Microsoft has launched Microsoft Office Professional 2007 Prepaid Edition in India , bringing the power of its Office productivity suite to home users and small businesses at a very affordable price. Available as a 6-month subscription for Rs. 1499, the new prepaid model gives customers a flexible and affordable way to buy original the 2007 Microsoft Office. At the end of the 6 month period, 3-month renewable subscriptions will also be available. This is the first time in India that an office productivity suite will be available as a prepaid version.

The Microsoft Office Professional 2007 Prepaid Edition simple subscription plan gives customers the flexibility to pay as they go and renew when they choose, therefore reducing upfront capital investment for small businesses and consumers. It requires no credit facility, additional contracts or commitments. For seasonal businesses, project teams, and students training up on the latest tools, this provides an easy way to pay for the software only when they need it.

The 2007 Microsoft Office Prepaid Edition has already seen tremendous success in emerging markets like South Africa and Romania where response from consumers and partners has been very positive 'We are seeing- strong demand for from small and medium businesses in India. Who are finding that office productivity solutions like the 2007 Microsoft Officehelps them stay be more responsive and efficient in an increasingly competitive marketplace Microsoft Office Professional 2007 Prepaid edition offers them a highly affordable and flexible way to get the full power of original Microsoft Office software to improve business productivity.” said Sanjay Manchanda, Director, Information Worker Business Group, Microsoft India.

Easy to buy, Easy to use

Getting started with Prepaid is really simple. Currently, customers can purchase their PCs with a free trial of 2007 Microsoft Office pre-installed via the “Office Ready” PC program. With the introduction of Microsoft Office Professional 2007 Prepaid Edition, customers can purchase a ‘Prepaid Starter Kit' for a 6-month subscription to Microsoft Office Professional 2007. A 25-character product key on the back of each kit activates their software over the Internet for this period. Customers can renew their subscription via a 3-month Prepaid Renewal Card which costs Rs. 1299/-. While customers can continue to access, view and print their existing Office documents and data even when the subscription expires, they will require an active subscription to create new files and edit or modify existing ones. Customers can also choose to convert their prepaid subscription to a perpetual license at any stage. ‘Customers tell us that they want flexibility in IT purchase decisions, the ability to test latest software and that they want easy to use out of the box solutions along with lower upfront payments! 2007 Microsoft Office Prepaid is a response to this demand.' added Mr. Manchanda.

‘Now the best office productivity software is more affordable' says Mr. Abhishek Singh, owner of Siddhartha Infotech, a software development company.

Mr. Ravi Sikand , Owner of North Star India Pvt Ltd., a mid sized contact center, says "We take PCs on lease and getting Office Professional 2007 on subscription makes a great business sense."

The experience of the mobile phone industry vividly illustrates the appeal of Prepaid plans in developing markets. Over a billion cell phones round the world are used on a pay-as-you-go basis. According to an IMRB research on Mobile VAS trends 2006, approximately 80 percent of mobile customers in India are prepaid customers. Prepaid is a good platform on which the Indian mobile market has grown very fast, as it creates a volume based platform for tariff reduction.

The full power of original Office software

Since its launch in November 06, global customer adoption of Microsoft Office 2007 has already crossed over 1,75,0,000 licenses. With the launch of Microsoft Office Prepaid, more users will be able to access the full power of original Microsoft software. Office Prepaid offers the complete Microsoft Office Professional 2007 suite, which helps customers:

• Quickly create impressive-looking documents with Microsoft Office Word 2007;

• Turn data into information you can act on with Excel 2007;

• And organize e-mail, schedules, and contacts with Outlook 2007.

• Present graphics, animations, and multimedia with PowerPoint 200,

• Create electronic and print publications with Publisher 2007.

• And organize data for reporting and sharing with Access 2007.

Because it's fully licensed, original Microsoft software, customers get enhancements, innovations, and updates that drive more value from the Microsoft Office system, as well as the confidence and peace of mind associated with using an authentic, Microsoft supported product.