REDMOND, Wash., and NEW YORK Jan. 8, 2004 Microsoft Corp. and Good Housekeeping magazine today announced that the Microsoft® Digital Image Suite 9 and Encarta®
Reference Library 2004 home software packages have each earned the Good Housekeeping Seal, marking the first time these types of consumer home software products have been recognized by the prestigious Good Housekeeping Institute.
Microsofts Home Products Division has a 22-year history of developing high-quality products. It began in 1982 with its first home software product,
“Flight Simulator,” a popular PC game title that recently played a role in the 100-year anniversary celebration of powered flight. The groups efforts now range from mice and keyboards and broadband networking to PC games and Macintosh- and Windows®
-based home software.
“In earning the Good Housekeeping Seal for Digital Image Suite 9 and Encarta Reference Library 2004, Microsoft proves its continuing commitment to improving consumers lives and helping them realize their potential,”
said Lisa Brummel, corporate vice president of the Home Products Division at Microsoft.
“Our goal is to continually work to ensure that our products integrity exceeds consumers expectations while enabling ease of use and practicality around the home, allowing consumers to get more out of their PC experience.”
In addition to the best-selling 1 digital photo-editing software, Digital Image Suite 9, and the best-selling 2 Encarta Reference Library 2004, Microsofts Home Products Division recently released the best-selling 3 mapping and navigational software, Microsoft Streets & Trips 2004; the fastest-growing 4 personal finance software, Microsoft Money 2004; and the best-selling 5 home productivity software, Microsoft Works Suite 2004.
“Home software plays an increasingly important role in everyday life, and Good Housekeeping recognizes the need for easy-to-use technology products that help people tackle daily tasks like working with photos and helping the kids with their homework,”
said Patricia Haegele, senior vice president and publisher of Good Housekeeping magazine.
“We are proud to grant the Seal to Microsofts Digital Image Suite 9 and Encarta Reference Library 2004.”
After conducting rigorous research and product reviews, the Good Housekeeping Institute decided that Digital Image Suite 9 and Encarta Reference Library 2004 meet its meticulous standards for the Seal. Good Housekeeping Institute engineers thoroughly evaluated both home software titles on all features and functionality, verifying that the features described on the packaging and in the instructions worked well and were consumer-friendly. Other quantitative and qualitative evaluations included testing the products on multiple operating systems, checking for backward compatibility, verifying that hardware requirements correlated with the stated needs, and searching for bugs or other problems that might occur during normal operating procedures. In addition, Good Housekeeping verified that Microsoft offers adequate and competent technical support to consumers.
The Good Housekeeping Seal, now nearly 100 years old, is the graphic symbol of the magazines promise to consumers: If any product bearing the Seal or advertised in the magazine proves to be defective within two years of purchase, Good Housekeeping will replace the product or refund the purchase price.
About Microsoft Home Retail Division
Microsoft Home Retail Division (HRD), part of the Microsoft Home Products Division, is a leading publisher of home software for the PC. Celebrating more than 20 years of delivering products that help consumers accomplish and enjoy everyday tasks, Microsoft HRD brings consumers the Microsoft Encarta encyclopedia, the industrys best-selling 2 encyclopedia brand; Microsoft Digital Image products, which combine advanced photo-editing features and unmatched organizational tools with unparalleled ease of use; Microsoft Money, easy-to-use personal finance management software; Streets & Trips, Microsofts all-in-one mapping solution with points of interest, routes, driving directions and Pocket PC compatibility in one value-priced software package; and Microsoft Works Suite, the best-selling integrated home productivity software, which offers six of the latest essential home software titles in one package for tremendous value. Used with the MSN®
network of Internet services, these products have a unique depth and mobility that allow users to take their PC experience even further.
About Good Housekeeping
Good Housekeeping, founded in 1885, reaches 25 million readers every month. Since 1909, the Good Housekeeping Seal has been a highly recognized statement of the magazines renowned Consumers Policy, published in every issue of the magazine, which states that if a product bearing the Seal proves to be defective within two years of purchase, Good Housekeeping will replace the product or refund the purchase price. No other magazine in the world offers this kind of service to its readers.
About Microsoft
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.
1 Source: The NPD Group/NPD Techworld SM , August 2002March 2003. Based on total U.S. retail sales.
2 Source: NPD Techworld, March 1993March 2003. Based on total U.S. retail sales.
3 Source: The NPD Group/NPD Techworld, March 1999April 2003. Based on total U.S. retail sales.
4 Source: NPD Techworld, February 1997February 2003. Based on percentage of growth and on total U.S. retail sales.
5 Source: NPD Techworld, March 1993March 2002. Based on total U.S. retail sales.
Microsoft, Encarta, Windows and MSN are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
The names of actual products and services mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
For product box shots:
If you are interested in downloading high-resolution product box shots for Microsoft Digital Image Suite 9, Encarta Reference Library 2004 or other Microsoft products, please visit the Microsoft PressPass Image Gallery online at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/images/gallery/boxshots_a-d.asp .
Note to editors: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/ on Microsofts corporate information pages. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may since have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsofts Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/contactpr.asp .
