Contract with Microsoft

Future PLC
20 October 2005



                 Future awarded rights by Microsoft to publish
                    Windows Vista(TM) The Official Magazine

20 October 2005 - Future plc, the international special-interest media group,
today announces that it has been awarded international rights to publish a
consumer title called Windows Vista The Official Magazine.

The publishing licence is initially for five years with worldwide licensing and
distribution opportunities. Future will launch the first issue of the magazine
in autumn 2006, in the UK, US, France and Italy. Other editions of the magazine
will be produced under licence by Future's international publishing partners.
Future currently has publishing partnerships in a further 32 countries.

Separately, Future also announces that its licence to publish the title
Microsoft Windows XP: The Official Magazine in the UK and France has been
extended for a further two years to October 2007 with additional sublicensing
opportunities.

Commenting on the new licensing agreements, John B. Williams, General Manager of
the Windows Marketing Group at Microsoft Corp. said:

'We're excited to work with Future to develop a magazine that will showcase
Windows Vista and help inform customers around the world of the power of the
Windows Vista platform. With Windows Vista, our customers will have a new level
of confidence in the security and reliability of the PC and in their ability to
get the most out of it. Users will also be able to connect, search and share
information like never before, and we're glad our customers will have another
resource for the new information about Windows Vista.'

Greg Ingham, Chief Executive of Future, said:

'This is a significant opportunity for Future. Put simply, we are once again
collaborating with Microsoft, the world's leading software company, to produce
multiple international editions of a magazine that will support one of the
biggest product launches ever in Microsoft's history. We are absolutely
delighted to be continuing our successful publishing relationship with
Microsoft.'

Future also holds exclusive worldwide rights (excluding Japan) to publish
official magazines for the Xbox video game system from Microsoft.

                                      ENDS

Enquiries:

Future plc
Greg Ingham, Chief Executive Tel: [phone]
John Bowman, Finance Director Tel: [phone]

Hogarth Partnership
James Longfield/Georgina Briscoe Tel: [phone]

About Windows Vista

Windows Vista is the next generation of the Microsoft Windows operating system.
With a long list of enhancements to its predecessor Windows XP, it will be a
more reliable, more secure and more connected version of the Windows operating
system, and will represent a design philosophy that delivers a compelling user
experience in the office, at home, and on the move.

About Future

Future plc was founded in the UK in 1985. Today, it publishes over 150
special-interest consumer magazines worldwide with strong portfolios in the
computing, games, music, automotive, sports, crafts and leisure sectors. It is
the fifth largest magazine publisher in the UK. Future employs 1,450 people in
offices in the UK, US, France and Italy. Over 100 international editions of
Future's magazines are also published under licence in 32 other countries across
the world. The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange (symbol FUTR).

The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the
trademarks of their respective owners.


                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange