Microsoft Business Solutions Announces New Integrated Industry Solutions

MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 18, 2002 — Microsoft®
Business Solutions today announced it will deliver two new industry-specific solutions, Microsoft Business Solutions Professional Services Automation (PSA) and Microsoft Retail Management System (RMS). These feature-rich and customizable products represent significant additional investments toward providing small and midmarket businesses with the industry-specific solutions they need to operate efficiently and competitively. With these additions, Microsoft Business Solutions provides a range of powerful industry solutions for manufacturers, distributors, retailers and professional services organizations.

The announcement was made at Stampede 2002, Microsoft Business Solutions’ annual partner conference being held in Minneapolis this week.

“Our industry solutions will deliver integrated enterprise-level functionality to small and midmarket companies that need business operations, retail management, manufacturing, supply chain and service automation solutions,”
said Satya Nadella, corporate vice president with Microsoft Business Solutions.
“We know these markets have traditionally been underserved, yet they have the same needs and opportunities as larger players to transform their businesses through software. This is especially true for retailers and professional services organizations. These new integrated solutions help address those needs, providing innovative ways for companies to better manage their project management and retail operations processes, allowing for tight integration with front- and back-office functions.”

The new industry solutions also offer significant opportunities for Microsoft Business Solutions’ reselling channel partners and independent software vendors (ISVs). Resellers will gain the ability to extend their reach into thousands of small and midmarket retailers and professional services businesses in the United States and Canada. ISVs can use the industry solutions as a foundation to create customized applications.

Microsoft Business Solutions PSA

Microsoft Business Solutions PSA provides new ways for a project-driven organization to improve its project efficiency and profitability and adapt quickly to changing conditions. Based on Microsoft Business Solutions Project Accounting — Solomon®
and the Microsoft Project 2002 platform, this integrated business solution combines best-of-breed functionality with unparalleled flexibility, allowing project-driven organizations to serve their customers better. Microsoft Business Solutions PSA brings together resource management, project management, knowledge management, time and expense, project accounting, financials, and reporting and analytics into one tightly integrated solution.

“We are confident that implementing Microsoft Business Solutions PSA will contribute greatly to our bottom line. We are excited about the solution’s ability to reduce billing errors, increase cash flow, increase employee utilization and, ultimately, increase profits,”
said Adrian Balfour, CEO of Program Planning Professionals, Inc. (Pcubed).
“We have more than 300 consultants working for Pcubed globally, and our vision is rapid deployment of easy-to-use, scalable solutions that allow all team members to work together to ensure that every project is successful. Microsoft Business Solutions PSA will contribute to a more seamless work environment and will allow us to focus on delivering higher-quality services to our customers.”

Availability and Pricing

Microsoft Business Solutions PSA will be available in North America in the fourth quarter of 2002. Pricing will be announced at a later date.

Microsoft Retail Management System

Microsoft Retail Management System, built on the award-winning QuickSell line of products, now offers a complete end-to-end solution that automates a retailer’s operations from the cash register right through to the company headquarters. RMS is a comprehensive solution that integrates point-of-sale (POS) and retail management applications with Microsoft Business Solutions — Great Plains®
and Microsoft Business Solutions Small Business Manager financial applications, bringing a sophisticated yet easy-to-use and cost-effective offering to small and medium-sized retail businesses. This affordable, connected solution offers POS, inventory management, pricing and promotions, reports, and analysis, all with tight integration to the back-office financial applications.

“We’re excited about Microsoft Retail Management System, with the added back-end integration and the proven technology from QuickSell,”
said Kevin Rieck, president of The Sports Gallery Inc., Toledo, Ohio.
“QuickSell is so logical. You tailor it to your needs and it works just like you’d expect. Retail is too unpredictable to tolerate inflexible software. When our industry had supply-line upheavals, a lot of stores couldn’t keep up. QuickSell’s tools and flexibility helped us not only keep pace, but also exploit those changes to expand inventory and raise revenues.”

Microsoft Retail Management System comes in two versions: Store Operations for single retailers, and HeadQuarters for multistore retailers. Both RMS and QuickSell also will be available as standalone products.

Availability and Pricing

Microsoft Retail Management System is available worldwide. Pricing starts at $1,290 (U.S.).

About Microsoft Business Solutions

Microsoft Business Solutions, which includes the businesses of Great Plains, Microsoft bCentral (TM) and Navision a/s, offers a wide range of business applications designed to help small, midmarket and corporate businesses become more connected with customers, employees, partners and suppliers. Microsoft Business Solutions’ business applications automate end-to-end business processes across financials, distribution, project accounting, electronic commerce, human resources and payroll, manufacturing, supply chain management, business intelligence, sales and marketing management, and customer service and support. More information about Microsoft Business Solutions can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/businesssolutions/.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies 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.

Microsoft, Solomon, Great Plains and bCentral are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

Great Plains Software Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Microsoft Corp.

Navision a/s is a subsidiary of Microsoft Corp.

The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

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