Microsoft Announces New Small Business Specialist in Cameron Park, CA

Microsoft Announces New Small Business Specialist in Cameron Park, CA

New designation distinguishes Cameron Park Computer Services as an expert in small-business solutions and services

Cameron Park, CA - FEBRUARY 22, 2006 - Microsoft Corp. today announced Cameron Park Computer Services has become the first Small Business Specialist in the Cameron Park, CA metropolitan area. To attain this new designation, Cameron Park Computer Services has demonstrated expertise in planning and building solutions for small businesses. As part of the Small Business Specialist Community, Cameron Park Computer Services will receive a rich set of benefits from Microsoft, including access to training specifically designed for the small-business industry, small-business marketing materials for reuse, special partner offers, and the ability to use the Small Business Specialist logo in marketing materials, which can help give the company a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

The Small Business Specialist Community, available as a competency-like designation as part of the Microsoft® Partner Program, was developed in response to input from customers and partners that expressed a need to build easier connections that enable small-business customers to quickly and easily identify technology partners best suited to support them.

“Small businesses are looking for partner companies that understand their unique business needs,” said Steve Guggenheimer, vice president of small business for the Small and Midmarket Solutions & Partner Group at Microsoft. “With resources like the Small Business Specialist Community and the partner locator tool on the Microsoft Small Business Center Web site, it will be much easier for Cameron Park's small businesses to identify local partners that are best able to address their specific needs. We are confident this offering will help Cameron Park Computer Services reach its full potential by creating more visibility, opportunity and demand in the local small-business segment.”

“Cameron Park Computer Services is extremely pleased with our status as a new Small Business Specialist,” said Mark Anthony Germanos, President, at Cameron Park Computer Services. “This special designation allows Cameron Park Computer Services to effectively promote ourselves to customers as having proven expertise in delivering high-value, strategic solutions for small businesses. For Cameron Park, CA area customers, Small Business Specialist status provides Cameron Park Computer Services with early line of sight to new products, services and programs from Microsoft, which can extend the value we bring to our client relationships.”

As one of the requirements for attaining Small Business Specialist status, Cameron Park Computer Services had to pass Microsoft's Small Business Sales and Marketing Skills Assessment, designed to test the company's knowledge of the dynamics and dependencies of the small-business market, as well as the value to small business of several software solutions, including Windows® XP Professional, Microsoft Office 2003, Windows Server 2003 and Windows Small Business Server 2003. In addition, at least one individual in the company had to pass a certification exam that measures the ability to design and implement solutions for the small and medium-sized business by using Windows Small Business Server 2003 and the Windows Server System™.

The Small Business Specialist Community was announced earlier this month at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference 2006. To enroll, partners can go to https://partner.microsoft.com/smallbizspecreadiness. Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

#########

Microsoft, Windows and Windows Server System are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

For more information, press only:

Mark Anthony Germanos, Cameron Park Computer Services, 530-677-8864, MARK@CAMERONPARKCOMPUTER.COM

Note to editors: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass on Microsoft's corporate information pages. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may since have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft's Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/contactpr.mspx.