REDMOND, W ash. — April 22, 201 3 — Small businesses are losing more than US$24 billion in productivity each year when nontechnical employees, referred to as involuntary IT managers (IITMs), are tasked with managing their companies’ IT solutions. This loss is a direct result of IITMs taking time away from primary business activities, according to an AMI-Partners small-business study commissioned by Microsoft Corp.

The Involuntary IT Manager study takes a broad look at the prevalence of the IITM role in nine countries in North America, Latin America, the Middle East and Asia, focusing specifically on the adverse business productivity impact of IITMs in small business in five countries: Australia, Brazil, Chile, India and the United States. Surveying 538 IITMs across nationally representative samples of small businesses with 100 employees or less in the five countries, the AMI-Partners research study determined that approximately 3.8 million small businesses managed internal IT by IITMs. Although such small businesses spent US$83 billion on IT and communications, paradoxically they lost US$24 billion in productivity trying to manage their internal IT. The survey also found that small businesses’ IITMs think cloud-based solutions can help alleviate some of the burden of managing IT.

The D rawbacks of H aving an IITM

On average, IITMs lose six hours per week (around 300 hours per year) of business productivity while managing IT, according to AMI-Partners. The AMI-Partners white paper stated that while some IITMs are confident in their technical skills, most find their general work productivity suffers when their work time is diverted to managing IT issues. Key study findings include these:

• Thirty percent of all surveyed IITMs feel that IT management is a nuisance.

• Twenty-six percent indicated they do not feel qualified to manage IT.

• Six in 10 IITMs want to simplify their company’s technology solutions to alleviate the difficulty of managing IT day-to-day.

The Involuntary IT Manager study also found that when IITMs work at small businesses with 15 or more employees, their firms lose even more productivity time than IITMs working at companies with fewer employees.

“Many small businesses don’t have the budget for formal IT support, so they rely on the company’s most tech-savvy individual to manage their technology,” said Andy Bose, founder, chairman and CEO at AMI-Partners. “As our research shows, relying on an Involuntary IT Manager can have an adverse impact on small businesses’ productivity, which can negatively affect revenue and translates into a very high opportunity cost. These companies can potentially leverage cloud services to alleviate the need for day-to-day in-house IT support with positive impact on their business productivity.”

Small -B usiness C loud A doption

AMI-Partners found that IITMs are showing an interest in leveraging the cloud during the next 12 months to manage their IT needs. Among the IITMs surveyed in the five countries, the following was learned:

• Thirty-three percent (approximately one-third) are likely to shift more IT spending toward hosted or cloud solutions.

• Thirty-six percent are interested in a productivity and collaboration suite.

Although IITMs older than 50 spent the most time managing IT, the study found they are also the most likely to devote their limited IT budgets to acquiring cloud solutions and purchasing online productivity suites. Among the top concerns for IITMs in deploying cloud solutions were these:

• Security and privacy (66 percent)

• Reliability (61 percent)

• The ability to integrate with existing IT investments (53 percent)

• Limited features (46 percent)

“The cloud when delivered right is a game-changer, providing small businesses with the IT solutions they need to solve their most challenging small-business technology concerns,” said Thomas Hansen, vice president of SMB Worldwide at Microsoft. “With Microsoft cloud solutions, the job of the Involuntary IT Manager gets a lot easier.”

Microsoft democratizes IT for small businesses by providing enterprise-class solutions that level the IT playing field for small businesses. Office 365, Windows Intune, Windows Azure and Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online are Microsoft’s most complete cloud services to date. They provide small businesses with access to powerful applications from anywhere and on multiple devices with both privacy and security features built into each solution. More information about how cloud-based solutions from Microsoft, such as Office 365, can help small businesses can be found at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us. The complete Involuntary IT Manager survey can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/presskits/smb.

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. — April 22, 201 3 — Small businesses are losing more than US$24 billion in productivity each year when nontechnical employees, referred to as involuntary IT managers (IITMs), are tasked with managing their companies’ IT solutions. This loss is a direct result of IITMs taking time away from primary business activities, according to an AMI-Partners small-business study commissioned by Microsoft Corp.

The Involuntary IT Manager study takes a broad look at the prevalence of the IITM role in nine countries in North America, Latin America, the Middle East and Asia, focusing specifically on the adverse business productivity impact of IITMs in small business in five countries: Australia, Brazil, Chile, India and the United States. Surveying 538 IITMs across nationally representative samples of small businesses with 100 employees or less in the five countries, the AMI-Partners research study determined that approximately 3.8 million small businesses managed internal IT by IITMs. Although such small businesses spent US$83 billion on IT and communications, paradoxically they lost US$24 billion in productivity trying to manage their internal IT. The survey also found that small businesses’ IITMs think cloud-based solutions can help alleviate some of the burden of managing IT.

The D rawbacks of H aving an IITM

On average, IITMs lose six hours per week (around 300 hours per year) of business productivity while managing IT, according to AMI-Partners. The AMI-Partners white paper stated that while some IITMs are confident in their technical skills, most find their general work productivity suffers when their work time is diverted to managing IT issues. Key study findings include these:

• Thirty percent of all surveyed IITMs feel that IT management is a nuisance.

• Twenty-six percent indicated they do not feel qualified to manage IT.

• Six in 10 IITMs want to simplify their company’s technology solutions to alleviate the difficulty of managing IT day-to-day.

The Involuntary IT Manager study also found that when IITMs work at small businesses with 15 or more employees, their firms lose even more productivity time than IITMs working at companies with fewer employees.

“Many small businesses don’t have the budget for formal IT support, so they rely on the company’s most tech-savvy individual to manage their technology,” said Andy Bose, founder, chairman and CEO at AMI-Partners. “As our research shows, relying on an Involuntary IT Manager can have an adverse impact on small businesses’ productivity, which can negatively affect revenue and translates into a very high opportunity cost. These companies can potentially leverage cloud services to alleviate the need for day-to-day in-house IT support with positive impact on their business productivity.”

Small -B usiness C loud A doption

AMI-Partners found that IITMs are showing an interest in leveraging the cloud during the next 12 months to manage their IT needs. Among the IITMs surveyed in the five countries, the following was learned:

• Thirty-three percent (approximately one-third) are likely to shift more IT spending toward hosted or cloud solutions.

• Thirty-six percent are interested in a productivity and collaboration suite.

Although IITMs older than 50 spent the most time managing IT, the study found they are also the most likely to devote their limited IT budgets to acquiring cloud solutions and purchasing online productivity suites. Among the top concerns for IITMs in deploying cloud solutions were these:

• Security and privacy (66 percent)

• Reliability (61 percent)

• The ability to integrate with existing IT investments (53 percent)

• Limited features (46 percent)

“The cloud when delivered right is a game-changer, providing small businesses with the IT solutions they need to solve their most challenging small-business technology concerns,” said Thomas Hansen, vice president of SMB Worldwide at Microsoft. “With Microsoft cloud solutions, the job of the Involuntary IT Manager gets a lot easier.”

Microsoft democratizes IT for small businesses by providing enterprise-class solutions that level the IT playing field for small businesses. Office 365, Windows Intune, Windows Azure and Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online are Microsoft’s most complete cloud services to date. They provide small businesses with access to powerful applications from anywhere and on multiple devices with both privacy and security features built into each solution. More information about how cloud-based solutions from Microsoft, such as Office 365, can help small businesses can be found at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us. The complete Involuntary IT Manager survey can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/presskits/smb.

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 19, 2013 — Microsoft Corp. today hosted the kickoff event for its Microsoft YouthSpark initiative in Atlanta by bringing together more than 150 leading educators, government officials and nonprofits to discuss the state of youth education in the area. As part of the YouthSpark Atlanta launch, Microsoft signed an education alliance agreement with Morehouse College, one of the leading private Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the country.

“At Morehouse, our focus is on educating and preparing leaders who can make a difference in their communities,” said Dr. John Silvanus Wilson Jr., president, Morehouse College. “We know Microsoft shares that focus, and we’re excited to partner with the company on this unique education alliance.”

The education alliance between Microsoft and Morehouse will bring key components of the YouthSpark programs to Morehouse’s student body. These programs include the following:

• Microsoft IT Academy. This offers students and faculty members access to free training and IT skills training, which gives students the skills employers demand and the tools to build successful careers in technology.

• Microsoft Innovation Lab. The Innovation Lab will provide technology resources to students, educators and entrepreneurial members of the Morehouse community. These resources include a new computer lab, collaboration tools such as SMART Boards, and programs to help enhance technical skills for Morehouse students and the surrounding community.

• Campus recruitment. In collaboration with the United Negro College Fund, Microsoft will conduct recruiting visits to Morehouse, targeting undergrad and MBA graduate students. Microsoft also will host a Microsoft Recruiting Day at Morehouse to engage and interview students for open jobs at the company.

• Leadership series. Microsoft executives will engage in executive lectures and presidential chats to share insights on running a global technology business. In addition, select Morehouse students will learn more about specific Microsoft subsidiaries by visiting Microsoft offices in the United States or abroad.

Through these programs, Microsoft aims to inspire Morehouse students to explore careers in technology and business. Participating Morehouse students will receive unparalleled access to Microsoft technology, training and executive mentorship — something they cannot get in a normal classroom setting.

“Morehouse is recognized as one of the best liberal arts institutions in the country,” said Marietta Davis, general manager, Greater Southeast District, Microsoft. “With this new alliance, the Morehouse community — students, faculty and local educators — will get best-in-class technology and real-world mentorship to further prepare their students for success outside the classroom.”

The alliance between Morehouse and Microsoft is part of a broader partnership between Microsoft and Historically Black Colleges and Universities. In November, Microsoft signed a similar education alliance with Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, N.C., to enable its students to get firsthand technology training and to explore careers in technology.

$7.5 Million Donation to Leading Non p rofit Youth Villages

In addition to the education alliance with Morehouse College, Microsoft announced a $7.5 million software donation to Youth Villages, one of the nation’s largest providers of help to children with emotional and behavioral problems and their families. This year, Youth Villages will help more than 20,000 children, families and young people from more than 20 states and the District of Columbia.

“Microsoft is one of our most important partners,” said Patrick Lawler, CEO, Youth Villages. “Since 1997, its generosity has allowed us to provide the best computer technology to our kids. This grant means Microsoft’s total support of Youth Villages’ children comes to nearly $13 million, which has helped our youth learn computer skills and allowed us to support our staff with modern clinical records and office technology.”

The $7.5 million donation announced today will go toward updating the technology in Youth Villages’ residential campuses, such as its Douglasville, Ga., location. The Douglasville campus will receive updates including the latest Microsoft online learning curriculum to help students learn the fundamentals in word processing and presentations. In addition, Youth Villages’ transitional living program participants will use the technology to study for their GED certificates, apply for college, prepare resumes and look for employment.

Youth Villages’ other residential campuses in Tennessee, Massachusetts and Oregon will benefit from the technology donation, as well. The grant also provides the technology to enhance internal and external communications systems for more than 2,700 Youth Villages staff members who perform critical functions each day, such as accessing medical records, documenting treatment plans, and reporting to parents and referral partners.

A Conversation on Youth Education in Atlanta

Today’s YouthSpark Connections event in Atlanta will feature a number of distinguished civic leaders from the Atlanta area. Those scheduled to attend include Bernice King, CEO, The King Center; Dr. John Wilson, president, Morehouse College; Dr. John Barge, Georgia State School Superintendent; Wes Moore, best-selling author; Lenny Springs, senior advisor, U.S. Department of Education; Ceasar Mitchell, president, Atlanta City Council; Sheila Lienhart, board member, Portland Oregon Public Schools Foundation; Byron Amos, vice chair, Atlanta Board of Education; Cecily Harsch-Kinnane, Atlanta Board of Education; and Kelly Marlow, Cherokee County Board of Education.

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.

WASHINGTON — April 17, 2013 — Microsoft Corp. today announced the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as recipients of this year’s Microsoft Dynamics Customer Excellence award. The award is presented annually to Microsoft Dynamics customers that most effectively use technology to transform their organizations. Microsoft also announced 10 additional federal approaches to using the solution, and these customers have joined more than 200 federal organizations that have moved to the Microsoft Dynamics platform to accomplish strategic modernization initiatives amid limited budget environments.

In addition to reducing costs, federal government organizations are adopting Microsoft Dynamics CRM to better align with Executive Order 13571, which calls for agencies to embrace technologies to more efficiently provide citizen services. Federal leaders are leveraging the platform in place of expensive legacy systems in an effort to modernize their infrastructures and streamline operations.

“Federal government leaders are balancing the reality of significant budget cuts with the need to meet increasing citizen service expectations in this era of digital government,” said Greg Myers, vice president, U.S. Federal Government at Microsoft. “A number of agencies are adopting Microsoft Dynamics CRM to overcome complex challenges, cut costs and modernize legacy IT environments. We applaud their vision and leadership in driving a significant impact for their constituents.”

Award Winners Recognized for Transforming, Innovating

The Microsoft Dynamics Customer Excellence award is annually presented to Microsoft Dynamics customers that most effectively use technology to transform their organizations. This year’s recipients include the following:

• The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) transformed the Veterans Benefits Administration National Call Centers and its Pension Call Center by using Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Through the VA’s Veterans Relationship Management (VRM) initiative, the VA used Microsoft Dynamics CRM to integrate access to 13 different databases, which previously had to be individually queried and are now viewed simultaneously. This not only makes the call agents’ jobs easier, enabling them to recall veteran information more quickly, it also gives veterans timely access to healthcare, claims status and business information. “Microsoft Dynamics has helped VRM provide a platform to help millions of veterans and their families each year,” said Maureen Ellenberger, director of VRM. “To date, over 1 million calls have been better supported using CRM. We are already planning expanded deployments to other VA call centers.” In addition, the Federal Case Management Tool (FCMT), also built on Microsoft Dynamics CRM, is greatly supporting wounded warriors as they transition into VA care. The modernization of the VRM and FCMT programs has enabled the VA to strengthen its services to veterans.

• The United States Air Force continues its role as a visionary leader using information technology to project global military power through air, space and cyberspace. The implementation of Microsoft Dynamics CRM helps the Air Force to create, manage and advance its capabilities in workforce management, mission planning, event management and visitor access and to offer more efficient access to personnel records, resulting in improved mission execution.

Federal Government Agencies Leveraging Microsoft Dynamics CRM

Microsoft also announced that additional federal customers have joined more than 200 federal government organizations using Microsoft Dynamics CRM to achieve cost savings, help preserve safety and security, and streamline service delivery to improve constituent experiences.

• Microsoft supports the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, all military departments and the Unified Combatant Commands in their mission to deter war and protect the security of the United States. These organizations use Microsoft Dynamics solutions for intelligence gathering, mission planning, operations, workforce management, onboarding, correspondence and targeted outreach, task management, and more.

• In support of multiple Department of Homeland Security (DHS)-wide initiatives, a cloud-based software as a service (SaaS) solution is being deployed using the Microsoft Dynamics CRM platform. This SaaS offering deploys and scales business operations such as records management, scheduling, reporting, tracking campaigns, mission and workforce activities, and budgets. Within the DHS, Microsoft Dynamics CRM is used by the Transportation Security Administration, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and U.S. Coast Guard.

• The Risk Management Agency (RMA) of the United States Department of Agriculture provides insurance to help preserve the economic stability of America’s farmers and ranchers. In deploying Microsoft Dynamics CRM, the RMA has access to a more comprehensive view of each participant in its agricultural insurance program and individualized dashboards for better insight across its operations. As a result of the implementation, RMA has strengthened compliance and can handle key reporting tasks five times faster than on the previous system.

• As a member of the Farm Credit System, AgFirst provides funding and services to 22 affiliated agricultural credit associations in 15 states in the eastern United States and Puerto Rico. In turn, these agriculture credit associations serve more than 80,000 eligible farmers, ranchers and agribusinesses. The associations needed to strengthen their customer relationships to retain and grow loan portfolios and to deploy an economical yet robust solution that met each association’s unique business needs. To date, AgFirst has achieved significant business and operational benefits including $2 million in cost savings for member associations AgChoice Farm Credit and MidAtlantic Farm Credit, more efficient loan processing, improved customer service shown through customer satisfaction ratings of 98 to 100 percent, and enhanced lending decisions.

• Nearly 200,000 Peace Corps volunteers have served in 139 host countries to work on issues ranging from AIDS education to information technology and environmental preservation. To support its mission, the Peace Corps built unique solutions on Microsoft Dynamics CRM. To leverage the reusability and investment in the Dynamics platform, the Peace Corps is automating its grants management process to support a modernization strategy that incorporates several line-of-business practices across the organization. As a result, the Peace Corps is lowering costs, improving business processes and more effectively upholding its mission.

• The U.S. Department of State leverages Microsoft Dynamics CRM for its Tracking Responses and Inquiries for Passports (TRIP) solution. TRIP supports the Consular Systems and Technology mission of maintaining records of passport applicants who call the National Passport Information Center to inquire about their passport application status. The solution provides highly secure and accurate access information, allowing customer service representatives to more efficiently review Travel Document Issuance System passport application records. The customer service representatives are now able to more effectively search case history, ensure greater collaboration across departments and deliver higher-quality service.

• INTERPOL Washington supports almost 18,000 U.S. law enforcement agencies and 189 member countries seeking assistance in investigations of fugitives, financial fraud, drug violations, terrorism and violent crimes. For INTERPOL Washington, the mission is particularly daunting with more than 2,000 daily inquiries related to criminal activity across the globe. In partnership with Microsoft Consulting Service, INTERPOL Washington deployed a solution built on Microsoft Dynamics CRM to automate case tasks, more efficiently allocate personnel resources and resolve caseloads that have grown by 33 percent over previous years.

• The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Division of Human Services turned to Hitachi Consulting to implement a full life-cycle case management solution, built on Microsoft Dynamics CRM, which has helped the BIA automate data management and access, streamline operations, and integrate with other organizational units to allow case workers to be significantly more efficient and productive in providing social services for those in need. “The impact we make goes far beyond business efficiency,” said Sue Settles, chief, Division of Human Services BIA. “With this new system, our social workers are able to deliver our programs more effectively in some of the most isolated and economically depressed areas of the United States.”

• To gain a holistic view of members, services and needs, the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, which serves 200,000 members worldwide, deployed Microsoft Dynamics CRM with the help of Microsoft partner Artic IT Inc. Members receive faster service, and the tribe’s care agents, IT staff and elected leaders benefit from a solution that is easy to use, tailor and manage independently of third parties. Microsoft Dynamics CRM is now a pivotal element in the 100-year plan to ensure the success of the Choctaw people.

More about Microsoft Dynamics and its impact in federal government can be found at the Microsoft in Government website.

About Microsoft Dynamics

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

About Microsoft

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

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

REDMOND, Wash. — April 17, 2013 — Microsoft Corp. today released the Microsoft Security Intelligence Report volume 14 (SIRv14). In addition to analyzing prevalent threats from across the globe, the data revealed an important trend related to antivirus software (Antivirus). The study showed 2.5 out of 10 computers on average do not use up-to-date Antivirus. The report shows that without this vital protection layer, computers are 5.5 times more likely to be infected with malware. Antivirus helps guard against viruses, remove infections and protect people’s privacy.

“People intuitively understand the importance of locking their front doors to prevent their homes from being broken into. Computer security is no different. Surfing the Internet without up-to-date Antivirus is like leaving your front door open to criminals,” said Tim Rains, director, Trustworthy Computing, Microsoft. “With the release of this new research, Microsoft is urging people to make sure they have up-to-date Antivirus installed on their computers.”

SIRv14 explains some of the most prevalent threats facing consumers online:

• Think before you click. Microsoft detected and removed malicious email attachments from almost 3 million computers in the fourth quarter of 2012. People encounter this type of threat when opening documents, such as a PDF or Word document, that have been maliciously crafted and sent to them in email. Antivirus can help prevent infection from this type of attack.

• Bargain hunters beware. Keygen, a threat family commonly bundled with malware, was detected almost 7 million times in the fourth quarter of 2012. People seeking free or discounted software, movies or games online increase the risk of encountering this type of threat. Antivirus can help protect against it

Despite the benefits of Antivirus, many people do not realize they are unprotected. There are a number of reasons 2.5 out of 10 computers are unprotected:

• A trial period has expired or the software is out of date.

• The Antivirus was disabled by malware.

• People may not realize the importance of Antivirus so they do not install it.

To find out if people are using valid and up-to-date Antivirus, Microsoft recommends they go to their system control panels to check their computers’ security settings. If they do not have Antivirus installed, they can download it from a trusted vendor. If they have Windows 8, then Microsoft’s Antivirus is installed.

“Regardless of whether you use a free or paid-for solution, the importance of Antivirus cannot be overstated,” Rains said. “By taking the proper measures to protect your computer, including the most basic step of installing Antivirus, you can dramatically reduce your risk of becoming a victim.”

Microsoft releases the SIR twice a year to inform the public about the most prevalent global threats so they can protect themselves and their organizations. SIRv14 includes data from the second half of 2012 and contains threat intelligence from more than 1 billion computers worldwide.

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 16, 2013 — Microsoft Corp. and Hon Hai, the parent company of Foxconn, signed a worldwide patent licensing agreement that provides broad coverage under Microsoft’s patent portfolio for devices running the Android and Chrome OS, including smartphones, tablets and televisions. While the contents of the agreement are confidential, the parties indicate that Microsoft will receive royalties from Hon Hai under the agreement. Hon Hai joins a growing list of contract manufacturing and original design manufacturing companies with Android and Chrome patent licenses.

“We are pleased that the list of companies benefitting from Microsoft’s Android licensing program now includes the world’s largest contract manufacturer, Hon Hai,” said Horacio Gutierrez, corporate vice president and deputy general counsel of the Intellectual Property Group at Microsoft. “By licensing both brand name companies and their contract manufacturers, we have successfully increased the overall effectiveness and global reach of the program.”

“Hon Hai is the world’s largest contract electronics manufacturer that holds more than 54,000 patents worldwide,” said Samuel Fu, director of the Intellectual Property Department at Hon Hai. “We recognize and respect the importance of international efforts that seek to protect intellectual property. The licensing agreement with Microsoft represents those efforts and our continued support of international trade agreements that facilitate implementation of effective patent protection.”

Microsoft’s Commitment to Licensing Intellectual Property

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

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

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

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

April 7, 2013 – BOAO, Hainan, China – The Hainan government and Microsoft China today announced comprehensive collaboration to enable Hainan in its ambition to become the “Hawaii of China,” transform Hainan into an international tourism destination and a powerhouse of software development. In the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed today, both parties agreed to form a long-term partnership, cooperate strategically on incubating the application of informatization, nurturing the software industry, developing the next generation of IT, cultivating talent, and protecting intellectual property rights. Guests from Hainan government and Microsoft present at the signing ceremony included Luo Baoming, secretary of the Hainan Provincial Committee, Sun Xinyang, secretary-general of Hainan province, Li Guoliang, vice governor of Hainan Province, and Orlando Ayala, corporate vice president, chairman of Emerging Markets, Ralph Haupter, corporate vice president, chairman and CEO of Microsoft Greater China Region, Ya-Qin Zhang, corporate vice president, chairman of Microsoft Asia-Pacific R&D Group, and Sandy Gupta, CTO of Microsoft China.

Luo Baoming, secretary of the Hainan Provincial Committee, said, “Hainan is committed to becoming a world-class international tourism island characterized by sustainable and efficient, low-carbon local industries and the information technology is the critical foundation for realizing this. By partnering with world-leading IT companies like Microsoft, Hainan can leverage innovative technologies to upgrade and enhance industries including tourism, real estate, transportation, maritime and agriculture, and accelerate Hainan’s transformation into an international tourism island. The MOU reflects both sides’ vision and commitment to Hainan’s bright, sustainable future.”

Orlando Ayala, corporate vice president, chairman of Emerging Markets, extended his congratulations on the partnership, adding, “Information technology and intelligent applications are playing an increasingly important role in developing more sustainable industries, including the tourism industry. This is vitally important because Asia Pacific is quickly becoming the world’s most popular region for tourists, and China is expected to become the leading tourism destination over the next decade. Microsoft has always been committed to helping industries transform through technological innovation and we look forward to working closely with the Hainan government to enhance the competitiveness of Hainan’s tourism industry and accelerate their transformation into a sustainable international tourism island.”

Ralph Haupter, corporate vice president, chairman and CEO of Microsoft Greater China Region, said, “Microsoft is honored to be in this strategic partnership with the Hainan government. Over the last 20 years, Microsoft has invested throughout the country as a part of its long-term commitment to partnering in developing an innovative, competitive and talented China. With comprehensive strengths in devices and services, from client to cloud, Microsoft China has the capabilities and is committed to supporting the Hainan government in promoting local industries, driving economic transformation and creating a model of eco-friendly international tourism.”

As the only tropical island in China, Hainan is the weathervane of China’s tourism industry. The construction of Hainan as an “international tourism island” was elevated in status to one of national strategy as it is seen as playing an essential role in China’s overall development. Under the MOU, Microsoft and the Hainan government will work together to improve Hainan’s competitiveness in information technology and help develop information-based industries, which will facilitate the smooth, rapid upgrade of the local industrial sector and support intelligent tourism industry growth.

Microsoft demonstrated tailor-made, forward-looking tourism solutions at the Bo’ao Forum, including innovative service experiences such as no-contact, motion sensing and multi-touch technology; the integration of the Hainan International Tourism Island portal and Bing Travel; a “space-time tunnel” and much more.

Technology innovation has become a driving force for the sustainable development of cities. With Microsoft’s extensive experience in software service outsourcing and cloud services, as well as the strengths of its products, technology and global resources, the company hopes to enable the nation’s governments and enterprises to improve their core competitiveness through informatization, to accelerate economic transformation and build better, flexible more connected cities.

REDMOND, Wash. — April 10, 2013 — Microsoft Corp. today announced that the power and automation technology company ABB will deploy Microsoft Office 365 and Yammer to its employees worldwide.

With about 145,000 employees in 100 countries, ABB is transitioning from multiple IT collaboration and messaging solutions to Office 365 to provide a single platform for productivity, communication, collaboration and enterprise social in the cloud.

“Office 365 and Yammer will enable us to transform communication and collaboration among our employees, surfacing the best and most innovative ideas across the organization,” said Andy Tidd, chief information officer at ABB Group.

Microsoft’s Chief Operating Officer Kevin Turner emphasizes: “Strong internal communications are the lifeblood of a company’s success, and ABB’s decision as a global technology leader to deploy Office 365 and Yammer will help it realize its vision for empowering employees with new ways of working via enterprise social and the cloud. When you remove barriers to productivity and innovation and enable employees to collaborate and communicate even more freely and seamlessly across organizational and geographical boundaries, incredible things happen.”

Office 365 integrates a number of typical functionalities that employees use in their daily work. The mail service works seamlessly with the online meeting and videoconferencing service. Office 365 simplifies online meetings, and in large organizations such as ABB that can typically reduce travel costs by 15 to 20 percent.

ABB is rapidly embracing enterprise social networking solutions, implementing Yammer as its companywide platform to increase collaboration and knowledge sharing across the organization. ABB also plans to take full advantage of the planned integration between Office 365 and Yammer.

About ABB

ABB (http://www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve their performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 145,000 people. The company invests more than $1.3 billion annually in research and development. In November 2012, ABB announced it had developed the first hybrid breaker for high-voltage direct current, enabling a new generation of super transmission grids. (http://new.abb.com/about/hvdc-grid).

About Yammer

Yammer (www.yammer.com) is a best-in-class Enterprise Social Network used by more than 200,000 organizations worldwide — including 85 percent of the Fortune 500 — to foster team collaboration, empower employees, drive business agility and promote organizational connectedness. Yammer’s freemium business model lets customers see the value of Yammer before upgrading to the premium offering. Founded in 2008, Yammer is now part of the Microsoft Office Division.

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.

LAS VEGAS — April 9, 2013 — Today at the National Association of Broadcasters Show, Microsoft Corp. and NBC Sports Group announced they are partnering to use Windows Azure Media Services across NBC Sports’ digital platforms, including NBCSports.com, NBCOlympics.com and GolfChannel.com.

Through the agreement, which rolls out this summer, Microsoft will provide both live-streaming and on-demand viewing services for more than 5,000 hours of games and events on devices, such as smartphones, tablets and PCs. These services will allow sports fans to be able to relive or catch up on their favorite events and highlights that aired on NBC Sports Group platforms.

“NBC Sports Group is thrilled to be working with Microsoft,” said Rick Cordella, senior vice president and general manager of digital media at NBC Sports Group. “More and more of our audience is viewing our programming on Internet-enabled devices, so quality of service is important. Also, our programming reaches a national audience and needs to be available under challenging network conditions. We chose Microsoft because of its reputation for delivering an end-to-end experience that allows for seamless, high-quality video for both live and video-on-demand streaming.”

NBC Sports Group’s unique portfolio of properties includes the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games, “Sunday Night Football,” Notre Dame Football, Premier League soccer, Major League Soccer, Formula One and IndyCar racing, PGA TOUR, U.S. Open golf, French Open tennis, Triple Crown horse racing, and more.

“Microsoft is constantly looking for innovative ways to utilize the power of the cloud, and we see Windows Azure Media Services as a high-demand offering,” said Scott Guthrie, corporate vice president at Microsoft. “As consumer demand for viewing media online on any available device grows, our partnership with NBC Sports Group gives us the opportunity to provide the best of cloud technology and bring world-class sporting events to audiences when and where they want them.”

Microsoft has a broad partner ecosystem, which extends to the cloud. To bring the NBC Sports Group viewing experience to life, Microsoft is working with iStreamPlanet Co. and its live video workflow management product Aventus. Aventus will integrate with Windows Azure Media Services to provide a scalable, reliable, live video workflow solution to help bring NBC Sports Group programming to the cloud.

NBC Sports Group and iStreamPlanet join a growing list of companies, including European Tour, deltatre, Dolby Laboratories Inc. and Digital Rapids Corp., which are working with Windows Azure to bring their broadcasting audiences or technologies to the cloud.

In addition to Media Services, Windows Azure core services include Mobile Services, Cloud Services, Virtual Machines, Websites and Big Data. Customers can go to http://www.windowsazure.com for more information and to start their free trial.

About NBC Sports Group

When the Comcast-NBCUniversal transaction was completed in January 2011, the sports assets of the two companies combined to form the NBC Sports Group, which serves sports fans 24/7 with premier live events, insightful studio shows, and compelling original programming. The sports media company consists of a unique array of broadcast television, cable television, radio and digital sports assets, including NBC Sports, NBC Olympics, NBC Sports Network, Golf Channel, 11 NBC Sports Regional Networks, NBC Sports Radio and all of their respective digital properties. The NBC Sports Group possesses an unparalleled collection of television rights agreements, partnering with some of the most prestigious sports properties in the world: the International Olympic Committee and United States Olympic Committee, the NFL, NHL, PGA TOUR, PGA of America, USGA, Churchill Downs, Premier League, MLS, Tour de France, French Open, Formula One, IndyCar and many more.

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.

LAS VEGAS — April 8, 2013 — Today at the Microsoft Management Summit, Microsoft Corp. showcased companies relying on Windows Server Hyper-V and System Center to adapt to the changing needs of their businesses and customers.

“Companies around the world are using our technologies to innovate for their businesses. Our focus is to help IT organizations expand their capabilities and embrace the opportunities of cloud computing,” said Brad Anderson, corporate vice president of Windows Server and System Center Division. Anderson delivered the keynote address at the Summit and blogged about Microsoft’s Cloud OS strategy.

Powering Pizza Delivery

A pizza delivery pioneer, Domino’s Pizza has computerized nearly all aspects of store operations, from inventory to order taking to staff scheduling. The company moved to Windows Server Hyper-V for better reliability and management of its in-store servers running the Domino’s Pulse point-of-sale (POS) application.

Hyper-V is currently deployed in 750 stores and will be rolled out to more than 4,000 in the United States, as well as international locations. Using System Center to centrally manage over 15,000 servers and devices, Domino’s has cut virtualization-related help desk calls by 99 percent.

“If online ordering goes down, a third of our business evaporates. It’s that simple. It’s absolutely critical that our store servers remain running and, with Hyper-V, we’ve dramatically reduced store downtime,” said Lance Shinabarger, vice president, Global Infrastructure, Domino’s Pizza. “From pricing to management, performance and reliability gains, Hyper-V and System Center have been a huge win for Domino’s.”

Closing the “Dev-Ops” Gap

The Xerox India Development Center (IDC) supports software development for customers all over the world. IDC needed to help its developers better collaborate with customers and a more reliable way to quickly test and fix applications. The organization built a Microsoft private cloud with Windows Server Hyper-V and System Center that dynamically replicates customer datacenter environments. Using System Center with Visual Studio Team Foundation Server, the operations team can efficiently provide developers with deep insights into applications for real-time troubleshooting and optimization. As a result, IDC improved developer productivity by approximately 40 percent and cut costs by about 30 percent.

“Microsoft is my cloud platform vendor of choice because it provides the complete, integrated stack of infrastructure, application platform and development tools,” said Raman Padmanabhan, senior vice president and chief information officer, Commercial Business Process Outsourcing, Xerox Commercial Solutions. “We want our developers to be able to work across multiple development projects and sites with ease. They now have the tools and infrastructure they need to accelerate the ever-shrinking write-test-debug cycle.”

Building Productivity and Cost Savings

Pedcor Companies develops, builds and manages housing communities, including construction of more than 17,000 apartment units in the U.S. The company needed to improve datacenter availability and give employees in 77 remote offices better access to data and important applications, such as the Pedcor Management Application for collecting and processing rental fees. By replacing VMware infrastructure with a Microsoft private cloud built with Windows Server and System Center, Pedcor has reduced downtime by 40 percent, saved US$560,000 in IT costs and enabled reliable remote access to corporate resources.

“We can automate the management and delivery of healthy applications, which boosts the productivity of our people in the field,” said Sumeeth Evans, vice president of Information Technology, Pedcor Companies. “Microsoft’s technologies free my team to focus on new solutions for the business and give us a platform for the future.”

More news about MMS is available on the STB News Bytes blog, while 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.

REDMOND, Wash. — April 3, 2013 — The Obama for America campaign selected Microsoft Lync as the communications platform for hundreds of campaign staff in its Chicago headquarters and in some states for the 2012 elections. The campaign needed to upgrade from a private branch exchange (PBX) system to a more flexible cloud-based solution that could scale and adapt to support thousands of mission-critical calls in multiple locations at any given time.

“When the campaign began in 2011, we couldn’t predict how big it would get or when, so scalability and deployment efficiency were two of the most important features for us,” said Rajeev Chopra, president of the MIS Department Inc. in Chicago and chief information officer at Obama for America. “Controlling our systems with Lync also provided much more flexibility.”

As part of the deployment, the campaign’s primary phone number and headquarters voter hotline were managed through Lync in order to handle calls that numbered in the hundreds of thousands per day. Over 2,000 people were connected via Lync; this number increased at key points in the campaign, such as during the debates and the Democratic National Convention, and Lync was able to quickly and easily scale to meet demand.

The ability to work from anywhere also created benefits that expanded beyond the campaign staff and volunteers. Because they were able to be fully mobile on Lync and move from the office to the field without needing to transfer their phone number every time, the IT staff was able to free up time and support other mission-critical activities to keep the campaign running smoothly.

“It was really useful to see how Lync could adapt to the way our multilocation operation works,” Chopra said. “We didn’t start with Lync in every office, but we deployed it in our Chicago headquarters, and those employees were able to seamlessly transition to the field while retaining their infrastructure. This ensured their focus remained on reaching out directly to voters and not on technology limitations."

“On election day, volunteers wanted to keep answering phones, even when their relief had arrived. Instead of turning people away from headquarters, we were able to plug them in, light up a port and place them anywhere there was an empty desk,” Chopra said. “Our voter protection hotline was able to be increased at any time.”

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. — March 27, 2013 — Microsoft Corp. today announced four Microsoft Dynamics Customer Excellence Award winners and showcased eight unique customer approaches to using Microsoft Dynamics in the state and local government market. These customers join more than 500 state and local government organizations leveraging the power of the Microsoft Dynamics CRM platform to achieve cost savings, streamline operations and transform the delivery of citizen services.

“State and local government leaders are facing increasing pressure to cut costs while improving our nation’s most critical services across public safety, healthcare and entitlement programs,” said Amir Capriles, general manager, U.S. Public Sector Dynamics at Microsoft. “Our Customer Excellence Award winners are using Microsoft Dynamics CRM to solve complex business challenges, grow with constituent demands and replace legacy IT environments. We applaud their vision and leadership in driving significant impact for their constituents.”

Faced with serious fiscal challenges and resource constraints, government, education and healthcare organizations are seeking alternatives to expensive legacy systems. Public sector leaders are increasingly turning to Microsoft Dynamics CRM because the solution empowers organizations to be more responsive to citizen needs at a fraction of the cost, and these four award winners — Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, Commonwealth of Virginia, Cancer Treatment Centers of America Inc. and Illinois Department of Corrections — are leading the way through their innovative deployments.

State and Local Governments

• Innovative Service Delivery and Cost Savings: Commonwealth of Virginia. The commonwealth has modernized multiple agencies’ business functions with Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Virginia decided to replace outdated, manual systems and processes by adopting a shared services environment, eliminating the need for customized agency solutions. The modernization has sped the processing of citizen services inquiries; eliminated outdated, unsupported software and hardware systems; and enabled staff to work on other, more strategic tasks. The agencies are now operating more efficiently, which benefits both the citizens of Virginia and other state agencies. Virginia continues its innovative and creative approach to improving customer service and is saving taxpayers’ dollars in the process. Commonwealth of Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell summarized, “It makes the citizens happier; it makes our state employees happier because they can deliver better value and service to the customer. It’s just a win-win.”

• Managing a Citywide Convention: City of Charlotte, N.C. Faced with hosting a large influx of visitors during the 2012 Democratic National Convention, the city needed to replace its manual permitting processes with a new solution. The city adopted Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online and tailored the permitting solution to meet the unique demands of hosting the convention. The deployment has enabled Charlotte to reduce the burden of maintenance on its IT resources, automate previously manual workflows and streamline the overall event application process.

• Driving Up Jobs and Revenue: State of Indiana Economic Development Corp. (IEDC). Indiana and its economic development corporation have undertaken massive transformations that make the state more economically viable and improve responsiveness, accountability and efficiency. Bucking downturn trends, the state has attracted $6.4 billion in new economic development and 27,620 jobs. To achieve these results, the state improved collaboration and data access and automated processes by partnering with Crowe Horwarth International to deliver the Microsoft Dynamics CRM solution, enabling economic development staff to spend more time strengthening existing business relationships and pursuing prospective companies. Chad Pittman, executive vice president at IEDC, explained, “With the business process transformation and Microsoft Dynamics CRM implementation, IEDC doubled per-employee productivity and total deal flow while reducing the agency’s annual budget allocation from $60 million to $40 million.”

Justice and Public Safety Agencies

• Unified Offender Case Management: County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania. The courts, jails, district attorneys, and probation and parole offices that make up the criminal justice system previously maintained disparate case management systems. This wide range of applications lacked common standards, which led to duplicative data entries and made reporting and analysis very complex. As a result, the association developed a unified case management solution built on Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Combined with a set of Nation Information Exchange Model-compliant data standards, the platform improved information sharing at all levels of government and increased efficiency and accuracy throughout the offender lifecycle.

• Advanced Information Sharing and Mobile Victim Notification: Indiana Department of Corrections (IDOC). The department is integrating technology services to improve communication between criminal justice partners and to better serve victims. Built on Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Indiana Statewide Automated Victim Information and Notification shares custody information about offenders with crime victims and citizens. The IDOC can now personalize notifications, giving them control over how and when they are notified and improving information that is provided to victims, law enforcement and other justice partners.

• Reforming the Criminal Justice System: Illinois Department of Corrections (DOC). Guided by the governor’s vision, Illinois is reforming the criminal justice system through a public-private partnership for the state’s first cloud-based deployment, built on Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online. Illinois DOC selected the solution for its Offender-360 project to manage its statewide criminal justice population and help protect citizen safety. Illinois DOC is undergoing a phased rollout, anticipating 5,500 users of Offender-360 by the summer of 2013. The solution centralizes all information and intelligence on offenders to help staff make more effective and informed decisions regarding placement, rehabilitation and release. “This cutting-edge technology will give Illinois one of the most advanced criminal justice information systems in the country,” said Illinois Governor Pat Quinn. “It will save Illinois’ taxpayers millions of dollars while increasing public safety throughout the state.”

Health and Human Services Agencies

• Reimagined Health and Streamlined Delivery of Care: Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH). Leveraging Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Louisiana DHH is modernizing case management for the Office of Adult and Aging Services, providing case workers and citizens with one solution for intake, assessment, electronic plan of care and ongoing case management. Microsoft Dynamics CRM will help Louisiana DHH consolidate more than 109 existing case management applications under a single platform, enabling a projected decrease in more than 40 percent of redundant tasks and programs. Louisiana DHH plans to use Dynamics CRM as part of its upcoming Medicaid eligibility modernization engagement with Deloitte Consulting to support Medicaid recipients across the state. “Innovation is occurring in all corners of our healthcare system where states have led the execution of nation’s health IT agenda,” said Bruce Greenstein, secretary, Louisiana DHH. “We must continue to push the entire healthcare community toward solutions that translate new technological capabilities into more efficient delivery of care and better health outcomes.”

• Rapid Hotline Response and Reduced Abuse: Florida Department of Children & Families Abuse Hotline. IBM leverages Microsoft Dynamics CRM to deliver a call-center solution for more efficient intake processes, online reporting and performance management functions to improve the experience for more than 200 hotline counselors and the quality of interaction with child protective investigators and law enforcement. As a result of using the platform, the hotline can more quickly respond to calls, help ensure greater data accuracy, and more effectively identify patterns of abuse and manage high-risk situations.

• Inter-County Standardization and Care Coordination: Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD). To transform a highly fragmented environment to a more seamless, coordinated system, the DODD chose Microsoft Dynamics CRM for its Imagine project. The new shared information system environment lets 18 region V counties, the Mideast Ohio Regional Council and its supporting council of government use shared administrative activities and standardized practices to deliver services to individuals with developmental disabilities.

• Timely and Responsive Benefits: The State of Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS). CareDirector, built on Microsoft Dynamics CRM, will be used to manage the Aging and Disability Resource Centers across the state, including options and benefits counseling services, and to manage its Older Americans Act programs for nutrition, transportation and other services for seniors and people with disabilities. The system promises timely, responsive and transparent data for DHS’ operations.

• Greater Patient Care, Savings and Retention: Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA). CTCA offers cancer patients an integrated care model that combines traditional medical care with therapies to help manage side effects, strengthen the immune system and improve quality of life. After implementing Microsoft Dynamics CRM, the CTCA can now more effectively maintain records, have a single view of the patient, integrate with ancillary systems and processes, and respond to growth and patient needs. Microsoft Dynamics CRM has resulted in significant cost savings and improved retention for CTCA.

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. — March 27, 2013 — Microsoft Corp. today announced that 10 K–12 school districts and higher-education institutions have signed on to use Windows 8 for more than 540,000 students and faculty to prepare students for futures in college and careers. Microsoft’s expanding community of Windows 8 education adopters now includes Apollo Group, Atlanta Public Schools, Barry University, Fargo Public Schools, Fresno Unified School District, Jackson-Madison County School System, Pace University, San Antonio Independent School District, Thomas College and Tuckahoe Common School District.

“Microsoft recognizes that in order to be prepared for future success in today’s competitive global economy, students must have technology skills employers demand, plus relevant, 21st century skills, such as critical thinking, communication and collaborations abilities, problem-solving, and greater awareness of the global community,” said Margo Day, vice president of U.S. Education, Microsoft. “Windows 8 is helping schools modernize learning by supporting new education standards, online assessments and the move to digital learning by providing a powerful platform where content can be easily consumed and created, and a connection to the cloud where collaboration opportunities can be reimagined.”

In addition to improving learning experiences that are needed in the work place, Windows 8 provides students with a beautiful, modern way to consume content, and allows them the freedom to create, collaborate, produce and share across a range of devices, with flexibility for pen, mouse and keyboard inputs. It also saves schools time and money, reducing IT and ongoing maintenance costs and providing enterprise-ready security, reliability and management fundamentals.

Schools Benefiting From Windows 8

“We chose Windows 8 because we need much more than a consumption-only device for online assessments to help prepare students for success,” said Chuck Jones, chief of technology at Jackson-Madison County School System. “On another operating system, the IT and app management of 1,200 separate devices for teachers would have been too overwhelming.”

In addition to the support Windows provides students as they prepare for college and careers, educators are choosing Windows 8 for a range of needs:

• Apollo Group (across the U.S.). Windows 8 is currently being tested in Apollo’s Product Support and Validation Lab, and provided as a virtual desktop via Hyper-V to application developers and student support teams for testing student-facing applications. The adult education and online learning company supports 324,000 students and 25,500 employees worldwide and are building out a standard desktop image, including Office 2013, and making it available to developers and testers in anticipation of a larger rollout in the near future. The most common reason for testing Windows 8 will be the proliferation of touch-based devices and shift to a more mobile workforce, coupled with the increased demand for work-life combination devices.

• Atlanta Public Schools (Georgia). Atlanta Public Schools is among the largest metro area school districts, and its 48,000 students will have access to Windows 8 across 25,000 virtual desktops. Staff designed their own student digital portfolio learning application using SharePoint, which grants students seamless access to their desktop experience, Office 365 Education, and Office Web Apps from school or any offsite PC or device. “We want our students to use the same tools that professionals do on a daily basis,” said Dave Williamson, district chief information officer. “With this anytime, anywhere access to Windows 8 and Office 365 Education, we know that when they go to enter college or the job market they will be ahead of the curve with this knowledge of the latest technology available.”

• Barry University (Florida). The university plans to move its full inventory of 2,815 desktops and laptops to Windows 8 to complement its BYOD program and benefit its 8,700 students and over 1,200 full-time employees. Along with the use of Office 365 Education, there will be true integration and access to all campus resources, which will result in increased productivity and collaboration.

• Fargo Public Schools (North Dakota). More than 3,000 students will be receiving Dell Latitude 10 tablets as part of Fargo’s 1:1 computing initiative designed to meet the learning needs of students in the 21st century both inside and outside the classroom. The district was looking for a lightweight, touch screen tablet with great battery life that students could use for reading, researching, content creation and sharing their work. For IT director Bill Westrick, “Windows 8 provides the ‘no compromises’ experience everyone has been looking for. It doesn’t force us to choose between a device that you can only read from and that doesn’t connect to a keyboard, or a device geared toward creating documents, presentations and other projects. It’s the best of both worlds: Teachers and students will be able to leverage existing curriculum and resources already used in the classroom.”

• Fresno Unified School District (California). To prepare all students to be successful in college and career, the fourth largest school district in California will be standardizing on Windows 8 as its desktop operating system for 10,000 teachers/staff and more than 73,000 students. The Windows 8 environment will prepare the district to align with curriculum and assessment standards supporting the Common Core initiative. In addition, the combination of Windows 8 tablet devices as part of its Office 365 Education initiative and its move toward 1:1 will enable anytime, anywhere learning experiences and real-time collaboration teaching students critical 21st century skills.

• Jackson-Madison County School System (Tennessee). Supporting 13,000 students and 2,000 staff members, Jackson-Madison County School System will leverage Windows Multipoint Server 2012 to deploy Windows 8 so that one single desktop can serve up to four students, maximizing cost savings. The district will also start to implement its 1:1 computing initiative this fall.

• Pace University (New York). Windows 8 has been installed across the campus labs, and further testing and pilot projects are under way at Pace where it is building out classroom technology at a very rapid pace to provide the most state-of-the-art learning experiences for students. It will deploy Windows 8 across 10,000 desktops and devices.

• San Antonio Independent School District (Texas). Deploying Windows 8, it will provide 22,000 students with access to Windows 8 tablets in its 33 libraries to encourage reading engagement among students and increase the availability of curriculum resources.

• Thomas College (Maine). Students expect the latest technology that will best enable them to be productive and mobile, and they can now download Windows 8 and Office 2013 software for free thanks to the school’s Microsoft Campus Agreement. Furthermore, the school has rolled out Windows 8 to all desktops and laptops campuswide. The IT department is impressed with the startup speed of Windows 8, performance, hardware variety and touch interface.

• Tuckahoe Common School District (New York). Supporting grades K–8, TCSD has adopted the Surface Pro, Windows 8 and Office 365 Education to help comply with the New York State Education Department’s requirement, in association with PARCC for digital testing. Microsoft partnered with the district to address how it could meet these educational standards with the Microsoft suite, and technology education teacher David Dileo stated: “We looked at how we could meet the state requirements, increase digital literacy, decrease the digital divide, and prepare our students to compete in a digital world.”

“We are moving to Windows 8 to give our students the opportunity to work on real-world projects with technology they will eventually see in the workplace, experiences they won’t get on other specialty devices,” said Chief Information Officer Yvette Brown of Barry University. “I think Windows 8 will be easier for those who are not as tech-savvy because of the intuitive user interface with touch capabilities. I love the fact that I can actually get real work done on my Windows 8 tablet.”

See Windows 8 in Action for Yourself

To help school leaders and educators better understand how technology can be used in the classroom, Microsoft is conducting 700 Windows in the Classroom seminars across the country before the end of the school year. Those wanting to sign up for a session and to learn more about how technology can be incorporated into existing curriculum and how 1:1 device programs can help expand learning outside the traditional classroom walls should visit http://mie.ncce.org/wic. Schools can also register for the Partners in Learning Network (http://www.pil-network.com) to access a global network of educators sharing best practices, free software tools and tutorials, and lesson plans. Specific Windows 8 training materials can be found at http://www.pil-network.com/pd/course/wic.

About Microsoft in Education

At Microsoft, we are deeply committed to working with governments, communities, schools and educators to use the power of information technology to deliver technology, services and programs that provide anytime, anywhere learning for all. For more information: http://www.microsoft.com/education.

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. — March 27, 2013 — At the annual Microsoft U.S. Public Sector CIO Summit today, Microsoft Corp. announced eight government and education organizations that have chosen to adopt the Microsoft Office 365 cloud productivity platform to reduce costs, improve collaboration and modernize their technology infrastructures. Microsoft’s rapidly expanding community of public sector cloud customers now includes the City of Kansas City, Mo.; the City of Seattle; the University of Miami; California State University, Sacramento (Sacramento State); the University of Colorado Colorado Springs; the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority; Dupage County; and King County, Wash.

“Our mission is to provide the best possible services for Kansas City while maximizing taxpayer dollars,” said Mary J. Miller, chief information officer, Kansas City. “The move to Office 365 and cloud productivity will enable our staff to be more efficient while reducing both the city’s IT costs and its energy footprint.” Public sector organizations are increasingly choosing Microsoft Office 365 for cloud-based communications and collaboration to maximize information technology investments in the face of extreme budget challenges. These eight new customers represent the breadth of agencies and education institutions that now have access to the latest versions of familiar Office productivity solutions as they choose the cloud to help reduce IT management and data hosting costs. More than 1 million U.S. government workers have already made the move to Office 365 for their day-to-day productivity needs across a variety of federal, state and local organizations, including the State of California, the City and County of San Francisco, the City of Chicago, the State of Texas, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

“The rapidly increasing public sector adoption rates for Microsoft Office 365 are directly tied to current budget realities and the fact that our customers need to be more productive at a lower cost,” said Curt Kolcun, vice president of U.S. Public Sector at Microsoft. “Organizations are achieving significant cost savings through the cloud delivery model while gaining access to the latest collaboration tools without sacrificing on security or privacy.”

New Microsoft Office 365 Customers

• City of Kansas City, Mo. With responsibility for delivering services to nearly half a million residents, the Kansas City government chose Office 365 to help increase operational efficiency, reduce IT management costs and shrink its energy footprint. Leveraging the latest Microsoft innovations in datacenter design, Kansas City is decreasing energy consumption while taking advantage of the productivity benefits of cloud-based collaboration, resulting in real impact for citizens.

• City of Seattle. Delivering citizen services to more than 600,000 residents requires a flexible, agile IT infrastructure, and the city of Seattle is adopting Office 365 to help boost internal efficiencies while reducing costs. The city’s workforce will be more productive on the go, with improved remote access to critical applications and files, all within a security-enhanced, reliable cloud environment.

• Dupage County, Ill. As the second most populous county in the state of Illinois, Dupage County was looking for innovative ways to improve service delivery to nearly 1 million residents while maximizing the ROI on its technology investments. The decision to move to the cloud with Microsoft Office 365 will provide personnel with access to the latest Microsoft productivity tools, while driving new collaboration opportunities and increasing efficiency across county government operations.

• King County, Wash. King County, Wash., is moving to Office 365 cloud-based communications and collaboration as part of a broader strategy to leverage existing IT resources. Through an enterprise service delivery model, employees are taking advantage of expanded opportunities for cross-agency collaboration while gaining access to the latest videoconferencing, instant messaging and productivity solutions.

• San Diego County Regional Airport Authority. After reviewing a number of cloud-based email and collaboration solutions, including Google Apps, San Diego County Regional Airport Authority made the decision to adopt Office 365 for its security features, functionality and collaboration benefits. Staff members are already taking advantage of new instant messaging and videoconferencing capabilities through Microsoft Lync, and the move is expected to save the organization US$40,000 per year on reduced IT management costs, freeing up personnel to focus on delivering essential airport services to citizens.

• University of Miami. More than 40,000 students, faculty and staff will move to the cloud, so everyone on campus will have a common platform to communicate and collaborate more effectively. The Miller School of Medicine required a cloud solution that offered a business associate agreement as mandated by the U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act because it handles sensitive health data, and Microsoft offered the capability to provide security and privacy safeguards to meet this federal law. Located in an annual hurricane zone, business continuity, fault tolerance and backups are top of mind and expensive, but by moving to Office 365 for education, the university will be able to reallocate resources, time and money to other strategic initiatives.

• University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS). Students at UCCS were unhappy with the old email solution the university’s IT shop provided, and they wanted the type of functionality provided by Microsoft Exchange, such as shared calendaring, common contacts, an easy-to-use Web client and mobile device support. The IT department wanted to offer this, but because of budget cuts and other costly priorities, it could not justify moving the students to campus Exchange servers. Now, 29,000 student and alumni accounts are on Office 365 for education, and the university is in the process of phasing in Microsoft SharePoint, Office Web Apps and Lync, which are expected to be popular with students because of the rise of mobile device usage, online learning. and the desire to have access to files anywhere, anytime.

• Sacramento State. Exchange and Office are already the most-used software applications on campus, so moving to Office 365 Education was a “no brainer.” By moving some 50,000 accounts to the cloud, Sacramento State will be able to greatly reduce the cost of providing email and related communications services without compromising the quality of service. Faculty, staff and students will continue to get the best-of-breed Exchange features, plus SharePoint and Lync services, that will truly expand access to anytime and anyplace availability.

More information about how these and other Public Sector organizations are turning to Microsoft technology is available for download and 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.

REDMOND, Wash. — March 25, 2013 — Microsoft Corp. today announced the appointment of Judson Althoff to the role of president, North America Sales & Marketing, and corporate vice president. Althoff will manage a team of sales, marketing and services professionals across the United States and Canada, within a division that was a significant contributor to Microsoft’s US$73 billion in revenue in fiscal year 2013.

A business technology leader with more than 18 years of experience, Althoff previously served as senior vice president of worldwide alliances and channels and embedded sales at Oracle Corp., where he led worldwide indirect and embedded sales. During his 14 years at Oracle, Althoff held a number of senior positions, including group vice president for worldwide alliances, and vice president of global platform and distribution sales. Before Oracle, he held several sales leadership roles at EMC Corp.

“Judson has a track record of successfully developing, growing and leading global sales organizations with a culture of execution excellence,” said Kevin Turner, chief operating officer at Microsoft. “Judson’s proven leadership will enable us to continue to excel in delivering the best devices and services experience to our customers including businesses and consumers.”

Althoff will assume his new role at Microsoft on March 29, 2013, reporting to Turner.

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.

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — March 21, 2013 — As part of the recently launched Microsoft 4Afrika Initiative, Microsoft Corp. today announced a strategic cooperation with business incubator iHub and the m:lab East Africa consortium to enable startups, innovators and the developer community of East Africa to grow their skills and build businesses with Microsoft technologies. The cooperation further aims to offer these communities increased access to software, skills development opportunities and a means through which innovative startups can access capital investment and benefit from international outreach.

iHub is an innovation hub for the technology community that comprises an open space made available for technologists, investors and tech companies in Kenya and surrounding areas. m:lab is a consortium of four organizations that aims to be a leader in identifying, nurturing and helping to build sustainable enterprises in the knowledge economy. Together, they actively support the growth of entrepreneurs in Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Somalia and Southern Sudan. Microsoft will cooperate with the iHub and m:lab network on multiple projects spanning these countries, including the following:

• Supporting the startup community with Microsoft BizSpark memberships, trainings, participation in events, and access to business networking and capital investment opportunities. BizSpark is a global program that helps startups grow into successful businesses through software support and a vibrant ecosystem that delivers exceptional business advantage. BizSpark has supported 625 African startups since the program was first introduced in 2009.

• Enabling developers to access the latest events and workshops on Microsoft’s newest development technologies through iHub and m:lab community events, including trainings with the iHub UX lab.

• Establishing a physical presence in iHub and m:lab facilities at which Microsoft devices, including Windows Phones and Windows-based tablets, will be available for testing applications and other software developed by the local IT communities.

• Establishing a connection between the iHub Research team and Microsoft Research to enable access to research tools and collaboration on mutually beneficial projects.

• Enabling collaboration between the iHub Consulting team and Microsoft Consulting Services on joint customer projects.

Speaking today at the Innovation Africa Digital Summit in Ethiopia, Fernando de Sousa, general manager, Microsoft Africa Initiatives, said, “Microsoft sees tremendous potential in African youth, developers and entrepreneurs, and we see this collaboration with iHub and m:lab as an excellent way to quickly and directly engage with these critical communities to listen to how we can best support their ambitions and goals. It is our hope that this collaboration will help many more African startups become strong players in the information and communication technology sector at a global scale.”

Erik Hersman, managing director and founder of iHub, added, “We are very pleased to establish this cooperation with Microsoft, spanning the iHub ecosystem, to enable us to provide tech community members with great programs that can help them develop innovative new software products, establish their businesses and reach new markets. Microsoft is clearly a brand that developers and startups want to engage with, and we look forward to this collaboration, which will accelerate the development of technology across East Africa.”

The Microsoft 4Afrika Initiative is designed to help Africa improve its global competitiveness. By 2016, various efforts under the 4Afrika banner spanning the continent, such as this new collaboration with iHub and m:lab, will help place tens of millions of smart devices in the hands of African youth, bring 1 million African small and medium-size enterprises online, upskill 100,000 members of Africa’s existing workforce, and help an additional 100,000 recent graduates develop skills for employability, 75 percent of which Microsoft will help place in jobs.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential. Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://www.microsoft.com/news. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/news/contactpr.mspx.

REDMOND, Wash. — March 20, 2013 — Microsoft Corp. today announced via its website the general availability of the Windows Embedded 8 family of operating systems. Extending Windows 8 technologies to a spectrum of edge devices, Windows Embedded 8 helps enterprises capitalize on the Internet of Things with the platform to capture, analyze and act on valuable data across IT infrastructures.

“Edge devices connected and working in unison with an enterprise’s broader IT infrastructure unleash the potential of the Internet of Things by yielding the actionable data and operational intelligence that drive businesses forward,” said Kevin Dallas, general manager of Windows Embedded at Microsoft. “From the rich, familiar experience of Windows to integrated management, analytics and cloud platforms, Windows Embedded 8 coupled with the full breadth of Microsoft technologies for intelligent systems helps enterprises gain lasting competitive advantages in retail, manufacturing, healthcare and a variety of industries.”

Devices at the edge of enterprise networks connected to integrated Microsoft software and services help enterprises identify and act on opportunities that otherwise would be out of reach by improving access to data, enhancing performance, extending security and powering flexible line-of-business applications. With Windows Embedded 8, enterprises can harness Windows 8 technologies with additional features to support industry devices within intelligent systems — including rich, natural experiences that provide customers and employees with access to the information they are looking for while ensuring the consistency and predictability businesses require. Businesses will also have the ability to add or buy enterprise-specific functionality for their Windows Embedded 8-based solutions through licensing options Microsoft will make available in July.

For original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and developers, Windows Embedded 8 delivers the power, familiarity and reliability of the Windows operating system to create advanced commercial devices. The Windows 8 innovations coupled with additional embedded functionality for edge devices will help them quickly and efficiently deliver differentiated solutions with security enhancements, a refined application model and touch-first industry experiences. Windows Embedded 8 Standard and Windows Embedded 8 Pro are available immediately for OEMs to build and ship solutions — Microsoft has launched http://www.getwindowsembedded8.com to provide download access to the platforms.

Windows Embedded 8 Industry, which targets retail point-of-service (POS) solutions and other scenarios across manufacturing and healthcare that require fixed experiences with enhanced lockdown, branding and the other benefits of Windows Embedded 8, will be available the week of April 1.

In addition, http://www.getwindowsembedded8.com also contains a video series of panel discussions and other resources for enterprises and OEMs to help them take advantage of intelligent systems with Windows Embedded 8. The videos focus on three key industries with significant potential for intelligent systems — healthcare, retail and manufacturing — all with unique needs and requirements for devices, from kiosks to human machine interface panels (HMI), digital signs and POS terminals. Panelists featured in the videos include Windows Embedded general managers Kevin Dallas and Barb Edson; Neil Jordan, managing director of the Worldwide Health Group, Microsoft; Rohit Bhargava, director of Global Technology Strategy for the Worldwide Manufacturing & Resources Sector, Microsoft; Brendan O’Meara, managing director of the Worldwide Retail Group, Microsoft; and industry research analysts Cornelia Wels-Maug (Ovum), Craig Resnick (ARC), and Jerry Sheldon (IHL Group). The panels are moderated by GigaOm Research’s Adam Lesser.

More information on Windows Embedded 8 is available at http://www.getwindowsembedded8.com and the Windows Embedded Newsroom. The Windows Embedded 8 conversation on Twitter is available at http://twitter.com/MSFTWEB and using #getWE8.

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. — March 19, 2013 — Microsoft Corp. today announced the launch of the Imagine Cup Kodu Challenge, a new Microsoft Imagine Cup competition that offers aspiring game developers, ages 9 to 18, the opportunity to learn coding by developing a video game with Kodu, an easy-to-learn, game-creation toolkit and programming language available for free download on Windows-based PCs. Microsoft has drawn on the expertise of Mercy Corps and the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop to launch this new challenge as part of Imagine Cup, Microsoft’s student technology skills development program and competition.

“Microsoft developed Kodu to transform programming from a skill perceived as overly difficult to grasp to one that is fun and kid-friendly,” said Scott Fintel, producer for Kodu at Microsoft. “By getting students interested in game design at an early age through Imagine Cup, it’s our hope they will acquire new skills that will translate into a lifelong passion for computer programming and computer science and will encourage them to explore STEM-related careers in the future.”

The Kodu Challenge runs from March 19 through May 17, 2013, and invites students in two age brackets (9–12 and 13–18) to design games on the Kodu platform. For this challenge, participants will explore the relationships between water and people through the medium of Kodu video games. Although the only limits for these kids are their imaginations, the partnership with Mercy Corps offers the chance to learn and explore water-related issues, including disaster relief, clean-water engineering projects and much more, through a video series on the Kodu Challenge website. While acquiring valuable skills such as critical thinking, storytelling and programming, students in both age brackets will compete for first-place prizes of US$3,000, second-place prizes of US$2,000 and third-place prizes of US$1,000.

“At Mercy Corps, we are acutely aware of the relationship between water and people. While too much water can cause flooding, forcing people from their homes and destroying infrastructure, too little water can result in crop failure, conflict over scarce resources and malnutrition,” said Dr. Rebecca Wolfe, senior youth and peace-building advisor at Mercy Corps. “We believe in the power of games to help young people grapple with difficult issues. The Imagine Cup Kodu Challenge offers young students a valuable opportunity to develop new skills while creating games that illustrate the important role water plays in people’s lives around the world.”

With nearly one-half million downloads since its release and more than 16,000 kid-created games currently available for download, Kodu has proven an effective way to teach programming to young students. There will be additional Kodu-focused Imagine Cup challenges by Microsoft launching later this year, reflective of Imagine Cup’s evolution into an ongoing opportunity for students of all backgrounds and disciplines to learn coding and develop new skills with a chance to win cash prizes or travel.

“The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop studies how kids use and learn from digital media. The experience kids have creating their own video games with Kodu represents a strong, multidisciplinary approach to learning and skill development that harnesses kids’ natural love of play with creativity, technical abilities and a deep immersion in fascinating topics,” said Michael Levine, executive director of the Cooney Center.

As a key program of Microsoft YouthSpark, Imagine Cup inspires students to tackle software development projects using Microsoft’s tools and platforms from the initial brainstorming phase through final release and beyond, transforming them from passive consumers of technology to skilled creators. Through its varied contests such as the Kodu Challenge, Imagine Cup uses the thrill of competition to drive students to develop new skills, test themselves in new ways, lead multidisciplinary teams and take command of their future careers.

In addition to unveiling the Kodu Challenge, Microsoft recently launched two new Imagine Cup competitions that focus on women and female technology innovators. The Women’s Empowerment Award was established in partnership with UN Women, the U.N. organization working to accelerate gender equality and the empowerment of women, and will be awarded to two student teams of any gender that create projects that best address issues impacting women globally. Microsoft also announced the Women’s Athletics App Challenge, in partnership with the Seattle Storm women’s basketball team, which encourages female developers, innovators and entrepreneurs to create software related to sports, health or fitness.

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps helps people turn the crises they confront into the opportunities they deserve. Driven by local needs, its programs provide communities in the world’s toughest places with the tools and support they need to transform their own lives. Mercy Corps works in over 40 countries, improving the lives of 19 million people. For more information, see mercycorps.org.

About the Cooney Center

The Joan Ganz Cooney Center (www.joanganzcooneycenter.org) is an independent nonprofit research and innovation organization that focuses on the challenges of educating children in today’s rapidly changing digital media landscape. The Cooney Center conducts research on emerging technologies in learning and collaborates with educators, media producers, policymakers and investors to put research into action. The Cooney Center’s research and programs primarily focus on intergenerational learning, literacy and educational games. The Cooney Center is the founder of the Games and Learning Publishing Council and co-presents the National STEM Video Game Challenge.

About Microsoft Imagine Cup

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 ages 16 and older 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.

NEW ORLEANS — March 19, 2013 — Microsoft Corp. today opened a sold-out Microsoft Dynamics Convergence 2013 with a keynote address from Microsoft Business Solutions President Kirill Tatarinov featuring Microsoft Dynamics customers Chobani Inc., Habitat for Humanity International, Revlon Inc., Shock Doctor Inc. and Weight Watchers International Inc.

Speaking to more than 11,000 attendees, the largest in conference history, Tatarinov addressed how business leaders can reimagine the way they engage with customers, build brand relevance and collaborate with employees to stay ahead of the changing roles across all levels in business. Observing the increased influence of marketing and other areas of business over a company’s technology investments and the value of collaboration, Tatarinov reinforced the idea that business functions can work more effectively when they unite with their IT counterparts. Tatarinov noted that Microsoft Dynamics is uniquely positioned to serve as a catalyst for unity, and he announced new advancements in integrated marketing, embedded social capabilities, and new cloud and mobile scenarios enabled through Microsoft Dynamics solutions that will help businesses unite with their customers, unite their organizations, and unite their people and technology.

“To realize the promises and possibilities of a world ahead, organizations must be united” Tatarinov said. “Microsoft Dynamics solutions reimagine what’s possible for businesses, helping them unite to unlock innovation and creativity in people and to enable more meaningful experiences for their customers. When a business is truly united, great things happen.”

Revlon, one of the strongest consumer brand franchises in the world and a Microsoft Dynamics customer, brings the concept of unifying IT and business to life. The company is transforming the way people work and collaborate, starting by replacing 21 disparate business systems and 531 point systems with Microsoft Dynamics AX.

“The speed of beauty and glamour is unforgiving,” said David Giambruno, chief information officer of Revlon. “We are in a hypercompetitive market, and Microsoft Dynamics provides our employees with real-time information to access business-critical information virtually anywhere, anytime on almost any device, helping unite them with each other so they can innovate in a collaborative way across product development, manufacturing, sales and marketing.

Unite With Customers

Strengthening relationships by successfully engaging with customers is vital to business growth. Marketing, sales and customer service are essential to effective customer engagement, and the right business solution can unite these various functions. In addition, integrated marketing management has emerged as a critical strategy for companies that want to reach and engage with new customers while differentiating their brands, driving market excellence and making the most of their investments.

To help businesses achieve true integrated marketing, Microsoft announced a new version of the recently acquired MarketingPilot, which features a simplified user experience, a familiar look and feel, and seamlessly works with Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

Through MarketingPilot, marketers get access to a complete marketing automation solution with rich business intelligence, enabling them to successfully plan, track and optimize customer interactions across digital, social and traditional channels. This capability, when combined with Microsoft Dynamics CRM, fulfills the Holy Grail of marketing: omnichannel marketing that enables top-line revenue growth while managing costs and measuring return on marketing investment. The new version of MarketingPilot will be available to customers in the United States in March 2013. Microsoft plans to make MarketingPilot available to additional international markets later this year. More information is available at https://community.dynamics.com/crm/b/crmconnection/default.aspx.

“Marketing is changing and evolving rapidly, and we need business solutions that help us grow top-line revenue while managing costs. Our marketing needs require us to engage and interact with our customers, while providing technical solutions to efficiently distribute the appropriate information to our dealers to complement and enhance the sales process,” said John Johnston, director, Digital Marketing at Volvo. “We’ve been using Microsoft Dynamics to better align our marketing and sales processes and are constantly developing our solutions to increase our sales potential and personalize our customer interactions.”

Microsoft’s vision is to deliver social monitoring and analytics features as an integral part of the user experience and provide these capabilities to all roles and functions in an organization. To help businesses analyze and act on market intelligence from social conversations, including measuring sentiment across a wide array of social channels, Microsoft today announced an initiative to seamlessly embed social monitoring capabilities across Microsoft Dynamics CRM offerings. This effort has been accelerated with the acquisition of Netbreeze GmbH, which delivers cutting-edge native language analytics combined with data mining, transactional and text analysis capabilities. More information is available at https://community.dynamics.com/crm/b/crmconnection/default.aspx.

Chobani, maker of America’s No. 1-selling yogurt brand, uses a wide range of Microsoft technologies, including Microsoft Dynamics AX and CRM to keep pace with its aggressive plans for future global growth. The company uses Microsoft Dynamics CRM to communicate and connect with its consumers around the clock.

“As our company grew, so did the volume of messages from consumers across the world. We receive hundreds of contact messages and phone calls daily,” said Maureen Hurley, vice president of information technology at Chobani. “Microsoft Dynamics solutions have enabled us to make that feedback actionable, better track and understand what our customers want, and continue to provide best-in-class service. This has helped us build deeper, more immediate connections with our fans and continue our growth.”

Chobani also recently opened a new domestic manufacturing facility in Twin Falls, Idaho — considered the world’s largest of its kind — and was able to bring it online with Microsoft Dynamics AX in just 27 days.

Unite With Technology

Microsoft today announced a set of new applications for phones and tablets, which will be available with the next update to Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012. Designed to be personal, social and immersive, these mobile applications will provide a more relevant experience based on people’s roles and devices, help them connect with their social networks, and provide an engaging and actionable experience. In addition to the Business Analyzer application, which is currently available in the Windows Marketplace, the company unveiled a new set of application capabilities for mobile usage, targeting the following:

• Expense management. Helps workers both capture and reconcile expenses while traveling, cutting down time and effort — meaning getting money back more quickly; helps organizations implement expense policies more seamlessly

• Time. Captures time on projects “on the go,” simplifying this administrative burden while providing businesses with the opportunity to improve working capital through decreased billing cycle times

• Approvals. Enables managers to approve business requests such as budget requests, time sheets, submitted expense reports and purchase requisition to cut down on administrative task and time spend

These applications will be available for Windows 8 and Windows RT tablets, Windows Phone 8, Android phones, and iOS phone devices. To ensure extensibility and encourage innovation, Microsoft is also releasing documentation for its mobile APIs to help customers and partners build their own mobile applications. Learn more about these new applications at http://blogs.msdn.com/b/dax.

In addition, Microsoft will deliver a mobile CRM sales application with the next Microsoft Dynamics CRM release in the second half of 2013. Optimized for tablets, this application will help people manage an opportunity from lead to close and easily connect with customers and colleagues, regardless of location. The application brings guided selling to Windows 8 and Windows RT tablets as well as the iPad. Businesses can configure this application, enabling them to tailor the experience to fit their sales processes and approaches.

Microsoft today announced the availability of the Community Technical Preview of the new Microsoft Dynamics Lifecycle Services helping IT professionals simplify the application lifecycle experience. These services help organizations improve predictability of Microsoft Dynamics AX implementations by simplifying and standardizing implementation processes. They also allow them to proactively manage the application and reduce downtime. As an online service, Microsoft Dynamics Lifecycle Services helps minimize an organization’s IT burden. Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 and Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013 were released in Q4 2012 and were received positively by customers and partners. Enabled for the cloud, these solutions offer customers a complete choice of deployment both in the cloud and on-premises. In addition, these products will be available through partners to customers hosted on Windows Azure in June 2013.

Reaffirming the road map for Microsoft Dynamics AX, Microsoft expects to release updates to Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 in the second half of 2013. In addition to new mobile scenarios for phone and tablet devices, this release will also include capabilities such as warehouse management and transportation management, giving customers a real-time global view of supply chain operations. The company also reaffirmed availability of the next major release of Microsoft Dynamics AX in the cloud on Windows Azure and on-premises with early adoption programs commencing in 2014.

Microsoft Dynamics Momentum

Microsoft announced the latest Microsoft Dynamics CRM adoption numbers, with more than 3 million users and more than 39,000 customers. Microsoft Dynamics AX continues on a strong growth path with more than 18,000 customers and an increase of more than 50 percent license growth in North America in the last Microsoft fiscal quarter. Microsoft Dynamics also announced a number of global independent software vendor (ISV) partners supporting Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 and Microsoft Dynamics CRM, including Acorn Systems Inc., Bull, Flintfox International Ltd., Dominion, Hitachi Solutions Ltd., Hubwoo and XAPT Corp. These partners join Microsoft’s broad portfolio of other leading global ISVs, which view Microsoft Dynamics as a critical component in helping propel customers become Dynamic Businesses.

More Information

More information about Microsoft’s Dynamic Business vision can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics/about.aspx. More information and news from Convergence 2013 is available at http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/presskits/dynamics. The opening keynote presentation and general session keynote speeches are available on the new virtual event platform for Convergence 2013 at http://www.microsoft.com/dynamics/convergence. Those who want to follow and engage with the Microsoft Dynamics Twitter community can do so at @MSFTDynamics and @MSFTConvergence using #CONV13.

About Microsoft Dynamics

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

About Microsoft

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

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

REDMOND, Wash. — March 14, 2013 — Convergence 2013, Microsoft Corp.’s premier event for its Microsoft Dynamics community, kicks off in New Orleans next week with more than 11,000 attendees expected, making it the largest Convergence event ever.

The conference-opening keynote will put the spotlight squarely on the amazing business transformations Microsoft Dynamics customers are experiencing using modern business solutions. Business leaders from Chobani Inc., Habitat for Humanity International, Revlon, Shock Doctor Inc. and Weight Watchers International Inc. will share the stage with Kirill Tatarinov, president, Microsoft Business Solutions Division, and discuss how their businesses are using Microsoft Dynamics solutions. Tatarinov will also use the keynote to share a vision of how organizations can grow and succeed by uniting their organizations and technologies and connecting in new ways with their customers.

What: Convergence 2013 keynote

Who: Kirill Tatarinov, president, Microsoft Business Solutions Division

When: Tuesday, March 19, 2013, 9–10:30 a.m. CDT

Where: Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans, La.

Live Webcast Information: The live webcast of the keynote address will begin at 9 a.m. CDT. Viewers may access the webcast at https://presentations.inxpo.com/Shows/microsoft/MSConvergence/3-13/Registration/Registration.html.

Transcript Information: A transcript will be available within 24 hours on the Convergence 2013 virtual newsroom. Live broadcasts of Microsoft Dynamics AX, Microsoft Dynamics GP, Microsoft Dynamics NAV, Microsoft Dynamics SL and Microsoft Dynamics CRM general sessions as well as the Business Leadership general session with Desiree Rogers, CEO of Johnson Publishing Company LLC, will also be available for viewing. A complete list of sessions and schedules is available at http://www.microsoft.com/dynamics/convergence.

Making an impact on the local community, in collaboration with New Orleans Habitat for Humanity, conference attendees will volunteer their time on Monday, March 18, to work on projects that will benefit inner-city children and families that are still struggling from the effects of Hurricane Katrina. More about the details of this project and how people can help is available at http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/features/2013/mar13/03-14Convergence.aspx.

More information and news from Convergence 2013 is available at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/presskits/dynamics. Those who want to follow and engage with the Microsoft Dynamics Twitter community can do so at @MSFTDynamics and @MSFTConvergence using #CONV13.

About Microsoft Dynamics

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

About Microsoft

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

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