LAS VEGAS, May 7, 2002 — Today at the NetWorld+Interop 2002 show, Microsoft Corp. announced that Microsoft® Project 2002, the next generation of the worlds top-selling project management software, has been released to manufacturing. Available publicly in June, the expanded Microsoft Project 2002 product family marks Microsofts entry into the enterprise project and resource management marketplace.
The 2002 version of Microsoft Project has been extensively updated and newly restructured into a family of solutions. The Microsoft Project 2002 product family now includes a separate Microsoft .NET Enterprise Server product that incorporates increased collaboration functionality, portfolio and resource management capabilities, and enterprise-level performance.
“Were excited to report that Microsoft Project 2002 code is now final, and we are set to deliver a complete project and resource management solution for our enterprise customers,”
said Chris Capossela, general manager of the Microsoft Project business unit at Microsoft.
“We believe that Microsoft Project 2002 will enable organizations to make project management a critical business application throughout their enterprise.”
Project Management Solutions That Adapt to Customer Needs
The Microsoft Project 2002 product family takes a solutions-based approach to meeting customers project management needs. Microsoft Project Professional, Microsoft Project Server and Microsoft Project Web Access, a Web-based portal, work in unison to provide a scalable, customizable solution for enterprise project management. This solution enables portfolio and resource management, real-time reporting, and scenario analysis, offering business executives insight into the utilization of resources and the status of key initiatives across their organization to facilitate informed decision-making. Project information is shared by means of Microsoft Project Web Access, requiring users to have only Microsoft Project Server Client Access Licenses (CALs) to access information and collaborate across organizations.
“Many teams use project management tools to provide the plans that are a cornerstone to coordinating their people,”
said Matt Light, research director at Gartner Inc.
”
As this platform [Microsoft Project 2002] extends to enable
enterprise resource profiling and allocation, people can build on that for better collaboration, to improve project prioritization and get a better handle on project risks and costs.”
The Microsoft Project 2002 family also includes an offering designed to meet individual project management needs. Microsoft Project Standard, which includes enhanced ease-of-use features such as the new interactive help tool called Project Guide, helps business managers dynamically plan, track and manage schedules and resources enabling them to keep projects on track and within budget.
A Customizable, Extensible Development Platform
Microsoft Project Server 2002 is a customizable platform that can be extended and integrated across business systems to meet a companys project and knowledge management needs. An open architecture and full support for industry standards, including XML and SOAP, make it easy for developers to integrate Microsoft Project Server with other line-of-business applications and databases, and use it as a platform for building applications geared toward specific customer needs.
Partners Demonstrate Support
Microsoft solution providers and customers have expressed tremendous enthusiasm for Microsoft Project 2002, and many have launched deployment plans.
“At a time when companies are scrutinizing every dollar spent, PeopleSoft® Enterprise Service Automation (ESA) has brought hundreds of customers business processes online to reduce their costs and provide real-time data to make informed strategic decisions about their portfolio of projects,”
said Renee Lorton, senior vice president and general manager of Financial Management and Enterprise Service Automation solutions at PeopleSoft, Inc.
“Integration with Microsoft Project is a key component of PeopleSofts end-to-end solution for project automation. With the release of Microsoft Project 2002 and our continued ESA relationship, PeopleSoft customers will continue to take advantage of untapped opportunities to reduce costs and improve performance through better insight into their enterprise projects.”
Microsoft has also invited its partners to enter the Microsoft Project 2002 Business Value Solution Challenge (BVC), a competition that encourages providers to build compelling solutions for customers on the Microsoft Project 2002 platform. These solutions will be available later this year.
Microsoft Project 2002 Launch Events
Beginning in June, Microsoft will hold Microsoft Project 2002-focused launch events. Customers interested in learning more about the new enterprise project and resource management capabilities of Microsoft Project 2002 are encouraged to attend an event in their area. A listing of events can be found at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=7395 .
Pricing and Availability
Microsoft expects to deliver the final version of the Microsoft Project 2002 product line in June 2002. Estimated retail pricing* will be $599 for Microsoft Project Standard 2002; $999 for Microsoft Project Professional 2002; and $1,499 for Microsoft Project Server 2002, which includes five Microsoft Project Server Client Access Licenses. Additional Microsoft Project Server Client Access Licenses will be $179 each.
Microsoft Project will be available from Microsoft resellers, through Microsoft licensing programs and at http://shop.microsoft.com/. Microsoft also offers an upgrade path for Microsoft Project 2002. Any customer who obtains maintenance on an earlier version of Microsoft Project by July 31, 2002, will have the option to upgrade to Microsoft Project Standard 2002 or Microsoft Project Professional 2002 and receive a free copy of Microsoft Project Server. Additional information on licensing is available at http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/programs/sa/project.asp .
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* Reseller prices may vary.
Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
PeopleSoft is a registered trademark of PeopleSoft Inc.
The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
Microsoft Project 2002 Virtual Press Room:
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/events/project2002/default.asp
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