Ten Entrepreneurial Women Compete for Microsoft’s Ms. M.o.X.i.e. Title
Public Voting Begins to Identify the Most Savvy, Determined and Mac-Wielding Businesswoman

REDMOND, Wash. — Nov. 12, 2002    Microsoft Corp.’s Macintosh Business Unit (MacBU) today announced the 10 national semifinalists in the Microsoft® Office v. X Search for Ms. M.o.X.i.e. (Microsoft Office v. X Integrated Experience) contest. Today through Nov. 29, individuals can cast their vote at http://www.microsoft.com/mac/ for the woman whom they think should become Ms. M.o.X.i.e. The MacBU began its search for Ms. M.o.X.i.e. in October to recognize entrepreneurial women for their business savvy and perseverance.
    From the entries that best captured commendable M.o.X.i.e. qualities, 10 businesswomen were selected by a panel of judges including fashion designer and entrepreneur Shoshanna Lonstein. A woman who took an idea and through her drive and creative resources turned it into a $3 million fashion business, Lonstein exemplifies the essence of M.o.X.i.e. and helped determined which nominations should qualify as semifinalists.
   The 10 Microsoft Office v. X Search for Ms. M.o.X.i.e. semifinalists are the following:

Susan Martin, owner, Scubadorag.com, Charlotte, N.C.
Eve Picker, president, No Wall Productions Inc., Pittsburgh, Pa.
Carrie Zimmerman, network administrator, The Zimmerman Agency, Tallahassee, Fla.
Cindy LaBreacht, owner, LaBreacht Design, Upper Nyack, N.Y.
Robin Alciatore, concert pianist and media composer, Valmonte Music, Manhattan Beach, Calif.
Alissa Salmore, scientist, Great Lakes Water Institute, Milwaukee, Wis.
Hannah Hayes, owner, OHCO/Oriental Herb Company, Evergreen, Colo.
Elisa Pulliam, head of Simons Hall, The Stony Brook School, Stony Brook, N.Y.
Toby Malina, senior field technician, One World Journeys, Philo, Calif.
Jessica Alpert-Goldman, owner, World According to Jess, Bergenfield, N.J.

    "These 10 businesswomen are perfect examples of what it takes to don the title of Ms. M.o.X.i.e. They´ highly successful, creative and all-around go-getters," said Roz Ho, product unit manager for the Macintosh Business Unit at Microsoft. "In the nominations we received, we found numerous women using their Macs and Microsoft Office for Mac to stay ahead of the pack. But it’s truly an honor to recognize these 10 smart and savvy entrepreneurial businesswomen as semifinalists."
The three businesswomen who receive the most online votes between now and Nov. 29 will be named Ms. M.o.X.i.e. finalists. From the three finalists, a panel of judges will then select the overall winner for the title of Ms. M.o.X.i.e. She will receive $10,000 and a new iMac loaded with Microsoft Office v. X. All finalists and semifinalists will receive a copy of Microsoft Office v. X.

About the Microsoft Office v. X Search for Ms. M.o.X.i.e.

    The Microsoft Office v. X Search for Ms. M.o.X.i.e. kicked off Oct. 8 with a national call for entries, inviting individuals to nominate themselves or a businesswoman they admired, with an explanation of how that individual is creatively staying ahead of the business curve. Online public voting for Ms. M.o.X.i.e. will be Nov. 12 through Nov. 29, and the winner will be announced Dec. 4. Ms. M.o.X.i.e. is an acronym for Microsoft Office v. X Integrated Experience, underscoring the tools Mac users need to be more agile, think faster and work smarter, and to give them greater compatibility with PCs. Official rules and additional information can be found on Microsoft Corp’s Macintosh Business Unit’s Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/mac/.

About Microsoft Macintosh Business Unit

    The Microsoft Macintosh Business Unit is a leading developer of software and online products for the Macintosh platform. With the largest Mac-focused development team outside Apple Computer Inc., the MacBU consists of 145 full-time Mac product experts. Committed to the Macintosh platform since 1997, the MacBU delivers award-winning products developed specifically to meet the unique needs of Mac users. Current products include Microsoft Office v. X for Mac, a productivity suite that includes the e-mail and personal information manager Entourage™ X, Word X, Excel X and PowerPoint® X; Internet Explorer 5.2 for Mac; and MSN® Messenger 3.0 for Mac. More information about the MacBU and Microsoft Macintosh products is available at http://www.microsoft.com/mac/.
   About Microsoft Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software — any time, any place and on any device.