Wanted: More Participants for Microsoft’s Office 2010 Real Life Stories program

Does your family use the home computer to create chore lists, manage schedules or do homework?  Are you a parent with children under age 18 that use the computer to do their school work?  Do you own a home-based or small business that requires flexibility in where and when you work?  Are you a college student who uses the computer for blogging and doing homework and who regularly works with other students on assignments or projects?

We are looking for a small group of U.S.-based Families, Students and Small and Home-Based Businesses (1-4 PCs or less), who use computers on a daily basis, to participate in the Microsoft® Office 2010 Real Life Stories program.  This program provides a select number of people with access to Office 2010 and the Microsoft Office Web Applications before they ship!

What's in it for me?

• Office 2010 pre-installed on a "loaner" laptop PC - before it ships!
• Unlimited email support Monday - Friday, with phone support for escalations
• Webcast training and Q&A sessions
• Community site access, so you can connect with other participants and stay up to date
• FREE copy of Microsoft Office Professional 2010 (when available)

Your Commitment:

• Use the Microsoft provided "loaner" laptop PC daily for business or personal tasks
• Participate in trainings, surveys and calls
• Agree to share your experience through video testimonials, media interviews, case study features, and quotes
• A minimum commitment of 6 months is required

Who are we looking for?

	Families  This is a family with children under the age of 18 who considers themselves moderately technology savvy who uses the computer regularly at home.  They use a productivity suite such as Microsoft Office to support their family life.  From lesson plans and chore lists, budget management or blogging- to managing their family’s busy schedule, the computer plays a role (or could play a role) in their weekly routine.  They most likely use the computer to help their kids with his/her project, homework, blogging, email, volunteer work, etc.  This person is comfortable in front a camera and is a great communicator.
	Small Businesses This is a person who manages a small or home-based business involving no more than 4 PCs.  They are technologically savvy and use computers on a daily basis to help them run their business.  By using a productivity suite such as Microsoft Office, they are able to save time or track their business results more easily, or add efficiency to their process.  They may use the computer to add value to their business in other ways like tracking ROI, planning projects, or attracting new customers to their business.  This person is comfortable in front a camera and is a great communicator.
	College Students This is a person who attends school part-time or full-time.  They use productivity suite like Microsoft Office, are technology savvy,  and use computers regularly for school, blogging, and collaborating on projects or assignment with other students.  They use the computer to help them with their schoolwork, stay connected, or to stay organized.  They may also use the computer to pursue job opportunities or to prepare for the working world.  This person is comfortable in front a camera and is a great communicator.

Tell Your Story

To apply for the program, click here to fill out a quick 3 minute nomination form.

Do you know someone who may be interested or a good fit for this program? Please let them know about it!  

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do I have to be a current or previous Microsoft Office user to be eligible?

A: No. You can be using any productivity suite or web-based productivity software. We just ask that you be willing to use the Office 2010 software on the loaner laptop daily for work and or personal tasks during the program.

Q: Is this open to people outside the U.S.?

A: No, this is a U.S. based program right now. It may be rolled out to other markets at a later time. If you are outside the U.S., please go to the Microsoft Office beta web site to download the beta in your local language. (Not available in all languages)

Q: Is being featured in marketing efforts a requirement for this program?

A: If you are not comfortable in front of a camera or don’t want to be featured in case studies or video testimonials, this program may not be for you. Click here to go to the public Beta site for Office 2010. You can download the bits to your own PC there.

Q: What kind of PC is the loaner PC?

A: The loaner PC is a Dell Studio 17.

Q: What operating system will I get?

A: Microsoft Windows® 7 operating system.

Q: I’m currently using a Mac. Can I still apply?

A: Sure. The only caveat is that you will be trying out the PC version of Microsoft Office 2010.