Microsoft Corp. today announced the first Microsoft Pharmaceutical Innovation Award, sponsored by Proscape Technologies Inc. Through this annual award, Microsoft will recognize the innovative use of technology by eligible pharmaceutical organizations to address the industry's major challenges such as increasing business efficiencies across the enterprise, maximizing the value of their interactions with physicians and improving the quality of patient care. This year's award is open to all Proscape customers that use Microsoft� technology in an innovative way to achieve sales and marketing effectiveness. The call for award entries can be found on the Proscape home page (http://www.proscape.com/) under News & Events.

The Pharmaceutical Innovation Award will be presented annually to the eligible pharmaceutical company that demonstrates market leadership in its use of technology to improve key functions of its business operations, from research and development to sales and marketing. One of the things that this year's submissions should show is how the solutions are being used to inform and educate physicians in order to improve the overall quality of patient care.