Microsoft customers and partners gathered today to show their support for the launch of Microsoft� SQL Server� 2005 and Visual Studio� 2005 and the upcoming release of BizTalk� Server 2006. Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer kicked off the event by highlighting the tens of thousands of customers and partners that played a major role in the product development process, providing ongoing input to deliver the next evolution in Microsoft�s application platform. Ballmer showed that with today�s launch, Microsoft Corp. is delivering a broad family of developer tools and server software that enable businesses to better connect their people, business processes and information, and give customers the ability to make better decisions faster.

�Through deep collaboration with our customers and partners, today we�re delivering powerful new platform capabilities with unprecedented integration between the server infrastructure and development tools,� Ballmer said. �We�re enabling people to gain more insight into their businesses and play an even bigger role in the success of their organizations.�