Havas Chooses Microsoft Reader to Launch its French Language eBook Business / Havas to Offer eBook Titles Available for French Language Market

FRANKFURT, Germany (PROTEXT) - Today at the Frankfurt BookFair, Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) and Havas Group announcedthey will work together on eBook titles for the French languagemarket with Microsoft(R) Reader software. The Havas eBook titles will be distributed in CD-ROM formatwith the launch of Microsoft Reader French language version.Havas eBook titles will also be available for download from theInternet at a later date. The CD will feature a selection oftitles from Havas Publisher Pocket, which includes such works as"Le Cid" by Pierre Corneille, "La Princesse de Cleves" by Madamede La Fayette and "Notre-Dame de Paris" by Victor Hugo. "With Microsoft Reader technology, we will enable our readersto obtain our works through all Windows(R)-based desktop andlaptop PCs in the French-speaking world and will reinforce ourleadership as a worldwide content provider for all platforms:paper, electronic and multimedia," said Agnes Touraine, executivevice president of Havas. Microsoft Reader is a new PC software application designed todeliver an on-screen computer reading experience that for thefirst time approaches the quality of paper. Microsoft Reader isthe first product to include ClearType(TM) display technology, aMicrosoft innovation that greatly improves font resolution on LCDscreens for users of desktop or laptop PCs running the Windowsoperating system as well as dedicated reading devices. Inaddition to incorporating the latest ClearType technology,Microsoft Reader strictly adheres to the traditions and benefitsof fine typography. It provides a clean, uncluttered display;ample margins; full justification; proper spacing, leading andkerning; and powerful tools for bookmarking, highlighting andannotation. Microsoft Reader also includes a dictionary as wellas a library that can store and manage a large collection ofbooks and other documents. "We are very pleased to be working with Havas to bring itseBook titles along with Microsoft Reader to the French languagemarket," said Dick Brass, vice president of TechnologyDevelopment at Microsoft. "Havas has a tremendously rich range ofcurrent and classic titles that are well-suited for electronicpublishing. Our mutual goal is to create a new eBook industry anda marketplace for eBooks in which authors, publishers andconsumers all prosper." Microsoft Reader is scheduled to be available early next yearin English, with support for French and other languages soonthereafter. Pricing for the Havas CD-ROM has not yet beenannounced. Havas, a wholly owned subsidiary of VIVENDI, is a world leaderin print and electronic media. Havas offers a wide variety ofproducts and services ranging from the press and the Internet tobooks, trade fairs, CD-ROMs and databases. Havas is No. 1worldwide in schoolbook and educational software publishing andin computer game software. It also enjoys a strong position inEurope in business-to-business information and is a world leaderin health-care information. In addition, the group is the largestin book distribution in Europe. Founded in 1975, Microsoft is the worldwide leader in softwarefor personal computers. The company offers a wide range ofproducts and services for business and personal use, eachdesigned with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyablefor people to take advantage of the full power of personalcomputing every day. NOTE: Microsoft, Windows and ClearType are either registeredtrademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United Statesand/or other countries. Other product and company names hereinmay be trademarks of their respective owners. ots Original TextService: Microsoft Corp. Internet: http://www.newsaktuell.deContact: Ann Junod Burkart, 408-986-1140, or annjb@wagged.com, orRapid Response Team, 503-443-7000, or rrt@wagged.com, both ofWaggener Edstrom, for Microsoft Corp. Web site:http://www.microsoft.com

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