Microsoft Announces New Macintosh Product Unit

Unit Company Reaffirms Commitment to Macintosh Platform

REDMOND, Wash., Jan. 7, 1997 — Microsoft Corp. today announced the creation of the Macintosh product unit, which will be responsible for the design and development of Microsoft® Office for the Macintosh. The creation of the new Macintosh product unit, part of the Microsoft desktop applications division, marks the first time in the history of the division that an entire product unit has focused exclusively on the Macintosh. The new Macintosh product unit also represents one of the largest Macintosh development teams outside of Apple Computer Inc. Headed by Ben Waldman, general manager, the new product unit numbers about 100 employees. Waldman most recently served as the development manager of the Office product unit, where he led the development team responsible for the core of Microsoft Office 97 for the Windows® operating system. Previously, he worked on three versions of Microsoft Excel for Windows and Macintosh, leading the Microsoft Excel 5.0 for Macintosh project; he also served as manager of Macintosh technology for Microsoft. Waldman received a bachelor's degree in computer science summa cum laude from Harvard University in 1989.

"When Apple's biggest third-party developer decides to commit new resources to its Macintosh applications business, that's a pretty clear sign that there's still money to be made in the Macintosh market," said Jeffrey Tarter, publisher of Soft*Letter.

"Microsoft is committing more resources to the development of Office for the Macintosh than ever before, and we're excited about building great Macintosh applications," Waldman said. "I'm also looking forward to working closely with Apple to ensure that we meet the needs of our mutual customers."

Customer Benefits

The Macintosh product unit is dedicated to creating high-quality applications for the Macintosh. The group will focus on creating applications with high performance that meet the specific needs and expectations of Macintosh users as identified through customer research and evaluation. The team will also continue to ensure complete file format compatibility between the Macintosh and Windows-based versions of Microsoft Office.

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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