ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, January 17, 1997 TAG: 9701170060
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: A-7 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: NEW YORK
SOURCE: Associated Press
With a send-off that was positively humble by Microsoft standards, the world's biggest software company rolled out a new package of its popular business applications.
Retail sales of Office 97 began Thursday; but unlike the launch of Windows 95 in August 1995, there were no long lines of customers clamoring to get a copy or midnight sales around the globe. At a CompUSA store in midtown Manhattan, only four or five copies had sold by midday.
Perhaps that reflected a more subdued marketing campaign than Windows 95 received - no licensing of Rolling Stones songs, and no lighting the Empire State Building in Microsoft colors to mark the event.
Office 97 combines updated programs for word processing, spreadsheets, graphics and databases with new features, including easier links to the Internet and tools for creating a Web document.
Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, speaking to about 1,000 reporters, analysts and favored customers at New York's Lincoln Center, called Office 97 the ``centerpiece of Microsoft's Internet strategy.''
``Over a year ago, we talked about embracing and extending the Internet,'' Gates said. ``This year, the theme is to go beyond embracing the Internet to take the leadership through innovation.''
Microsoft said it has shipped 500,000 copies of Office 97 to retailers and presold 3 million to corporate customers. The product retails for about $300, depending on how many applications are included.
Analysts said Office 97 is as crucial to Microsoft's bottom line as any other product. In less than 10 years, Microsoft has grabbed about 85 percent of the market for ``office suite'' programs.
LENGTH: Short : 43 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. In New York on Thursday, Bill Gates calls Office 97by CNBthe key element of Microsoft's plans to take a leadership role on
the Internet through innovation.