Microsoft Corp. today announced that its revolutionary Tilt Wheel has won an International Business Award for the Best New Product or Service of 2005. These awards, nicknamed "the Stevies" for the Greek word "crowned," are the only global, all-encompassing business awards program honoring great performances in the workplace. Microsoft's win in 2005 follows 2004's winner for Best New Product or Service, Research In Motion for the BlackBerry 7230.

Microsoft's Tilt Wheel was chosen for the intuitive four-way scrolling capabilities of its all-in-one mouse wheel, the first of its kind, which makes navigating large spreadsheets and Web pages easier than ever. The four-way scrolling technology is quickly becoming an industry standard and winning business- and retail-customer acclaim worldwide. The Tilt Wheel actually boasted greater initial sales than those of Microsoft's popular optical technology in its first six months of availability.

"Two years ago we advanced the scroll wheel, the No. 1 feature people look for in a mouse, with the first Tilt Wheel Technology," said Tom Gibbons, general manager of the Hardware Group at Microsoft. "Our Tilt Wheel has set a precedent for our business customers, and we are proud to receive this prestigious award in recognition of the benefits it delivers to businesses worldwide."