Why did Microsoft Corp. choose First Data Corp. (FDC), and why did FDC choose Microsoft to work with?
A. Both parties recognize and value the core strengths each has: FDC’s in the financial services arena (transaction processing, database management, bank, biller and merchant relationships, etc.) and Microsoft’s in the software development, systems architecture, Internet and consumer interface areas. Q. What is the name of the new company, and why did you choose that name? A. The new name, MSFDC, represents a combination of the stock ticker symbols “MSFT” and “FDC.” Q. I’m surprised you didn’t choose to extend the Microsoft or FDC brand names into this new area — why not? A. The two companies chose to come up with a new name to signify a new enterprise for both. Q. What is the goal of this joint venture? A. The goal of the new company is to offer the first end-to-end bill presentment and payment service that recognizes and integrates biller, consumer and bank needs in a single system. It also represents next-generation electronic payment technology that better utilizes existing paymen
