New designation distinguishes onShore Networks, LLC. as an expert in small-business solutions and services

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Chicago, Illinois — January 11, 2007 — Microsoft Corp. today announced onShore Networks, LLC has become a Small Business Specialist in the Chicago metropolitan area. To attain this new designation, onShore Networks has demonstrated expertise in planning and building solutions for small businesses. As part of the Small Business Specialist Community, onShore Networks 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 Chicago's small businesses to identify local partners that are best able to address their specific needs. We are confident this offering will help onShore Networks reach its full potential by creating more visibility, opportunity and demand in the local small-business segment."

As one of the requirements for attaining Small Business Specialist status, onShore Networks 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 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 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.

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For more information, press only:
Nick Valavanis
onShore Networks, LLC
1407 W. Chicago Ave.
Chicago, Illinois 60622
312-850-5200 x126
nick@onShore.com