Today at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas, Microsoft Corp. and Stargate Mobile participated in Ford Motor Co.�s announcement of the mobile office system featured in a �General Contractor� F-250 Super Duty truck. Ford previewed the unique mobile technology expected to be offered as a dealer-installed accessory through the Genuine Ford Accessories program beginning in 2006.

�Before the office environment that many of us work in today, you knew you had arrived when you worked your way up to the corner office with a door,� said Patty Dilger, director of the Automotive and Industrial Equipment Industry Vertical at Microsoft. �With the F-Series Super Duty, we�ve arrived at the ultimate option for today�s worker on the move � a four-door office that corners well. For the contractor or business owner who travels to multiple work sites, the functionality and connectivity of the easy-to-use Ford mobile office system dramatically improves productivity while on a job site.�

The mobile office system features the Microsoft� Windows� XP Professional operating system functionality with the Microsoft Office Suite including Microsoft Office Outlook�, Microsoft Office Word, Microsoft Office Excel� and Microsoft Office PowerPoint�. Other mobile office system features include global positioning satellite (GPS), wireless broadband, printer, credit card scanner and digital-camera-equipped mobile computer that will allow a contractor to bid jobs, order and purchase parts and materials, and process payments.

�The Ford mobile office system is a small, lightweight computer that can be docked inside the vehicle and used away from the traditional office,� said John Cooper, president of Stargate Mobile. �The computer�s rugged, portable design also allows the user to take the unit anywhere on the job site for the ultimate in mobility.�