Microsoft Vista and Office 2007 are now available for businesses, announced Microsoft at a press conference on 14 December 2006 in Intercontinental City Stars.

Microsoft says that it expects more than 200m people to be using at least one of these products by the end of 2007.

In addition to Windows Vista and the 2007 release of Office, Microsoft has also launched 30 new offerings for business customers.

Windows Vista and 2007 Microsoft Office are now available to volume licensing customers.

Big Blue's new DS3200 and DS3400 storage arrays are designed specifically for small or midsize companies that might not have in-house storage specialists. Both come with IBM's Storage Manager software, which Big Blue claims can reduce the setup and management process to six quick steps.

IBM has released two disk arrays designed expressly for small and midsize companies that need the power of high-end storage tools but might lack the in-house staff and knowledge to manage them.

The new System Storage DS3000 line includes a DS3200 and DS3400 model, both of which come with single and dual controller options. Their capacity runs from 3.6 to 14.4 TB, depending on the model and its configuration.

HP today expanded its portfolio of digital entertainment offerings with a new consumer PC category and a broad lineup of digital entertainment products and services that aim to fundamentally change the way people connect, access and enjoy high-definition and personal digital content.

Announced at the 2007 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the offerings include the industry's first all-in-one touch-screen PC and touch-screen consumer tablet PC based on Microsoft Windows Vista™, HP's first home media server, nine new high-definition TVs, a Blu-ray disc writer, new digital content delivery services and home automation solutions.

Additionally, the company's online photo service, Snapfish by HP, has released a new software tool that will enable members to bypass the photo upload process and send their pictures to their PCs or Snapfish accounts without a single click of a mouse.

"People are rapidly moving to a high-definition lifestyle, generating and sharing their own personal digital content and enjoying higher quality movies and music," said Todd Bradley, executive vice president, Personal Systems Group, HP. "HP has the broadest portfolio of digital entertainment products and partnerships that can transform the way people experience TV, music, movies, photographs and other entertainment content, from instant access to movies and photos with HP QuickPlay to our HP MediaSmart HDTVs to a new touch-screen category that enables walk-up computing."

New touch-screen PCs for computing wherever life happens in the home

To meet the changing ways in which people want to access and enjoy their digital content, HP, the worldwide PC sales leader, has introduced its latest innovation in PC design.

The new HP TouchSmart PC is the industry's first all-in-one PC based on Microsoft Windows Vista. It provides users with one-touch wireless access to information, communication and entertainment through HP SmartCenter, a new customizable user interface that includes HP SmartCalendar for family calendaring and HP PhotoSmart Touch to manage digital photos. Featuring a 19-inch HD widescreen with adjustable touch-screen display, Vista remote control and personal video recorder with HD and SD TV programming, the HP TouchSmart PC enables "walk-up computing," the ability to quickly and easily have touch access to digital content wherever life happens in the home.

HP also introduced the industry's first consumer tablet PC optimized for Microsoft Windows Vista and on-the-go entertainment. The HP Pavilion tx1000 Entertainment Notebook PC features a touch-screen display, built-in miniature remote control, HP QuickPlay instant movie viewing feature, karaoke and a screen that swivels 180 degrees and folds flat for working or enjoying movies in tight travel spaces such as airplanes or trains.

By partnering with Sling Media, creators of the industry-leading Slingbox, HP has enhanced its QuickPlay offering on consumer notebooks with "place shifting," which allows consumers to instantly access their live television programming and DVR content - as easy as turning on a TV.

Delivering the high-def lifestyle

HP's new line of high-definition TVs, home media server and digital content delivery services allows consumers to easily view and share their high-definition content throughout their homes.

The 2007 HP HDTV lineup includes nine new plasma, LCD and MediaSmart TV models, all of which feature an improved Visual Fidelity Engine for enhanced image quality with finer picture detail.

HP MediaSmart TVs merge the PC and the TV with the ability to wirelessly stream digital photos, music and videos from a PC onto a stylish HP high-definition LCD display. The latest models feature 1080p performance and the new HP Entertainment Services Portal, which provides access to a variety of online photo, video and music services with the click of a remote. Services include Snapfish, Real Networks' Rhapsody and CinemaNow, which allows consumers to begin watching movies from its library of more than 4,000 titles before the download is even complete.

Solution replaces cash registers and outdated dial-up connections, enabling retailers to easily adopt fully integrated IP-based point of sale and payment processing

First Data Corp. (NYSE: FDC), Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) and HP (NYSE: HPQ)(Nasdaq: HPQ) today announced they have brought together their industry-leading payment solutions, state-of-the-art store management software programs and retail-ready computer hardware in a small business point of sale solution with features that until recently were only available to large retailers.

The First Data POS Value ExchangeSM replaces a cash register and traditional point of sale terminal with a computer-based system that delivers a complete store management solution with greater information security, speed of transactions and more flexible payment options for customers.

POS Value Exchange leverages the three companies' core competencies: 1) First Data's payment processing power for virtually all forms of payment – from credit and debit to gift cards and checks; 2) Microsoft DynamicsTM - Point of Sale 2.0 software from Microsoft designed to manage inventory, track sales and improve customer management; and 3) a rugged, retail-specific point of sale hardware solution from HP. The solution will be offered by First Data, along with its participating alliance partners and independent sales organizations. Purchase and lease options will be available, with pricing set by the individual sales channels.

Specialty retailers will find that the system's touch-screen display and ability to accept virtually all forms of payment will improve customer service and speed up transaction time. Retailers also will be able to track purchase behaviors and identify buying trends to improve inventory management and save valuable time.

“The customer experience has improved tenfold with the POS Value Exchange solution,” said Byron Borchardt with Bargain Books, one of a number of retailers who have been pilot testing the solution. “Our customers spend less time in the check-out line and the discount the customer received at the store is clearly reflected on the sales receipt. The user-friendly touch-screen display makes employee training simple and seeing a computer at the point of sale projects a professional image to my customers.” Bargain Books has also been able to track buying trends in the store to better manage staffing levels.

First Data, Microsoft and HP believe that the product will have benefits for merchants and consumers alike.

“First Data is excited to team with Microsoft and HP to deliver a unique value to small and mid-sized merchants,” said Barry McCarthy, president of Product Innovation at First Data Commercial Services. “This single solution enables small merchants to have the power to manage their inventory, understand and track customer buying behavior and offer an enhanced consumer experience by accepting virtually all forms of payment – from credit, debit and gift cards to checks.”

“This new solution will revolutionize the way small retailers do business and process payments,” said Mike Dickstein, general manager of Microsoft Dynamics at Microsoft. “Now small retailers using electronic cash registers and dial-up connections can easily convert to an affordable, integrated point of sale and payment processing system, and offer the same great customer service and payment options to their customers that the big box stores do.”

“Simply put, this solution gives small businesses a competitive edge,” said Gayle Papadopoulos, managing director of Worldwide Distribution and Retail Industries at HP. “HP's retail-hardened, industry-standard rp5000 point of sale system adds the flexibility and affordability of a PC architecture with long lifecycles and extended warranties to First Data's payment processing power and Microsoft's software.”

POS Value Exchange is designed for smaller retailers, typically with a single store location with up to five lanes.