Top Analyst Firm Positions Microsoft BizTalk Server as a Leader In Application Integration

REDMOND, Wash., June 24, 2002 — Microsoft Corp. today announced that Gartner Inc., a leading research and advisory firm, has positioned BizTalk® Server in the Leader Quadrant of its Application Integration Broker Suites Magic Quadrant. Microsoft®
BizTalk Server has moved to the prestigious Leader Quadrant in its first two years, which confirms the company’s technology leadership and vision for enterprise application integration (EAI), business-to-business (B2B) integration and business process management.

“BizTalk Server was first introduced in December 2000, and since that time we have seen incredible momentum with the product from both analysts and customers,” said Dave Wascha, lead product manager for BizTalk Server at Microsoft. “Gartner’s placement of BizTalk Server in the Leader Quadrant for integration demonstrates the product’s vision and underlines its ability to provide a scalable and reliable integration solution for any enterprise.”

Since its initial release, BizTalk Server has amassed more than 1,100 customers, released more than 300 adapters for leading applications and messaging systems, and unveiled BizTalk Server Accelerators for suppliers, HIPAA and RosettaNet. BizTalk Server is currently the EAI solution of choice for a number of large enterprises such as Ford Motor Co., the U.K. government, and Marks and Spencer PLC.

In February, Microsoft continued this momentum by releasing BizTalk Server 2002. BizTalk Server 2002 provides tight integration with Visual Studio®
.NET, the industry-leading development tool, allowing developers to easily build components for BizTalk Server. The product also allows customers to more rapidly link up to trading partners, to quickly deploy new applications, and to better manage and monitor their business processes.

Gartner’s Magic Quadrant positions vendors in a particular segment based on their vision and ability to execute that vision. According to Gartner, Leaders are vendors that are performing well today, have a clear vision of industry direction and are actively building competencies to sustain their leadership position.

Using XML, SOAP and other core Internet transports and protocols, BizTalk Server unites EAI, B2B and business process management technology in a single product to allow companies to easily orchestrate Web services and rapidly build dynamic business processes that span applications, platforms and businesses.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software — any time, any place and on any device.

Microsoft, BizTalk and Visual Studio are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

The Magic Quadrant is copyrighted June 2002 by Gartner Inc. and is reused with permission. Gartner Inc.’s permission to print or reference its Magic Quadrant should not be deemed to be an endorsement of any company or product depicted in the quadrant. The Magic Quadrant is Gartner Inc.’s opinion and is an analytical representation of a marketplace at and for a specific time period. It measures vendors against Gartner Inc.-defined criteria for a marketplace. The positioning of vendors within a Magic Quadrant is based on the complex interplay of many factors. Gartner Inc. does not advise enterprises to select only those firms in the Leaders segment. In some situations, firms in the Visionary, Challenger, or Niche Player segments may be the right match for an enterprise’s requirements. Well-informed vendor selection decisions should rely on more than a Magic Quadrant. Gartner Inc. research is intended to be one of many information sources including other published information and direct analyst interaction. Gartner Inc. expressly disclaims all warranties, express or implied of fitness of this research for a particular purpose.

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