Localization / Adaptation Microsoft Financial Products Author: Liam Cronin Date: 12-November-2002

What is Microsoft Money ? .

What is Microsoft MSN ?

What is MSN Money Product?

How Financial Product Group look at Countries For MSN Money Market criteria: Size (Population, Home PCs, other Internet ready devices, etc.) Internet penetration and growth Financial habits: attitude towards money management and towards investing, Financial Industry: structure and complexity of financial products offered; consumer attitude towards buying financial products online Size of Finance opportunity for Microsoft, projected over 3-5 years in terms of revenue, units and share Microsoft internal criteria Strength of local MSN organization and plans for Finance channel MSN commitment to Finance area (funds, resources, focus, etc.) and ability of local MSN to support MSN Money with marketing and promotional efforts Channel execution and ability to monetize financial channel Regional opportunities with cross-countries Financial Institutions and sponsors

Localization Process Local Features Content Localization Extend localized product with local features Process Driven by Ireland / European Product Planners Content Translated, Adapted, or Created locally Process Driven by Ireland / European Product Planners Localization US product adapted for other language (or locale) Process Driven by Ireland Localizability Make product localizable Allow extensibility of feature Globalization Support International Settings Able to run US version in other locales US Code Base

Local Content Process Review US content and apply content roadmap to determine what gets: Remove! Translate! Adapt! Replace! Create!

Local Content Process EASY Remove! US CONTENT Translate! Adapt! Not enough value-added to justify cost EASY Depends on how technical and complex content is to adapt. Done by Content Vendor, or SME. Remove! INAPPROPRIATE? Done by Localization Vendors) US CONTENT Yes Translate! KEEP AS IS? Adapt! No Yes CAN BE ADAPTED FOR LOCAL MARKET? Replace! No Yes No Original content (non US) dev’ed on a per-country or per-region basis by Specialized Vendor or ISV INT’L CONTENT Create! HARD LOW COST HIGH COST

Local Features In Money CD Product Partner with local companies in Europe Search for complementary product line : Mortgages, Taxes, Pensions etc… Include features in localized versions of Money Train and support partners Limited development & program management involvement Cross-promotion and marketing initiatives From packaging to distribution

International Product Planning Phase I - Define and spec Requirements for local product Phase II - Find and execute on local solution for additions to the product Phase III - Market and push the product

International Product Planners Role Product planning & vision for site Drive usability testing on site Work with Financial Institutions Content Vendor / Partner management Work with Channel Managers Business development Product marketing Public relations

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