Leading Worldwide Retailer Benetton Group Selects MicroStrategy

To Perform Web-Based Sales Analysis Across 5,000 International Stores

McLean, Va., March 3, 2003 -- MicroStrategy® Incorporated (NASDAQ: MSTR), a leading worldwide provider of business intelligence software, today announced that the Benetton Group is using the MicroStrategy Business Intelligence Platform™ to anchor its Web-based reporting system, the Commercial Reporting project, used to analyze sales and merchandising information. The Benetton Group is one of the world’s largest designers and manufacturers of casual apparel and sportswear, including the United Colors of Benetton, Sisley, Playlife and Killer Loop brands.

Benetton needed an integrated business intelligence platform that would accommodate its existing transactional operating systems. The Commercial Reporting project, developed by Benetton Group and MicroStrategy partner SoftQuattro, will enable Benetton’s end users across its global commercial office locations to analyze sales activity, as well as monitor customer orders and their delivery, via a simple Web browser.

“We are delighted to have been selected by a global leader in the retail industry,” said Andrea Delvó, managing director of MicroStrategy Italy. “Retail has long been a strength for MicroStrategy; Benetton’s success in deploying globally further demonstrates the wide utility of our business intelligence platform for large sales analysis applications.”

About MicroStrategy Incorporated

Leadership in a Critical Market: Founded in 1989, MicroStrategy is a worldwide leader in the increasingly critical business intelligence software market. Large and small companies alike are harnessing MicroStrategy's business intelligence software to gain vital insights from their data to help them proactively enhance cost-efficiency, productivity and customer relations and optimize revenue-generating strategies. MicroStrategy's business intelligence platform offers exceptional capabilities that provide organizations -- in virtually all facets of their operations -- with user- friendly solutions to their data query, reporting, and advanced analytical needs, and distributes valuable insight on this data to users via Web, wireless, and voice. PC Magazine selected MicroStrategy 7(TM) as the 2001 "Editors' Choice" for business intelligence software.

Enterprise-Class Business Intelligence: MicroStrategy 7i(TM) is a truly integrated, enterprise-class, Web-based business intelligence platform. With MicroStrategy 7i, enterprises can now standardize on one business intelligence platform and deploy high-value business intelligence enterprise-wide. MicroStrategy 7i's configurable query, reporting, and OLAP Web interface is designed to support all users, from casual report viewers to power analysts.

Diverse Customer Base: MicroStrategy's customer base cuts across industry and sector lines, with over 1,900 enterprise-class customers, including Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse, AT&T Wireless Group, Wachovia and GlaxoSmithKline. MicroStrategy also has relationships with over 500 systems integrators and application development and platform partners, including IBM, PeopleSoft, Hewlett-Packard, and JD Edwards.

MicroStrategy is listed on Nasdaq under the symbol MSTR. For more information on the company, or to purchase or demo MicroStrategy's software, please visit MicroStrategy's Web site at http://www.microstrategy.com.

This press release may include statements that may constitute "forward- looking statements," including its estimates of future business prospects or financial results and statements containing the words "believe," "estimate," "project," "expect" or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements inherently involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results of MicroStrategy Incorporated and its subsidiaries (collectively, the "Company") to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Factors that could contribute to such differences include: the Company's ability to secure financing for its current operations and long-term plans on acceptable terms; the ability of the Company to implement and achieve widespread customer acceptance of its MicroStrategy 7i software on a timely basis; the Company's ability to recognize deferred revenue through delivery of products or satisfactory performance of services; continued acceptance of the Company's products in the marketplace; the timing of significant orders; delays in the Company's ability to develop or ship new products; market acceptance of new products; competitive factors; general economic conditions; currency fluctuations; and other risks detailed in the Company's registration statements and periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. By making these forward-looking statements, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release.

MicroStrategy, MicroStrategy 7, MicroStrategy Business Intelligence Platform, MicroStrategy 7i are either trademarks or registered trademarks of MicroStrategy Incorporated in the United States and certain other countries. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

Contact:


Marc Brailov
MicroStrategy Incorporated
(703) 770-1670
mbrailov@microstrategy.com