Microsoft Names Mark Penn as Corporate Vice President, Strategic and Special Projects

Press release:

Microsoft Names Mark Penn as Corporate Vice President, Strategic and Special Projects

July 19, 2012

Seasoned communications strategist to focus on key consumer initiatives and related marketing efforts for the company.

inShare3

REDMOND, Wash. — July 19, 2012 — Microsoft Corp. today announced that Mark Penn will join the company as Corporate Vice President, Strategic and Special Projects, with an emphasis on key consumer initiatives for the company. Penn will lead a small interdisciplinary team and report to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.

“Mark has an incredible background in research, demographics, marketing and positioning and a proven history in developing unique insights that drive success,” Ballmer said. “With a strong set of products and an exciting pipeline for the next year, Mark’s experience and out-of-the-box thinking will help us more effectively reach new consumers and grow market share.” 

Penn, 58, is currently the worldwide CEO of the public relations firm Burson-Marsteller and CEO of the polling firm Penn Schoen Berland LLC. He has been active in national and international politics at the highest levels and has served as strategic consultant to top Fortune 500 companies, including Ford Motor Company, Merck & Co. Inc., Intel Corp. and McDonald’s. He has consulted with Microsoft since 1998.

In addition, Penn is the author of “Microtrends: The Small Forces Behind Tomorrow’s Big Changes,” a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller about the impact of small groups in politics, business and social change, building on his original identification of the “Soccer Moms” as a critical demographic bloc. He has also been a regular contributor to national publications such as TIME Magazine, Huffington Post and The Atlantic.

“I'm looking forward to applying my diverse skills and experience to some of the biggest new challenges in technology today, and there is no better place to do that than Microsoft,” Penn said.

At Microsoft, Penn will lead a cross-functional team focused on consumer initiatives and will draw on his experience in strategic development, branding and positioning to develop and deliver breakthrough ideas that meet consumers’ changing and dynamic needs. He will continue to write about consumer, demographic and social trends but will not be involved in public policy issues for Microsoft. Penn will remain based in Washington, D.C., but will spend substantial time in Redmond.

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

MICROS ECOMMERCE ANNOUNCES THE LAUNCH OF STRATEGIC HOTELS & RESORTS, INC.’S TABLET SPECIFIC WEBSITES

PRESS RELEASE - STRATEGIC HOTELS

MICROS ECOMMERCE ANNOUNCES THE LAUNCH OF STRATEGIC HOTELS & RESORTS, INC.’S TABLET SPECIFIC WEBSITES

Chevy Chase, MD – July 18, 2012 – MICROS eCommerce, a subsidiary of MICROS Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: MCRS), an leading interactive marketing company for hospitality and travel, is pleased to announce that Strategic Hotels & Resorts has retained MICROS eCommerce to develop and launch a series of tablet specific websites later this summer.  The first will be the Westin St. Francis, followed by The Intercontinental Chicago, Intercontinental Miami, Fairmont Chicago, Fairmont Scottsdale Princess and Loews Santa Monica hotels.

The new websites will feature a dynamic visual format, intuitive layout and focus on hotel and area amenities, such as the luxurious rooms, spas, restaurants, bars, banquet/meeting facilities and other features found at Strategic Hotels & Resorts’ high-end hotels.  Data shows that users are much more likely to check rates on a tablet with a website that is meant to be touched, swiped, and engaged with than they are on sites that are made for a mouse to navigate.  Creating a tablet specific website will allow guests to spend more time with interactive areas of the websites that will have features that slide and move.

This is a unique selling feature for Strategic Hotels & Resorts and will allow the company to continue to stay ahead of the curve in the luxury market segment.

“As technology continues to shape how consumers interact with our luxury hotel brands, our partnership  with MICROS eCommerce has enabled us to stay top of mind with our discerning and tech-savvy customer base,” stated Richard Moreau, Strategic Hotel & Resorts’ Executive Vice President & COO.  “The tablet specific websites are the latest example of how we are leveraging an innovative technology to capture and retain clientele at the most critical point in the decision making process.”

“We are honored to expand and strengthen our partnership with Strategic Hotels & Resorts and believe that the tablet specific websites’ improved user experience will improve the company’s conversion rates,” stated Jos Schaap, Senior Vice President, MICROS eCommerce North America. “We look forward to continuing to provide Strategic and our other clients with the holistic approach to online and tablet marketing.”

About Strategic Hotels & Resorts, Inc.
Strategic Hotels & Resorts, Inc. is a real estate investment trust (REIT) which owns and provides value-enhancing asset management of high-end hotels and resorts in the United States, Mexico and Europe.  The company currently has ownership interests in 17 properties with an aggregate of 7,762 rooms.  For a list of current properties and for further information, please visit the company's website at http://www.strategichotels.com/.

About MICROS Systems, Inc.MICROS Systems, Inc. provides enterprise applications for the hospitality and retail industries worldwide. Over 330,000 MICROS systems are currently installed in table and quick service restaurants, hotels, motels, casinos, leisure and entertainment, and retail operations in more than 180 countries, and on all seven continents. In addition, MICROS provides property management systems, central reservation and customer information solutions under the brand MICROS-Fidelio for more than 26,000 hotels worldwide, as well as point-of-sale, loss prevention, and cross-channel functionality through its MICROS-Retail division for more than 100,000 retail stores worldwide. MICROS stock is traded through NASDAQ under the symbol MCRS.

MICROS eCommerce (North America), a subsidiary of MICROS Systems, Inc., is dedicated to assisting the travel industry with exceeding their online marketing goals. Serving an extensive portfolio of clients worldwide, MICROS eCommerce combines its industry knowledge and e-business expertise to help clients maximize the online channel. MICROS eCommerce offers multi-language websites, a vast network of internationally based strategic linking partners, email and pay-per-click marketing campaigns tailored to all international markets, custom social media solutions, and websites optimized for major search engines around the world.  For more information, please visitwww.microsecommerce.com and blog.microsecommerce.com.

For more information on MICROS and its advanced information technology solutions for the hospitality industry, please contact Louise Casamento, Vice President of Marketing at (443) 285-8144 or (866) 287-4736. You can also visit the MICROS website atwww.micros.com or send an email to info@micros.com . Follow MICROS on Facebook ,LinkedIn , YouTube , and the MICROS Blog .

### 

IBM and Banco de Credito del Peru Announce Strategic IT Services Partnership With Total Contract Value of More than US $100M

BCP to improve the operational efficiency of its end-to-end information technology (IT) infrastructure with IBM services

Tab navigation

• News release
• Related XML feeds

• Contact(s) information

LIMA, Peru - 07 May 2012: IBM (NYSE: IBM) and Banco de Credito del Peru (BCP) announced today a five-year agreement for IT outsourcing services. The agreement will enable BCP to optimize its operational expenses, relying on IBM to provide IT infrastructure management services, including support, operation and maintenance of the bank's mainframe, midrange and storage platforms. The total contract value is more than US$100 million.

IBM will manage the transformation of the Bank's IT infrastructure and implement infrastructure management tools and processes, and introduce key performance indicators to effectively manage service levels. The Bank will benefit from improved operational efficiency, and enhanced business continuity capabilities. 

Furthermore, BCP will achieve increased flexibility in terms of IT infrastructure costs, aligning its IT spending to its business needs. The improvements will help BCP prepare to scale up and meet expected growth in coming years.

"This announcement is clearly a milestone for IBM, proving BCP's trust in IBM's skills and industry expertise. This year marks IBM's 80^th anniversary of uninterrupted presence in Peru, and BCP's decision confirms the value we contribute to this country.  At IBM, we are truly committed to developing our relationship with the Bank applying  the highest quality standards," said Ricardo Fernandez, general manager, IBM Peru. 

About IBMFor additional Information about IBM, please visit: www.ibm.com/pe

Press Release : May 01, 2012

PRINT

SHARE

HP and The UPS Store Help Customers Print While On the Go

HP ePrint Public Printing now available at The UPS Store locations

Topics:Strategic Focus: Connectivity, Strategic Focus: Software, Technology and Innovation, ePrint,Mobility

PALO ALTO, Calif., -- HP and The UPS Store® franchise network today announced that more than 4,300 The UPS Store locations nationwide are now a part of the HP ePrint Public Print Locations⁽¹⁾(PPL) network.

With approximately 80 percent of the U.S. population living within 10 miles of a The UPS Storelocation,⁽²⁾ this solution provides convenient on-the-go print services to the small office/home office market and consumers, as well as to corporate “road warriors.”

Customers can geolocate the nearest The UPS Store location and then submit a print job to receive a simple and secure retrieval code. Upon arrival at The UPS Store location, the customer provides the retrieval code to a store associate, who will print the documents. Users also can print documents multiple times over a seven-day period using the same secure retrieval code.

“By offering HP ePrint services through The UPS Store network, mobile workers now have the ability to be as productive on the road as they are in the office,” said Bruce Dahlgren, senior vice president, Managed Enterprise Solutions, Printing and Personal Systems Group, HP. “HP ePrint is a great example of the cloud enabling customer-driven innovation for greater access to information, no matter where you are.”

Currently, HP ePrint is available for more than 90 percent of the smartphone devices sold in the United States.⁽³⁾ By downloading the HP ePrint Service application on a BlackBerry®, iOS™ or Android™ smartphone or tablet, users can easily print emails, presentations, reports, travel documents and more to a local The UPS Store location.⁽⁴⁾

The HP ePrint Service application for smartphones and tablets is available for download atwww.hp.com/go/eprintmobile.

“We recognize mobile professionals’ demand for printing, and adding this service to The UPS Store network’s existing print offerings helps us provide exceptional service to our small-business and on-the-go customers,” said Bill Martin, vice president, Print Services, The UPS Store franchise network. “We are committed to helping our customers improve their productivity with the right mix of tools at their fingertips.”

In addition to professional printing services, including color and black-and-white prints, large format, binding, lamination, finishing and folding, The UPS Store network offers a variety of services to help with the logistics of running a small business, including mailboxes with real street addresses, packing and shipping services, and notary and direct mail services.

HP’s premier client event, HP Discover, takes place June 4-7 in Las Vegas. 

About The UPS StoreWith more than 4,700 locations, The UPS Store and Mail Boxes Etc. network comprises the world’s largest franchise system of retail shipping, postal, print and business service centers throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada. In the U.S. and Puerto Rico, The UPS Store and Mail Boxes Etc. locations are independently owned and operated by licensed franchisees of Mail Boxes Etc., Inc. (MBE), a UPS subsidiary. In Canada, locations are independently owned and operated by licensed franchisees of master licensee MBEC Communications, L.P. For additional information on The UPS Store, including information on franchise opportunities, visit www.theupsstore.com.

---

(1) Usage of HP ePrint Public Print Locations requires internet- and email-capable smartphone or tablet with separately purchased wireless internet service, and the HP ePrint service app. Availability and cost of printing varies by location. A list of supported smartphone and tablet operating systems is available at www.hp.com/go/eprintmobile.
(2) August 2010 Nielsen and The UPS Store.
(3) Based on internal HP data.
(4) Supports the following devices running iOS 4.2 or later: iPad, iPad 2, iPhone (3GS or later), iPod touch (third generation or later). Works with HP AirPrint-enabled printers and requires the printer be connected to the same network as the iOS device. Wireless performance is dependent upon physical environment and distance from the access point.