SALT helps Microsoft brand the next generation of multi-touch computing

May 29, 2007 – At the Wall Street Journal’s “D” Conference, Microsoft revealed the first Surface Computer: A tabletop device that projects images and applications onto a clear surface that you control through the simple touch of your fingers. This multi-touch technology – capable of simultaneously recognizing 52 points of touch – liberates you from the traditional mouse and keyboard, and creates a new and intuitive way to interact with technology that is both easy to use and stimulating to experience. It is the future predicted in so many movies – and today it is becoming reality. This new category name – Surface Computing – and the Microsoft® Surface™ brand, were developed in partnership with SALT® Branding.

Establishing a new category was key to positioning the brand within it. How would consumers know it’s not like any PC they’ve ever experienced? How would they talk about it? Where would they find out about the new revolution? Defining the category helped define the role of the product that would lead it. “Surface computing gets directly at the magic of the consumer experience,” said Mark Bolger, Senior Director of Marketing at Microsoft. “It instantly and overtly communicates the physical qualities of the product, while implicitly communicating direct interaction. Once we had the definition of the category it made perfect sense to align this first to market product with it.”

Establishing a new category is never really the doing of a single company. It involves the input and participation of the technology community – from customers and partners, to analysts and journalists. Microsoft worked with many key influencers within the computing world to identify the correct way to talk about this new experience. Surface Computing made the most sense, and helps consumers understand how the form factor of this new device and way they interact with it is easily differentiated from a traditional PC.

“In fact, capturing the new user experience became the driving point for all the creative work,” said David Neugebauer, Principal at SALT. “From the product name, through the logo and visual identity system, trying to help consumers understand how the product works and connecting that with how they interact with it helps tie everything together.” SALT worked closely with the UI team to capture the sense of motion and energy that moving images and objects around the screen physically generates and wove the visual language throughout all key brand touchpoints in the user experience.

Microsoft Surface will appear in the marketplace in late 2007, with a select number of partners including Harrah’s Entertainment®, International Game Technology® (IGT), Sheraton Hotels & Resorts Worldwide®, and T-Mobile®. Each business will use applications that support their business needs – from interactive product demos and menu displays, to movie demos or a virtual concierge.

With Microsoft Surface, images can be moved with your fingertips. Objects become multi-dimensional, flipped or rotated. Images and maps can be stretched and resized with a drag of your fingertips; music can be shared with a flick of your wrist, and drinks ordered with a simple tap on the screen. You can share, explore, game, and enjoy a whole new world of digital content.

“Once you’ve used a Surface Computer you realize what you’ve been missing,” said Kyle Warnock, Product Manager at Microsoft. “It not only does things better, but it makes doing things more fun. It should just be this easy!”

Although it is the early days of Surface Computing, SALT continues to work with the product team to further develop the brand as it develops from a cool new technology, to a ubiquitous everyday experience.

For more information on Microsoft Surface, please visit: www.surface.com.

About SALT
SALT is a full-service branding, design, and communications company that helps build leading brands. With its distinctively practical mindset, SALT provides a full range of integrated branding services including brand strategy, naming, design, communications, advertising, and corporate culture. SALT has developed leading brands and programs for a diverse set of companies ranging from Fortune 500s to VC-funded start-ups, including Avaya, Bank of Hawaii, Coca-Cola, Disney, EMBARQ, Fatbrain, Genentech, Glu Mobile, Microsoft, Mobile365, Nissan, Palm, Sprint, Wellpoint, Wi-Fi, and Xerox. SALT – the essential ingredient for branding leaders.

For more information on SALT, please contact:

Paul Parkin
SALT Branding
415.616.1506
paul@saltbranding.com