Metropolis Opinion

Part Two Client, Services and Tools

The Client segment has overall responsibility for the technical architecture, engineering and product delivery of the Company’s Windows product family, and is also responsible for its relationships with PC manufacturers, including multinational and regional original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2007 (fiscal 2007), the Company released Windows Vista, the Windows operating system. The Company’s products in the Client segment includes Windows Vista, including Home, Home Premium, Ultimate, Business, and Enterprise Starter Edition; Windows XP Professional and Home; Media Center Edition; Tablet PC Edition, and other standard Windows operating systems.

In the Client segment, the Company competes with Apple Computer, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Mozilla and Sun Microsystems.

Server and Tools

Server and Tools develops and markets software server products, services and solutions. Windows Server products are integrated server infrastructure and middleware software designed to support software applications and tools built on the Windows Server operating system. Windows Server products include the server platform, database, storage, management and operations, service-oriented architecture platform and security software. The segment also builds standalone and software development lifecycle tools for software architects, developers, testers and project managers. Server products can be run on premise or in a hosting environment.

The Company offers a range of consulting services and provides product support services and customer industry solutions. Server and Tools segment also provides training and certification to developers and information technology professionals about its Server and Client platform products. Server and Tools also includes the enterprise partner group, which is responsible for sales, partner management, and partner programs for medium and large organizations, and the public sector sales and marketing organization. The Company’s products in the Server and Tools segment includes Windows Server operating system, Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft Enterprise Services, product support services, Visual Studio, System Center products, Forefront Security products, Biz Talk Server, Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) and TechNet.

In the Server and Tools segment, the Company competes with Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Sun Microsystems, Novell, Red Hat, VMWare, Computer Associates, Oracle, BMC, McAfee, Symantec, Trend Micro, Adobe, BEA Systems and Borland.

Taken from the Source: Reuters Company Profile