Microsoft Ready for Worldwide Partner Conference

REDMOND, Wash. — June 27, 2005 — Next week Microsoft Corp. will kick off Microsoft® Worldwide Partner Conference 2005, an annual event focused on helping Microsoft’s global partner community achieve business success. The three-day gathering is designed to provide value added-resellers (VARs), independent software vendors (ISVs), system builders, system integrators and other Microsoft partners with valuable business resources. Those resources include training and in-depth information on Microsoft technologies, strategies to enhance continued business success, and networking opportunities with the 10,000 attendees including 6,500 Microsoft industry partners and other company leaders, sales and marketing executives, and solution architects. The sold-out conference, expected to be the largest Microsoft Worldwide Partner conference to date, will take place Friday, July 8, through Sunday, July 10, at the Minneapolis Convention Center in Minneapolis.

Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference 2005 will serve as the launch pad for a number of new initiatives, partner programs, and technology and product announcements critical to partner opportunity and success over the coming year. The conference will feature keynote speeches by leading Microsoft executives focused on key areas for partner business opportunity and growth, including technical, marketing and sales enablement benefits, tools and investment, and core product and technology road maps. More information can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/partner/events/wwpartnerconference/default.htm.

Microsoft executives expected to address the conference include Steve Ballmer, chief executive officer; Allison Watson, vice president of the Worldwide Partner Sales and Marketing Group; Orlando Ayala, senior vice president of the Small and Midmarket Solutions & Partner Group; Doug Burgum, senior vice president of Microsoft Business Solutions Business Group; Chris Capossela, corporate vice president of the Information Worker Product Management Group; Andy Lees, corporate vice president of Server and Tools Marketing; Kevin Johnson, group vice president of Worldwide Sales, Marketing and Services; Margo Day, vice president of the U.S. Partner Group; and Simon Witts, corporate vice president of the Enterprise and Partner Group.

Building Partner Opportunity

During the conference, attendees will be introduced to new technologies and solutions, learn about key strategies, view product demonstrations, and have access to hands-on labs and workshops. The Worldwide Partner Conference features the following:

  • Concurrent sessions on leadership, sales and marketing, as well as product solution sessions that focus on specific customers

  • More than 40 hands-on labs, where attendees can learn new skills for deploying technology for their customers

  • Structured networking with other partners to share best practices and to help explore ways to work together to meet customer needs

  • A recognition ceremony to honor outstanding achievements of Microsoft’s partners

Event Sponsors

Microsoft would like to thank the following event sponsors for joining the company in its commitment to providing opportunity for partners to build their businesses and realize their potential in the following year. Platinum sponsors for the event are Citrix Systems Inc., Computer Associates International Inc. and HP. Gold sponsors are Advanced Micro Devices Inc. and Fujitsu. Silver sponsors are Adesso Systems Inc., Avaya Inc., Bedrock Managed Services & Consulting, Captaris Inc., CCH Inc., Intermec Technologies Corp., Manhattan Associates Inc., Micro Focus International Ltd., Shavlik Technologies LLC, Siemens Communications Inc., Tectura Corp., Teneros Inc., ThinPrint GmbH, Trend Micro Inc. and Vonexus / Interactive Intelligence Inc. The Bronze sponsors are Adomo Inc., Axonom Inc., Bottomline Technologies, Business Objects SA, Element K LLC, Foliodev LLC, FrontRange Solutions Inc., Fullscope Inc., Interwoven Inc., iTEL-ip, NaviSite Inc., Neverfail Group Ltd., New West Technologies Inc., POSitive Technology, Q4bis Inc., Redmond Channel Partner magazine, RSA Security Inc., SAFLINK Corp., Scribe Software Corp., ScriptLogic Corp., Solver, Strategy Companion, Symantec Corp., Watermark and WennSoft.

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

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