Microsoft Student with Encarta Premium 2007

I received the following press release today:

Microsoft Releases Student With Encarta Premium 2007; Teachers, Parents and Students Give Software an A+

New homework software helps eighth-grader earn best report card ever.

Mississauga , ON — July 6, 2006 — Nine out of 10 teachers agree that students who turn to technology for homework help perform better than those who do not, according to a recent independent survey commissioned by Microsoft Corp. However, 71 percent of teachers worry that students are not finding what they need on the Internet, and 85 percent wish there were more technology-based resources available. ¹

Today Microsoft released Microsoft ^® Student with Encarta ^® Premium 2007, a software package of integrated tools and trusted information that empowers middle-school through entry-level college students to create and complete accurate assignments that can lead to better grades and academic confidence.

A great education is a student’s right, and technology is a critical piece of that equation,” said Chris Di Lullo, product manager for Microsoft Student with Encarta Premium 2007. “Our goal with Microsoft Student with Encarta Premium 2007 is to provide a robust and easy to use homework resource that helps students quickly get to the heart of the assignment and produce high-quality work in key academic subjects.”

Microsoft Student with Encarta Premium 2007 includes new features and enhancements to help students achieve the following:

End the math struggle

· New! Microsoft Math puts the power of a personal math tutor at students’ fingertips with tools and tutorials in one central location to help them tackle challenging problems in math and science

· New! Step-by-Step Equation Solver, a groundbreaking math tool, helps students learn and understand complex mathematical problems. Rather than revealing the answer, the equation solver offers complete step-by-step instruction for most math equations, so students learn how to arrive at a solution

· Enhanced! Online Math Homework Help allows students to look up a specific problem from their textbook for further assistance

· Enhanced! Graphing Calculator helps students visualize and solve difficult math and science problems by enabling them to view, rotate and animate 2-D and 3-D color graphs

Move beyond the blank page

· Enhanced! Learning Essentials for Students transforms Microsoft Office into a student-oriented application with templates, tutorials and toolbars for students’ homework assignments. ² Designed with the expertise of leading textbook publishers that include the Great Source division of Houghton Mifflin, Pearson Prentice Hall and SchoolKiT, Learning Essentials for Students helps with a variety of subjects and assignments such as English essays, chemistry lab reports and foreign-language papers

· Enhanced! Foreign Language Help equips students with translation dictionaries, verb conjugations and links to Web sites that help with a variety of languages, including French, German and Spanish

Find the facts

· Enhanced! Trusted content from Microsoft Encarta Premium 2007 offers students up-to-date reference information from a reliable source. The encyclopaedia contains an extensive collection of articles, photos and multimedia content along with an easily accessible dictionary, thesaurus and interactive world atlas

· The Web Companion provides trusted links to Microsoft Student material alongside search results from popular search engines when a student conducts research on the Internet.

An Equation for Success

Seventy-seven percent of teachers confirm that math is the most difficult homework subject for their students. ¹ Although calculus, algebra and trigonometry can be confusing, finding the right resources shouldn’t be. Microsoft Student with Encarta Premium 2007 contains an extensive collection of powerful math tools that help students understand the difficult concepts presented by advanced math and science courses. The intuitive and visually appealing math tools in Microsoft Student help students overcome common barriers while empowering them to experience the excitement of mathematics.

A Semester of Success

Teachers believe students need more help at home, but worry that parents are not always available or able to lend a hand. Many teens are not always sure where to find the right information and parents find it increasingly difficult to provide their child with the appropriate level of assistance. The combination of resources in Microsoft Student is a recipe for success; students now have assistance for all their subjects from social studies to math including valuable tools for reports, school projects and homework.

Availability

Microsoft Student with Encarta Premium 2007 DVD ³ is scheduled for availability in July 2006 for an estimated retail price of $69.95. ⁴

Microsoft Student with Encarta Premium 2007 is also available in a variety of Microsoft Academic Volume Licensing programs for educational institutions.

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

¹ “Homework Study With Teachers,” MSI International, April 2006

² Works with all editions of Microsoft Office XP and Office 2003 or later

³ CD available through volume licensing programs.

⁴ Actual retail price may vary.

Microsoft and Encarta are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

Note to editors: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass on Microsoft’s corporate information pages. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may since have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/contactpr.mspx.

About Microsoft Canada
Established in 1985, Microsoft Canada Co. is the Canadian subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation (Nasdaq “MSFT”) the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential. Microsoft Canada provides nationwide sales, marketing, consulting and local support services in both French and English. Headquartered in Mississauga, Microsoft Canada has 10 regional offices across the country dedicated to empowering people through great software – any time, any place and on any device. For more information on Microsoft Canada, please visit www.microsoft.ca