When Microsoft customers want to make a purchase on paymentterms outside the standard net-30 or net-60 days, the WorldwidePayment Solutions (WPS) group steps in. “We craft payment solutionsthat let them pay in a different rhythm,” explains Tom Czerwinski,the director of technology for Microsoft's Worldwide PaymentSolutions team. “Our customers may have an unusual consumptionpattern, or perhaps large seasonal swings in business. We help thempay in non-standard ways.”

The group's most popular solution is the extended payment terms,or XPT, program. XPT enables Microsoft to extend longer terms toprospective customers without resorting to independently negotiatedloan agreements. Thus, it helps the company seamlessly integrateflexible payment terms into eligible licensing enrollments orservices agreements for credit-qualified customers.