is dedicated to showing the world how young people can rise from anywhere and shine a brilliant light on the future. This year Matt Smith will be there with Microsoft to infuse that light.

Sponsored awards

Students will compete at the Worldwide Finals for first, second and third place in six competition categories, as well as awards presented by Imagine Cup sponsors.

• AppCampus Award. All teams with a Windows Phone project are eligible to apply for this award with a prize of 50,000 euros in funding, airfare and accommodations to attend a four-week AppCampus training event in Finland.

• DreamSpark Learning Award. Teams that developed a project showcasing how software creates new ways of learning and/or teaching are invited to apply for a $5,000 grand prize award.

• Facebook Creativity Award. Worldwide Finalists that integrate Facebook Login into their apps to grow distribution and increase engagement will be eligible for the grand prize of $25,000 in Facebook advertising credits.

• KFC Russia Award. Worldwide finalist teams with Kinect for Xbox 360 projects related to youth culture, healthy lifestyles or nutrition will be eligible to win the $10,000 prize and have their project featured at the KFC flagship restaurant in Moscow.

• Mail.Ru Group Connected Planet Award. Projects that embrace online communications and entertainment in fun, useful and innovative ways are eligible for these prizes: first place, $10,000; second place, $5,000; and third place, $3,000.

• Women’s Empowerment Award. Presented in partnership with UN Women, this award will be given to teams that create technology solutions that empower women to improve their lives. The first-place prize is $12,000 and second place is $8,000.

Worldwide Finalists with projects focused on social good also have the chance to apply for Microsoft Imagine Cup Grants, part of a $3 million investment by Microsoft through its YouthSpark initiative to help students turn their ideas for social good into reality.

Industry experts set to judge at Worldwide Finals

This year Imagine Cup has judges representing both a breadth of experience and a depth of expertise in innovation, technology development, gaming and other key areas. Those coming to Russia to judge the final projects include Catherine Bracy from Code for America; Simon Lu from Twitter; Alexey Pajitnov, the creator of “Tetris”; and many others. A full list of all judges is available on the Imagine Cup website.

Imagine Cup Worldwide Finalists

These are the Imagine Cup Worldwide Finalist teams, and a full list is also available on the Imagine Cup website.

Country, Category, Team Name:

• Algeria, World Citizenship, Ask Design

• Angola, Games, UMA

• Argentina & Uruguay, World Citizenship, Tweaks

• Armenia, Innovation, Lionsharp Solutions

• Australia, World Citizenship, Confufish Royale

• Austria, Games, Zeppelin Studio

• Bahrain, Innovation, Buzzlers

• Bangladesh, World Citizenship, BUET101

• Belgium, World Citizenship, Hateya

• Bolivia, World Citizenship, Noodles

• Botswana, World Citizenship. Tandabala

• Brazil, World Citizenship, Oniria Games for Health Brazil

• Brazil, Innovation, Flying Ship

• Bulgaria, World Citizenship, Vertigo

• Canada, World Citizenship, Sano

• Chile, Innovation, Lifeware

• China, Innovation, Imagine the World

• China, World Citizenship, Combine

• China, Windows Azure, LetssGo

• Croatia, World Citizenship, AuThink

• Cyprus, World Citizenship, Nudge From Cyprus

• Czech Republic, Games, WickedGames

• Ecuador, World Citizenship, AYNI

• Egypt, Innovation, MASKed Ninjas

• France, World Citizenship, Ki (Breath)

• France, Games, Banzai Lightning

• France, Games, Seven Worlds

• Germany, World Citizenship, metappolic

• Germany, Windows 8, Wordsapp

• Greece, World Citizenship, Kinemat

• Hungary, Innovation, Plan B Labs

• India, World Citizenship, PATHFINDERS

• India, Windows Azure, Y-Nots

• Indonesia, Games, Solite Studio

• Ireland, World Citizenship, RUOK

• Italy, Innovation, ATS Team

• Italy, Windows 8, TeamNameException

• Japan, Innovation, Project N

• Jordan, Innovation, Devastators

• Kazakhstan, World Citizenship, Merado

• Kenya, Innovation, Team PI Craft

• Korea, Innovation, Lumos

• Lebanon, Innovation, KeyStroke

• Malta, World Citizenship, PhAid

• Mauritania, Innovation, One World

• Morocco, Innovation, GreenMust

• New Zealand, World Citizenship, InfinityTek

• Nigeria, World Citizenship, LifeSaver

• Oman, Innovation, Thrizers

• Pakistan, World Citizenship, Team Epi-C

• Palestinian Authorities, Innovation, Fresco

• Peru, Innovation, M&Z Team

• Poland, Innovation, TapBoarders

• Poland, Windows Phone, front

• Poland, Windows Phone, WeRule

• Portugal, World Citizenship, For a Better World

• Puerto Rico, Games, PsyTrack

• Qatar, Innovation, Qspark

• Romania, World Citizenship, MedScientists

• Russia, Innovation, Out of Focus

• Russia, Games, Quad Damage

• Russia, World Citizenship, Gesis

• Saudi Arabia, Innovation, Dreams Team

• Singapore, Innovation, EyeCanSee

• Singapore, Windows Phone, vSoft Studio

• Slovakia, World Citizenship, Quatrro Formaggi

• Slovenia, World Citizenship, Beezinga

• Slovenia, Innovation, DORA

• South Africa, Innovation, South Africa

• Spain, Innovation, M1R

• Sri Lanka, Innovation, Team Firebird

• Taiwan, World Citizenship, Omni-Hearing Solution

• Thailand, Innovation, MYRA

• Thailand, Windows 8, Clever Mind

• Tunisia, World Citizenship, WiseTeam

• Turkey, Games, Space Fighters

• Uganda, World Citizenship, Code 8

• Ukraine, Innovation, CamTouch

• Ukraine, Windows Azure, nlife

• United Arab Emirates, World Citizenship, M.S.A. Team

• United Kingdom, Innovation, Colinked

• United States, Innovation, Team Poli’ahu

• United States, World Citizenship, Bears Unlimited

• Venezuela, World Citizenship, Lazarillo NET

• Vietnam, Games, Bluetooth

• West & Central Africa, World Citizenship, Kernel

About Microsoft Imagine Cup

Microsoft Imagine Cup is the world’s premier technology program and competition for students to learn, build and compete with innovative tools, platform and services. This is the 11th year of Imagine Cup, part of Microsoft YouthSpark, which will be celebrated at the Worldwide Finals in St. Petersburg, Russia, July 8–11. Students are eligible to register and compete in Imagine Cup by visiting http://www.imaginecup.com. A full list of competition categories is available at http://imaginecup.com/main/compete.

About Microsoft YouthSpark

Microsoft YouthSpark is a global initiative that aims to create opportunities for 300 million youth in more than 100 countries during the next three years. This companywide initiative includes Citizenship and other company programs — both new and enhanced — that empower youth to imagine and realize their full potential by connecting them with greater opportunities for education, employment and entrepreneurship. Find out more at http://www.microsoft.com/youthspark.

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, W ash. — May 2 9 , 201 3 — Companies and organizations are increasingly turning to the cloud as a strategy for business growth, according to The New Era of Hosted Services, a Microsoft-commissioned study conducted by 451 Research LLC. As they look ahead to the next two years, more than 52 percent of organizations identify the cloud as beneficial for either growing their business or realigning their organization to a new company strategy. Along with this drive for growth comes significant opportunity for Microsoft hosting partners as customers look to grow their business with a hybrid cloud consumption model.

Study: The new era of hosted services May 28, 2013 Customers are increasingly turning to the cloud for business growth, representing a major opportunity for hosting service providers.

Downloads: Web | Print

“The next two years will be the era of hybrid cloud, with 68 percent of customers planning to adopt hybrid cloud models — up from 49 percent today,” said Marco Limena, vice president, Hosting Service Providers Business, Microsoft. “In addition, the survey found that as customers begin to move their IT environments into the cloud, software is sticky and brand is even more important.”

In fact, the survey revealed that two-thirds of software-as-a-service customers use software online that they had previously installed on-premises. This highlights a significant opportunity for hosting service provider partners to offer customers Microsoft software they trust in a cloud environment. Currently, 30 million x86 servers are operating worldwide, and approximately 22 million servers are running on the Windows platform and Windows-based applications. In addition, Microsoft Exchange has more than 78 percent share of insourced email in businesses larger than 25 seats across the U.S., Canada, France, Germany and the U.K.

“IT professionals were very clear in their response to this survey — cloud-based computing will play an important and growing role as part of their IT portfolios moving forward,” said Michelle Bailey, vice president, Datacenter Initiatives and Digital Infrastructure, 451 Research. “The study clearly shows a strong customer preference for full-service hosting solutions over the next two years, with substantial investment increases in security services, database, shared servers, backup and recovery, and managed hosted desktop. As this market matures, customers are selecting hosting providers based on trust and their ability to grow with customers’ future businesses.”

Microsoft is committed to helping customers with this transition to the cloud and has built a large portfolio of products to support this effort, including infrastructure solutions such as Windows Server, Microsoft System Center, Microsoft SQL Server and Windows Azure, as well as applications such as Exchange, SharePoint, Lync, Office and Office 365. Microsoft also believes in giving full flexibility to customers when it comes to where to deploy these technologies, and its strong alliance with its community of hosting service providers around the world ensures a seamless experience for customers. Microsoft has added 4,500 new hosting partners in the past 12 months, making its hosting community one of the largest of any vendor.

The New Era of Hosted Services study was designed and conducted in conjunction with 451 Research (https://451research.com) in spring 2013. The research includes responses from more than 1,500 customers across small, midsize and large organizations in 10 countries across North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia, including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Russia, Japan, China, India, Australia and Brazil.

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. — May 27, 2013 — Nearly half of employees report that social tools at work help increase their productivity, but more than 30 percent of companies underestimate the value of these tools and often restrict their use, according to new Microsoft research released today.

The survey, conducted for Microsoft Corp. by research firm Ipsos among 9,908 information workers in 32 countries, also found that 39 percent of employees feel there isn’t enough collaboration in their workplaces, and 40 percent believe social tools help foster better teamwork. More surprisingly, 31 percent said they are willing to spend their own money to buy social tools.

“Employees are already bringing their own devices into their workplaces, but now they are increasingly bringing their own services as well,” said Charlene Li, founder and analyst at Altimeter Group, a firm that studies social media and other technology trends. “Employees expect to work differently, with tools that feel more modern and connected, but are also reflective of how they interact in their personal lives. Enterprise social represents a new way to work, and organizations embracing these tools are improving collaboration, speeding customer responses and creating competitive advantages.”

The research also found distinct differences between countries, sectors and genders as they relate to the levels of productivity, collaboration and communication tools used in today’s workplace.

Regions

• Employees in the Asia-Pacific region were most likely to attribute higher productivity levels to the increased use of social tools, followed by Latin America and Europe. Employees in Latin America, however, were most likely to credit social tools with greater collaboration in the workplace, followed by the Asia-Pacific region and Europe.

• Greater proportions of workers in Latin America and the Asia-Pacific region are using social tools — and with greater frequency. In contrast, those in North America and Europe have been slower in adopting many social tools.

Sectors

• Financial services and government employees are most likely to say their company places restrictions on the use of social tools, likely due to the high level of regulation in those sectors.

• Moreover, professionals in financial services (74 percent) and government (72 percent) are more likely than those in other fields to say these restrictions are due to security concerns, while those working in retail (59 percent) and travel and hospitality (57 percent) are more likely to blame productivity loss.

Gender

• Men are more likely than women to attribute higher productivity levels to social tools in a professional setting.

• Women are more likely than men to believe their company restricts the use of social tools.

• Men are more likely than women to say these restrictions are due to security concerns, while women are more likely to blame productivity loss.

“Just as email accelerated the pace of business in the ’90s, enterprise social will be the driver of greater agility and transformation in the 21st century workplace,” said Kurt DelBene, president, Microsoft Office Division. “As we look ahead at how collaboration and communications continue to evolve, we believe the tools people use today — email, instant messaging, voice, videoconferencing, social — will come together and be deeply integrated into apps in ways that will speed collaboration and truly transform the way people work.”

Microsoft envisions enterprise social as a fiber connecting all collaboration tools within an enterprise, not as a separate website or app that must be added into employees’ daily mix of activities. As companies start to use social tools such as Yammer, Microsoft Office 365, Microsoft Lync and Microsoft Dynamics CRM for collaboration, sharing and communicating outside and inside their organizations, they stand to benefit from an increase in team collaboration, employee engagement, organizational connectedness, and the flexibility required to react nimbly and quickly to business changes and demands. Done correctly, enterprise social can drive significant business value by improving how employees connect, share information and work across teams and geographies, as well as beyond the firewall to customers, vendors and other key relationships.

“Enterprise social tools like Yammer have helped Red Robin transform a widespread employee base of nearly 30,000 across 44 states into a more tightly knit workforce focused entirely on team member and guest satisfaction,” said Chris Laping, senior vice president of Business Transformation and chief information officer, Red Robin. “Even more importantly, it helps us ensure we reach our workforce — 87 percent are millennials — in the right ways for learning and engagement because how they want to be engaged is through social and mobile.” More information about the Microsoft survey is available at http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/presskits/enterprisesocial. Microsoft also invites participation in the social enterprise conversation happening on Twitter. At “The Worldwide Water Cooler” — http://www.theworldwidewatercooler.com — participants can answer questions and share thoughts via Twitter directly from the site.

About the survey

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos poll of information workers (defined as employed adults working at a company with at least 100 employees who use a PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone for at least 75 percent of their job function) conducted online March 25–April 24, 2013. A total of 9,908 interviews were conducted across 32 countries. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.

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. — May 21, 2013 — A new vision for the future comes to life today as Microsoft Corp. unveils Xbox One , the all-in-one gaming and entertainment system created for today and the next generation. At Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Wash., the company showcased how Xbox One puts you at the center of all your games, TV, movies, music, sports and Skype.

“Xbox One is designed to deliver a whole new generation of blockbuster games, television and entertainment in a powerful, all-in-one device,” said Don Mattrick, president, Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “Our unique, modern architecture brings simplicity to the living room and, for the first time ever, the ability to instantly switch across your games and entertainment.”

Introducing Xbox One

With Xbox One, games push the boundaries of realism, and TV obeys your commands.[1] Say “Xbox On” to launch your personalized Xbox One Home screen, discover what is popular on TV or see friends’ latest gaming achievements all using the most natural interface — your voice. The more you interact with Xbox One, the more it gets to know you and learns what you like. Some of the breakthrough Xbox One features that put you at the center of your living room entertainment include the following:

• TV on Xbox One.[1] Navigate and watch live TV from your cable, telco or satellite set-top box through your Xbox One. Microsoft is committed to bringing live TV through various solutions to all the markets where Xbox One will be available.[3]

• Home. Turn on your entertainment system with two powerful words, “Xbox On,” and a custom-tailored Home dashboard welcomes you with your favorite games, TV and entertainment.

• Snap. Do two things at once on the biggest screen in your home. Use Snap to jump into a multiplayer battle while watching your favorite movie, talk with friends on Skype while watching live TV, or track your fantasy team on TV as you watch the big game and more.

• Skype for Xbox One. Specially designed for Xbox One, talk with friends on your TV in stunning HD, or for the first time ever, hold group Skype calls on your TV.

• Trending.[1] Stay on top of what is hot on TV by discovering the entertainment that is popular among your friends, and see what is trending within the Xbox community.

• OneGuide.[1], [2] Find your favorite entertainment easily, searching by network, name or time, all with the sound of your voice and presented in a tailored program guide.

To create the most advanced Xbox system ever designed for games, TV and entertainment, Microsoft created a state-of-the-art gaming operating system and fused it with an equally amazing entertainment platform, so you will not have to switch inputs to watch TV or play a game. An eight-core, x86 processor and more than 5 billion transistors helps make lag and load times a thing of the past, so you can instantly jump between a game and your entertainment at lightning speed or run a host of apps right alongside your game with no loss in performance. Introducing Xbox One titles and exclusives

Gaming on Xbox One immerses gamers in cinematic worlds that look like real life, with characters that feel more human than ever before. AAA blockbuster titles unveiled for Xbox One include the following:

• “Forza Motorsport 5” from Turn 10 Studios is the latest edition of the highest-rated racing franchise of the past 10 years.[3] Built from the ground up to take advantage of Xbox One and the infinite power of the cloud, no game better delivers the sensation of being behind the wheel. “Forza Motorsport 5” sets a new bar for racing games and will be available exclusively for Xbox One at launch.

• “Call of Duty: Ghosts” is the next generation of “Call of Duty” and a stunning leap forward for the franchise. It delivers an all-new world, an all-new cast of characters and an all-new story, built on a new, next-generation engine. The next-generation technical innovations built to support the incredible gameplay advancements make this the most beautiful and immersive “Call of Duty” experience yet. Activision and Microsoft also announced the renewal of their close partnership that will see both the return of the “Call of Duty® Championship,” presented by Xbox, as well as all-new downloadable content debuting first and exclusively on the Xbox platform.

• “FIFA 14,” “Madden NFL 25,” “NBA LIVE 14,” and “EA SPORTS UFC” from EA SPORTS will change the way consumers experience and play sports games. Driven by the new EA SPORTS Ignite engine, these new EA SPORTS games will deliver massive innovations in human intelligence, true player motion and living worlds. Adding to its commitment to Xbox One, EA SPORTS also announced the promise of exclusive content to be revealed in the coming months.

• “Quantum Break” from Remedy Entertainment is a revolutionary entertainment experience from the creators of “Max Payne” and “Alan Wake” that blurs the line between gaming and TV by integrating drama and gameplay into one seamless, uniquely immersive experience. How you play the game impacts the show, and the show informs how you play the game.

In addition to the amazing lineup of games coming to Xbox One, Microsoft unveiled exclusive content partnerships with some of the top names in TV, sports and entertainment.

• “Halo” television series. Award-winning filmmaker, director and producer, Steven Spielberg will executive-produce an original “Halo” live-action television series with exclusive interactive Xbox One content, created in partnership with 343 Industries and Xbox Entertainment Studios.

• National Football League (NFL).[1] A multiyear, landmark partnership will deliver the ultimate interactive NFL television experiences for the next-generation Xbox One and leverage Microsoft devices and services to evolve both in-game and on the sideline. The NFL on Xbox will redefine broadcast experiences through innovations around Skype, Xbox SmartGlass and player-worn technology; add an all-new fantasy football solution for the biggest screen in the house; and create a personalized NFL destination only available on Xbox One.

Introducing a new generation of Xbox Live

Xbox One is built to amplify an all-new generation of Xbox Live that is more powerful, more personal and more intelligent. Unleashing the virtually unlimited power of the cloud makes everything more convenient and accessible, from allowing games to be installed in segments so that gameplay can start quickly to updates downloading in the background. Save and store your personalized profile, games and entertainment in the cloud to access them anytime, from any Xbox One console.[4] In addition, existing Xbox Live Gold Membership for Xbox 360 will seamlessly carry over to Xbox One.[5] Xbox Live takes you deeper into the games you love with all-new features.

• Smart Match. A new Smart Match matchmaking system virtually eliminates waiting in lobbies by estimating wait times and finding people you want to play with while you are enjoying other activities — reputation fundamentally matters and helps find best matches.

• Game DVR. A dedicated Game DVR captures and accesses your magic moments, all saved to the cloud. Along with sharing tools, you will have the most amazing bragging rights with Xbox Live.

• Living Games.[6] Dynamic, living worlds evolve and improve the more you play, and advanced artificial intelligence can learn to play like you, so friends can play against your shadow.

• Expanded achievements. A new and expanded achievements system captures video of your epic moments, continues to grow a game’s achievements over time and rewards you in new ways, and your Gamerscore carries over from Xbox 360.

• Xbox SmartGlass.[6] Xbox SmartGlass is natively part of the Xbox One platform, built in from the beginning with the ability to quickly render content directly onto your device, and now more devices can connect at one time for multiplayer and shared entertainment.

Introducing the Xbox One look and feel

New Xbox One hardware is sleek and modern and complements any décor. The console is shaped in the 16:9 aspect ratio and employs a horizontal orientation optimized for its high-speed Blu-ray™ disc player. It is molded in a deep and rich liquid black color and includes a distinctive beveled edge.

The completely redesigned, revolutionary 1080p Kinect is more precise, more responsive and more intuitive. Its unparalleled vision, motion and voice technology let you reach into games and entertainment like never before by dramatically expanding its field of view and fidelity. It works in nearly any lighting condition, recognizes precise motion control from a slight wrist rotation, and distinguishes your voice even in a noisy room using advanced noise isolation.

The class-leading Xbox controller is refreshed with more than 40 technical and design innovations. Updated directional pad, thumb stick and ergonomic fit immerse all gamers in ways that are uniquely Xbox, and precision and control have been dramatically increased with all new vibrating impulse triggers.6 The Xbox One Wireless Controller is designed to work in concert with the new Kinect, allowing the two to be paired automatically to create seamless player syncing.

Xbox One will launch in markets around the world later this year. Visit the new Xbox Wire blog at http://news.xbox.com for in-depth features on the new system, including photos and videos from the unveiling event and new and rotating content from Xbox. More details about Xbox One and blockbuster games will be explored at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in June.

About Xbox

Xbox is Microsoft’s premier entertainment brand for the TV, phone, PC and tablet. In living rooms or on the go, Xbox is home to the best and broadest games, as well as one of the world’s largest libraries of movies, TV, music, and sports. Your favorite games, TV and entertainment come to life in new ways through the power of Kinect, Xbox SmartGlass, and Xbox Live, the world’s premier social entertainment network. More information about Xbox can be found online at http://www.xbox.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.

Features and requirements are under development and may change prior to release. Available features and content may vary by country. Broadband Internet (ISP fees apply) and advanced TV hardware required. Games and media content sold separately. Xbox Live Gold Membership, paid subscription and other requirements apply for some Xbox Live features.

1 Live TV with Kinect navigation, Live TV with Foo Guide, Trending, and NFL on Xbox available in U.S. at launch; anticipating global scale over time.

2 Kinect voice functionality only available in supported locales and languages.

3 At launch, Live TV will require a supported receiver device with HDMI output (sold separately).

4 Subject to geographical content restrictions.

5 Some Xbox Live content and features available on Xbox 360, including avatar content and some apps, are not available with Xbox Live on Xbox Foo.

6 In supported games.

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. — May 21, 2013 — Microsoft Corp. and the National Football League (NFL) today announced a multiyear, landmark partnership that will deliver truly unique interactive NFL television experiences for the next-generation Xbox One and leverage Microsoft devices and services to evolve the in-game, sideline experience for coaches, players and other personnel.

“We love the passion that players, coaches and fans bring to the NFL game; it’s what makes the NFL game-day experience so unique,” said Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO. “We’re excited to apply our passion for technology to the NFL experience, both on the sidelines through the innovative use of Microsoft Surface devices, and for fans through an enhanced NFL viewing experience on Xbox One.”

The agreement provides Microsoft with the rights to create exclusive interactive experiences through products such as Xbox One and Surface, transforming the way fans will experience the NFL in the years to come. The NFL on Xbox will provide fans with an all-new viewing experience through innovations around Skype and Xbox SmartGlass; an all-new, innovative fantasy football solution allowing fans to view players and live competition side by side on a single TV screen; and a personalized NFL destination featuring information about the players, teams and games fans care about most. Xbox also retains the exclusive rights to extend these interactive experiences to tablets, enabling fans to use Xbox SmartGlass technology to enhance game day.

“When we started working with Roger Goodell and the team at the NFL we knew that we could create great new experiences that fans would love,” said Don Mattrick, president of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “This partnership will redefine NFL experiences through exclusive and interactive content that you will find only on Xbox. For fans, the NFL on Xbox will provide the most complete way to enjoy live football by bringing the first fully-integrated fantasy football experience to the TV, exclusively through Xbox.”

This partnership also changes the game for NFL teams because coaches and players will soon have access to a variety of cutting-edge Microsoft solutions, including Surface tablets to enhance on-field communications, photo viewing and play calling. Microsoft and the NFL envision a sideline of the future with players reviewing in-game photos from different camera angles directly from the sideline and head coaches calling plays off connected Surface tablets instead of today’s static paper products. With Microsoft technology, NFL coaches, players and other personnel will have the technology they need to improve decision-making and on-field performance.

“From the use of instant replay to the yellow first-down line that has become an important element of the at-home television viewing experience, the NFL is committed to leveraging technology to improve our game for coaches, players and fans,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. “We’re thrilled to be teaming with a true innovator like Microsoft to shape the future of the NFL game experience, both on-field and in the living room.”

As part of the partnership, Surface by Microsoft branding will appear on NFL sidelines in unique ways, including on the hoods of the official on-field NFL instant replay stations. As part of the relationship, Microsoft will be granted the following designations:

• Xbox remains “The Official Game Console of the NFL” and will also become “The Official Interactive Video Entertainment Console.”

• Microsoft is “The Official Sideline Technology Sponsor of the NFL.”

• Surface by Microsoft and Windows are “The Official Tablet and PC Operating System of the NFL.”

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

The information contained in this press release relates to a pre-release product that may be substantially modified before its first commercial release. Accordingly, the information may not accurately describe or reflect the product when first commercially released. The press release is provided for informational purposes only, and Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, with respect to the press release or the information contained in it.

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. — May 20, 2013 — Microsoft Corp. today announced the winners and finalists of the Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards 2013. The annual awards honor Microsoft partners for delivering innovative solutions during the past year that directly address customer challenges. Award winners and finalists, chosen from global nominations, will be recognized at the 2013 Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference, the company’s premier annual event for industry partners, July 7–11 in Houston.

This year, there were 44 awards that celebrated each core partner competency, including cloud technology, Windows 8, and Microsoft Office and SharePoint applications, as well as entrepreneurial spirit, citizenship and sales excellence. More than 3,000 entries were collected from more than 100 countries; the award finalists and winners were selected from nominations based on their commitment to customers, their solutions’ market impact and exemplary use of Microsoft technologies.

“The 2013 Partner of the Year Award winners and finalists represent some of the best and brightest our ecosystem has to offer,” said Jon Roskill, corporate vice president, Worldwide Partner Group, Microsoft. “We applaud each of our partners for demonstrating exceptional dedication in working to solve the most pressing technology challenges facing our mutual customers today. Congratulations to each award winner on this recognition.”

Categories, winners and finalists appear below. A complete list, including the 95 Microsoft Country Partner of the Year Award winners for 2013, is available at http://www.digitalwpc.com/Awards/Pages/Home.aspx.

Office/SharePoint App Developer Partner of the Year

• Winner: Dell Software Inc.

• Finalist: Adlib

• Finalist: AvePoint

• Finalist: Nintex

Windows 8 App Developer Partner of the Year

• Winner: Posh Consulting

• Finalist: Dell Inc.

• Finalist: Laserbiomed s.r.l.

• Finalist: Sparked

Humanitarian Response Citizenship

• Winner: Ignify

• Finalist: Systemgroup Consulting Inc.

Innovative Technology for Good Citizenship

• Winner: RBA

• Finalist: Winvision

YouthSpark Citizenship

• Winner: Dell Inc.

• Finalist: CHH Enterprises Inc. (d/b/a New Signature)

Cloud Partner of the Year

• Winner: Solidsoft

• Finalist: Nextscape

• Finalist: SADA Systems

• Finalist: Cloudbearing

Cloud Partner of the Year — Enterprise Customers

• Winner: Object Consulting

• Finalist: Online Services Corp.

• Finalist: Brasoftware

• Finalist: Vision Software S.A.

Cloud Partner of the Year — Small and Medium Business

• Winner: TechQuarters

• Finalist: ClickView

• Finalist: Allen

• Finalist: dinCloud

Start-Up Cloud Partner of the Year — Developed Markets

• Winner: SkyKick

Start-Up Cloud Partner of the Year — Emerging Markets

• Winner: ISA Technologies

• Finalist: Pris Software

• Finalist: NetSocket

• Finalist: Asteor Software Private Ltd.

Application Development Partner of the Year

• Winner: PROS

• Finalist: ICONICS

• Finalist: OneBe Inc.

• Finalist: Infusion

Application Integration Partner of the Year

• Winner: Dapasoft Inc.

• Finalist: Codit

• Finalist: Breeze

• Finalist: Neudesic

Application Lifecycle Management Partner of the Year

• Winner: Sogeti Nederland B.V.

• Finalist: Centare

• Finalist: EXTEND SOLUTIONS SA DE CV

Business Intelligence Partner of the Year

• Winner: Bismart Business Intelligence Specialist

• Finalist: Slalom Consulting

• Finalist: Bitscape Infotech

Data Platform Partner of the Year

• Winner: WARDY IT Solutions

• Finalist: dsp

• Finalist: Simpson Associates Information Services

• Finalist: CSK WinTechnology

Collaboration and Content Partner of the Year

• Winner: NC4 and 6th Street Consulting (joint partnership)

• Finalist: Sogeti

• Finalist: AvePoint

• Finalist: Comperio

Communications Partner of the Year

• Winner: Dimension Data

• Finalist: Unify Square

• Finalist: Jabra

• Finalist: Hewlett-Packard

Messaging Partner of the Year

• Winner: Sogeti

• Finalist: Binary Tree

• Finalist: Processor Informatica SA

Project and Portfolio Management Partner of the Year

• Winner: UMT Consulting Group LLC

• Finalist: Nintex

• Finalist: Campana & Schott

• Finalist: Projility

Devices and Deployment Partner of the Year

• Winner: Data#3 Ltd.

• Finalist: CompuCom Systems Inc.

• Finalist: Accenture/Avanade

• Finalist: Sogeti

Identity and Access Partner of the Year

• Winner: Oxford Computer Group

• Finalist: Itergy

Management and Virtualization Partner of the Year

• Winner: HP

• Finalist: OCSL

• Finalist: Dimension Data

Server Platform Partner of the Year

• Winner: NetApp

• Finalist: Outsourcery Ltd.

• Finalist: CDW

• Finalist: DataCore Software

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Partner of the Year

• Winner: PowerObjects

• Finalist: CRM Partners

• Finalist: Customer Effective

• Finalist: Navantis

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Partner of the Year

• Winner: eBECS

• Finalist: GMCS

• Finalist: Hitachi Solutions America Ltd.

• Finalist: Tribridge

Digital Marketing Partner of the Year

• Winner: Advance Digital

• Finalist: SiteWit

• Finalist: EXTEND SOLUTIONS SA DE CV

Distributor Partner of the Year

• Winner: Daiwabo Information System Co. Ltd.

• Finalist: Westcoast

• Finalist: ALSO A/S

Hosting Partner of the Year

• Winner: SherWeb Inc.

• Finalist: Intermedia

• Finalist: Global Micro

Learning Partner of the Year

• Winner: Global Knowledge

• Finalist: QA Ltd.

• Finalist: NetCom Learning

• Finalist: New Horizons Computer Learning Centers

Mobility Partner of the Year

• Winner: Accenture/Avanade

• Finalist: Blink Systems Assessoria e Informática Ltda

• Finalist: SiEBEN

OEM Hardware Partner of the Year

• Winner: THIRDWAVE Corp.

• Finalist: Avangard LLC

• Finalist: iRU

• Finalist: iBUYPOWER

Software Asset Management (SAM) Partner of the Year

• Winner: Crayon AS

• Finalist: Atea Sverige AB

• Finalist: Servicios Especializados en Recursos Informáticos SA de CV

Volume Licensing Partner of the Year

• Winner: Zones Inc.

• Finalist: SoftwareONE US

• Finalist: SHI International Corp.

• Finalist: Softcat Ltd.

Midmarket Solution Provider Partner of the Year

• Winner: AXXON CONSULTING

• Finalist: Quadrasystems.net (India) Private Limited

• Finalist: Assistance Software

• Finalist: OOO “Bissnes-Expert”

Small Business Partner of the Year

• Winner: Kinectics Group

• Finalist: Computer Solutions East

• Finalist: eMazzanti Technologies

• Finalist: Exacto IT Solutions

Microsoft Dynamics Industry Partner of the Year

• Winner: mcaConnect

• Finalist: V.R.P. Veri Raporlama Programlama Bilisim Yazilim ve Danismanlik Hizmetleri Ticaret A.S.

• Finalist: INFOMA Software Consulting GmbH

• Finalist: HSO International

Microsoft Dynamics Cloud Partner of the Year

• Winner: eSavvy

• Finalist: SMB Suite

• Finalist: Tribridge

Public Sector Partner of the Year – Education

• Winner: DynTek Services Inc.

• Finalist: Playware Studios Asia

• Finalist: Rhino Systems

• Finalist: Corinth Investment

Public Sector Partner of the Year — Government

• Winner: Software Innovation

• Finalist: NetApp

• Finalist: IEG4 Limited

• Finalist: The Birchman Group

Public Sector Partner of the Year — Health

• Winner: IN2

• Finalist: InterKnowlogy LLC

• Finalist: Avanade

Public Sector Partner of the Year — Public Safety/National Security

• Winner: Eurostep Group AB

• Finalist: Intergen

• Finalist: AvePoint

• Finalist: Forensic Advantage

Sales Specialist Partner Individual of the Year

• Winner: Mari Morimoto, FUJISOFT Inc.

• Finalist: Geno Cenci, ePlus Technology Inc.

• Finalist: Mark Seeley, Intellinet

• Finalist: Varun Abbi, Comparex India Pvt Ltd.

Pre-Sales Specialist Partner Individual of the Year

• Winner: Mark AuCoin, Navantis

• Finalist: Rand Morimoto, Convergent Computing (CCO)

• Finalist: Chris Campbell, BlueGranite

• Finalist: Masaru Takano, NetApp

Alliance Partner of the Year

• Winner: Accenture/Avanade

About Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference

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

NEW YORK — May 20, 2013 — Microsoft Corp. and Major League Soccer (MLS) today announced a multiyear agreement to work together to bring MLS fans the best and fastest soccer content through the power of Windows 8. The announcement took place yesterday at the LA Galaxy versus New York Red Bulls game at Red Bull Arena, where the two companies showcased a new and improved MLS app and previewed the new in-stadium fan experiences powered by Windows 8.

As part of MLS’ initiative to be known as “the smartest league,” the improved app for Windows 8 will feature exclusive content and this season’s schedule, standings, highlights, play-by-play, roster lineups, game stats, goals, cards and substitutions. In addition, with the Windows 8 Live Tiles, fans will be able to customize their experiences to focus on their favorite club news. Throughout the course of the agreement, Windows 8 and MLS will continue to innovate to create cutting-edge experiences for soccer fans in the stadium and online.

“MLS supporters are young and active, and technology plays a central role in their lives,” said Kathy Carter, president of Soccer United Marketing, MLS’ commercial arm. “This new partnership with Windows 8 will allow MLS fans to interact with best-in-class software, new devices and apps that will super-serve their fandom. This exciting partnership is another step in the process of becoming the world’s smartest soccer league.”

Fans can also look forward to trying out Windows 8 on the Microsoft Surface tablet in-stadium at more than 40 games throughout the season.

“Partnering with MLS, we are bringing the best technology experience through Windows 8 to players, coaches and fans across the league to deliver unique and immersive soccer experiences,” said Kathleen Hall, general manager, Windows Marketing. “As technology and sports continue to intersect, we look forward to continuing to provide innovative interactions for fans whether in the stadium or at home through Windows 8.”

About Major League Soccer

Headquartered in New York City, Major League Soccer is the top-flight professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. MLS features many stars from the U.S., Canada, and around the world. Major League Soccer’s 18th season features 19 clubs, each playing 34 regular-season matches. Those clubs include the Chicago Fire; Chivas USA; Colorado Rapids; Columbus Crew; D.C. United; FC Dallas; Houston Dynamo; 2012 MLS Cup champion LA Galaxy; Montreal Impact; New York Red Bulls; New England Revolution; Philadelphia Union; Portland Timbers; Real Salt Lake; San Jose Earthquakes; Seattle Sounders FC; Sporting Kansas City; Toronto FC and Vancouver Whitecaps FC. For more information about MLS, log on to the league’s official website at http://www.mlssoccer.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.

MADRID — May 16, 2013 — Telefónica, a leading provider of integrated communication solutions, will deploy Microsoft Office 365 and Yammer across its operating businesses to employees worldwide. These technologies are part of a global IT transformation strategy led by Phil Jordan, group chief information officer at Telefónica, to drive greater simplification, agility and cost reductions, which will strengthen and enhance the company’s core digital capabilities and global footprint.

With more than 130,000 employees in 24 countries, Telefónica is enabling and transforming the employee experience related to collaboration, providing a much faster, intuitive way with a seamless digital integrated experience. Moving to Office 365 and Yammer also benefits Telefónica by allowing its people to develop new products and services for its customers and markets while spending less time on infrastructure support of collaboration services. The deployment is also expected to reduce the costs of collaboration services by up to 20 percent while supporting the company’s specific security and privacy requirements.

“Telefónica’s relationship and transformation journey with Microsoft has brought us to this very exciting milestone. Over the past 18 months, we have built very strong foundations and are now ready to move to the cloud,” said Adrian Steel, European production hub lead and global director at Telefónica. “Deploying Office 365 and Yammer is this next step in bringing our global workforce to the forefront of seamless communication and collaboration while still operating at the level of speed and execution we’re known for.”

“Companies are looking to bring people together across organizational silos and geographies to drive innovation and reduce costs,” said Kurt DelBene, president of Microsoft’s Office Division. “Moving to the cloud with Office 365 and Yammer makes it easier and faster to collaborate regardless of location or organizational structure. Telefónica is a great example of a forward-thinking organization that understands how the cloud can power its business.”

Following a successful proof of concept carried out last year, Telefónica commenced initial deployments across Europe in April, which will later continue in Latin America. Microsoft Cloud Vantage Services will assist in delivering a complete migration to the cloud.

Steel, who oversaw the migration of 30,000 users to Microsoft Business Productivity Online Suite in a previous role, has seen firsthand the range of new capabilities added to Office 365. One such example is Yammer, which Telefónica is embracing for improved collaboration across geographies. In February, Microsoft announced Microsoft Translator integration within Yammer, allowing users to instantly translate Yammer conversations into their native languages.

“With operations in 24 countries spanning eight languages, we are looking forward to the ability to instantly translate conversations among our employees — a massive benefit for Telefónica,” Steel said. “By automatically converting conversations to a person’s native language, Yammer will help our people work more efficiently than ever and focus on delivering superior value to our customers. Other critical capabilities included unified communications via Microsoft Lync 2013 and cloud-based storage via SkyDrive Pro.”

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

About Telefónica

Telefónica is one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world in terms of market capitalisation and number of customers. From this outstanding position in the industry, and with its mobile, fixed and broadband businesses as the key drivers of its growth, Telefónica has focused its strategy on becoming a leading company in the digital world. The company has a significant presence in 24 countries and a customer base that amounts close to 316 million accesses around the world. Telefónica has a strong presence in Spain, Europe and Latin America, where the company focuses an important part of its growth strategy.

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. — May 13, 2013 — Microsoft Corp. today announced new organizations have selected Microsoft Office 365 for improved communication and collaboration after having deployed or piloted Google Apps. The organizations include Sensia Hälsovård AB, SEPCOIII, and Arysta LifeScience.

These companies join other recently announced customers, such as Caltex Australia, FHI 360, and Santa Clara County, which chose Office 365 for its enterprise-class capabilities, compliance, security and privacy features, all delivered in a cloud service with a 99.9 percent financially backed uptime guarantee from Microsoft.

“Businesses use technology to be competitive and meet the needs of their customers, which is why they can’t afford to compromise on a service that was retrofitted for the enterprise,” said Michael Atalla, director of product marketing for Microsoft Office 365. “With Office 365, Microsoft has combined the familiarity of Office with the capabilities businesses need, delivered as a cloud service they can trust.”

Arysta LifeScience is one of the largest privately owned agrochemical companies in the world, with sales and services in more than 125 countries. In attempting to connect 34 different email environments, Arysta initially opted for Google Apps but quickly found employees were unhappy with the experience — they couldn’t share calendars and had limited offline capabilities — so Arysta switched to Office 365. With Office 365, employees can now integrate email and shared calendars and use IM and webconferencing to connect with colleagues around the world while they are on the road or working from home.

“Google Apps was difficult to use and lacked the capabilities our employees had grown accustomed to in Office,” said Dustin Collins, global head of IT infrastructure, Arysta LifeScience. “With Office 365 we’re able to interact and engage with each other more, allowing us to efficiently and quickly respond to new opportunities. As a result, we’re a more agile, competitive organization.”

Robust certification and standards

Office 365 offers the most robust set of certifications and standards options of any major cloud-based productivity service, and it is the first and only major cloud productivity service to address the rigors of the federal government’s HIPAA requirements. Office 365 is compliant with world-class industry standards, including ISO 27001, EU model clauses and Federal Information Security Management Act. Microsoft is committed to working with its customers to meet their unique security, compliance and privacy needs, including those that must meet Criminal Justice Information Security.

Based in Durham, N.C., FHI 360 is a global nonprofit human development organization dedicated to improving lives by advancing integrated, locally driven solutions. It also switched from Google Apps to Office 365 because it met the organization’s security and privacy requirements.

“As a nonprofit organization, we work on educational and public health issues and must comply with privacy regulations related to the U.S. federal government,” said Douglas Wilkins, director of IT infrastructure at FHI 360. “Not only did Office 365 have privacy features in line with our requirements, but we know where our data is stored — it’s essential for us to have control and set parameters on who views it. That was not possible with Google.”

Freedom of choice

In today’s business environment, many organizations require the flexibility to enable employees to work anytime, anywhere across devices and platforms. With Office 365, employees can sign in from virtually any device, and their documents and personalized settings roam with them, allowing them to quickly pick up right where they left off. With more than 4,000 employees spread across multiple countries, FHI 360 can easily connect and share best practices and improve services with Office 365 while being more strategic with spending. The organization expects to save approximately US$20,000 annually by utilizing IM and webconferencing capabilities in Office 365. Unlike Google Apps, Office 365 enabled FHI 360 to move to the cloud on its own terms by supporting both on-premises and cloud deployments in its environment.

“Our global work environment sometimes requires us to work in countries where cloud services aren’t yet available or feasible because broadband connections are limited,” Wilkins said. “With Google, we had to be all in or nothing at all. Having the flexibility to make the deployment choices that were right for our business means we can consolidate systems onto the same platform regardless of whether we’re using the cloud or an in-house server.”

Additional new Microsoft Office 365 customers

• Arysta LifeScience. Arysta LifeScience is an agrochemical company spread across more than 125 countries and employing 3,400 people. Arysta LifeScience wanted to standardize its email platforms on a cloud-based email service and initially chose Google Apps for Business. However, Google Apps was difficult to use and lacked the capabilities its employees had grown accustomed to in Office. Arysta LifeScience introduced Office 365 to its employees and found immediate value — the company is no longer a collection of disparate entities in different countries. It is a globally connected organization where employees can instantly find and communicate with one another.

• SEPCOIII. Based in Qingdao, China, SEPCOIII employs 5,800 people and designs and builds power plants around the world. The company wanted a single solution that employees could use to communicate and collaborate with other employees, partners and customers around the world. Staff had used Gmail but found it unreliable, while most found the calendar feature cumbersome and were not even using it. Because Gmail provided only limited offline functionality, it was difficult for employees to work remotely. With Office 365, SEPCOIII has a dependable and robust cloud-based solution that significantly reduces costs and boosts employee productivity.

• Sensia Hälsovård AB. Healthcare provider Sensia Hälsovård AB needed a single communication and collaboration platform to accommodate its rapid growth. Approximately 30 percent of its employees had been using Gmail, but found it cumbersome, unintuitive and when employees needed support, it was difficult for them to obtain it. The company eventually chose Office 365 and found it was a more professional service as built-in scalability is crucial to a rapidly growing company.

More information about how organizations are turning to Microsoft technology is available in the Microsoft Customer Spotlight newsroom. More information on Office Web Apps is available here, and more information about Office 365 is here and here.

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. — May 8, 2013 — Microsoft Corp. today announced that Amy Hood was named Microsoft chief financial officer, succeeding outgoing CFO Peter Klein who will remain at Microsoft through the end of June to ensure a smooth transition. Hood becomes CFO effective immediately.

Amy Hood May 07, 2013 Chief Financial Officer

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“Amy brings the right talents and experiences to the role as we continue to strengthen our focus on devices and services,” said Steve Ballmer, Microsoft’s chief executive officer. “She has been an instrumental leader in the Microsoft Business Division (MBD), helping lead the transition to services with Office 365 and delivering strong financial and operational management throughout her time on the business.”

Hood, 41, joined Microsoft in December 2002 and currently serves as CFO of MBD, overseeing all financial strategy, management and reporting for the $24.1 billion business. During her time as CFO of MBD, Hood was also deeply involved in the strategy development and overall execution of the company’s successful acquisitions of Skype and Yammer. Previously, Hood served as chief of staff in the Server and Tools group, then ran the strategy and business development team in MBD before becoming CFO of the division in January 2010.

“I’m excited to step into this role and look forward to working closely again with our investors and shareholders,” Hood said. “Peter has built a world-class finance team, and I am set up well to continue the company’s strong discipline around costs and focus on driving shareholder value.”

Before joining Microsoft as a part of the investor relations group, she worked at Goldman Sachs in various roles including investment banking and capital markets groups. She has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Duke University and a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard University.

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, W ash. — May 8 , 2013 — Consumers in Roseville, Calif.; Arlington, Texas; Novi, Mich.; and Seattle soon will have access to the same excellent choice, value, service and engaging experience that Microsoft Corp.’s products and services offer in other markets across the United States and Canada.

The four Microsoft Specialty Store locations will open in the following markets:

• May 24: Westfield Galleria at Roseville (Roseville, Calif.)

• June 5: The Parks at Arlington (Arlington, Texas)

• June 5: Twelve Oaks (Novi, Mich.)

• June 21: Pacific Place (Seattle)

Microsoft announced the opening of five new Specialty Stores in April, and the company is expanding on its existing retail footprint in the U.S. to deliver an assortment of products, such as the Microsoft Surface Pro with Windows 8, Windows Phone 8 and Microsoft Office 365. Microsoft aims to provide a premium retail experience that is entertaining, educational and as easy as possible with these new locations. More information on the Specialty Stores can be found at http://www.microsoftstore.com.

Note to editors: For more information, news and perspective 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.

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — May 8, 2013 — Microsoft Corp. today announced a TV white spaces pilot project in collaboration with the Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH) and UhuruOne to provide affordable wireless broadband access to university students and faculty in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The collaboration will also enable UhuruOne, a local Internet service provider, to offer Windows 8 device and service packages to universities in Dar es Salaam.

TV white spaces technology is an innovative, tested and affordable method of providing wireless broadband by tapping into unused portions of wireless spectrum in the frequency bands generally used for television. Although Africa has the highest growth rates in the world for mobile broadband penetration, wireless broadband services remain largely unaffordable throughout the region. This pilot looks to improve that situation by focusing on broadband access in the essential area of education, an effort that will increase digital literacy, teach technical skills, advance e-learning and ultimately promote economic growth.

The pilot’s initial deployment in Dar es Salaam will target the University of Dar es Salaam, among others. “We anticipate that tens of thousands of Tanzanian students and faculty members will be able to take advantage of the wireless broadband packages offered by UhuruOne through the project,” said Dr. Hassan Mshinda, director general, COSTECH.

These integrated solutions will include a Windows 8 laptop or tablet, wireless broadband connectivity, and applications and services. The partners are working with banks to offer small loans to cover the cost of the packages.

In addition to offering affordable connectivity, devices and services, the pilot will hire a team of students as on-campus support staff for the network infrastructure. These students will benefit not only from employment but also from the opportunity to learn highly valued technical skills and gain qualifications for pursuing IT-related careers in the future.

“UhuruOne is not only an Internet service provider — we are social entrepreneurs working to reduce the digital divide,” said Mihayo Wilmore, founding partner, UhuruOne. “This project exemplifies our approach to connecting underserved populations. We are committed to increasing the affordability, accessibility and availability of broadband service in Tanzania and are pleased to be working with Microsoft and COSTECH in this critical effort.”

The Tanzania pilot follows a similar project Microsoft launched in Kenya in February (see related press release), which uses white spaces and solar power to deliver low-cost wireless broadband to rural locations without previous access to broadband or reliable electricity. These pilot projects and similar initiatives are part of the Microsoft 4Afrika Initiative, a new series of investments designed to enable Microsoft to actively engage in Africa’s economic development and to improve its global competitiveness. As part of that effort, the company is committed to working with African governments to help drive a clear understanding of the legal and regulatory environment needed for white spaces technology to be commercially deployed on a large scale, to the benefit of all Africans.

“After announcing our ‘Mawingu’ pilot in Kenya, Microsoft has been flooded with requests from a wide range of companies and governments interested in developing similar projects,” said Paul Garnett, director at Microsoft’s Technology Policy Group. “White spaces technology and efficient spectrum management have a huge potential for expanding affordable broadband access throughout the world. We hope all governments will follow the example of forward-looking countries like Kenya, Tanzania and many others that have taken steps to support deployment of white spaces technology.”

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.

DELHI, India — May 4, 2013 — ADB and Microsoft Corp. will showcase the Apps For Asia-Redesigning Development Program at the 46th Annual Meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The program includes concepts for mobile applications that track water usage, consolidate the most sought-after emergency services, monitor medication use among tuberculosis patients and help public transit users plan travel. The program, supported by regional information technology associations, private-sector technology partners and universities, aims to harness the creative power of hundreds of software developers to create sustainable solutions for the economic, commercial and social benefit of governments, civil society and businesses in the region.

The Apps For Asia program included a series of national developer events in Australia, India, Korea, Malaysia and the Philippines. Of the 100 apps submitted, only the top three from each country are exhibited at the ADB’s 46th annual meeting in Delhi.

“Apps For Asia is a great showcase of the power of technology and the role it can play in fostering social and economic development,” said Bindu N. Lohani, vice president for Knowledge Management and Sustainable Development, ADB. ADB provided guidance on regional economic, social and development priorities to assist and inspire program participants.

Apps For Asia contestants built new apps addressing a wide range of issues, including apps to manage blood donor networks, help match youth with potential employers, coordinate indigenous housing projects, promote crime prevention and address diabetes management.

“We received an incredible amount of creative and impactful apps over these past few months, which represents the impact we can make in solving the region’s challenges through technology,” said John Cann, director, International Organizations, Microsoft. “With new technologies like cloud services and a range of mobile devices, apps can be developed quickly to reach more people in more ways.”

In addition to insight from the ADB, participants received training and access to Microsoft’s platform, spanning devices and cloud services, which enabled developers to create innovative Windows Azure, Windows 8 and Windows Phone apps. Further, the program helps local developers produce local solutions and foster innovative business models that have a positive impact on their communities. Here are the 15 finalists that showcased their apps at this year’s ADB annual meeting:

Australia

• Blue Clover revolutionizes the current diabetes management approach by utilizing mobile and cloud to improve the quality of life for the 347 million people affected by diabetes.

• Idex (Grand Domain) allows people to use a single digital identity to access online services, which helps improve security, eases management of directories and provides easier access to end users.

• xMeaning serves as an aid to learning foreign languages by allowing translators to produce a document in a source language and annotate it with translation information to help a learner better understand the context.

India

• Jeevan Pani provides citizens with access to water usage information and allows them to calculate and report their water usage and share it on social networking sites.

• Help-Me consolidates the most sought-after emergency services — police, fire and ambulance — with a phone app, operator console and reporting application.

• TOTS ensures that tuberculosis patients follow a proper treatment regimen to help cure the disease by managing records and calendars, mapping routes to nearby treatment centers, and taking photos of patients taking their medicine and immediately notifying their doctors and families.

• PathFinder eases the process of planning travel and using local public transportation by identifying the best transportation routes to get to desired locations.

Korea

• Filament supports real-time crime prevention through enhanced incident reporting and tracking, integrating with existing report management systems to help reduce response delays.

• Mapi provides real-time navigation advice, allowing users to post information and communicate about the best routes based on mode of transport, current traffic situations and crowd-sourced feedback.

Malaysia

• EPIC Hope connects and empowers communities in Malaysia to get involved in building sustainable housing for the indigenous people.

• Gnowledge supports education by allowing users to create, publish, share and take tests, and complete exercises and assignments.

• Blood R2 System addresses communities’ blood donation needs by matching blood demand and supply.

Philippines

• Codetoki eases the process of helping youth find employment by allowing applicants to improve their technology skills and by matching employers and applicants through a gamified platform.

• Blood Donors Network provides a solution to help communities meet their blood donation needs.

• Leanasset serves as a public transport monitoring system that enables commuters and transport operators to access transportation information and simplifies fleet management.

More information on Apps For Asia can be found at http://www.AppsForAsia.com.

About Asian Development Bank

ADB, based in Manila, is dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth and regional integration. Established in 1966, it is owned by 67 members — 48 from the region. In 2012, ADB assistance totaled $21.6 billion, including cofinancing of $8.3 billion.

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. — April 29, 2013 — Cloud computing has the power to change the way students learn and staff teach, especially in rapidly transforming regions such as Central and Eastern Europe. To prepare students for a world based on technology, education institutions across the region, including School Center Skofja Loka (Slovenia), EDUCATIVA (Romania), TEI Kalamata (Greece), Kozminski University (Poland), University of Maribor, Faculty of Economics and Business (Slovenia), and Vaikystes Sodas (Lithuania), are adopting Microsoft Office 365 to serve a variety of their cloud-computing needs for students and staff alike. Goals met through their focus on technology include the following:

• Improved communication. Office 365 enables students and staff to communicate across time zones and countries with the click of a mouse. As more and more young people become accustomed to real-time communication and “always on” technologies, Central and Eastern Europe schools are using Microsoft Lync Online to enrich their learning environments and student outcomes.

• Increased productivity. Office 365 helps schools eliminate inefficiencies in email management with Microsoft Exchange Online and improve knowledge-sharing, internal collaboration and document management with Microsoft SharePoint Online.

• Cost benefits without compromise. Office 365 enables IT departments to spend more resources focusing on mission-critical projects instead of performing costly maintenance. Since Office 365 offers the rich capabilities and familiar experience of Office as a cloud service that’s backed by Microsoft, IT administrators aren’t forced to compromise on privacy or security.

“Technology is a powerful engine of economic growth and competitiveness, enabling innovation that creates new companies, industries, opportunities and jobs around the world,” said Don Grantham, president for the CEE region at Microsoft. “We are honored to work with so many educational institutions, helping them to use technology to improve student outcomes as well as address their staff and faculty IT needs through enhanced collaboration, communications and productivity.”

School Center Skofja Loka Streamlines Management and Broadens Visibility

School Center Skofja Loka wanted to boost its visibility in the education field and find a solution for both students and staff that would be familiar, secured and cost-effective. Not only did Office 365 fill those requirements, it also provided the school with a streamlined way to manage its PCs and provide enhanced communication and collaboration among students and teachers. The school was also able to consolidate its global address list, which includes over 2,000 contacts.

EDUCATIVA Boosts Efficiency

After implementing Office 365 and eliminating IT inefficiencies, employees at EDUCATIVA, a provider of specialty counseling and education services to students in Romania, were able to efficiently respond to more than 25,000 email requests for information about its products and services and provide educational counseling services to 3,200 students during the 2011–2012 academic year. With Office 365, each EDUCATIVA consultant can now support 600 students with counseling services at a time — twice as many as before.

“The integration between Exchange Online and our existing Microsoft Outlook client is seamless,” said Bogdan Kochesch, business manager at EDUCATIVA. “Not only do we have a reliable email solution, we also have access to tools, like SharePoint, that help us manage documents, host our internal team sites, improve knowledge sharing and effectively organize internal collaboration.”

TEI Kalamata Upgrades Educational Services

Technological Educational Institute (TEI) of Kalamata is one of the first public higher-education institutions in Greece to use Office 365. With the technology, the institution can now devote more funds and resources to research and education, all while upgrading to a secured, more reliable communication and collaboration platform. Office 365 enables the IT department to better focus on mission-critical projects as well. This includes two European Union-funded projects that aim to provide digital services, ranging from personnel management to administrative task support for the entire academic community of TEI Kalamata.

Students were familiar with the Office suite before the Office 365 deployment, which paved the way for an easy transition. Now, Office 365 has become an integral part of how students and academic staff communicate about homework assignments and other related activities.

Kozminski University Realizes Long-Term Vision

Kozminski University has a long-term vision for the development of and cooperation with its graduates. Office 365 has enabled the university to provide students with more secured email accounts that stay with them after graduation, which helps maintain their connection with the university. The ability for current students to consult with both lecturers and other students alike regardless of location via instant messaging and video calling with Lync Online extends that vision even further.

University of Maribor Increases Collaboration

The University of Maribor, Faculty of Economics and Business, implemented Office 365 to increase communication and collaboration between its nearly 4,000 students and professors. In addition, Office 365 provides a consolidated solution that is cost-effective and has the potential to scale as the faculty continues to grow.

“Office 365 has provided all of our students and professors with centralized tools to effectively communicate and collaborate, and they are using it for a variety of tasks,” said Dr. Samo Bobek, dean at Faculty of Economics and Business. “Conferencing, open office hours, calendars, document sharing and email notifications to students are just some of the benefits we’ve already taken advantage of.”

Vaikystes Sodas Improves Communication

Good communication between educators and the families of children attending Vaikystes Sodas, a kindergarten alternative in Lithuania, is critical to providing quality services to their youth. The school chose Office 365 to help streamline the management of its internal documents and the school’s intranet to generate strong communication between teachers and parents.

“Parents of preschoolers need to know that their children spend their days safely and purposefully all while having fun,” said Austeja Landsbergiene, Ph.D., founder and director of Vaikystes Sodas. “The involvement of parents in the education process can only be ensured through daily communication, liaison and information sharing. The possibility to find all the information that they need, and to check it virtually anywhere, anytime on a computer, cellphone or tablet, will allow parents to be significantly more involved.”

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.

REDMOND, Wash. — April 25, 2013 — Microsoft Corp. today announced the pricing of its offerings of €550 million of senior unsecured notes and $1.950 billion of senior unsecured notes. The notes consist of the following tranches:

• €550 million of 2.625 percent notes due May 2, 2033

• $450 million of 1.000 percent notes due May 1, 2018

• $1 billion of 2.375 percent notes due May 1, 2023

• $500 million of 3.750 percent notes due May 1, 2043

Microsoft intends to use the net proceeds from the offerings for general corporate purposes, which may include, among other things, funding for working capital, capital expenditures, repurchases of capital stock, acquisitions and repayment of existing debt. The offerings are expected to close on May 2, 2013.

A copy of the prospectus relating to the euro-denominated offering may be obtained by contacting Merrill Lynch International at 222 Broadway, New York, NY 10038, by emailing dg.prospectus_requests@baml.com or by calling toll-free at 1 (800) 294-1322; or The Royal Bank of Scotland plc at 135 Bishopsgate, London EC2M 3UR or by calling toll-free at 1 (866) 884-2071; or by contacting any of the other underwriters of the euro-denominated offering.

A copy of the prospectus relating to the U.S. dollar-denominated offering may be obtained by contacting Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated at 222 Broadway, New York NY 10038, by emailing dg.prospectus_requests@baml.com or by calling toll-free at 1 (800) 294-1322; or RBS Securities Inc. at 600 Washington Boulevard, Stamford CT 06091, or by calling toll-free at 1 (866) 884-2071; or by contacting any of the other underwriters of the U.S. dollar-denominated offering.

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. — April 25, 2013 — Microsoft Corp. today announced the release of a new, revised version of its HIPAA Business Associate Agreement (BAA) for the company’s next-generation cloud services. This enables customers in the healthcare industry to leverage cloud solutions to coordinate care, improve patient health outcomes, and maintain compliance with privacy and security regulations issued under the U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996. Addressing HIPAA is embedded in the DNA of Microsoft’s cloud solutions, and Microsoft updated its BAA to help healthcare organizations address compliance for the final omnibus HIPAA rule, which went into effect March 26. Microsoft’s updated BAA covers Office 365, Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online and Windows Azure Core Services.

“Team communication and collaboration is the lifeblood of the health industry, and more and more healthcare organizations are realizing the productivity, care team communications and cost-savings benefits of cloud computing,” said Dennis Schmuland, chief health strategy officer, U.S. Health & Life Sciences, Microsoft. “Microsoft Office 365 is the only major cloud business productivity solution to programmatically offer a BAA built with the industry, and for the industry, to HIPAA-regulated customers, allowing healthcare organizations to be confident in the security and privacy of their patient data while empowering their staff to communicate and collaborate virtually anytime and almost anywhere.”

Microsoft collaborated with some of the leading U.S. medical schools and their HIPAA privacy counsel, as well as other public- and private-sector HIPAA-covered entities, in creating a BAA for its cloud services.

The refreshed BAA aligns with new regulatory language included in the final omnibus HIPAA rule, such as the new definition of a Business Associate, which includes any entity that maintains protected health information on behalf of a HIPAA-covered entity and has access to such data, even if it does not view the data. It also covers important data protections, such as Microsoft’s reporting requirements in accordance with the HIPAA Breach Notification Rule, and Microsoft’s obligation to require its subcontractors who create, receive, maintain or transmit protected health information to agree to the same restrictions and conditions imposed on Microsoft pursuant to the applicable requirements of the HIPAA Security Rule. Allscripts is among the first organizations to leverage Microsoft’s updated BAA.

“We have programmatically offered a BAA for our healthcare customers since the launch of Office 365 nearly two years ago and have subsequently included our other cloud offerings such as Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online and Windows Azure Core Services under the BAA,” said Hemant Pathak, assistant general counsel, Microsoft. “Addressing the clarifications and changes incorporated in the final omnibus HIPAA rule reaffirms Microsoft’s commitment to comply with security and privacy requirements and maintain its status as a transparent and trusted data steward for healthcare organizations leveraging the cloud.”

Office 365 is the first and only major cloud business productivity service to adopt the rigorous requirements of the federal government’s HIPAA Business Associate standards. Where the provision of services include storage of and access to electronic protected health information by a cloud provider, Microsoft’s substantial commitment to compliance helps healthcare customers placing protected health information in the cloud avoid potentially significant liability under HIPAA for failure to comply with applicable HIPAA contracting and safeguard requirements.

Microsoft offers a complete range of public, private and hybrid cloud solutions that support covered healthcare entities’ compliance needs and enables those organizations to move to the cloud at their own pace. Rather than using separate cloud vendors for productivity, collaboration, application hosting, data storage and relationship management, Microsoft’s customers can consolidate on one cloud, with one infrastructure partner with a common security and privacy framework specifically tailored to help address the compliance needs of healthcare-covered entities. To date, several dozen large HIPAA-covered entities across the healthcare, academic, commercial and government agency space have executed the BAA for Microsoft Online Services.

More information about how organizations are turning to Microsoft technology is available in 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.