Daimler Building New Cloud-Based Collaboration Platform on Microsoft Technologies

Automotive group migrates more than 180,000 computer workstations to Microsoft solution.

REDMOND, Washington, November 2, 2010 - Microsoft Corp. has won another key customer with its collaboration
platform and cloud solution. Following an evaluation phase, Daimler AG
decided to migrate onto Microsoft's unified communications, messaging and
collaboration solutions. Staff members at Daimler AG now communicate and
collaborate more efficiently by using Microsoft technology.

    (Logo: photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO)
    (Logo: www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO)

The Microsoft solution helps ensure the highly secure and simple exchange
of documents - even beyond organizational boundaries - by including ad-hoc
communications, conferencing and traditional e-mail communications in one
solution. The specification set by Daimler AG was to reduce the
ever-increasing complexity of PC workstations and build a communication and
collaboration architecture that will meet the requirements of future working
processes. The Microsoft platform with Microsoft Office 2010, Microsoft
Exchange Server 2010 and Microsoft SharePoint 2010 helps meet these
requirements. In the future, 180,000 Daimler employees worldwide will
communicate and collaborate using Microsoft technology through e-mail,
instant messaging or web conferences.

"We want to help our automotive customers worldwide transcend the
market's turbulence and use technology and innovation as powerful tools to
drive profitable growth," said Simon Witts, corporate vice president of
Microsoft's Enterprise and Partner Group. "Our commitment to this key
industry is unwavering, and our excitement is high as we anticipate the
evolution path of today's vehicles."

Building a Private Cloud

For Daimler AG, a key to the launch of a new communications platform was
achieving a high degree of standardization and scalability throughout its IT
services. Another challenge was creating an open communications platform that
also supports fast communication for partners while taking into account the
need for protecting intellectual property. Daimler will use a service
provider to support its infrastructure via a private cloud.

"We convinced Daimler of the added value of our technology," said Ralph
Haupter, chairman of the Management Board of Microsoft Deutschland GmbH. "The
project emphasizes that the cloud has already been adopted by businesses and
today's discussion is about specific business scenarios."

This significant new customer enables Microsoft to further expand its
market share in Germany.

About Microsoft in Automotive

Microsoft has been working with the automotive industry for more than a
decade. The Microsoft Automotive and Industrial Equipment vertical works with
industry partners to develop solutions based on Microsoft technologies that
enable original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), suppliers and customers to
help improve efficiency, effectiveness and knowledge across the business.
Business applications, Microsoft .NET Framework-based technologies and
enterprise platform support help manufacturers accelerate time to market,
collaborate globally with engineers, reduce costs by leveraging the power of
the Internet, and increase visibility into their production and supply chain
processes. More information can be found at
www.microsoft.com/automotive.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is the worldwide leader in
software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize
their full potential.

Wendy Grover of Microsoft Corp., +1-425-705-7609, wegrover at microsoft.com; or Chris McManus of NarratePR, +1-718-832-9154, chrism at narratepr.com, for Microsoft Corp. ; NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at www.microsoft.com/news. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft's Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at www.microsoft.com/news/contactpr.mspx.