REDMOND, Wash., Jan. 10, 2000 — The popularity of the Microsoft® Money product line – now represented at retail by Money 2000 Standard, Money 2000 Deluxe and Money 2000 Business & Personal – has grown dramatically among consumers, retailers and financial institutions during the past five years. Since 1995, Money has achieved a number of significant milestones:
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The product line’s year-to-date unit share at retail grew from 6.1 percent in 1995 to 21.4 percent in 1999 (Source: PC Data, October 1999).
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More than 1 million copies of the Money trial edition have been distributed since 1995.
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The number of financial institutions supporting Money to connect to their customers has grown more than 4,000 percent – from 21 in 1995 to 875 in 1999.
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An estimated 4.4 million people are now using Money to manage their finances (Source: Media Metrix, September 1999).
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Money 2000 was named by PC Magazine in early December 1999 as one of the best software products of 1999; it was the only personal financial management software product to be cited for excellence.
“This product has made significant strides during the past five years,”
said Ed Bland, group product manager for Money at Microsoft.
“The response we’ve received from consumers, reviewers, financial institutions and PC manufacturers to the innovations we’ve added has been more enthusiastic each year. And with the Money 2000 product line, we’ve made a great product even better by incorporating new, easy-to-use features that help consumers manage their daily finances and achieve their long-term goals.”
Bland noted that Microsoft has been the catalyst for a number of advances made in the personal financial management category during the past five years:
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In 1994, Money became the first personal finance software product to implement statement downloads and electronic account transfers.
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In 1996, Microsoft designed the Open Financial Connectivity (OFC) software specification to help financial institutions exchange information with Money. Microsoft also led efforts to integrate OFC with another specification from Intuit Inc. that resulted in today’s industry standard, Open Financial Exchange (OFX).
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In 1996, Microsoft pioneered active statement technology, which enables consumers to download statements from their financial institution’s Web site directly into Money.
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Releases of the product between 1998 and 1999 also reflected the following advances:
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With Money 98, Microsoft introduced Advisor FYI TM personalized financial guidance, an innovative feature that provides suggestions tailored to customers’ individual financial needs. This information helps customers simplify complex decisions, identify financial opportunities and avoid financial mistakes.
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Money 98 was the first to offer, in conjunction with American Express Financial Advisors (AEFAs), financial planning functionality that fully integrates with the product’s daily money management features.
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Money 99 was the first personal finance software product to incorporate Natural Language Query technology (in the form of the Answer Wizard) into its Help system.
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Money 99 Personal & Business was designed to meet the specific financial needs of sole proprietors.
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With the release of Money 2000, Microsoft debuted the Money Setup Assistant, which makes getting started with Money easier than ever before.
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Money 2000 includes an AutoCategorization feature, which automatically records expense categories for transactions made with over 500,000 businesses across the United States.
About Microsoft Money 2000 Deluxe
Microsoft Money 2000 Deluxe provides new and enhanced features, combining an innovative investment center with comprehensive financial planning tools developed with American Express Financial Advisors and integration with the MSN™ MoneyCentral™ online personal finance service. It offers superior investment management tools, any-time/anywhere access to financial information, world-class financial planning with AEFAs, easier tax management and filing, and easy setup and use. All versions of Microsoft Money are year 2000 compliant. Detailed information on year 2000 compliance for Money and other Microsoft products can be located on the Web at http://www.microsoft.com/technet/year2k/product/product.asp.
Pricing and Availability
Money 2000 Standard is available for $34.95 with a $10 in-box rebate. Money 2000 Deluxe is available for $64.95 with a $20 in-box rebate. Money 2000 Business & Personal is available for $94.95 with a $20 in-box rebate.*
Money 2000 Deluxe offers the following special promotions:
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E*Trade credit. Money 2000 customers who sign up for an E*Trade account receive a $75 account credit.**
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American Express offer. Money 2000 offers links to the American Express Web site, where users can receive more information about working with a professional financial advisor.
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Free Internet access. Users of Microsoft Money 2000 Deluxe can receive free Internet access *** from MSN Internet Access for two hours per month, for up to 12 months, through Dec. 31, 2000.
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Money 2000 Deluxe trial version and online tour. A free (connect-time charges may apply) 90-day trial version of Money will be available at http://www.microsoft.com/money/ .****
To order Money 2000, consumers can call (800) 426-9400, go to http://www.shop.microsoft.com/ on the Web, or visit a local retailer.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software – any time, any place and on any device.
*Prices are estimated retail prices. Actual retail prices may vary. Not all Money SKUs contain rebate offers. Rebate offers valid with qualifying proofs of purchase in the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, and expire Dec. 31, 2000. Additional offer restrictions apply.
**E*Trade offer valid in the 50 United States and the District of Columbia only. Offer expires Sept. 30, 2000.
***For users of the Windows® 95 or later operating system. Includes MSN client access software only. Users must additionally subscribe to MSN to access the service. Offer expires Dec. 31, 2000. Two free hours per month are available; each additional hour will be billed at $2.50 (United States) per hour. After Dec. 31, 2000, customers will be charged the then-current rate for MSN standard membership plan. This offer is available to new members in the 50 United States and the District of Columbia only. A credit card is required. MSN premium charges, access charges (if access is purchased from a provider other than MSN), and local phone and/or long-distance toll charges may apply. Access availability may be affected by local market network activity and capacity. Customer should check with their local phone company to ensure that the access number selected is a local call from their area. Customers are responsible for any long distance charges incurred when connecting to MSN.
**** The Money 2000 Deluxe trial edition contains all the features available in the full retail product, with the following exceptions: With the trial edition, users will be able to enter transactions within a 90-day window only. The trial edition does not include the multimedia product tours, audio and video help, or the Money 2000 Deluxe sample file. The trial edition does not include the Tax Estimator, Tax Deduction Finder and the Capital Gains Estimator features. The trial edition has limited online banking and bill payment features because of export restrictions on encryption. Note: users who live in North America may be able to access the online services of the Money 2000 Deluxe trial edition by downloading the 128-bit version of Microsoft Internet Explorer.
Microsoft, Advisor FYI, MSN, MoneyCentral and Windows 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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