Welcome to Microsoft's New Day for Business. The place is the New York NASDAQ market. The time is now. Well, let's be fare. The time is today. And just to be more specific 7:30 a.m. Pacific/10:30 a.m. Eastern U.S. time. In anticipation of the event, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer presented the following prerecorded message:

"Hi, I'm Steve Ballmer and I would like to welcome you to today's event. In my job I'm lucky enough to spend time with business leaders from around the world. I know that winning customers, staying competitive and increasing profitability is top priority for just about every business person I talk to.

Successful leaders today understand that their people are the ultimate drivers of business success and that software is the only tool that can keep pace with your people. When you empower your people with the right software you empower your company to succeed.

That's why I'm extremely excited about the products we are introducing today. Windows Vista, the 2007 Microsoft Office System, and Exchange Server 2007 are nothing short of breakthroughs in terms of their R&D investments, their innovation, and most importantly the value they will bring to your business.

Already customers and partners around the world are realizing the benefits of these technologies in helping their businesses become People Ready. So thank you for your ongoing support for making the time to join us today and for taking a closer look at the incredible opportunities these products can represent for your organizations. Enjoy the day!"