Microsoft's Most Valuable Professional (MVP) Award Program Recognizes Latest Round of Awardees

Online, August 16, 2010 (Newswire.com) - REDMOND, Wash. - Microsoft recently announced this quarter's recipients of its Most Valuable Professional (MVP) Award, which recognizes exceptional leaders in the global technical community. These individuals actively promote and share their real world technical expertise with the community; as awardees, they share critical feedback with Microsoft product groups. For this quarter, Microsoft recognized 1,096 influencers who have made significant contributions to the technical community at large.

"At Microsoft, we think it's so important to acknowledge vital members of the global technical community," said Toby Richards, general manager of Community and Online Support for Microsoft. "They have a passion for sharing their knowledge and we think that's something worth recognizing. Moreover, with the recent launch of Office 2010 and the upcoming launch of Windows Phone 7, we look forward to witnessing firsthand the benefit that users will gain from the role MVPs play in shaping Microsoft's products and services."

Of this quarter's awardees, 200 are first-time recipients. They join an elite circle of MVPs - of the millions of global technical community members, there are only approximately 4,200 designated as MVPs.

Technical community members, current MVPs, and Microsoft personnel nominate prospective MVPs. A panel that includes MVP team members and Microsoft product group members evaluates each nominee's technical expertise and voluntary contributions over the past year to determine awardees.

MVPs span more than 90 countries and speak nearly 40 different languages. MVP expertise is extensive, covering approximately 100 technologies that range from Windows and Silverlight to Office and Surface. Microsoft MVPs participate in the technical community in a variety of ways, contributing technical advice in online forums, hosting user groups, authoring books and articles and speaking at conferences, among other activities.

As part of their award experience, MVPs receive early access to product information from Microsoft and are invited to the annual MVP Global Summit in Redmond, Wash., where Microsoft product groups typically host hundreds of technical sessions to engage with MVPs. Microsoft uses feedback it receives from MVPs at Summit and throughout the year to better understand its customers, enhance its products and develop new technologies.

About the Microsoft MVP Award Program
Microsoft began the MVP Award Program as a way to recognize members of the general public who devoted their time and technical expertise to helping users in various online technical forums. Over time, the program evolved, and awards are given to members of technical communities worldwide for their contributions to communities including third-party Web sites, user groups, blogs and wikis.
More information about the MVP Award Program can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/mvp or http://blogs.msdn.com/mvpawardprogram/.

About Microsoft
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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