Q. Can I enter the Windows Server 2003 Challenge?
A. This trade promotion is open to Information Technology professionals who own or are employed by a business or organization currently using Microsoft® Windows Server^TM 2003. It is your sole responsibility to review and understand your employer's policies regarding your eligibility to participate in trade promotions such as the Windows Server 2003 Challenge. If you participate in violation of your employer's policies, you may be disqualified from entering the contest or receiving prizes.

Q. Is the information I submit kept confidential?
A. Yes. All information submitted will be kept confidential. However, contest winners will have their experiences detailed in a brief written document called a Solution Brief, to be published on the Microsoft Web site. Customers will have an opportunity to review the Solution Brief prior to posting.

Q. How will my entry be judged?
A. Your entry will be judged by a panel of Microsoft representatives on the following three judging criteria:

• Business Impact (use of Windows Server 2003 to achieve a quantifiable return on investment; i.e., capital or operational cost reductions or increased revenue);
• Infrastructure Efficiency (use of Windows Server 2003 to improve the organization's efficiency, such as improved availability, interoperability, manageability, performance, productivity, reliability, scalability, security, etc.);
• Innovative Usage (use of Windows Server 2003 to solve business problems with a unique and innovative approach).

Q. If I am a winner, when will I be notified?
A. Participants with the highest total scores, as awarded by the panel of Microsoft judges, will be contacted during the week of February 23 (for Round One) or the week of April 5 (for Round Two).

Q. When will the winners of the contest be publicly announced?
A. The winners will be listed online at an appropriate place on the Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Web site approximately 60 days after the end of each round of the contest.

Q. Will I receive the prize or will it go to my company?
A. Prizes will be awarded to individuals only if company policy allows such an award. Otherwise, prizes will be awarded to the company/business or to a charity designated by the company.

It is your sole responsibility to review and understand your employer's policies regarding your eligibility to participate in trade promotions such as the Windows Server 2003 Challenge. If you are participating in violation of your employer's policies, you may be disqualified from entering this Contest or receiving prizes. Microsoft disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for disputes arising between an employee and their employer related to this matter, and prizes will only be awarded in compliance with the employer's policies.

Q. What is the difference between partner and customer prizes?
A. The Windows Server 2003 Challenge awards two categories of prizes: Customer Prizes and Partner Prizes. Customer Prizes will be awarded to the companies whose Windows Server 2003 experiences are being documented and whose entries are selected by judges as winning entries, and that submit a notarized (or local equivalent) release form signed by a senior executive, and that complete the Solution Brief process.

Partner Prizes will only be awarded if a potential Customer Prize winner has indicated a service partner that was key to the deployment of the Windows Server 2003 on the Submission form. Partners will be asked to submit a notarized release form (or local equivalent) and must participate in an interview with the technical writer.

Q. Is it the winner's responsibility to pay taxes on the prizes?
A. Yes, winners need to comply with local tax laws and submit the necessary paperwork to Microsoft before shipment of prizes. Any expenses not explicitly listed in the contest rules, including any applicable tax on a prize, is the sole responsibility of the winner.

Q.Can I begin the paperwork for the release document as soon as I submit an entry?
A. Yes. If you would like, you may begin the paperwork for the release document within your company. Each potential winner must return a signed release form (by March 1 for Round One, and by April 12 for Round Two).

Q. If I don't win in Round One, can I enter in Round Two?
A. Yes, and you don't even have to complete the form a second time. Non-winning entries submitted during Round One will automatically be considered again in Round Two. For full details, please read the contest rules.