Signifying what will be the start of a rush for the latest version of Microsoft's Office suite due out this month, retail battering ram Harvey Norman has placed its third biggest software order ever.
The deal is for 7000 units of Office 2000 which will represent over $4 million of retail sales through Harvey Norman's 87 computer and communications stores across Australia. This also represents the largest ever order for a software application and not an operating system.
The only bigger orders placed by Harveys were for 75,000 units of Windows 95 and for 35,000 copies of the Windows 98 upgrade last year. Those deals were worth $11.9 million and $5.5 million respectively.
Harvey Norman will be heavily promoting Office 2000 extensively in its catalogues, on radio and on television.