Microsoft

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Revision Date: October 22, 2008

Microsoft Corporation provides software products for computing devices worldwide. Its Client segment offers Windows product family that comprises Windows Vista; Windows XP Professional and Home; Media Center Edition; Tablet PC Edition; and other Windows operating systems. The company's Server and Tools segment provides integrated server infrastructure and middleware software that support software applications and tools built on the Windows Server operating system. This segment offers Windows Server operating system; Microsoft SQL Server; Microsoft Enterprise Services; product support services; Visual Studio; System Center products; Forefront Security products; Biz Talk Server; and MSDN. Its Online Services Business provides an on-line advertising platform for publishers and advertisers; personal communications services, such as email and instant messaging; and online information. It offers Live Search; MSN; MapPoint; MSN Internet Access; MSN Premium Web Services; Windows Live; MSN Mobile Services; AvenueA Razorfish media agency services; Atlas online tools for advertisers; and the Drive PM ad network for publishers. The company's Microsoft Business Division provides Microsoft office product set comprising enterprise content management, collaboration, unified communications, and business intelligence products; and Microsoft Dynamics products for financial management, customer relationship management, supply chain management, and analytics applications. Its Entertainment and Devices Division offers the Xbox video game system, including consoles and accessories, third-party games, games published under the Microsoft brand, and Xbox Live operations. This division also provides Zune digital music and entertainment device; PC software games; online games; Mediaroom, an Internet protocol television software; mobile and embedded device platforms; and Surface computing platform. Microsoft was founded in 1975 and is headquartered in Redmond, Washington.

Macy's

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In the classic Christmas movie, "Miracle on 34th Street", Gimbel's and Macy's square off in a retail race. Gimbel's is long gone, but Macy's East is still selling a broad range of family apparel and home-related merchandise from about 250 stores about 20 states and Washington, D.C. Through its classic department stores, Macy's East appeals to a wide buying sector of middle America. Its flagship store in Manhattan's Herald Square is the world's biggest. Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, started in 1924, is an annual rite. In a bid to revive slumping sales and realize the waning promise of its takeover of May Department Stores, Macy's combined its Macy's North division with Macy's East in 2008.

The combination of the two divisions created Macy's largest regional unit, with about $9 billion in sales. New York-based Macy's East continues to be led by its chairman and CEO Ronald Klein.

Parent company Macy's, Inc. (formerly Federated Department Stores) renamed all of its regional department stores chains Macy's, in a bid to create a national brand. Federated then changed its corporate name to Macy's, Inc. in June 2007.

Macy's East has rebuilt its fashion office (dissolved in the mid-1990s) and is attempting to elevate its fashion profile. The company also launched several new fashion catalogs in the fall of 2006.