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| | |Windows 7 |

| | |Customer Solution Case Study |

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| | | |General Mills Builds Rich Cooking Application on Latest Operating System |

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|Overview | | |“Using Windows 7, we delivered a fun, engaging cooking experience with an application that is |

|Country or Region: United States | | |radically simple to use.” |

|Industry: Consumer goods manufacturing | | |Leo Timmons, Director of Consumer Internet Applications, General Mills |

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|Customer Profile | | | |

|General Mills, based in Minneapolis, | | | |

|Minnesota, is one of the world’s largest | | | |

|food-product manufacturers, with operations | | | |

|in more than 100 countries. | | | |

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|Business Situation | | | |

|General Mills wanted to develop a | | | |

|downloadable application that would take | | | |

|advantage of the company’s vast Betty Crocker| | | |

|recipe database, be easy to use in the | | | |

|kitchen, and enhance the cooking experience. | | | |

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|Solution | | | |

|Working with Microsoft and Razorfish, General| | | |

|Mills built Betty Crocker Kitchen Assistant | | | |

|using the Windows 7 operating system, taking | | | |

|advantage of its enhanced touch and speech | | | |

|recognition capabilities to ease the cooking | | | |

|process. | | | |

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|Benefits | | | |

|Created rich, engaging user experience | | | |

|Extended brand into new channel | | | |

|Enhanced application through Microsoft | | | |

|relationship | | | |

| | | |General Mills is a global producer of market-leading food brands such as Betty Crocker, Cheerios, |

| | | |Green Giant, and Nature Valley. Committed to using technology to expand the way that its products and|

| | | |services are used, General Mills worked with Microsoft and Razorfish to develop Betty Crocker Kitchen|

| | | |Assistant, a downloadable application that can improve the cooking process. Using the Windows 7 |

| | | |operating system, and Microsoft design and development tools, General Mills created an application |

| | | |that features high-resolution food images, step-by-step cooking instructions that can be viewed from |

| | | |a distance, and the ability to easily interact with recipe information using speech and touch. |

| | | |Through its new offering, General Mills extended the Betty Crocker brand into a new digital channel, |

| | | |delivering a rich, engaging consumer experience. |

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Situation

General Mills is a Fortune 500 manufacturer of food products, headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The company generated U.S.$15.9 billion in global net sales in fiscal year 2009, from its more than 100 consumer brands, including Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Pillsbury, and Cheerios.

Generating Ideas with Microsoft

In August 2008, General Mills executives met with Microsoft representatives during a Microsoft Executive Summit in Redmond, Washington, to learn about digital consumer trends and upcoming technologies that the food maker could use to extend its brands and enhance the way that it engages with customers. “Microsoft briefed General Mills on the Windows 7 operating system, which was scheduled for release the following year. It quickly became clear that, by using Windows 7 capabilities such as multitouch technology and speech recognition, we could help General Mills customers make better use of our products,” says Leo Timmons, Director of Consumer Internet Applications for General Mills.

General Mills and Microsoft discussed brands that could benefit from Windows 7 capabilities and decided to explore options with Betty Crocker. The Betty Crocker logo and red spoon symbol appear on more than 300 General Mills products and, according to Timmons, Betty Crocker is also a business dedicated to innovation.

“Betty Crocker has had an Internet presence since the mid 1990s and is always seeking creative ways to get recipes to consumers,” Timmons says. “We envisioned unleashing the thousands of recipes and photos that are in our internal database, and exposing them to an external application that could make them even more useful. We also were very keen on the idea of expanding our brand into a new channel that could engage our consumer.”

Creating the Concept

Timmons brought the idea to Mike Bettison, the Web Site Manager for General Mills who is responsible for , to help take it to the next level. “Betty Crocker has been bringing great food ideas to consumers for nearly 90 years, starting with our cookbooks and, more recently, with our Web site. We believe that consumers will increasingly have computers on their kitchen counters, and we were very interested in creating an application that would enable them to use those computers to access and interact with our recipes in exciting new ways,” Bettison says.

Working with Microsoft, General Mills created the concept for Betty Crocker Kitchen Assistant, an application that makes it easy for consumers to use recipes while cooking in their kitchens. The idea had its origins in the Microsoft Home, a facility at the Microsoft Redmond headquarters that simulates a home environment and serves as a place for Microsoft to model and test future technology concepts.

“I had toured the Microsoft Home previously and was impressed with the way that the kitchen computer knew what was in the cupboard, was able to suggest recipes based on what was available and what the cook wanted to make, and projected chosen recipes onto the kitchen counter surface,” Bettison says. “When we began this project, the Microsoft team understood right away how we could take those ’home of the future‘ ideas and build them into an innovative, extremely useful solution for consumers of digital technology.”

Together, General Mills and Microsoft conceptualized ways to bring Microsoft Home concepts to life. “We envisioned a recipe management capability that is reflective of how the Microsoft Home enabled consumers to create and use recipes. It would let consumers tap into the Betty Crocker Web site to access their saved recipe lists and assemble new recipes based on available ingredients. And, like the recipes that were projected onto the Microsoft Home kitchen counter, consumers would be able to use Kitchen Assistant to view recipes even when users are relatively far from the computer,” says Bettison.

Taking Advantage of Better Technology

General Mills wanted the Kitchen Assistant application to complement the rich content found on the Betty Crocker Web site, and to enhance the cooking process by adding value in ways that are not possible on the Web. “People are drawn to recipes through photos, but photos that are on the Web need to be low resolution to be compatible with browsers. With this new application, we could feature more appealing, high-resolution recipe images,” says Timmons.

An issue that General Mills faced with the Betty Crocker site is the inability to include animations that help bring recipes to life, due to the bandwidth limitations of consumers’ Internet connections. “We wanted consumers to be able to use Kitchen Assistant even when disconnected, and to benefit from graphics that would showcase step-by-step cooking instructions and tips,” Bettison says. “We also wanted to make it possible for home cooks to use the application with voice commands when they needed to free up their hands for cooking, or with touch, instead of a mouse or a keyboard, to free up counter space.”

Finally, General Mills wanted to time the availability of Kitchen Assistant with the public launch of Windows 7, to take advantage of Windows 7 promotional activities and adoption momentum in building awareness of its application.

Solution

In January 2009, General Mills and Microsoft began developing the concept for Betty Crocker Kitchen Assistant in greater detail. Then in June 2009, General Mills engaged with Razorfish, an interactive design and marketing company, to build the application, while General Mills created the application programming interfaces that would enable Kitchen Assistant to access the Betty Crocker recipe database and interact with its Web site.

Razorfish took advantage of Windows 7 features such as Windows Touch and Windows Speech Recognition to simplify user interaction, Jump Lists to help users move between recipes, and Gadgets to enable Kitchen Assistant tools to remain readily accessible on the consumer’s desktop even when the Kitchen Assistant application is not open.

The design company also used Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 and its Windows Presentation Foundation technology, Microsoft Expression Blend 3 design software, and Microsoft Visual Studio Team System 2008—all of which helped simplify code development and create a rich, intuitive user experience. For instance, by using Expression Blend, Razorfish transformed static artwork into moveable images and, using Windows Presentation Foundation, it rendered animations of recipe instructions and smooth visual transitions (such as when browsing recipes).

“Using Microsoft technologies was like having a shortcut for building the Betty Crocker application. It enabled us to develop a compelling application in only four months,” says Anil Joisher, Senior Account Director at Razorfish.

In October 2009, General Mills and Microsoft began discussing how to manage deployment of the application. “We knew that Kitchen Assistant would be a fairly sizeable download and, because potentially thousands of consumers could be downloading the application at the same time, we wanted to make sure that we didn’t overrun our internal hosting environment,” says Timmons.

General Mills chose to use Windows Azure, an Internet-scale cloud service platform that is hosted in Microsoft data centers, for deploying Kitchen Assistant. Windows Azure includes an operating system and a set of developer services that can be used separately or together in a pay-as-you-go model. The Kitchen Assistant desktop computer application is connected to the Betty Crocker Web site and to Windows Azure, which interoperates with the Betty Crocker recipe database at General Mills. So, for instance, any recipes that are saved in Kitchen Assistant are also automatically saved in the online recipe boxes of consumers who are members of the Betty Crocker Web site community.

Kitchen Assistant was made publicly available in November 2009. By creating the application in this time frame, General Mills was able to synchronize Kitchen Assistant availability with the launch of Windows 7. “This enabled us to take advantage of the excitement around Windows 7 to build awareness of the innovative capabilities in Kitchen Assistant,” Timmons says.

When consumers go to the Betty Crocker Web site and click Kitchen Assistant, they are automatically redirected to Windows Azure, which downloads the application with a starter set of recipes. “Using Windows Azure, we can handle a substantial volume of traffic,” Timmons notes.

Benefits

By using the Windows 7 operating system, General Mills created a rich consumer experience with an application that is ideal for use in the kitchen, and extended the Betty Crocker brand into a new channel. “Working with Microsoft, we were able to conceptualize a fresh, interesting way to make Betty Crocker recipe information accessible to digital consumers,” says Timmons. “Using Windows 7, we delivered a fun, engaging cooking experience with an application that is radically simple to use.”

Created Rich, Engaging User Experience

Using the Windows Touch and Speech Recognition features in Windows 7, General Mills and Razorfish created an application that is particularly well suited for the kitchen. “Consumers can interact with Kitchen Assistant in ways that are simple and convenient,” Bettison says. “For instance, by using a touch screen and Windows 7, they don’t have to deal with a keyboard and mouse. They have more counter space for cooking. And if their hands are covered with flour, they can use voice commands.”

Consumers can also use Jump Lists enabled through Windows 7 to easily browse and get to recipes, and Gadgets to readily access functionality such as a programmable timer. To make the cooking process even simpler, they can use Kitchen Assistant Cook Mode, which displays large, high-resolution recipe photos next to step-by-step cooking instructions that can be read from up to 10 feet away. “We created a unique, useful application that takes advantage of our extensive recipe database, and makes the cooking process fun and much easier for consumers,” Bettison says.

Explains Joisher, “We wanted the Betty Crocker brand to deliver value beyond the cookbook itself and ensure relevance in an environment where users are bringing PCs into the kitchen. Because Microsoft technologies made it easy to incorporate interactivity and rich animation into Kitchen Assistant, [we were able] to envision a user experience that is ideally suited for the kitchen and create a robust, visually compelling application that is indicative of a great brand.”

Extended Brand into New Channel

General Mills extended the Betty Crocker brand into a new digital channel—the kitchen-based computer. “Kitchen Assistant represents our first foray into an incredibly rich new world of products and services that Betty Crocker can deliver,” Timmons says.

Adds Bettison, “Windows 7 has afforded us a great opportunity to reach customers through a new channel and deliver the Betty Crocker brand in ways that are unique and highly relevant for the consumer. By making our recipes more useful and providing a more informative cooking experience, we’re also helping enhance customer loyalty.”

General Mills made this brand extension possible through its connected technology approach, which ties the Kitchen Assistant desktop computer application to the Betty Crocker Web site and the recipe database at General Mills. “By enabling all of these assets to share data, we created a connected experience that reinforces the value of the Betty Crocker brand,” says Bettison.

Enhanced Application Through Microsoft Relationship

General Mills took advantage of its relationship with Microsoft to envision and build an application that is both intriguing and practical.

“General Mills and Microsoft have a shared interest in providing innovative, highly useful solutions for the home,” Bettison says. “Microsoft brings amazing technology and creative concepts to the table, and we bring trusted recipes, great food photography, and deep knowledge of what consumers need to cook effectively. Together, we created an application that advances the cooking experience and brings us closer to the kitchen of the future.“

Windows 7

Works the way you want: Windows 7 will help your organization use information technology to gain a competitive advantage in today’s new world of work. Your people will be able to be more productive anywhere. You will be able to support your mobile work force with better access to shared data and collaboration tools. And your IT staff will have better tools and technologies to enhance corporate IT security, data protection, and more efficient deployment and management.

For more information about Windows 7, go to:

windows/windows-7

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|“By using Windows 7 capabilities such as |

|multitouch technology and speech recognition, |

|we could help General Mills customers make |

|better use of our products.” |

|Leo Timmons, Director of Consumer Internet |

|Applications, General Mills |

|“Using Microsoft technologies was like having |

|a shortcut for building the Betty Crocker |

|application. It enabled us to develop a |

|compelling application in only four months.” |

|Anil Joisher, Senior Account Director, |

|Razorfish |

|“Working with Microsoft, we were able to |

|conceptualize a fresh, interesting way to make|

|Betty Crocker recipe information accessible to|

|digital consumers.” |

|Leo Timmons, Director of Consumer Internet |

|Applications, General Mills |

Built to take advantage of the Windows 7 operating system, the Betty Crocker Kitchen Assistant application makes it easy to view recipes while cooking in the kitchen.

[pic]

|“Windows 7 has afforded us a great opportunity|

|to reach customers through a new channel and |

|deliver the Betty Crocker brand in ways that |

|are unique and highly relevant for the |

|consumer.” |

|Mike Bettison, Web Site Manager, General Mills|

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|Software and Services |Technologies |

|Windows 7 |Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 |

|Microsoft Expression Blend 3 |Windows Presentation Foundation |

|Microsoft Visual Studio | |

|Microsoft Visual Studio Team System 2008 |Partners |

|Windows Azure Platform |Razorfish |

|Windows Azure | |

|This case study is for informational purposes | |

|only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR| |

|IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY. | |

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|Document published April 2010 | |

For More Information

For more information about Microsoft products and services, call the Microsoft Sales Information Center at (800) 426-9400. In Canada, call the Microsoft Canada Information Centre at (877) 568-2495. Customers in the United States and Canada who are deaf or hard-of-hearing can reach Microsoft text telephone (TTY/TDD) services at (800) 892-5234. Outside the 50 United States and Canada, please contact your local Microsoft subsidiary. To access information using the World Wide Web, go to:



For more information about Razorfish products and services, call (206) 816-8800 or visit the Web site at:



For more information about General Mills products and services, call (763) 764-7600 or visit the Web site at:

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