ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 14, 1996 — Microsoft Corp. today announced it is offering a free 60-day trial of Publisher 97 to show small businesses how they can create professional-looking newsletters, brochures, business cards, fliers and Web sites economically. The Microsoft® Publisher 97 trial version can be obtained by calling (800) 426-9400 or by downloading it from the Microsoft Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/publisher/ (connect-time charges may apply).
Microsoft also announced it is donating one copy of Publisher 97 to each of the 950 Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) around the country. SBDCs provide free counseling, training and resources to more than a half-million small businesses each year.
“Most small businesses lack the resources to hire outside designers and writers to produce their advertising and publishing materials,”
said Sam Males, president of the Association of Small Business Development Centers.
“With Publisher 97, we are now able to offer another resource to assist small businesses in creating their own professional-looking materials easily and affordably.”
Alex Loeb, Publisher product unit manager at Microsoft, made the announcement today at FutureNet, an SBDC-sponsored conference Orlando. She told the more than 800 attendees that Microsoft Publisher is positioned to help small businesses compete in the marketplace.
“Publisher 97 makes it really easy for small businesses to create professional-looking documents and impressive sites on the World Wide Web,”
Loeb said.
“We’ve simplified every aspect of the design process, so small-business owners without design experience can create professional-looking products. With this 60-day trial offer, small-business owners can get up and running easily.”
Microsoft Publisher 97 is available in stores for approximately $79.95. The program is available on both 3.5-inch diskettes and CD-ROM, which provides additional clip art, fonts and borders. The product is also scheduled to be available in 11 language versions. The North American and international English versions are available now; French, German and Swedish versions of Publisher are scheduled to be available in November; and Brazilian Portuguese, Danish, Dutch, Italian, Norwegian and Spanish versions are scheduled to be available by December.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.
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