MICROSFT CEO AND DEFENCE SIGN AGREEMENT FOR ONGOING COLLABORATION

Australia – Thursday 24 May, 2007 – Microsoft CEO Mr Steve Ballmer today met with the Department of Defence, to sign a joint agreement reaffirming the strong relationship between the two organisations.

The agreement was signed between Mr Ballmer and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Defence, Mr Peter Lindsay MP.

Microsoft and the Department of Defence have enjoyed a long partnership and the agreement shows both are serious about consolidating and expanding joint efforts in the future.

"We have a significant foundation already in place with Defence through the Enterprise License Agreement we signed in 2000," said Mr Ballmer.

"By continuing to deploy Microsoft technologies, Defence will be able to simplify its operating environment, reduce integration risks, effort and costs into the future," he continued.

The 2000 ELA has delivered Defence a leading edge software license model and premier support effectively reducing administrative costs.

In addition to the ELA Microsoft signed a successful Security Cooperation Program (SCP), agreement with the Australian Government in 2006, which is administered through the Defence Signals Directorate. The SCP outlined engagement involving cooperative security activities in the areas of computer incident response, attack mitigation and citizen outreach. Defence’s relationship with Microsoft also includes commercial and collaborative planning, research and development activities and premier support services.

"These agreements show that our relationship is not just about software, we are partnering with the Department of Defence to help protect Australia’s critical communication infrastructure, and free them to focus on its primary directive to protect the country," said Mr Ballmer.

In 2003, the Australian Government also became a signatory to Microsoft’s Government Security Program, which gives governments controlled access to Microsoft® Windows® source code and other technical information they need to be confident in the enhanced security features of the Windows platform.