List of fictional Microsoft companies

Microsoft uses a variety of fictional companies in the documentation and training material for its products. Microsoft documentation and learning materials often contain fictional scenarios and descriptions of how their products can be deployed and used in these scenarios. Many of these companies are used in such examples. Some of the fictional companies have associated websites, almost all of which redirect to Microsoft.com.

Companies

All websites redirect to Microsoft.com, unless marked by an asterisk (*)

Name

Website

Usage

A. Datum Corporation

adatum.com

  • Example company in ACTIVE Directory Federation Services 2.0 demos

AdventureWorks Cycles

adventure-works.com

  • Used as an example in Microsoft CRM and Biztalk training material
  • Used in example databases for Microsoft SQL Server

Alpine Ski House

alpineskihouse.com

  • Used as an example company in Microsoft Office PerformancePoint Server 2007 sample application

Awesome Computers

  • Used as an example company in Windows Server 2003 documentation

Balwin Museum of Science

  • Used as an example location for MapPoint .Net documentation

Blue Yonder Airlines

blueyonderairlines.com* (has been both a demo website and a redirect page to microsoft.comin the past, but is no longer a functional website)

  • Used as an example site for various features of Windows Installers, including embedding links in installers and creating URL based installers

City Power & Light

Coho Vineyard

cohovineyard.com and cohovineyarddemo2.com*

Coho Winery

cohowinery.com

  • Used as an example in documentation for XML Serialization

Coho Vineyard & Winery

Consolidated Messenger

Contoso Ltd.

contoso.com and contoso.net* (contoso.net is used in Microsoft documentation, but is not owned by Microsoft)

  • Contoso.com is used as a demo domain in Microsoft Exchange training material
  • "Contoso Toolbar", a fictional toolbar, is used to demonstrate the Add-on Performance Advisor in Internet Explorer 9
  • Contoso.com is used as an example domain in Microsoft Exams 70-515, 70-640, 70-680 and 70-685
  • Contoso.net is used as an example domain in the account configuration wizard from Microsoft Outlook 2007, while Contoso.com is used as a example in the help file
  • Contoso.net is used as an example domain in Microsoft Lync Server 2010 documentation
  • Used as an example company in Microsoft Office PerformancePoint Server 2007 sample application

Contoso Bank

Contoso Bank Website

  • Demo site for SmartScreen Filter in Internet Explorer

Contoso Pharmaceuticals

cpandl.com

  • Used as an example in documentation for XML Serialization

Electronic, Inc.

Fabrikam, Inc.

fabrikam.com

  • Used as an example domain in Remote Desktop Connection

Fourth CoFFEE

fourthcoffee.com and http://fourthcoffee1.com*

  • fourthcoffee1.com was used as a demo site for Microsoft Office Live

Graphic Design Institute

Humongous Insurance

humongousinsurance.com

Itexamworld.com

LitWare Inc.

litware.com and litwareinc.com

Lucerne Publishing

lucernepublishing.com

Margie's Travel

malvertising.info

  • Demo site for SmartScreen Filter in Internet Explorer

Northridge Video

Northwind Traders

northwindtraders.com

  • Demo company for database capabilities in Microsoft Access

Parnell Aerospace

ProseWare, Inc.

proseware.com

School of Fine Art

fineartschool.net

  • Used as an example domain in the help file for Microsoft Outlook 2007
  • Used as an example location for MapPoint .Net documentation

Southbridge Video

StrikeStrike

strikestrike.com* (This site is no longer owned by Microsoft, and may contain actual malware threats. Therefore the external link has been removed. Use caution if visiting this site.)

  • Demo site for SmartScreen Filter in Internet Explorer

TailSpin Toys

Tasmanian Traders

The Phone Company

Trey Research Inc.

treyresearch.net

  • Example company in Active Directory Federation Services 2.0 demos

WingTip Toys

wingtiptoys.com

  • Used in the Microsoft Office Frontpage 2003 demo
  • Used in the Small Business Server test drive

Wide World Importers

wideworldimporters.com

Woodgrove Bank

woodgrovebank.com*

  • Demo site used to show security features in Internet Explorer''