Financial Services Industry Chooses Microsoft Applications as Solutions
Building Blocks for Mission Critical Tasks

NEW YORK--Oct. 28, 1992--Today, at the technology forum Windows on Wall
Street '92, Microsoft Corporation announced that an increasing number of
financial services firms are choosing Microsoft applications for mission
critical tasks. Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word are being used as
building blocks for custom solutions that make it easier for financial
services firms to access, analyze and communicate information. The
financial services industry is choosing these award-winning Microsoft
applications because they work well together and are easy to use and
customize.

"Our research indicates that Wall Street brokerage firms are moving from
MS-DOS-based solutions predominately using Lotus 1-2-3, to Windows-based
solutions that favor Microsoft Excel," said David Readerman, a financial
analyst with Shearson Lehman Brothers. "Microsoft Excel for Windows is the
new spreadsheet of choice because of its better performance and ease of
use."

"What's happening in the financial industry reflects a broader trend of
people using Microsoft applications to access vital information right from
their desktop," said Pete Higgins, vice president of desktop applications
at Microsoft. "Applications, such as Microsoft Excel and Word help this
process because they are designed to be both powerful and easy to use.
Now, financial services providers can meet the needs of their clients and
their fast-paced environment without learning a variety of complex
systems. "

Financial Services Companies Praise their Microsoft Applications Solutions

The following are among the many financial services companies using
Microsoft applications for customized solutions.

Dean Witter Reynolds Inc. Equity Research Department

Analysts with Dean Witter Reynolds Inc. Equity Research Department provide
research coverage and make investment recommendations on approximately 600
publicly traded companies and distribute the data to thousands of Dean
Witter retail brokers and institutional clients. The research department
previously used separate terminals to receive market data information and
generate reports. However, in 1991, Dean Witter Reynolds Equity Research
converted all employees to Microsoft Excel and Word for Windows to create
their research reports more easily and faster.

"We converted to the Microsoft Windows operating system and Microsoft
applications for Windows to improve the production, timeliness and
appearance of the reports that are instrumental to our business," says
Theresa Doyle, vice president, Dean Witter Reynolds Inc. Equity Research.
"The Microsoft suite of applications is ideally suited for our report
writing because of its power and data access capabilities. We maximize
these products by taking full advantage of Object Linking and Embedding
capabilities, What-You See-is-What-You-Get, TrueType fonts and the
powerful macro languages in each program. "

Reuters Holdings PLC

Reuters Holdings PLC has been instrumental in developing computing
solutions for the financial industry since 1964. Their real-time data
services provide stock quotes, commodity prices, currency exchange rates,
news stories and other information to the world's financial community. The
Reuter Terminal, the company's standard platform, is a Windows-based
application, which, when combined with a Microsoft Excel front, provides
instant access to current, crucial information for the financial
community.

"Microsoft Windows allows us to combine information from various sources in
one display, deliver it quickly and make it accessible," says Mervyn
Levin, product group manager for the Reuter Terminal in Reuters
International Marketing Department. "Windows gives customers the display
mechanism to get at information easily and intuitively, and Microsoft
Excel makes it easy to integrate and manipulate that information. "

NationsBank

As the fourth largest bank in the country, NationsBank supplies financial
services to eight states and the District of Columbia. The Corporate Bank
division ranks third among U. S . banks in the number of corporate
relationships it maintains. In order to quickly and efficiently service
these customers, employees have Microsoft Windows and Microsoft
applications for Windows running on a Wide Area Network (WAN) to link them
to management, treasury management officers, support staff and loan
service staff.

"Microsoft's ease of use greatly reduced the learning curve required of our
users for new applications," says Paul Stotts, manager of Corporate Bank
Marketing and Development for NationsBank. "We want our system to be
cutting edge, but we don't want our people to feel it. Microsoft Excel and
Word are extremely powerful applications, yet they are easy to learn and

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, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052-6399
206-882-8080

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