Microsoft Announces Office 2000 Pricing and Prelaunch Promotions

REDMOND, Wash., Jan. 7, 1999 — When Microsoft Office 2000 arrives in the second quarter of 1999, customers will be able to harness the power of the Web with a complete suite of productivity, communication and analysis tools. In anticipation of the upcoming release, Microsoft has announced pricing and promotional programs that make upgrading to Office 2000 simple and affordable.

“Office 2000 will provide great value for customers.” said Craig Fiebig, director of marketing for Microsoft’s desktop applications division. “Customers will receive new features and functionality with Office 2000 at the same price as previous versions.”

The Office 2000 Technology Guarantee Program ensures a smooth transition from Office 97 to Office 2000; customers who purchase the Office 97 suite or an individual application before Office 2000 becomes available are eligible to receive the corresponding Office 2000 suite or application free. The Office 2000 Technology Guarantee allows those who license Office 97 Professional, as well as FrontPage 98 or PhotoDraw 2000, prior to the release of Office 2000 to receive a free upgrade to Office 2000 Premium. The Technology Guarantee also allows those who license Office 97 Professional to receive an upgrade to Office 2000 Premium for $100.

In addition to the Technology Guarantee Program, Microsoft and several third-party vendors are offering incentives that make Office 2000 an even better value. From now until the launch of Office 2000, customers can receive a 20 percent discount on memory upgrades (from Kingston Technology Corporation), free Web hosting (from AnaServe, Inc.), and a $50 rebate on Voice Xpress continuous dictation software (from Lernout & Hauspie Speech Products N.V.). Microsoft is also offering the Intellimouse Pro pointing device at a reduced price to purchasers of an Office 2000 Premium upgrade.

With several packages to choose from, customers can pick the Office suite that best meets their needs:

Office 2000 Premium: Includes Word 2000, Microsoft Excel 2000, the Outlook 2000 messaging and collaboration client, PowerPoint 2000 presentation graphics program, Microsoft Access 2000, Publisher 2000, FrontPage 2000, PhotoDraw 2000, the Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 browser and Microsoft Office Small Business Tools. Estimated retail price (ERP) for version upgrades is $399. ERP for upgrades from non-Microsoft suites or desktop applications is $449. ERP for new users is $799.

Office 2000 Professional: Includes Word 2000, Excel 2000, Outlook 2000, PowerPoint 2000, Access 2000, Publisher 2000, and Microsoft Office Small Business Tools. ERP for version upgrades is $309. ERP for upgrades from non-Microsoft suites or desktop applications is $349. ERP for new users is $599.

Office 2000 Small Business: Includes Word 2000, Excel 2000, Outlook 2000, Publisher 2000, and Microsoft Office Small Business Tools. ERP for version upgrades is $209. ERP for upgrades from non-Microsoft suites or desktop applications is $249. ERP for new users is $499.

Office 2000 Standard: Includes Word 2000, Excel 2000, Outlook 2000, and PowerPoint 2000. ERP for version upgrades is $209. ERP for upgrades from non-Microsoft suites or desktop applications is $249. ERP for new users is $499.

Office 2000 Developer: Microsoft Office 2000 Developer is designed for developers building solutions that customize, automate and integrate Microsoft Office. Includes Office 2000 Premium as well as tools and documentation for building, managing and deploying solutions with Microsoft Office. ERP for version upgrades is $609. ERP for upgrades from non-Microsoft suites or desktop applications is $649. ERP for new users is $999.

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