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THE 500 THOUSANDTH EXAMINEE IN THE WORLD TO PASS THE MOUS TEST COMES FROM JAPAN
To commemorate the breaking of the 500 thousandth successful applicant mark in the world, President Ata of Microsoft Japan gave an award and presented a special plaque to the awardee, Ms. Yukiko Matsuba, on March 11, 2002
The Microsoft Office User Specialist (MOUS) program, a global qualification test sponsored by Microsoft to evaluate the ability to operate various application software of Microsoft Office Suite, has broken the 500 thousandth successful applicant mark in the world. The awardee is a 27-year old Japanese woman, Ms. Yukiko Matsuba, living in Wakayama prefecture. She unexpectedly became the 500 thousandth successful applicant by passing the MOUS exam “Word 2000 version (core level)” she took at the Wakayama center of “Paso-con Touch Juku” PC school on December 22, 2001.
The presentation ceremony to commemorate the record breaking was held at 17:30 of Monday, March 11 at the Shinjuku office of Microsoft Japan, with the President, Shinichi Ata, in attendance to give the prize and a U.S.-made plaque to the prizewinner.
The Presentation Ceremony
Date/Time and Venue: 17:30-18:00 on Monday, March 11, 2002, at the Shinjuku office of the Microsoft Japan (Odakyu Southern Tower)
Attendees from Microsoft Japan: Shinichi Ata, President; Yoshiaki Nagao, General Manager, Customer Marketing Dept.; Yutaka Ishiguro, Manager, T&C Marketing Dept.
Attendees from Certiport, Inc. (U.S.A.): David D. Saedi, Executive Vice President
Attendees from Odyssey Communications Inc.: Katsuya Debari, President & CEO; Toru Hashimoto, Manager, MOUS Program; Emi Takashima, MOUS Program; Noriko Suzuki, Manager, Marketing Dept.
Speech given by Mr. Shinichi Ata, President of the Microsoft in Japan: The MOUS program first started in 1997 for the purpose of promoting the proper way to use Microsoft Office products. It is the great pleasure for me to hear that the number of the successful applicants has exceeded 500 thousand, and moreover, that the 500 thousandth comes from Japan. Now that Japan is facing a stagnant economy, each of us is required to become a “knowledge worker” who logically organizes his/her own thoughts to go on with the task, and the Microsoft Office products is the tool to make you become one. Today, many of the Japanese end-users utilize the Microsoft Office products, with 280 thousand people having passed the MOUS tests in Japan. We truly hope to expand the number to 500 thousand … 1 million … and even more, and we would like to contribute further to raise the productivity of the “knowledge workers” through our Microsoft Office products.
Comment from the Prize Winner, Ms. Yukiko Matsuba: It was only after a while that I finally came to believe the surprising news I had received, that I am the 500 thousandth successful applicant of the MOUS program to be given the prize. I actually use a PC in my work, but I thought I needed something to prove that I can fully utilize it to appeal my ability in a positive way. That’s why I took the MOUS exam. I believe I was very lucky because it was the first time I took the exam then I won the award. From now on, I hope to keep challenging the MOUS exams, such as the Excel, and further to the advanced level tests. Thank you very much.
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