News from Microsoft Ireland: Corporate

Microsoft Ireland Wins Repak Recycling Award

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 09:02:29 GMT

At the 7th Repak Recycling Awards last week, Microsoft Ireland won the Best Prevention Initiative Award for the re-design of the Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac packaging. The Awards serve to recognise and commend both businesses and schools that are exemplars in packaging minimisation, prevention and recycling and that are actively seeking to make a difference to recycling and to the environment in Ireland.

The award, which was presented by Minister for the Environment John Gormley, recognised the project to re-design the packaging for Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac which resulted in the use of less material and the reduction in the weight of the packaging by 70% and the volume by 69%.

The production of these units led to a reduction of 210 tonnes of packaging in 2007, a 320% increase in pallet utilization, resulting in 30% less trucks being needed to deliver the same product.

Other winners at the awards were:

Symantec Ireland who won Repak Member of the Year 2008, Sponsored by Arthur Cox
Glenisk Organic Dairies who won Repak Best Practice Award sponsored by the EPA
Musgrave Group won the Repak Excellence Award 2008,
Glenlo Abbey Hotel who won the Repak Best practice Award 2008 – Hospitality Sector, sponsored by Rehab Recycling
Thornton’s Recycling, 2008 Recovery Operator of the Year Award – Large, sponsored by Tetra Pak
Clean Ireland Recycling, 2008 Recovery Operator of the Year Award Small to Medium Company, Sponsored by Manvik
Fingal County Council won 2008 Local Authority of the Year Award, Sponsored by REHAB Recycling
Murphy’s SuperValu Supermarket, Castletownbere, Co. Cork who won Best Practice – Independent Retailer Sector 2008
Tashinny National School, Ballymahon, Co. Longford, Repak in association with An Taisce, Recycling School of the Year
Tashinny National School also had one particular interesting reuse initiative in their school when they put old election posters to good use by creating a hen run out of the posters.

Irish Company, Zignals, Partners With Microsoft to Launch Innovative New Online Service for Individual Investors

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 13:36:06 GMT

Microsoft joins with veteran entrepreneur, venture investors and Enterprise Ireland to set up new company that will bring a cutting-edge resource to market.

DUBLIN: June 11th, 2008 — Microsoft today joined Zignals, a start-up company, in announcing the launch of a beta online service set to transform investing for the active trader. Zignals will provide retail investors with state-of-the-art decision-support tools and access to a financially savvy online network that shares its own independently rated investment strategies. The beta launch of Zignals will focus on personalized services for the investor – easy-to-use alerts that can be tested, tailored and delivered directly to any e-mail address, personal digital assistant (PDA) or mobile device; intuitive charting and technical analysis – all developed using the very latest Microsoft technologies, such as Silverlight.

Zignals was created through the collaboration of the Microsoft IP Ventures team, Enterprise Ireland, successful entrepreneurs Pat Brazel and Scott Tattersall, Manresa Partners and angel investors.

“The complete absence of personalized service and access to powerful yet usable decision-support tools is often cited by smaller investors as a key constraint on improving the performance of their investment decisions. This is where we plan to change the status quo. Zignals responds to this need by democratizing trading for the online investor,” said Pat Brazel, CEO of Zignals. “Microsoft has provided us with the resources and the technology to develop personalized communication services and optimize trading strategies using the yet-to-be-launched Microsoft Solver Foundation technology. The highly intuitive services we are building will open up a whole new world for the retail investor who wants to maximize the effectiveness of their investment efforts without spending every waking hour peering at screens.”

“IP Ventures continues to have success in bringing together entrepreneurs, venture capital and governments to launch new companies, like Zignals, offering exciting technologies, around the world,” said Dan’l Lewin, corporate vice president of Strategic and Emerging Business Development at Microsoft. “Microsoft offers entrepreneurs cutting-edge technology and an experienced team to work with to help them bring a new product or service to market. This close collaboration helps ensure long-term success for the new company and their future consumers.”

Dan'l Lewin, Corporate Vice President, Strategic and Emerging Business Development, Microsoft Corporation; Pat Brazel, Zignals; Michael Moriarty, Enterprise Ireland pictured at the announcement in Brussels earlier today.

Enterprise Ireland, the enterprise development agency of the Irish government, made the original introduction of Brazel to IP Ventures, which resulted in the establishment of Zignals.

“We are delighted to be supporting the establishment of Zignals in Ireland. We are greatly encouraged by the strong partnership with Microsoft that will bring an exciting innovation to the market while creating a new enterpriser in Ireland,” said Frank Ryan, CEO of Enterprise Ireland.

Innovative Programme Connects Venture Capitalists and Entrepreneurs With Microsoft Innovation

Microsoft launched the dynamic IP Ventures programme in May 2005 to expedite the commercialisation of new innovations developed through the company’s significant research and development investment. The programme is available globally and is frequently updated with new technology offerings. Some companies taking advantage of the IP Ventures opportunities include Skinkers, Wallop Technologies Inc. and Zumobi Inc.

About Zignals

Zignals offers a variety of online services that are set to transform the world of financial investment by democratizing the investment services that are available to the active trader in the financial markets and by providing access to a financially-savvy online network which shares its own independently-rated investment strategies. Zignals was established in partnership with Microsoft and other investors, and has developed its services using Microsoft IP-protected technology. The Zignals beta release is available from June 11^th.

Microsoft Appoints Cathriona Hallahan to head the EMEA Operations Centre in Dublin

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 12:33:48 GMT

Dublin: May 26th, 2008 - Microsoft Ireland today announced that Cathriona Hallahan has been appointed as managing director of Microsoft’s Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Operations Centre (EOC) based at the Microsoft campus in Sandyford, Co. Dublin. Cathriona replaces Paul Rellis, who was recently appointed as managing director of Microsoft Ireland. In her new role Cathriona will be responsible for all commercial operations at EOC which includes logistics, supply chain management and financial support for the EMEA region.

Cathriona is a veteran of Microsoft having worked in a variety of European and global roles over the past 20 years. In more recent times she has had global responsibility for the Microsoft Business Services (MBS) operations. Under her leadership MBS Operations has been transformed through the development of a global organisation. The global programme management model developed by Cathriona is now a model for all of Microsoft’s commercial business worldwide.

Commenting on the appointment Paul Rellis, managing director, Microsoft Ireland said: “Cathriona brings fantastic experience and passion to this important and strategic role in Microsoft’s EMEA operations. The EOC is at the heart of ensuring that we deliver a positive experience to customers and partners throughout the whole of Europe, Middle East and Africa. Cathriona’s vast expertise and knowledge built up over 20 years at Microsoft will ensure that the business will continue to thrive and grow in her hands.”

Cathriona joined Microsoft in 1986 as an accounts clerk in the finance department. Over the course of 10 years she held various roles including cost accountant, accounts supervisor and finance manager. During this time Cathriona contributed to some revolutionary changes in Microsoft EOC history. Today the EOC provides key support for Microsoft’s business across EMEA including logistics, supply chain management and all key processes in support of Sales, Marketing and Services across 85 countries.

Cathriona said: “As a veteran of Microsoft and having worked in a range of different roles across the business, I am looking forward to the challenges of running the EOC. One of my most important priorities will be the continued growth and development of the EOC, particularly expanding capabilities to support new business models and markets for all our customers and partners across the region.”

IMI National Conference: Technology, Improved Management Capability and Innovation can Help to Modernise Government

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 09:44:09 GMT

Wicklow: April 4th, 2008 - Paul Rellis, Managing Director, Microsoft Ireland, today highlighted the role technology, management capability and innovation can play in modernising government in his address to the Irish Management Institute national conference.

He focussed on the importance of productivity and competitiveness to the continued prosperity and growth in the Irish economy and emphasised the need for both the public and private sector to take an active role in addressing those issues.

Rellis emphasised that traditionally, when faced with economic challenges, Governments around the world have often taken measures to cut public services. However, there is an alternative. “By combining the potential of technology with increased management capability and a more innovative approach to public services, there are unprecedented opportunities for delivering improved citizen services and increasing the competitiveness of our public sector, regardless of the economic climate locally or internationally,” he said.

“We are just beginning to realise the potential of information technology as a tool in the modernisation of government services and its role in boosting the productivity of our public service and thereby increasing the competitiveness of our economy as a whole,” he said.

“Within the next decade, it is fair to say there will be as significant an explosion in the use of information technology as we have experienced over the past ten years. No government can afford to fall behind in harnessing appropriate systems to deliver services that will ensure the greatest efficiency and productivity in the use of public resources and public money,” he noted.

Microsoft has been working with governments around the world to understand how technology, innovation and management capability can assist in the delivery of public services.

“In our work globally, we have discovered that as well as enhancing the efficiency of delivery of public services, technology significantly increases the productivity of government. In an Irish context this means that even in economically challenged times, a focus on the benefits of technology, management capability and innovation to maintain levels of public service is compelling,” he concluded.

Microsoft launches the Interoperability Forum

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 16:01:00 GMT

Microsoft is today announcing the Interoperability Forum – a web-based resource designed to foster open communication, dialogue, and problem-solving about interoperability challenges. The forum is the latest step the delivery of our Interoperability Principles - our commitment to promote greater interoperability, opportunity and choice across the IT industry of developers, partners, customers and competitors - which were announced in February (see below for more information).

The Forum contains information about what Microsoft is doing in the area of interoperability, and will enable an open dialogue on issues of importance to users and information technology companies.

The Forum is intended to enable an open conversation about interoperability among industry participants and contains three specific topic areas for discussion and collaboration.

Interoperability Conversations – An area in which participants can raise general questions, identify issues or propose solutions about interoperability in the marketplace. Discussions among industry participants on interoperability issues will ultimately help to create solutions that address key issues.
Technical Interoperability Scenarios - A forum to discuss technical interoperability issues and how they can be resolved. Some examples of discussion topics include: developer tools and runtime; office productivity; systems management; and security and identity management.
Achieving Interoperability Through Standards - One way to achieve interoperability is through the implementation of industry standard technologies. While standards are not the only way to enable interoperability, they are an important part of the conversation. This forum encourages participants to start conversations related to standardizing technologies and implementing standards in products.

About Microsoft's Interoperability Principles

In February, we announced a set of broad-reaching changes to our technology and business practices to increase the openness of our products and drive greater interoperability, opportunity and choice for developers, partners, customers and competitors.

Known as the Interoperability Principles, they encompass four areas across our high-volume business products:

Ensuring open connections
Promoting data portability
Enhancing support for industry standards
Fostering more open engagement with customers and the industry, including open source communities.

These interoperability principles apply to the following high-volume Microsoft products: Windows Vista (including the .NET Framework), Windows Server 2008, SQL Server 2008, Office 2007, Exchange Server 2007, and Office SharePoint Server 2007, and future versions of all these products.

You can find more details on the Interoperability Principles here.

Pictured from left: Brad Smith, senior vice president and general counsel, Steve Ballmer, Chief Executive Officer and Ray Ozzie, Chief Software Architect, at the announcement of Microsoft's Interoperability Principles on February 21st, 2008.

Additional Interoperability Resources:

The Microsoft Interoperability web site [Link]
Microsoft and Sourcesense partner to contribute to open source, Apache POI to support Ecma Office Open XML file formats [Link]
Microsoft partners with top Social Networks to put users at the centre of their data [Link]
Microsoft Expands support for Web standards [Link]
Microsoft launches Document Interoperability Initiative [Link]
Q&A with Bob Muglia on Microsoft's Interoperability Principles [Link]
Sun and Microsoft Expand Investment in Interoperability With New Centre [Link]
Microsoft users to "Save as DAISY" [Link]
Microsoft expands document interoperability for Scientific and Technical Authors [Link]
Q&A with Terry Myerson on connecting Apple iPhone users to Microsoft’s Exchange Server [Link]
Microsoft posts XAML Format technical documentation [Download link]
Microsoft provides Accessibility Programming Model to industry group devoted to Interoperability and Accessibility [Link]
Microsoft and Novell provide Renault with Interoperability [Link]

Microsoft Makes Strategic Changes in Technology and Business Practices to Expand Interoperability

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 17:13:33 GMT

New interoperability principles and actions will increase openness of key products.

Redmond, Washington: February, 21st, 2008 — Microsoft Corp. today announced a set of broad-reaching changes to its technology and business practices to increase the openness of its products and drive greater interoperability, opportunity and choice for developers, partners, customers and competitors.

Specifically, Microsoft is implementing four new interoperability principles and corresponding actions across its high-volume business products: (1) ensuring open connections; (2) promoting data portability; (3) enhancing support for industry standards; and (4) fostering more open engagement with customers and the industry, including open source communities.

“These steps represent an important step and significant change in how we share information about our products and technologies,” said Microsoft chief executive officer Steve Ballmer. “For the past 33 years, we have shared a lot of information with hundreds of thousands of partners around the world and helped build the industry, but today’s announcement represents a significant expansion toward even greater transparency. Our goal is to promote greater interoperability, opportunity and choice for customers and developers throughout the industry by making our products more open and by sharing even more information about our technologies.”

According to Ray Ozzie, Microsoft chief software architect, the company’s announcement reflects the significance that individuals and businesses place upon the ease of information-sharing. As heterogeneity is the norm within enterprise architectures, interoperability across applications and services has become a key requirement.

“Customers need all their vendors, including and especially Microsoft, to deliver software and services that are flexible enough such that any developer can use their open interfaces and data to effectively integrate applications or to compose entirely new solutions,” said Ozzie. “By increasing the openness of our products, we will provide developers additional opportunity to innovate and deliver value for customers.”

“The principles and actions announced today by Microsoft are a very significant expansion of its efforts to promote interoperability,” said Manfred Wangler, vice president, Corporate Research and Technology, Software and Engineering, Siemens. “While Microsoft has made considerable progress on interoperability over the past several years, including working with us on the Interoperability Executive Customer Council, today’s news take Microsoft’s interoperability commitment to a whole new level.”

“The interoperability principles and actions announced today by Microsoft will benefit the broader IT community,” said Thomas Vogel, head, Information Management, Novartis Pharma. “Ensuring open connections to Microsoft’s high-volume products presents significant opportunities for the vast majority of software developers, which will help foster greater interoperability, opportunity and choice in the marketplace. We look forward to a constructive, structured, and multilateral dialogue to ensure stakeholder-driven evolution of these principles and actions.”

The interoperability principles and actions announced today apply to the following high-volume Microsoft products: Windows Vista (including the .NET Framework), Windows Server 2008, SQL Server 2008, Office 2007, Exchange Server 2007, and Office SharePoint Server 2007, and future versions of all these products. Highlights of the specific actions Microsoft is taking to implement its new interoperability principles are described below.

Ensuring open connections to Microsoft’s high-volume products. To enhance connections with third-party products, Microsoft will publish on its Web site documentation for all application programming interfaces (APIs) and communications protocols in its high-volume products that are used by other Microsoft products. Developers do not need to take a license or pay a royalty or other fee to access this information. Open access to this documentation will ensure that third-party developers can connect to Microsoft’s high-volume products just as Microsoft’s other products do.

As an immediate next step, starting today Microsoft will openly publish on MSDN over 30,000 pages of documentation for Windows client and server protocols that were previously available only under a trade secret license through the Microsoft Work Group Server Protocol Program (WSPP) and the Microsoft Communication Protocol Program (MCPP). Protocol documentation for additional products, such as Office 2007 and all of the other high-volume products covered by these principles, will be published in the upcoming months.
Microsoft will indicate on its Web site which protocols are covered by Microsoft patents and will license all of these patents on reasonable and non-discriminatory terms, at low royalty rates. To assist those interested in considering a patent license, Microsoft will make available a list of specific Microsoft patents and patent applications that cover each protocol.
Microsoft is providing a covenant not to sue open source developers for development or non-commercial distribution of implementations of these protocols. These developers will be able to use the documentation for free to develop products. Companies that engage in commercial distribution of these protocol implementations will be able to obtain a patent license from Microsoft, as will enterprises that obtain these implementations from a distributor that does not have such a patent license.

Documenting how Microsoft supports industry standards and extensions. To increase transparency and promote interoperability, when Microsoft supports a standard in a high-volume product, it will work with other major implementers of the standard toward achieving robust, consistent and interoperable implementations across a broad range of widely deployed products.

Microsoft will document for the development community how it supports such standards, including those Microsoft extensions that affect interoperability with other implementations of these standards. This documentation will be published on Microsoft’s Web site and it will be accessible without a license, royalty or other fee. These actions will allow third-party developers implementing standards to understand how a standard is used in a Microsoft product and foster improved interoperability for customers. Microsoft will make available a list of any of its patents that cover any of these extensions, and will make available patent licenses on reasonable and non-discriminatory terms.

Enhancing Office 2007 to provide greater flexibility of document formats. To promote user choice among document formats, Microsoft will design new APIs for the Word, Excel and PowerPoint applications in Office 2007 to enable developers to plug in additional document formats and to enable users to set these formats as their default for saving documents.

Launching the Open Source Interoperability Initiative. To promote and enable more interoperability between commercial and community-based open source technologies and Microsoft products, this initiative will provide resources, facilities and events, including labs, plug fests, technical content and opportunities for ongoing cooperative development.

Expanding industry outreach and dialogue. An ongoing dialogue with customers, developers and open source communities will be created through an online Interoperability Forum. In addition, a Document Interoperability Initiative will be launched to address data exchange between widely deployed formats.

The Interoperability Executive Customer (IEC) Council, an advisory organization established in 2006 and consisting mainly of chief information and technology officers from more than 40 companies and government bodies around the world, will help guide Microsoft in its work under these principles and actions. The full text of Microsoft’s new Interoperability Principles, and a full list of the actions Microsoft is taking, can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/presskits/interoperability/default.mspx.

The interoperability principles and actions announced today reflect the changed legal landscape for Microsoft and the IT industry. They are an important step forward for the company in its ongoing efforts to fulfill the responsibilities and obligations outlined in the September 2007 judgment of the European Court of First Instance (CFI).

“As we said immediately after the CFI decision last September, Microsoft is committed to taking all necessary steps to ensure we are in full compliance with European law,” said Brad Smith, Microsoft general counsel. “Through the initiatives we are announcing, we are taking responsibility for implementing the principles in the interoperability portion of the CFI decision across all of Microsoft’s high-volume products. We will take additional steps in the coming weeks to address the remaining portion of the CFI decision, and we are committed to providing full information to the European Commission so it can evaluate all of these steps.”

makeITsecure 2008 to focus on Internet Security, Phishing, ID Theft and Social Networking

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 16:50:03 GMT

Unique cross border public-private consortium addresses IT security issue facing Irish Internet Users

Dublin: 11th February 2008 - Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Eamon Ryan TD today launched the makeITsecure campaign, a programme to raise awareness of IT security amongst Irish Internet users. The campaign, which is being run on an all Ireland basis for the first time, is led by a unique public/private consortium and will run from today (11^th February) over two weeks to 22^nd February. The Minister also launched very comprehensive and insightful research into usage patterns amongst Irish home Internet users, which was carried out as part of the campaign.

The campaign, which is being held for the third time, is being run by the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources in the Republic of Ireland and the Department of Finance and Personnel, led by the Rt Hon Peter Robinson, MP, in Northern Ireland. The private sector is represented by Microsoft, Symantec, Irish Bankers Federation, BT Ireland, 3, 02, Vodafone and eircom, with support from the National Centre for Technology in Education, the Internet Advisory Board and RTÉ. The campaign has also been part funded by the European Union. The aim of this year’s campaign is to specifically address and educate people about issues that they face online on a day to day basis such as Phishing, Spyware, Identity Theft and security issues when social networking.

Over the next fortnight, a range of activities, local meetings and seminars will take place all over the country to ensure that Internet users have the opportunity to learn how to protect themselves when using the Internet. The makeITsecure campaign messages will be communicated through extensive advertising, marketing and PR campaigns over the next two weeks. A booklet with IT security information and advice will be distributed to over 900,000 users in the country by newspaper insert and dedicated IT security supplements will also appear north and south of the border. Video tutorials will be streamed from the website and a DVD giving advice on the issues addressed by the campaign will also be available to download and in hard copy. Details of all initiatives taking place as part of the campaign are available on www.makeITsecure.org.

Speaking at the launch, Minister Ryan said, “As the Internet becomes ever more ubiquitous in Irish homes, users have the opportunity now to access the educational and social benefits it offers. It is for this reason that makeITsecure consortium has come together for the third time to ensure that the campaign will have a lasting effect in terms of helping Internet users in Ireland to take advantage of all that the Internet has to offer while ensuring that they have the necessary knowledge and information to protect themselves when they go online. I am particularly pleased that we have partnered with the Department of Finance and Personnel in Northern Ireland as IT security is an issue that affects all of us.

Research shows that less than half of all Internet users understand the term “Phishing”. According to the iReach 2008 IT Security Report, Phishing Attacks will increase to an unprecedented level for this year. Other iReach findings indicate that almost every third Internet user has experienced some form of online threat in the past. Research carried out by Espion demonstrated that an average computer attached to the internet is subject to an average of 298 attempted attacks each day.

“It is important, however, that these kinds of statistics don’t deter people from using computers or surfing the Internet as these are now invaluable tools for business, leisure, education and communication. The aim of the make IT secure campaign is to ensure that all Internet users are encouraged to continue to use technology, but to ensure that when doing so, they are taking the precautions that they need to protect themselves when online,” Minister Ryan said.

“A welcome finding is that 8 of 10 adults have given advice or rules to their children in relation to online security threats and 68% are monitoring their children’s online activity. This is up by 5% since we carried out research for the 2005 campaign, but given that the number of Internet users has doubled in that time, this is a very significant finding. While social networking is a very positive development for young people, it is a very new phenomenon and we are determined to ensure that parents are aware of the issues facing children who are on social networking sites.”

Social networking is a relatively new phenomenon and will form a pillar of the campaign. The Internet Advisory Board will launch its booklet aimed at educating parents whose children are engaged in social networking. The campaign will also feature a seminar on 22^nd February for parents which will include contributions from John Carr, an international expert on social networking and Dr Rachel O’Connell, Safety Officer of social networking site, Bebo.

All details of the campaign initiatives and activities and further details on the research are available www.makeitsecure.org

Prison Sentences for Ringleaders of Global Software Counterfeit Syndicate

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 13:18:02 GMT

Sentencing signals the end of Taiwan-based operation, the largest known producer and distributor of fake Microsoft products in the world from 1997 to 2003.

REDMOND, Washington: February 4th 2008 — Prison sentences handed down to counterfeiters by a Taipei, Taiwan, court mark the end of a string of successful prosecutions by international law enforcement agencies, bringing a global software counterfeiting ring to a final halt. Between 1997 and 2003, Huang Jer-sheng, owner of the Taipei-based distributor Maximus Technology Inc, and his associates were responsible for the production and distribution of more than 90 per cent of the high-quality counterfeit Microsoft software products either seized by law enforcement or test-purchased around the world.

The syndicate produced counterfeit versions of at least 21 Microsoft software products in seven known languages, English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese and simplified Chinese, worth an estimated $900 million (US). These products were then distributed and ultimately sold to unwitting resellers and consumers in over 600 cities and at least 22 known countries and regions across the globe: Australia, Austria, Canada, China, Croatia, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, Paraguay, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, the UK and the US.

Following an extended investigation and prosecution by the Taiwanese authorities, assisted by Microsoft Corp, Huang Jer-sheng was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment on 31 Dec 2007, equalling the longest sentence handed down for this type of crime in Taiwan’s history. Huang Jer-sheng’s three co-defendants were sentenced the same day to imprisonment terms ranging from 18 months to three years.

“The prison sentences handed down in this case in Taiwan — and the dozens of other criminal cases brought by prosecutors around the world against others associated with these Taiwan-based defendants — provide another stark reminder of the consequences of counterfeiting Microsoft products,” said David Finn, associate general counsel for Worldwide Anti-Piracy and Anti-Counterfeiting at Microsoft, speaking at the 4th Global Congress on Combating Counterfeiting and Piracy, Dubai. “Microsoft applauds the work of the Taiwanese authorities in taking such strong enforcement action against this syndicate. This case is another testament to the strong partnership between local law enforcement authorities and private companies, and shows the impact those partnerships can have in getting counterfeit software off the market and bringing criminal counterfeiters to justice.”

Huang Jer-sheng and his associates worked with counterfeiters in both Taiwan and southern China. Two CD replication plants in Taiwan, Chungtek Hightech Enterprise Ltd and Cinway Technology Co, were the main production centres for counterfeit software discs and components that were later found throughout the world.

According to John Newton, manager of the Intellectual Property Crime project at INTERPOL, “The criminals behind counterfeit syndicates are organised, resourceful and willing to spend large amounts of money to develop and ship pirated goods to markets all over the world. Piracy is a crime, pure and simple, and it is imperative we coordinate our efforts across the globe to stop these criminal syndicates and this illicit trade.”

The prosecutions of this international ring of counterfeiters, led by Huang Jer-sheng, mark the culmination of a number of complex, global investigations conducted over a six-year period, which resulted in the total dismantling of this criminal counterfeiting syndicate. The investigations and prosecutions spanned five continents and resulted in the imposition of significant prison terms in Asia, North America and Europe. In addition to these prosecutions in Taiwan, other notable criminal cases related to this international ring of counterfeiters were brought against suppliers in China, Germany, the UK and the US between 2001 and 2007.

The Microsoft Genuine Software Initiative

These legal actions are part of Microsoft’s efforts to combat software piracy through its Genuine Software Initiative. Microsoft launched the Genuine Software Initiative in 2006, and since then it has intensified its efforts to protect customers and channel partners from the risks of counterfeit software through an increased focus on education, engineering and enforcement. More information about Microsoft’s Genuine Software Initiative is available at http://www.microsoft.com/genuine.

Note to editors

If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft in EMEA, please visit http://www.microsoft.com/emea or the EMEA Press Centre at http://www.microsoft.com/emea/presscentre.

Microsoft Proposes Acquisition of Yahoo! for $31 per Share

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 12:58:30 GMT

Transaction valued at approximately $44.6 billion in cash and stock; provides 62 percent premium to current trading price for Yahoo! shareholders; combined entity to create a more competitive company, providing superior value to shareholders, better choice and innovation for customers and partners

Microsoft Reports Record Second Quarter Results

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 21:33:11 GMT

Robust holiday sales and enterprise demand drive revenue growth of 30%

REDMOND, Wash: January 24th, 2008 — Microsoft today announced second quarter records for revenue, operating income and diluted earnings per share of $16.37 billion, $6.48 billion and $0.50, respectively. Compared to the year ago period, these figures represent growth of 30%, 87% and 92% for revenue, operating income and diluted earnings per share, respectively.

Results in the prior year were impacted by the deferral of $1.64 billion of revenue and operating income and $0.11 of diluted earnings per share from the second to the third quarter of fiscal 2007, due primarily to technology guarantee programs. Without these deferrals, second quarter growth rates for revenue, operating income and earnings per share growth rates would be 15%, 27% and 32%, respectively.

Resources:

Microsoft Announces Retirement and Transition Plan for Jeff Raikes, President of the Microsoft Business Division

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 07:32:08 GMT

Company announces it has hired Stephen Elop from Juniper Networks; Raikes will continue at Microsoft through September 2008.

REDMOND, Wash. — January 10th, 2008 — Microsoft Corp. today announced that, effective September 2008, Jeff Raikes, president of the Microsoft Business Division (MBD), will retire from the company following a nine-month transition to ensure a smooth transfer of his daily responsibilities and management of the division.

The company also announced that Stephen Elop, formerly chief operating officer (COO) at Juniper Networks Inc., has been hired as president of the Microsoft Business Division. Elop will start at Microsoft at the end of January and assume responsibility for the Information Worker, Microsoft Business Solutions and Unified Communications businesses — all previously led by Raikes. Bob Muglia, senior vice president of the Server and Tools Business, will move to report directly to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and continue managing the Server and Tools Business. Between now and his retirement, Raikes will continue to serve as a member of the company’s senior leadership team responsible for developing and guiding Microsoft’s core business strategy.

“Since 1981, I’ve had an incredible journey here at Microsoft. Given the success of our business and the depth of leadership we have in place today, the time is right for me to leave the MBD business in the capable hands of our new generation of leaders,” Raikes said. “I remain committed to Microsoft and will work full time between now and September when I retire. In the meantime, I’m looking forward to working closely with Stephen and the MBD leadership team to ensure a smooth transition.”

Related Links:
• Jeff Raikes Biography

Jeff Raikes

Under Raikes’ leadership, MBD has grown to include a broad range of business productivity offerings including the Microsoft Office system, Microsoft Dynamics and Microsoft Exchange Server. During this same period, the MBD business has nearly doubled, to more than $16 billion (U.S.) in annual revenue. Similarly, the company’s Server and Tools Business, under Muglia, has also enjoyed strong success, with 21 consecutive quarters of double-digit financial growth reflecting the success of a robust set of server software and tools offerings in a very competitive marketplace.

“There is no overstating the incredible impact Jeff has had during his amazing career at Microsoft. Leading our business division, Jeff and his team have delivered terrific results while reshaping and expanding the portfolio of our business-related products and services to ensure a very healthy future for our customers, partners and Microsoft,” Ballmer said. “I’m confident that the deep and talented team we’ve got in place to fill Jeff’s shoes will continue focusing on fulfilling the needs of our business customers around the globe. I’m looking forward to working with Stephen to drive the business forward.”

Stephen Elop

Previous Positions

• Jan. 2007: Chief Operating Officer (COO), Juniper Networks

• 2005 – 2006: President, Worldwide Field Operations, Adobe Systems Inc.

• 1998 – 2005: Macromedia, Inc. - last position – President, CEO

Background

• Age 44

• Born in Canada

• Bachelor’s degree, computer engineering and management, McMaster University, Ontario, Canada.

Stephen Elop

Click here for high-res version.

Work Highlights

• Elop offers a wealth of operational and leadership skills, known for his hands-on, customer-focused approach and focus on execution.

• As COO of Juniper Networks, Elop was responsible for enterprise and service provider business teams, corporate development, global sales and service, marketing and IT organizations. He spearheaded a restructuring of the company’s internal operations focused on improving operational execution by streamlining processes and decision making.

• As president of worldwide field operations at Adobe Systems, Inc., he was responsible for global sales organization and all customer-facing functions; oversaw sales, field marketing, partners, customer care and professional services.

• Led Macromedia through integration with Adobe Systems in 2005.

While at Juniper Networks, a leading provider of high-performance network infrastructure and a valued Microsoft partner, Elop was responsible for all the company’s product groups, corporate development, global sales and service, and marketing and manufacturing organizations.

“Throughout my career, whether I’ve been working on collaboration tools, digital media, or, most recently, network infrastructure at Juniper Networks, I’ve always been driven by my passion for technology and the impact it has on people and organizations,” Elop said. “I’m thrilled to be joining Microsoft, whose software and services touch literally hundreds of millions of people around the globe each day. I look forward to building on the great foundation Jeff and his team have established for the Microsoft Business Division.”

“The addition of Stephen and his wealth of experience in the technology industry is a great example of how we continue to add new talent to help manage our growing portfolio of businesses,” Ballmer said. “Stephen brings with him a proven track record of success in a range of business and technology areas that map closely to the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for our MBD business.”

Before Juniper, Elop, 44, served as president of worldwide field operations at Adobe Systems Inc., where he was responsible for Adobe’s global sales organization and all customer-facing functions. Elop joined Adobe following the 2005 acquisition of Macromedia Inc., where he was president and CEO. During his seven-year tenure at Macromedia, Elop held many senior positions, including COO, executive vice president of worldwide field operations and general manager of the company’s eBusiness division. Earlier in his career, he served in a number of executive positions, including chief information officer. Elop earned a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering and management from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.

Raikes, 49, joined Microsoft in 1981 and spent his early years driving the company’s applications marketing strategy and success in graphical applications for the Apple Macintosh and the Microsoft Windows operating system. As director of Applications Marketing, he shaped the product strategy and design of Microsoft Office, the world’s leading business productivity suite. In 1990, Raikes was promoted to vice president of Office Systems. From 1992 to 2000, he was responsible for Microsoft’s sales, marketing and service initiatives, and became group vice president of the Worldwide Sales and Support Group. In 2000, Raikes returned to the business groups to focus on growing Microsoft’s productivity applications, expanding the business well beyond core productivity software to include unified communications, business intelligence, business applications and services.

Microsoft Protects Consumers From Global Online Marketplace Fraud

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 14:02:14 GMT

Alleged counterfeit software sales linked to infamous counterfeit syndicate; Microsoft offers new guide on eBay to help consumers make safe buying decisions.

Dublin: December 11th, 2007 — Every day, consumers are put at risk for computer viruses, malware and spyware when they unwittingly purchase counterfeit software from global online marketplaces.

As part of its continuing effort to protect consumers and support legitimate online commerce, Microsoft today announced the filing of 51 lawsuits and the referral of 23 cases to local law enforcement in 22 countries against resellers who allegedly sold counterfeit Microsoft software on various online marketplaces. In addition, Microsoft announced the release of a new educational guide to help consumers spot and avoid counterfeit software offered on online marketplaces. These announcements are part of Microsoft’s continuing effort to protect consumers from the dangers of counterfeit software and build on Microsoft’s first global enforcement action in 2006 to combat online marketplace piracy.

The 51 lawsuits filed today were filed in Belgium (1), Canada (1), China (1), France (3), Germany (12), Hong Kong (1), India (1), Ireland (1), Italy (2), Netherlands (7), the United Kingdom (6) and the United States (15).

Fifteen of the 51 lawsuits filed involved software traced to the largest-ever commercial counterfeit syndicate, which was broken up earlier this year by Chinese authorities, the FBI and Microsoft. Through its investigations, Microsoft found that the counterfeit software produced by the now-defunct Chinese syndicate was distributed in some markets through domestic online sellers. As in the takedown of the Chinese syndicate, Microsoft customers played a role in helping to identify the counterfeiters in these cases by filing piracy reports with Microsoft after anti-piracy technology in Windows Genuine Advantage indicated that their software was fake.

“The criminal syndicate broken up this past summer by Chinese law enforcement and the FBI was linked to a significant amount of illegitimate Internet activity,” said David Finn, associate general counsel for Worldwide Anti-Piracy and Anti-Counterfeiting at Microsoft. “We took note of that fact and followed up globally, since we have a responsibility to help combat cyber-pirates who operate without borders and attempt to deceive unsuspecting software consumers around the world.”

Proceed With Caution

Although it can contain harmful viruses or tools that compromise users’ privacy, counterfeit software is designed to closely resemble the genuine article and fool consumers. As a result, consumers seeking to purchase genuine software online are often tricked by those who misuse online marketplaces. “Every day, software pirates around the world put countless consumers at risk by selling defective counterfeit software through Internet marketplaces,” Finn said. “As part of our ongoing effort to combat software piracy, Microsoft is committed to taking the legal action necessary to protect consumers around the world from the dangers of counterfeit software, and we encourage consumers to look to the legitimate channel — both online and offline — when seeking genuine Microsoft software.”

According to an October 2006 IDC white paper sponsored by Microsoft*, counterfeit software can contain spyware, malware or other dangerous code. It may fail to operate properly and present real risks to consumers and businesses through potential security breaches and the resulting loss, damage, or misuse of their important business and personal information.

Protecting Online Commerce for Customers and Partners

Savvy shoppers searching online marketplaces for the best deal can be at risk by unknowingly buying counterfeit copies that may contain spyware, malware or other dangerous code. Therefore, Microsoft is working with the popular global online marketplace, eBay, to educate consumers and support honest resellers.

Microsoft is working with eBay to educate eBay’s community of users regarding counterfeit software and to that end has produced the “Microsoft Buying Guide,” which points consumers to best practices and resources for purchasing software on online marketplaces. This guide appears in eBay’s Reviews and Guides section (http://reviews.ebay.com/Before-You-Buy-Understand-the-Dangers-of-Counterfeit_W0QQugidZ10000000004755497), and is part of a wealth of resources that Microsoft encourages consumers to consult to make safe software purchasing decisions. It also appears on Microsoft’s How To Tell Web site at http://www.howtotell.com.

Microsoft also participates in eBay’s Verified Rights Owner Program (VeRO) (http://pages.ebay.com/help/tp/vero-rights-owner.html) and has done so since its inception in 1998. eBay’s VeRO program enables rights owners, such as Microsoft, to efficiently report counterfeits to eBay for removal from the site.

“eBay applauds Microsoft’s actions to stop the abuse of their intellectual property. The sale of counterfeits is an industrywide problem both offline and online. Counterfeit software is illegal and not welcome on eBay, as it reduces trust between our buyers and sellers,” said Matt Halprin, vice president of Trust & Safety for eBay Inc. “As our business has grown and the challenges of global counterfeiting have become more complex, cooperation with law enforcement and rights owners has become more critical — we need to fight the sale of counterfeit goods together.”

The Costs of Piracy

Globally, PC software piracy robs the software industry of an estimated $40 billion (U.S.) per year. Lost industry revenue is just the beginning; the fourth annual BSA and IDC global software piracy study (May 2007) estimated the worldwide PC software piracy rate at 35 percent in 2006. According to another study released in 2005**, reducing the rate of piracy by just 10 percent over four years could potentially generate 2.4 million new jobs, $400 billion in economic growth and $67 billion in additional tax revenue for the world economy.

Twenty-three criminal cases were referred to law enforcement in Argentina (1), Belgium (1), China (1), Dominican Republic (2), France (3), India (1), Japan (2), Korea (2), Mexico (1), Panama (1), Poland (3), South Africa (1), Taiwan (3) and Turkey (1).

Genuine Microsoft Software

These lawsuits are part of Microsoft’s Genuine Software Initiative, which is aimed at advancing education within the software ecosystem as part of Microsoft’s long-term efforts to increase awareness about the consequences of software piracy, advance engineering technologies to protect its intellectual property, and support enforcement of anti-piracy policies and laws. More information about Microsoft’s Genuine Software Initiative is available at http://www.microsoft.com/genuine.

*IDC White Paper sponsored by Microsoft, “The Risks of Obtaining and Using Pirated Software,” Doc #WP1006GRO, October 2006

**“The Second Annual BSA and IDC Global Software Piracy Study,” May 2005

New Managing Director Appointed at Microsoft Ireland

Mon, 26 Nov 2007 11:43:16 GMT

Paul Rellis appointed as new Irish Managing Director
Joe Macri promoted to a regional role in Western Europe

Dublin: 26th November 2007 - Microsoft Ireland today announced that Paul Rellis, formerly Managing Director of Microsoft’s EMEA Operations Centre has been appointed as Managing Director of Microsoft Ireland. Paul succeeds Joe Macri, who has been promoted to lead Microsoft’s business and marketing operations at Microsoft’s Western Europe area headquarters.

Paul has been with Microsoft for the past seven years and his role as head of the EMEA Operations Centre, located in Sandyford, Co. Dublin, included overseeing Microsoft's channel partners, supply chain, finance and order management across 131 countries. Previously, Rellis held the position of Finance Director for Microsoft Operations in EMEA and Asia-Pacific.

In his new role as Managing Director of Microsoft Ireland, Paul will assume full responsibility for Microsoft’s business in Ireland and will represent Microsoft on all strategic site wide issues including policy and communications matters. Paul will also assume the Presidency of the American Chamber of Commerce of Ireland next January.

Joe Macri has been Managing Director at Microsoft Ireland since 2001. During that time, in addition to growing Microsoft’s business in Ireland, he has also represented Microsoft on a number of external industry bodies such as the National Executive of IBEC, the board of ICT Ireland and the board of the IMI. In addition, Joe served as Chairman of the Small Business Forum in 2005 following an appointment by Minister Micheal Martin and is a serving board member of the HSE since he was appointed by Minister Mary Harney in 2006.

Microsoft Ireland, under Joe’s leadership, has developed the National Productivity Centre in partnership with the IMI. The aim of the Centre, which was officially launched in October 2007, is to allow CEOs, Secretary Generals and their senior management teams to understand how they can increase their organisational productivity.

In his new role, Joe will be responsible for leading Microsoft’s business and marketing operations at the Western Europe area headquarters which incorporates twelve countries including Ireland.

Commenting on today’s announcement Pierre Liautaud, vice president of Western Europe said: “Today’s appointments strengthen our overall team in the Western European region. I am delighted to have someone with Paul’s calibre assume the helm at Microsoft Ireland. The insight and understanding of Microsoft’s business that Paul brings from his operational experience will be invaluable in our efforts to continue to enhance our customer and partner experience.”

“From a regional perspective, Joe brings significant skills and expertise from his successes in Ireland to Microsoft’s business in Western Europe. I look forward to him leveraging this experience for the benefit of multiple markets rather than just one,” he concluded.

Joe will continue to be based at the Microsoft Campus in Sandyford.

The transition between Paul and Joe is already underway with Paul assuming full responsibility for Microsoft Ireland’s business from December 3^rd 2007.

Microsoft Announces EMEA Data Centre to be Located in Ireland

Tue, 06 Nov 2007 17:04:31 GMT

Dublin: November 6th 2007 - Microsoft Corporation today announced that Ireland has been selected as the location for its new European data centre. The data centre, which will be located in Grange Castle Business Park in Dublin, will cover over 51,000sq metres and will deliver Windows Live services and store data for the company’s online services businesses such as MSN and Windows Live. The new facility is the latest development in Microsoft’s software + services strategy and as such will provide support to Microsoft’s growing online services business throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Microsoft plans to invest $500m in the construction phase of the data centre with an additional substantial investment planned to kit out the centre with the latest available server technology. It is expected that the construction phase of the data centre will be complete in Summer 2009.

Described as the place “where the internet lives,” Microsoft corporate vice president for Global Foundation Services Debra Chrapaty said that the data centre will house tens of thousands of servers providing information and web-based applications to internet users worldwide. With the growth of audio and video applications, social Web sites, mobile devices and other Internet demands, data centres are becoming increasingly important as companies strive to increase online computing support centres to provide users with enhanced Web services.

“The Irish government, its agencies and South Dublin County Council have been very welcoming and have shown a great commitment to growing next-generation businesses. It is clear that there is a strong understanding of the strategic nature of this investment for Microsoft and we are delighted that this decision to invest further in Ireland builds on the long term positive relationship that Ireland and Microsoft has enjoyed.”

The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern said “I very much welcome Microsoft’s decision to locate this important facility in Ireland. It is a further example of Ireland being to the forefront when it comes to the cutting edge of technology. I also see it as a further indicator of Ireland's standing internationally as a global knowledge based economy. The Irish Government recognises the importance of being a competitive innovation-driven knowledge economy. We will continue to focus on this as an objective to deliver real and practical benefits for this country and those who live here.”

Joe Macri, Managing Director at Microsoft Ireland said: “We are excited about our expansion in Ireland and about the fact that Ireland will now play a significant role in the delivery of online services to customers across EMEA and beyond. The move to software + services is changing the way software is delivered and used and our global data centre strategy is central to facilitating that change. The fact that Ireland has been selected as the location for this strategic infrastructure is a very strong endorsement of the success of our operations here over the past 22 years.”

“This is the first ‘mega data centre’ deployment outside the US specifically targeted for the growth and performance of Windows Live services,” said John Mangelaars, Vice President, Microsoft Online Services Group, Europe, Middle East and Africa. “Our continued investment in data centre infrastructure should allow for Windows Live performance improvements across EMEA over the coming months”.

Construction of the centre will begin later this month and it is projected to be completed in Summer 2009.

It is planned that the new data centre will be an example of energy efficiency design and construction in practice. Microsoft is deploying the latest construction and design techniques to build a sustainable facility and to create a data centre that is industry leading in terms of energy efficiency for this type of application. The planned Dublin facility represents a significant culmination of advances in Data Centre Design and will be Microsoft’s first such facility of this scale in Europe. Microsoft’s innovative data centre design is expected to be up to 50% more efficient than similarly sized facilities of comparable scale and will save millions of kilowatt hours of electricity annually.

About Windows Live and MSN

MSN attracts more than 465 million unique users worldwide per month. With localized versions available globally in 58 markets and 35 languages, MSN is a world leader in delivering compelling programmed content experiences to consumers and online advertising opportunities to businesses worldwide. Windows Live, a new set of personal Internet services and software, is designed to bring together in one place all the relationships, information and interests people care about most, with enhanced safety and security features across their PC, devices and the Web. MSN and Windows Live will be offered alongside each other as complementary services. Some Windows Live services entered an early beta phase on Nov. 1, 2005; these and future beta updates can be found at http://ideas.live.com. Windows Live is available at http://www.live.com. MSN is located on the Web at http://www.msn.com.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realise their full potential.

About Microsoft Ireland

Microsoft was first established in Ireland in 1985, and now has three local divisions: the European Operations Centre (EOC); the European Development Centre (EDC) and the Irish Sales, Marketing and Services Operation, which was established in 1991. Microsoft employs over 1,200 full-time employees in Ireland. For more information on Microsoft’s products and solutions, please visit: http://www.microsoft.ie

Microsoft Reports 27% Revenue Growth; Fastest First Quarter Since 1999

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 20:43:08 GMT

Broad-based strength drives operating income and EPS growth each in excess of 25%

REDMOND, Wash: October 25, 2007 — Microsoft Corp. today announced revenue of $13.76 billion for the quarter ended September 30, 2007, a 27% increase over the same period of the prior year. Operating income, net income and diluted earnings per share for the quarter were $5.92 billion, $4.29 billion and $0.45, respectively.

“This fiscal year is off to an outstanding start with the fastest revenue growth of any first quarter since 1999,” said Chris Liddell, chief financial officer at Microsoft. “Operating income growth of over 30% also reflects our ability to translate revenue into profits while making strategic investments for the future.”

Microsoft’s businesses of Client, Microsoft Business Division, and Server and Tools grew combined revenue in excess of 20%, and experienced robust demand for Windows Vista, the 2007 Microsoft Office system, Windows Server, and SQL Server.

“Customer demand for Windows Vista this quarter continued to build with double-digit growth in multi-year agreements by businesses and with the vast majority of consumers purchasing premium editions,” said Kevin Johnson, president of the Platform and Services Division at Microsoft.

During the quarter, Microsoft’s two consumer focused divisions passed milestones with the successful close of the company’s largest ever acquisition, aQuantive, and Halo 3 achieving the biggest entertainment launch day in history.

“Backed by an amazing product line-up, our sales force, marketing teams, and partners delivered another excellent quarter,” said Kevin Turner, chief operating officer at Microsoft.

For more information please visit:

• Full Press Release
• Microsoft Investor Relations

IDC Study Finds that 14 Million Jobs are Created Globally by Microsoft and its Ecosystem

Fri, 19 Oct 2007 07:04:41 GMT

In Ireland the independent research shows that companies such as software companies, channel and services firms in the Microsoft ecosystem make more than €9.26 for every €1 Microsoft earns

Ireland’s IT sector is predicted to generate more than 14,000 new jobs from 2007 to 2011 and account for the creation of more than 200 new IT companies.

Dublin: 19th October 2007 — Global IT research provider International Data Corporation (IDC) and Microsoft today released details of a global research study showcasing the information technology (IT) industry’s impact on job creation, company formation and local IT spending in 82 countries and regions. Commissioned by Microsoft, the IDC Study predicts that Microsoft-related IT activities in 2007 in Ireland will be the source of nearly 72,000 related jobs. IDC states that in 2007, 47% of Ireland’s IT employment stems from the Microsoft ecosystem.

“Today technology is a key factor for economic, social and technological progress, and for the sustainability of economies all over the world,” said John Gantz, chief research officer at IDC. “The IDC research underscores what we’ve always known to be true: that software provides a disproportionate contribution to a vibrant IT economy. It also shows the significant contribution made by the Microsoft^® ecosystem, especially in the creation of local businesses and local jobs.”

IDC’s independent research, which was sponsored by Microsoft Corp., examined the IT industry’s impact on local job creation, company formation and tax revenues in 82 countries representing 99.5 percent of the total technology spending worldwide. IDC found that the Microsoft ecosystem — defined as people working at IT companies and IT professionals who create, sell or distribute products that run on Microsoft platforms — plays a key role in driving the IT industry’s overall contribution to job growth and economic development.

The study also found that Microsoft serves as an economic catalyst in every country in which it operates. The revenues earned by companies working with Microsoft far exceed the revenues earned by Microsoft itself. The research found that for every €1 that Microsoft earns in 2007, companies working with Microsoft will generate €9.26. In addition, according to the research findings, Ireland’s IT sector will generate more than 14,000 new jobs from 2007 to 2011 and account for the creation of more than 200 new IT companies. Over the next four years, Ireland’s IT industry will drive €2.5bn in new tax revenues and contribute new revenues of €1.7bn to GDP.

“IDC’s research quantifies the enormous power of software to create jobs and grow the economy,” said Joe Macri, Managing Director, Microsoft Ireland. “Millions of people are employed globally in Microsoft-related activities, generating more than a half-trillion dollars in taxes in 2007 for governments worldwide. In Ireland alone, Microsoft’s business model creates average revenues of more than €9.26 for other companies for every €1 Microsoft takes in.”

The study shows that spending on IT in Ireland will reach €3.6 billion in 2007, and is expected to grow 5.6% a year for the next four years. The study also found that IT spending on software creates a disproportionate share of the skilled job growth. Software drives activity in the services and distribution sectors, as well as in organizations using IT, so while worldwide spending on packaged software will be only 19% of total IT spending in 2007, 46% of employment in IT will be software-related.

Illustrating the powerful economic impact of the Microsoft ecosystem, partners all over the world are innovating and experiencing significant business growth.

In Ireland the IDC survey only calculated the impact of the business carried out by the Sales Marketing and Services Group. It did not take account of the activities carried out by over 1,200 people working in at Microsoft Ireland’s EMEA Operations Centre and the European Development Centre - both of which work with hundreds of vendor companies around Ireland.

Study Highlights

The following trends were observed across the 82 countries and regions:

Global

· Microsoft is a major component of the IT industry. Microsoft and its ecosystem — the companies that create products that run on Microsoft platforms, service Microsoft products, or work with Microsoft products — employ 14.7 million workers globally. This ecosystem helps spur the development of national IT-related economies.

· Global spending on information technology will create 7.1 million new jobs and 100,000 new businesses over the next four years.

· The Microsoft ecosystem employs at least 40 percent of the people working in the IT industry. The same ecosystem is projected to invest nearly $100 billion in local economies in 2007.

· Software accounts for a modest slice of overall IT spending but has a disproportionately positive impact on local economies. Software drives activity in the services and distribution sectors, as well as in organizations using IT, so while worldwide spending on packaged software will be only 21 percent of total IT spending in 2007, 42 percent of employment in IT will be software-related.

· Tax revenues (including value-added or sales taxes, personal income, social taxes, fees and levies, and corporate income taxes) that result from the activity of Microsoft and its ecosystem will amount to $514 billion in 2007.

– In the United States alone, tax revenues from the Microsoft ecosystem will be just $203 billion in 2007.

– In Western Europe alone, tax revenues from the ecosystem will be just under $133 billion in 2007.

– In the Asia-Pacific region, tax revenues from the Microsoft ecosystem will also total nearly $133 billion in 2007.

– In emerging markets, tax revenues generated by the ecosystem will be more than $100 billion in 2007.

· Incremental new taxes accrued over the next four years due to growth in the IT labor force will equal $592 billion worldwide.

About IDC Methodology

This study applies IDC’s Economic Impact Model, which assesses the IT industry’s impact on job creation, company formation, local IT spending, and tax revenues in addition to assessing Microsoft’s partner ecosystem. The study’s spending figures accounted for hardware, software, services and data networking expenditures by consumers, businesses, governments and educational institutions within each country. Tax revenue figures were based on potential VAT or sales tax revenues from the sale of hardware, software, or services, as well as business and personal income taxes and social taxes. IT employment included the number of people employed (full-time equivalent) in hardware, software, services or channel firms, and those individuals managing IT resources in an IT-using organization (e.g., programmers, help desk, IT managers). All data was cross-checked against published information and census data available from government sources and validated by local government officials. For information about how to obtain a copy of this report please visit: http://www.microsoft.com/About/CorporateCitizenship/Citizenship/EconomicImpact

The Taoiseach Officially Opens the IMI-Microsoft National Productivity Centre

Thu, 04 Oct 2007 11:00:21 GMT

National Productivity Centre to assist senior executives drive productivity gains in the private and public sector as part of the ongoing battle to tackle competitiveness challenges

Dublin, October 4th 2007 – The Taoiseach Mr. Bertie Ahern T.D. officially opened the National Productivity Centre at the IMI Campus in Sandyford, Dublin today. The €2m Centre is a collaboration between the Irish Management Institute (IMI) and Microsoft and has been developed to allow CEOs, Secretary Generals and their senior management teams to understand how they can address their competitiveness challenges by improving overall levels of productivity. The NPC, supported by Dell, eircom, Fujitsu Siemens and HP draws on the knowledge, insight and experience of experts from across the private and public sectors.

Speaking at the official opening event, the Taoiseach, Mr. Bertie Ahern T.D. said: "The productivity debate and the need to have a productivity mindset and culture embedded in both public and private sector organisations is probably more important now than at any time in our recent economic history. Nationally we have to get large and small companies alike to champion productivity as the new competitiveness imperative, not least in the expanding services sector on which our economy is increasingly reliant. While the scale of the challenge is not to be underestimated, I have every confidence that this new National Productivity Centre will play no small part in helping us meet it successfully."

Microsoft and the IMI have come together to create the National Productivity Centre to provide a practical response to addressing the issue of improving Ireland’s productivity. Their respective expertise in the areas of technology innovation and executive education brings together a range of solutions that will benefit every Irish-based organisation seeking to address their competitiveness issues. Executives will be hosted at the NPC, where they will get insight into how the combination of ICT, management capability and innovation can drive success.

The National Productivity Centre provides visiting executives with a hands on interactive experience. It includes international best practice and draws on the expertise of a number of leading economic commentators and management practitioners based in Ireland and internationally. The session will also provide real-world sector-specific case studies on how companies around the world are addressing the issue of productivity.

Dr. Phil Nolan, Chairman, the Irish Management Institute commenting at the official opening said: “Keeping Ireland in the premier league of economies requires interventions such as the NPC to reality-check where we are at. In the same way that having a well-educated workforce was a magic formula for Ireland in the last century, now we need to have a highly productive workforce to be able to compete. The NPC will be an important building block in that work and fits in well with the IMI’s mission over the past 50 years to ensure Ireland has access to executive education to keep us at the forefront of global best practice.”

Speaking at the launch, Joe Macri, MD, Microsoft Ireland said: “The recognition from business leaders and policy makers that enhanced productivity holds the key to Ireland’s future economic success drove us to partner with the IMI to develop the National Productivity Centre. According to research from McKinsey and the London School of Economics the combination of improving technology, management capability and innovation can yield productivity improvements of up to 20%. That’s why bringing together the expertise of both organisations delivers real insight on how to address productivity and gives executives from the private and public sector the opportunity to explore how these kinds of solutions can be applied to their own organisations.”

The National Productivity Centre draws on the expertise and experience of experts and organisations from Ireland and around the world. Its focus is on bringing together this knowledge in the three areas that will have the most positive impact on organisational productivity, namely:

ICT: Technology can help businesses to increase productivity through improved collaboration and business insight
Management Capability: Improving management skills is central to increasing productivity
Innovation: Innovation is central to productivity – but it’s the combination of technological innovation and business innovation that delivers the greatest returns

The development of the NPC follows on from the commissioning of an economic report into the area of Productivity by Microsoft in May 2005. This report was written by economist Paul Tansey and published to coincide with the celebrations of Microsoft’s 20^th anniversary in Ireland.

Since the publication of that report the theme of productivity has been climbing up the national agenda with further reports on the topic published by Forfas and the National Competitiveness Council amongst others.