Microsoft Gulf celebrates availability of Windows Vista and Office 2007 across the region

To coincide with this, Microsoft Kuwait held its Academic launch at Kuwait University today, cementing its dedication to empowering students across the country to reach their potential.

This milestone marks the most significant product launch in the history of Microsoft Gulf. The Vista and Office 2007 rollout culminates in a series of celebration events - including mall activities at the Marina Mall in Kuwait commencing on the 22 February giving consumers the opportunity to see for themselves the benefits of deploying the two flagship products.

'The most innovative versions of Windows and Office ever developed are now available across the region, and we are extremely proud to have completed the rollout so quickly and successfully,'

said Ramez Dandan, Kuwait Country Manager, Microsoft Gulf. 'With computers becoming an increasingly important part of our daily lives, we are thrilled to be able to provide consumers and businesses with innovative software and operating systems that enable and empower them to reach their potential.'

The academic launch is a region-wide initiative to ensure that students have full access to the power of technology and the ability to work smarter, be more connected and share in a more secure environment. The event coincides with the launch of the Imagine Cup competition in the country - a global Microsoft initiative open to students across Kuwait for the first time. Entrants are asked to 'Imagine a world where technology enables a better education for all' and develop solutions that enhance and improve an aspect of academic life.

'The academic launch, together with the Imagine Cup highlight Microsoft's belief in enabling students with the technology they need to excel and fostering the creativity and innovation they hold,' concluded Dandan. 'The future lies with students and their own growth and potential is intrinsically linked to that of the country.'

Windows Vista and the latest release of Microsoft Office feature dramatic graphic enhancements to the interface that make the desktop more visually exciting and significantly easier to use. With simple and intuitive tools, consumers can easily create and share digital documents, photos, music and videos, participate in digital communities, and play online and offline games.

With Windows Vista, consumers will be able to experience all kinds of entertainment - from television to video games to music and movies - how and when they want. Keeping in touch with family, friends and colleagues using e-mail, voice recording or video will be richer and more convenient. Redesigned user interfaces will increase productivity and ease of use, helping consumers and small businesses produce documents - from a marketing plan to a child's birthday invitation - that look better and are more professional in less time. Windows Vista and Microsoft Office 2007 will continue to improve access to information with new tools that make it easy to find the right piece of information - be it an e-mail message, image, note or media clip - no matter where it is stored.

The new versions of Windows and Microsoft Office also deliver enhancements in family safety by empowering parents to better manage and monitor their children's PC and Internet activities. With a few simple clicks in the new Windows Vista Parental Controls center, parents can manage and monitor PC and Internet access, and decide what kinds of TV, music and games are appropriate for their children.

Security is also more robust in the new releases; Features such as Windows Defender help protect consumers against attacks from spyware and malicious Web sites, while other enhancements help safeguard personal information. In Microsoft Office 2007, Document Inspector helps clean personal information, comments and hidden text from documents, so families can share their documents with confidence.

The consumer launch of Windows Vista is also expected to unleash a flood of new next-generation hardware, software and entertainment devices and services. Currently, more than 1.5 million devices and peripherals are on the market that work with Windows Vista, including more than 2,500 that are Certified for Windows Vista. In addition, thousands of PC manufacturers and system builders around the globe will deliver the Windows Vista operating system and Microsoft Office 2007 on new PCs.