MICROSOFT'S NEW WEB SITE FOCUSES ON SMALL BUSINESS

Microsoft Small Business Resource Web Site Showcases Microsoft's Commitment
To Providing Tools, Services for Accessing and Creating Information on the
Internet

REDMOND, WASH. - FEB. 5, 1996 - Microsoft Corp. today unveiled a new World
Wide Web site, Microsoft Small Business Resource
(http://www.microsoft.com/smallbiz), devoted to helping small businesses
learn more about accessing and creating information on the Internet. The
Web site is the newest addition to Microsoft's Small Business Resource
program, which provides technology information, tools and services to help
small businesses easily plan for, implement and benefit from today's
computer technology.

The initial focus of the Small Business Resource Web site is on how small
businesses can access and use Microsoft products to take advantage of the
Internet. According to GIGA Information Group, a recent MCI- Gallup survey
of small businesses found that 21 percent of small businesses currently
have access to the Internet and 57 percent believe it offers them a
business advantage. GIGA estimates that of the 40 percent of small
businesses connected to the Internet by the end of 1996, more than half
will have a home page on the World Wide Web.

During the first month, the site will feature Internet-related information
from industry experts and examples of how small businesses are using the
Internet. The Web site will provide small businesses with how- to
information on creating and publishing a Web site, along with information
on downloading Microsoft's new no-cost Internet add-ins for Microsoft
Office, which allow Microsoft Office users to create Web pages using
familiar tools. One of the unique tools available on the site is the Small
Business Barometer, which leads visitors through a series of financial
questions about their businesses and then lets them see how they compare
to a representative cross section of similarly sized businesses in the
same industry.

KICKOFF INCLUDES MOST INNOVATIVE WEB SITE DESIGN CONTEST

Scott DeGarmo, editor in chief of Success magazine, will be the first
industry expert to provide site visitors with answers to questions about a
broad range of topics, including using and making the Internet work for a
small business. Visitors are also invited to enter the Most Innovative Web
Site design contest, sponsored by Microsoft and Success magazine.
Contestants who have used Microsoft products to design their Web sites are
eligible for the grand prize, a computer system provided by hardware
sponsor Hewlett-Packard Co., and software from Microsoft. The winner will
be selected from a group of finalists by visitors to the site.

The creation of the Small Business Resource Web site coincides with the
release of Internet Assistant 2.0 for Microsoft Word for the WindowsR 95
operating system, the latest version of Microsoft Word's hypertext markup
language (HTML) authoring tool, which allows users to create and edit Word
documents and HTML documents for both the Internet and Intranets from
within Microsoft Word. Internet Assistant makes it easy for Microsoft Word
users to create Web pages since they are able to create Internet documents
without having to learn either a new program or to write code in HTML.

WEB SITE ADDRESSES GROWING NEEDS OF SMALL BUSINESSES FOR PRODUCTS,
INFORMATION

The new Small Business Resource Web site will feature not only information
on Microsoft products, but also information on how to maximize technology,
advice for small-business owners, and examples of ways that other small
businesses are using technology to be more productive and profitable.

"With the Microsoft Small Business Resource Web site, we not only hope to
show Microsoft's continued commitment to small business but to provide
some very useful and informative content not otherwise accessible on the
World Wide Web," said John Neilson, vice president of the organization
customer unit at Microsoft. "We want this site to be informative and
engaging to visit."

WEB SITE PART OF LARGER MICROSOFT PROGRAM FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

Microsoft's Small Business Resource Web site is only one part of the
Microsoft Small Business Resource program. This program provides a wide
range of information, tools and services designed to help small businesses
incorporate technology into their organizations. Other components of the
program include seminars on topics that range from the Internet to desktop
applications; referrals to Solution Providers who specialize in helping
small businesses plan for and implement technology solutions; and a
Microsoft television series, "America at Work," which is scheduled to
begin in March and will profile small businesses using technology
successfully.

For more information on Microsoft Small Business Resource or Internet
Assistant for Word for Windows 95, call (800) 60SOURCE (607-6872), or
visit the Microsoft Small Business Resource World Wide Web site at
http://www.microsoft.com/smallbiz.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in
software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of
products and services for business and personal use, each designed with
the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take
advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.
 
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