Microsoft Australia launches Windows Vista and the 2007 Office system
Sydney – 30 January 2007 – Microsoft Australia today announced the availability of Microsoft ® Windows Vista™ and Office Small Business 2007 for Australian small business. These two flagship products are designed to put small businesses on equal footing with larger, rival competitors by giving them technology tools that have traditionally been reserved for companies with bigger IT budgets.
Together Windows Vista Business and Microsoft Office Small Business 2007 will help enable small businesses to operate more productively, present a more polished and professional image, and extend their customer reach to a global marketplace while still retaining the personal touch on which they've built their reputations.
"These products are designed to help Australian small businesses maximise their time and resources so they can focus more attention on what's important to them, serving their customers and growing their companies," said Therese McGrath, Director, Small Business, Microsoft Australia. "Office Small Business 2007 and Windows Vista Business development included thousands of hours of customer discussions so we could better understand their needs and make sure that these products deliver the highest quality results."
Specialist tax firm, Shaddick & Spence, was one of the first Australian small businesses to run a pilot project of the 2007 Microsoft Office system and Windows Vista. The pilot project was seen as an opportunity to deploy a suite of tools that would simplify internal processes and administrative tasks and could scale to meet the company's growing needs.
Ms Christine Salau, Office Manager, Shaddick & Spence, said "for us, this project wasn't about saving money. It was about increasing staff productivity and efficiency so we could focus on more value-adding tasks such as improving customer service and making our reports and presentations more professional and accessible."
"Office Small Business 2007 and Windows Vista Business have saved me time and effort and made my job easier in more ways than I could have imagined."
Windows Vista Business
Windows Vista Business is the operating system designed for organisations of all sizes. For small businesses, Windows Vista Business will help keep PCs running smoothly and more securely. Windows Vista Business also allows organisations to retrieve older versions of documents accidentally deleted; use a simple wizard to automate backups; work virtually anywhere with security-enhanced and dependable remote access; find information and resources faster with Instant Search; and respond more quickly to customers with integrated faxing and scanning.
Microsoft Office Small Business 2007
Office Small Business 2007 provides a complete set of productivity and business management software. Office Small Business 2007 consists of Microsoft Office Word 2007, Microsoft Office Excel® 2007, Microsoft Office PowerPoint® 2007, Microsoft Office Outlook® 2007 with Business Contact Manager, Microsoft Office Publisher 2007.
Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 with Business Contact Manager
Outlook 2007 with Business Contact Manager, centralises all contact, prospect and customer information — including communications history, marketing campaigns, projected sales value, probability of closing, and tasks — making it easier to manage prospects, respond to customers and get a clear view of the entire sales process in one place.
Pricing and Availability
Microsoft Windows Vista Business and Microsoft Office Small Business 2007 will be widely available from today through Microsoft reseller partners. Recommended retail prices*:
Microsoft Windows Vista Business $565
Microsoft Windows Vista Business Upgrade $379
Microsoft Office Small Business 2007 $749
Microsoft Office Small Business 2007 Upgrade $499
*Prices are Australian recommended retail prices. Actual prices may vary.
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For further information, please contact:
Cathy Jamieson
PR ManagerMicrosoft Australia
Ph: 02 9870 2220 or 0412 177 738
cajamies@microsoft.com
Anne Flanagan
Howorth Communications
Ph: 02 8281 3830 or 0405 082 603
howorth@howorth.com.au