REDMOND, Wash., July 12, 2004 -- Just over a year ago, Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer established the principle of "Integrated Innovaton" as a top priority company-wide to take computing to the next level for information-worker productivity and customer satisfaction.

As much guiding theme as marching orders, the mission to provide Integrated Innovaton is about ensuring that the value of the Microsoft platform is greater than the sum of its components. It's the coordination of software products, the way entire systems can be made to work together better. It's a strategy to add customer-driven features and functionality to achieve specific business results while reducing cost and complexity.

'Integrated Innovation' Provides Partners with Roadmap to Success