New Technology in Microsoft Office Advances Ease of Use and
Discoverability

Company Debuts Intelligent "Answer Wizard " to Help People Use Software
Successfully

ATLANTA--April 25, 1995--Microsoft Corp. today demonstrated new technology
to help end users discover the full potential of their desktop
applications. In a keynote address at Windows World, Microsoft Chairman
and CEO Bill Gates unveiled the new "Answer Wizard" for Microsoft Office
for the Windows 95 operating system that will enable people to use common
vocabulary to ask the software how to perform a specific task. The new
Answer Wizard represents the next generation of IntelliSense technology,
which recognizes what users want to do and helps them do it automatically.
The Answer Wizard signifies an evolution in the Microsoft Office design
philosophy towards creating productivity applications that are more
intuitive and discoverable for all levels of users.

"For years, the computer industry has assumed that people want to learn
everything about using their PCs," said Chris Peters, vice president of
the Microsoft Office business unit, with responsibility for the Office
development effort. "Instead, people frequently rely upon the 'computer
expert down the hall' to answer their questions. Now, with the Answer
Wizard, that product expertise is built right into Microsoft Office. Our
goal in developing Office 95 is to provide people with the most natural
way to get their jobs done."

Answer Wizard, a Landmark Feature of Discoverability for Office Users

Research indicates that learning how to access the full potential of a
software application is still one of the key challenges facing users.
Users more readily take advantage of software when they easily discover
ways of accomplishing tasks. For more than three years, Microsoft's team
of natural-language experts has been collaborating with Microsoft Office
developers to create a tool that enables people to use common phrases to
discover how their applications can help them get the job done. With the
Answer Wizard, Microsoft has created a natural interface so users can
"ask" the product how to perform a task.

For example, a person who wants to change the layout of a Word document can
ask the Answer Wizard, "How do I turn my document sideways?" The Answer
Wizard interprets the person's request, selects a small range of
appropriate topics from more than 13,000 Help topics, and in many cases,
actually guides the user through the application to complete a specific
task.

WorkGroup Technologies Inc. recently conducted a study analyzing more than
47,000 calls to help desks by Fortune 100 companies. Its study revealed
that on average 30 percent of support calls were about problems related to
using PC productivity applications.

"Software that could help people more easily discover how to use the
applications to accomplish tasks could really help people exploit the full
power of their PCs and significantly reduce the costs of help-desk and
technical support," said Jim Garden, director of software services at
WorkGroup Technologies. "Microsoft Office's new Answer Wizard is an
innovative tool for enabling users to easily discover how their software
applications can help them get their work done and should help ease the
support burden."

Providing Users With the Help They Need in Office 95

In addition to providing easy access to Help topics, Office 95 also helps
users locate the specific help they need to do their work. Preliminary
usability tests have found that the Answer Wizard can help people find
answers 25 percent faster than previous Help systems could, in part
because users no longer have to guess which kind of help they need.

The Answer Wizard provides users with a variety of assistance. Answers to
many of the most common user questions literally guide a user through the
product to complete the task. For tasks that require multiple steps, the
Answer Wizard will provide a concise step-by-step answer that can remain
on the screen while the user completes the task.

In addition to the Answer Wizard, the printed documentation for Microsoft
Office has been rewritten to incorporate a solutions-based focus that
guides users through common projects, such as how to write a business
plan, create a budget or set up an inventory system.

Microsoft Office for the Windows 95 operating system will include Microsoft
Excel, Word, the PowerPoint presentations graphics program and Schedule+.
Microsoft Office Professional for Windows 95 will include the above, plus
Microsoft Access. Microsoft Office currently has more than 10 million
users worldwide and is the world's most popular office suite.

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.

Microsoft Corp, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052-6399
206-882-8080,  fax: 206-93MSFAX

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