Taking It to the Streets

DENVER, October 4, 1999 — Pack ’em up and move ’em out! More than 20 Windows 2000 experts are boarding planes, trains and automobiles to kick off the Windows 2000 Customer Preview Tour that aims to reach more than 20,000 dedicated Windows fans in only two months.

In response to mounting grassroots customer enthusiasm for the next release of Windows, the Windows 2000 team hits the road today in Denver to start a 40-city tour to provide IT professionals and user group members with a rare opportunity to meet Microsoft product experts, share feedback and learn product tips and tricks directly from the team responsible for building Windows 2000.

“We are overwhelmed by the support we have received from the user group community and can’t wait to get out there to meet them, share ideas and hear feedback about Windows 2000,”
said Craig Beilinson, lead product manager for Windows 2000 at Microsoft.
“In addition to hearing from us and seeing the product first-hand, this is also a great opportunity for Windows enthusiasts to build relationships with others in their community.”

The user group community is comprised of IT Professionals who play an important role in their organizations; they are the experts that people turn to with computing questions in their communities.

IT Professionals told us that they’d like the opportunity to meet the developers who built Windows 2000 to obtain information directly from the experts,” said Beilinson. “This tour is a useful way to extend our reach to customers to give them the tools they need and to thank them for their continual support. User groups range in size from less than 100 to more than 1,000 people. Group members are largely IT professionals at small- and medium-sized businesses, but also include those at Fortune 500 companies, as well as hobbyists and novice users.

So far, interest in the tour is high. An estimated 900 people are expected to attend the presentation in Vancouver, B.C., scheduled for Oct. 14.
“We see Windows 2000 as the future, and our members are excited about the opportunity to be part of the process and meet the people behind the product that will be so pivotal for us in the next era of computing,”
said Nancy Pearce, President of the Vancouver Windows NT User Group (VANTUG).
“This tour gives us a chance to share our ideas with Microsoft and each other to build a real community of Windows professionals.”

During the 90-minute presentation, attendees will see and hear about the benefits of Windows 2000, as well as engage in an open exchange of ideas about planning, deploying and managing the new operating system. The free tour is co-sponsored by Microsoft, Compaq and Windows NT Magazine and requires no pre-registration.

The attendees will join other industry groups in building support for the upcoming release of Windows 2000. Microsoft has embarked on a widespread campaign to share information and gather feedback from other key groups — including the software developer community — through outreach programs such as DevDays ’99, a multi-city event designed to help developers take advantage of Windows 2000 as a Web development platform.

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