Winchester Creates New Ballistics Calculator Utilizing Microsoft Silverlight

REDMOND, Wash. Oct. 2, 2009 — Winchester Ammunition has launched its new online ballistics calculator that allows shooting and hunting enthusiasts to customize shooting conditions while comparing up to five Winchester products at once. The ballistics calculator is a free online tool built with Microsoft Silverlight, which allows for seamless interoperability with most browsers and operating systems.

Winchester chose Silverlight because it is a cross-browser, cross-platform plug-in that offers the compatibility needed to accommodate different users. Silverlight also allowed Winchester to create a tool that, unlike other ballistics calculators, does not have to be downloaded and run as a stand-alone application. This makes it easier to use and helps ensure that customers will always have the most current version of the calculator with the latest features.

“There were many advantages to using Silverlight in designing our new ballistics calculator,” said Brett Flaugher, vice president of sales and marketing for Winchester Ammunition. “The most important goal, however, was to offer our customers a new, advanced tool that would be compatible with their browser and easy to use.”

“The Winchester ballistics calculator is a great example of the rich and interactive applications that Silverlight delivers,” said Steve Sklepowich, director for Silverlight at Microsoft Corp. “Silverlight enables companies like Winchester to meet customer demand by providing a unique cross-platform, cross-browser online experience in a detailed and efficient environment.”

Winchester conducted in-depth surveys and focus groups and analyzed Web site traffic to develop a new online strategy that would better satisfy customers. The research revealed that the majority of visitors to the Winchester Web site are experienced shooters and hunters who come to the site to research ballistics data. Using this information, Winchester decided to improve its ballistics data by creating a new ballistics calculator with a greater level of detail and easier functionality.

The ballistics calculator now allows users to compare up to five Winchester products at once, in comparison with other ballistics calculators that only allow customers to look at one product at a time. The user can also create different conditions to test products, such as changing the sight-in range, maximum range, temperature, crosswind (speed and direction), altitude and sight height. Most ballistics calculators offer a very limited number of variables for customers to edit and test.

Silverlight enables the ballistics calculator to display the collected data in easy-to-read charts and graphs that visually lay out the point of impact, drop and trajectory. While offering this detailed data to satisfy experienced shooters, the ballistics calculator lays out the information in a way that novices can understand, making the tool accessible to a wide array of customers.

The ballistics calculator is currently available online at http://www.winchester.com/ballistics/.

About Winchester

Winchester® Ammunition pledged $500,000 to permanently endow the NRA’s Marksmanship Qualification Program, thus becoming the exclusive sponsor of the officially renamed Winchester/NRA Marksmanship Qualification Program. The Winchester/NRA Marksmanship Qualification Program is a self-paced shooting development program. Open to adults and youngsters alike, the program measures an individual’s shooting proficiency against established par scores in 13 courses of fire across three disciplines: pistol, rifle and shotgun.

By supporting the Winchester/NRA Marksmanship Qualification Program, Winchester is providing everyone the chance to explore the benefits that hunting and shooting sports have to offer. To learn more about the Winchester/NRA Marksmanship Qualification Program, please call 800-672-3888 ext. 1505 or visit www.nrahq.org/youth.

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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