Bill Gates Speaks to Sold-Out Crowd of Developers Looking to Windows As Premier Platform for Development in the 21st Century

Bill Gates Speaks to Sold-Out Crowd of Developers Looking to Windows As Premier Platform for Development in the 21st Century

NEW ORLEANS, June 4, 1998 — In his keynote speech today before a sold-out audience of nearly 9,000 developers at Tech ·Ed 98, Microsoft Chairman and CEO Bill Gates pointed to continued innovation from software developers using the Windows platform as one of the keys to growth and consumer benefits in the burgeoning technology industry. Gates’ speech at Microsoft Corp.’s annual conference for developers using the Microsoft® Windows® operating system underscored the company’s commitment to making Windows the premier platform where the
“coolest, most innovative”
applications in the personal computer industry are being developed.

Gates said development for Windows has gained more momentum recently than at any time in its history. The number of software developers targeting the Windows platform is growing rapidly, as evidenced by the fact that 1,000 developers have joined the MSDN
™
developer program since the program began in October 1997. During 1998, Microsoft expects to spend approximately $270 million providing developers for Windows with the training, programs and support they need to be successful.

During his speech, Gates also showcased the Windows Distributed interNet Applications (Windows DNA) architecture as Microsoft’s effort to unify the Windows- and Web-based programming models. Windows DNA will enable developers to bridge the best qualities of the Windows platform with the best of the Web. According to a recent study conducted for Microsoft, more than 2.18 million developers in the United States are creating leading-edge solutions on the Windows platform. Windows DNA and Microsoft’s other developer-focused initiatives have had an important impact on the industry’s growth and innovation.

“Windows is the absolute platform of choice for our sales force automation customers,”
said John Coffey, director of strategic programs at Moss Micro Inc.
“With COM-based technologies such as Microsoft Transaction Server technology and MSMQ, which are at the core of Windows DNA, we’ve significantly reduced the time it takes us to develop and deploy n-tier applications. This provides our customers with maximum flexibility and reduced total cost of ownership.”

“Basing our strategy on the Windows platform has been key to our products’ tremendous success,”
said Scot Wingo, vice president of the Stingray division of Rogue Wave Software Inc. (Nasdaq
“RWAV”
) and a Microsoft Tech · Ed exhibitor.
“The world is moving toward the Internet, and we fully expect that Windows will be the operating system of choice for the distributed, connective world. It is clear that our investment in the Windows platform will continue to pay dividends well into the 21st century.”

“Microsoft has already made the Windows platform the best for developing powerful applications quickly, even when deploying those applications across platforms,”
said Charles Crystle, chief technology officer at Chili!Soft.
“In fact, Chili!Soft develops products such as Chili!ASP for five different platforms, yet most of the work is done directly on Windows NT® . And with Microsoft’s impressive investment in research to enhance the human computing experience, we feel that Windows will lead the way to significantly advance software technology. The prospects are very appealing as an ISV.”


Microsoft Tech
·Ed is just one example of Microsoft’s commitment to the success of developers through better technology, education and support,”
said Morris Beton, director, developer relations at Microsoft.
“We’re devoting more resources than ever to ensure that developers can continue to innovate on the Windows platform.”

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

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

Other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

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