Atlanta Historical Society Receives $1 Million Software Donation
Microsoft, TechBridge invest nearly $1 million in software and services to preserve more than a century of Atlanta history

Atlanta – December 3, 2007. Supporting the infrastructure needs of one of the Southeast’s largest historical museums, Microsoft and non-profit TechBridge announced today a donation of nearly $1 million in software and services to the Atlanta Historical Society, the operating body of the Atlanta History Center and Margaret Mitchell House & Museum. The donation will serve the business needs of the Atlanta Historical Society’s Atlanta History Center museum, Kenan Research Center and archives, the Swan House and Tullie Smith historic homes and the society’s lecture series, interactive programs and workshops. The Atlanta Historical Society’s upgrade will enhance the experience of its more than 140,000 annual visitors.

“We are grateful for the consistent support from both Microsoft and TechBridge,” said Sal Cilella, president and chief executive officer of the Atlanta Historical Society. “Over the years, we have been fortunate to have implemented these technological improvements to our exhibits as well as our business operations, resulting in a better historical center for Atlanta.”

Microsoft will provide the software while TechBridge will oversee the implementation of the technology upgrade at the Atlanta History Center. The service and software products donated include document and database management applications like Microsoft Office, SharePoint Server 2007 and Microsoft SQL Server 2005. With this grant, the Atlanta Historical Society continues its mission of preserving history with a collection of modern business tools to manage its future growth.

“TechBridge is dedicated to providing non-profits with new and innovative technology-based solutions that help organizations provide services benefitting the community,” said Jay Hart, senior network engineer and TechBridge project lead. “With this donation, we are implementing a secure, stable platform for the Atlanta History Center that will serve it well into the future.”

Two previous grants from Microsoft helped the Atlanta Historical Society to implement its basic information technology system at a time when the History Center was beginning significant physical and programmatic expansion. A grant of $215,000 in 2000 helped to complete the center’s migration onto the Windows platform, while a second grant of $203,000 in 2002 provided updates to the center’s productivity and server software.

“The benefits that the Atlanta Historical Society will realize from this donation will result in an enhanced experience for visitors as well as a more robust IT environment for the Historical Society’s employees,” said Microsoft Greater Southeast District General Manager Chris Jones. “As a Microsoft employee and a member of the TechBridge board of directors, I am thrilled to see our technology having such a positive impact on an important cultural institution here in the Atlanta community.”

Located on 33 acres in the heart of Atlanta’s Buckhead district, the Atlanta History Center includes one of the Southeast’s largest history museums; a research library and archives serving more than 10,000 patrons annually; two historic houses illustrating over a century of Atlanta’s history; a two-acre midtown campus which houses the Margaret Mitchell House & Museum; and a series of gardens unique in both design and horticultural presentation in the metropolitan area.

About Microsoft Corporation
Microsoft and its partners provide people around the globe with technology, tools and opportunities to help them address society’s toughest challenges, transform communities and realize their potential. For more information, please visit:
www. microsoft.com/about/corporatecitizenship/citizenship

About TechBridge
TechBridge is an Atlanta-based nonprofit organization that puts technology know-how in the hands of nonprofits. Its mission is to help other nonprofits to better serve the community. TechBridge is home of NPower Atlanta and an affiliate of the NPower Network and provides professional, affordable technology consulting services, innovative technology solutions and access to the financial, technical and human resources that nonprofits need to be successful.

About the Atlanta Historical Society
Founded in 1926 as the Atlanta Historical Society, the Atlanta History Center includes four signature exhibitions and two changing exhibition galleries in the Atlanta History Museum, two historic houses, the James G. Kenan Research Center, the Grand Overlook event space, and 33 acres of gardens. Nestled in the heart of the Buckhead district, the Atlanta History Center is located at 130 West Paces Ferry Road, N.W., just 2.6 miles east of I-75. The Atlanta History Center is open Mon-Sat., 10 am-5:30 pm and Sun., noon-5:30 pm. Admission is $15 for adults, $12 for students 18+ and seniors 65+, $10 for youths 4-17 and free for children 3 and under.

In addition, the Historical Society operates the Margaret Mitchell House and Museum. Located in Midtown Atlanta, the two-acre campus features four properties, including the house and apartment where Margaret Mitchell wrote her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Gone with the Wind; a visitors' center and exhibition gallery; a Gone with the Wind movie museum; and a museum shop.