I was invited to New York to the launch of Office 2003. This followed from my involvement in the Beta testing of Office 2003 before it was released. About 30 Microsoft MVPs were there, representing a wide range of Office products. They all came from the US and Canada, except me.
Office 2003 'Great Moments at Work' signs outside the Millennium Hotel.
People waiting to get into the launch.
Hmmm. Neither of these signs said "MVP Breakfast this way".
Jeff Raikes, Group Vice President, Productivity and Business Services at Microsoft. Raikes is in charge of the 'Information Worker Business Group', which includes Office.
Microsoft organized a breakfast for MVPs and press before the launch, hosted by Jeff Raikes. Beth Melton and Dian Chapman are in the foreground.
MVPs at the breakfast before the launch: Bill Coan (Word MVP), Mike Sampson (the Microsoft staff person who looks after Word MVPs), Bob Buckland (Office MVP), Susan Ramlet (Office MVP), Beth Melton (Office MVP), Dian Chapman (back to camera, Word MVP).
Entertainment before the launch.
Count the digital cameras, as the entertainment proceeds.
Bill Gates arrives on stage at the launch.
Bill Gates, the uber-geek, presenting the launch of Office 2003.
Bill Gates demonstrates new functionality in Outlook 2003.
Bill Gates at the launch.
Jeff Raikes telling us what Office 2003 will do for him.
Jeff Raikes at the launch.
Nick Stillings, from Microsoft, demonstrating a solution for Fraser Health in Canada that he developed using Office 2003
Dieter Reinersmann, CIO at Siemens, took part in the launch. Siemens was rolling out Office 2003 to 330,000 desktops!