REDMOND, Wash., and RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — March 13, 2007 — As a part of their continued collaboration, Microsoft Corp. and Lenovo today announced a global agreement to pre-load Windows Live™ services on Lenovo PCs sold worldwide including ThinkPad notebooks, ThinkCentre desktops and Lenovo-branded PCs. In the coming weeks, Lenovo will be the first PC maker to provide its customers worldwide with immediate access to the Microsoft® Live.com portal (http://www.live.com) and Windows Live Toolbar (http://toolbar.live.com) for a more integrated and personalized Web experience as they work, communicate and conduct their day-to-day activities.
“Building strong partnerships is a key element of the Windows Live strategy,” said Steve Berkowitz, senior vice president of the Online Services Group at Microsoft. “Working with a globally scaled PC maker like Lenovo, we can help millions of people worldwide use Windows Live services to connect to the people and information they care about most.”
“Live Search and Microsoft’s other Windows Live services help our customers work more effectively, whether they are a CIO, road warrior or small-business owner,” said Steve Petracca, vice president and general manager of Lenovo’s Software and Peripherals business unit. “Lenovo will use these services to further strengthen its relationships with customers worldwide by delivering useful PC updates, tools and information through a new portal. Microsoft shares our passion for innovation, and today’s announcement enhances how we support all activities conducted on Lenovo PCs.”
With Live.com, customers can easily customize their home page content, create multiple pages based on their interests and add their favorite content from millions of sources of information. The Windows Live Toolbar gives consumers one-click access to Live Search, which enables category searches such as Web, news, images and immersive maps to help them find what they are looking for.
Microsoft and Lenovo are committed to developing solutions that combine both companies’ advanced technologies for more productive and personal computing experiences. Microsoft and Lenovo’s continued relationship has delivered additional innovations to customers including optimized Microsoft Windows Vista™ functionality through the self-help tools available on Lenovo PCs, as well as enhanced Tablet PC solutions.
About Lenovo
Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) is dedicated to building the world’s best engineered personal computers. Lenovo’s business model is built on innovation, operational efficiency and customer satisfaction as well as a focus on investment in emerging markets. Formed by Lenovo Group’s acquisition of the former IBM Personal Computing Division, the company develops, manufactures and markets reliable high-quality, secure and easy-to-use technology products and services worldwide. Lenovo has major research centers in Yamato, Japan; Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, China; and Raleigh, North Carolina. For more information, see www.lenovo.com/us/en.
About MSN and Windows Live
MSN® attracts more than 465 million unique users worldwide per month. With localized versions available globally in 42 markets and 21 languages, MSN is a world leader in delivering compelling programmed content experiences to consumers and online advertising opportunities to businesses worldwide. Windows Live, a new set of personal Internet services and software, is designed to bring together in one place all the relationships, information and interests people care about most, with enhanced safety and security features across their PC, devices and the Web. MSN and Windows Live will be offered alongside each other as complementary services. Some Windows Live services entered an early beta phase on Nov. 1, 2005; these and future beta updates can be found at http://ideas.live.com. Windows Live is available at http://www.live.com. MSN is located on the Web at http://www.msn.com. MSN worldwide sites are located at http://www.msn.com/worldwide.ashx.
About Microsoft
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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