On first mention, precede the name of a Microsoft product or service with Microsoft, except for references to the following products and services:

Windows Server 2008 R2

Windows Server 2008

Windows Server 2003

Windows 7

Windows Vista

Windows XP

Windows Internet Explorer

Windows Azure

SQL Azure

Xbox

On subsequent mention, you do not have to precede the product or service name with Microsoft, except for the following two names that must always be preceded with Microsoft:

Microsoft Dynamics

Microsoft Surface

When the first mention of a product or service occurs in a heading, a procedure, link text, a glossary definition, or art, do not precede the reference with Microsoft. Instead, precede the first mention that appears outside these elements with Microsoft.

On first mention of multiple versions of the same product or service in a sentence or multiple products or services under the same category title, such as the products in Microsoft Office, you must precede only the name of the first version or product or service with Microsoft, although it is all right to precede all of them with Microsoft if you think it is necessary.

Microsoft style on first mention

Microsoft Word 2010, PowerPoint 2010, and Excel 2010

Microsoft Word 2010, Microsoft PowerPoint 2010, and Microsoft Excel 2010

However, in a bulleted list, a column list, or a table that contains both first and subsequent mentions of multiple versions or multiple products or services under the same category title, follow the “on first mention” guideline for each product or service in the list.

Microsoft style on first mention in a list or table

Not Microsoft style on first mention in a list or table