Editor’s note, Nov. 14, 2007 – A Spanish version of the press release is also available.

REDMOND, Wash. — Nov. 14, 2007 — Microsoft Office Accounting 2008, an enhanced version of the well-received 2007 financial management software for small businesses, is now available. In addition to new features and tools, Office Accounting 2008 has expanded its market distribution to include a bilingual Spanish-English version for the U.S.-based Hispanic market as well as a new product for the United Kingdom.

To meet the financial management needs of small businesses of all sizes, from sole proprietors to businesses with up to 25 employees, Office Accounting is currently available in two editions: Office Accounting Professional, ERP $199.95 (U.S.),* for established small businesses, and Office Accounting Express, free, for startups and home-based businesses. Both editions are available for download in English (http://www.ideawins.com) and Spanish (http://www.ideawins.com/espanol) in the United States. The U.K. version is available for download from http://www.msofficeaccounting.co.uk. A 60-day free trial of Office Accounting Professional is also available for download.

“Small businesses, no matter their size, recognize that managing their finances is a vital task, yet the complexity can be overwhelming,” said Rajat Taneja, general manager of small business applications and services at Microsoft Corp. “Office Accounting 2008 helps small businesses by offering easy and comprehensive solutions to effectively perform everyday financial tasks.”

Nearly 2 million people downloaded Office Accounting 2007 in the past year, and the feedback provided by these customers helped influence the new version. Office Accounting 2008 offers many new innovative features to help manage a small business, including these:

Office Accounting Now Available in Spanish for the U.S. Market

For the first time, bilingual Spanish-English versions of Office Accounting Express and Professional are available in the United States. This bilingual functionality makes Office Accounting 2008 truly unique in the market.

Microsoft Office Accounting 2008 Spanish Language Edition will have the same features and functionalities of the English versions, but will allow Hispanic small businesses to manage their finances and communicate with customers and accountants in both Spanish and English — depending on their preference.

“We know that the U.S. small-business market is very diverse, and we want to make sure that Office Accounting 2008 meets the needs of all small businesses in the U.S. That is why we now offer the product in a different language — Spanish — to help the nearly 2 million Hispanic small businesses here in the U.S.,” Taneja said.**

Office Accounting 2008 Is Available in the U.K.

Office Accounting is also debuting internationally in the United Kingdom, where it has been in limited beta since spring 2007. Office integration, ease of use and strict adherence to the U.K. accounting rules enable customers to effectively manage their business finances. In addition, features such as multicurrency support make Office Accounting 2008 stand out from the competition.

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

* Estimated retail price. Prices vary by reseller.

** U.S. Census Bureau, May 2005

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