14 DAY TRIAL // At the beginning of October 2007, Microsoft announced the debut of the Startup Accelerator Program. Launched under the umbrella of the Microsoft Emerging Business Team, the Microsoft Startup Accelerator Program is essentially an initiative designed to fuel the success of high-potential startups that are building software solutions for the Redmond company's platforms. Since its introduction last year, no less than 30 new startups were added to the Microsoft Startup Accelerator Program. This is quite a jump for the Redmond company that started along with just 20 businesses, to end up supporting over 50 emerging companies just three months later.
"When we launched the Microsoft Startup Accelerator Program last fall, our goal was to identify innovative early-stage startups that were a strategic fit for Microsoft and to create an exceptional opportunity for them to work with us and our global customer base for mutual success. We are very pleased with the excitement and momentum behind the program from the entrepreneurial community, and we will continue to focus on expanding the program to support the success of an even broader set of startups worldwide," revealed Dan'l Lewin, corporate vice president of Strategic and Emerging Business Development at Microsoft.
The Microsoft Startup Accelerator Program permits the member companies to access new Microsoft technologies and even to leverage the company's Technology Centers for projects centered around software testing and architecture development. Through the initiate, startups also benefit from software licenses and subscriptions, top of the line support and resources to drive development and marketing of their products. As an example of the fuel the Microsoft Startup Accelerator Program is providing to innovative startups, the company offered the example of StoreXperience. The StoreXperience easy Shopping application built on the Microsoft platform permits the users to utilize their mobile phones in order to get additional information on products via interactive bar codes.
"The Microsoft Startup Accelerator Program provides the much needed resources and guidance we need to get a leg up on the competition," said Herv? Pluche, president and co-founder of StoreXperience. "Since joining the program, we have overcome mission-critical technical challenges and have expanded our marketing and channel presence. We look forward to continuing our relationship with Microsoft to take our company to the next level."