Microsoft has invested several million more dollars into an incentive program
it recently unveiled for small businesses, hoping to make it easier for customers
in that market to run their businesses using Microsoft products.

Microsoft has increased its already $10 million [m] investment in a program
it calls the Big Easy by about $3 million, the company said Thursday. Through
the program, unveiled in February, small businesses purchasing certain products
through authorized specialist partners get a certain percentage of money back
that they can use to buy other services from those partners.

For example, using the program, a small business would get back a maximum of
22 percent of the money it spends if it buys six or more products that are on
the approved list. Microsoft has said that the average return will be about
15 percent to 17 percent on purchases for small businesses.

Much of the $3 million added investment is going to customers who buy Windows
Server, according to Microsoft.

So far, the company has gotten positive feedback from customers about the program
and expect small businesses to take more advantage of the subsidies before the
program ends June 27, Microsoft said. It defines small businesses as those with
50 employees or fewer, saying companies usually start hiring IT management above
50 employees.

Products available for subsidies under the Big Easy program include Microsoft
Office, Exchange Server, Forefront Security for Exchange Server, System Center
Essentials, Project, Visio, Office SharePoint Server, Forefront Security for
SharePoint and Internet Security and Acceleration Server 2006, among others.

More information about the program and the changes can be found on Microsoft's
Big Easy
Web site.

IDG News Service

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