Microsoft Unveils Five Solutions Built for Businesses in Growing, Dynamic Industries

REDMOND, Wash. — Nov. 30, 2005 — Microsoft Corp. today announced general availability of five industry-specific solutions developed in close alliance with selected independent software vendors (ISVs) participating in the Microsoft Industry Builder initiative. The solutions, scheduled to be available Dec. 1, 2005, are designed for businesses that specialize in retail, distribution, process manufacturing, professional services, industrial equipment manufacturing, and field service management. The solutions announced today have been developed for Microsoft®Business Solutions–Axapta®, now part of Microsoft Dynamics™. Additional solutions will be released over the next few months.

These industry-specific solutions are a part of the first wave of Microsoft’s Industry Builder initiative, which will offer customers solutions that are packaged with Microsoft support offerings and high-quality code review. The initiative was announced at this year’s Convergence, the annual event for organizations that use products and services offered by Microsoft. With the first ISVs already signed on, support for the initiative has remained significant since March. Business partners and customers alike say that the time is right for Microsoft’s Industry Builder initiative.

“Participating in this initiative has already proven valuable for our business, and for partners that sell our solutions,” said Joop van Voorthuijsen, CEO of To-Increase B.V., an ISV specializing in providing effective solutions and add-on tools that support industry-specific business objectives. “It’s an unprecedented opportunity for us to extend our partner and customer base and meet the demands of today’s businesses with a solution that has the depth of industry-specific functionality, based on our domain expertise built up through hundreds of projects and the quality and support associated with Microsoft.”

Each of these solutions is available to qualified Microsoft partner community members. Unisys Corp., a global systems integrator focusing on enterprise security, Microsoft enterprise software, open-source solutions and support, outsourcing, and real-time infrastructure, works closely with Industry Builder initiative solution providers such as Iteration2 Inc., Fullscope Inc. and To-Increase.

“Our customers expect vertical-specific solutions backed by Microsoft and energized by hundreds of business solutions partners in the Microsoft ecosystem,” said Nima Bakhtiary, practice director for Microsoft Business Solutions at Unisys. “This initiative builds on our alliance with Microsoft and our commitment to enabling our clients to run their business operations more securely and gain better visibility into their business and IT development processes.”

Craig McCollum, vice president of Sales Strategy for Microsoft Business Solutions at Microsoft, said that the Industry Builder initiative offers proof of Microsoft’s commitment to working closely with its worldwide network of partners to deliver innovative business applications. “By combining the incredibly deep industry expertise of our solution partners with Microsoft’s innovative business applications, support plans, and research and development capabilities, we are delivering a winning group of solutions for our mutual customers,” McCollum said. “We’ve listened closely to our customers, identified unmet needs and delivered solutions that meet them.”

McCollum added that, although the Industry Builder initiative is currently limited in scope, expansion is on the horizon. “As we indicated earlier this year, we’re starting out with a focus on very specific industries and geographies, but the Industry Builder initiative is global in concept,” he said. “The availability of solutions announced today is only the first of many Industry Builder initiative solutions that will be introduced to the market. Future releases will expand the initiative’s scope in terms of both industries and geographies served.”

The first solutions, available today, are these:

  • Supply Chain Execution for Microsoft Axapta: Manhattan Associates Inc.

  • Process Industries for Microsoft Axapta: Fullscope

  • Professional Services for Microsoft Axapta: Foliodev LLC

  • Industrial Equipment Manufacturing for Microsoft Axapta: To-Increase

  • Field Service Automation for Microsoft Axapta: Iteration2

These solutions are being launched in multiple countries including Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland, the Netherlands, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States. More information about the Microsoft Industry Builder initiative can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/businesssolutions/axapta/product/industrysolutions.mspx.

About Microsoft Dynamics

Microsoft Dynamics is a line of financial, customer relationship and supply chain management solutions that helps businesses work more effectively. Delivered through a network of channel partners providing specialized services, these integrated, adaptable business management solutions work like and with familiar Microsoft software to streamline processes across an entire business.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

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