The TechNet 2.0 release is nearly here. In this installment of Keith Combs’ Blahg, Keith describes the changes you can expect on the TechNet homepage, including frequent content updates and news from real people. The new face of TechNet will include real faces.
More to come,
Mitch
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Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V) 4.6 RTM and Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization (MED-V) SP1 RC are now available with the release of the Managed Desktop Optimization Pack 2010, a toolkit of applications and tools to help improve the desktop experience in enterprise environments.
Download App-V 4.6 here.
MED-V 1.0 SP1 Release Candidate is available for evaluation here.
TechNet Plus subscribers can download MDOP 2010 here.
Windows users, make sure you are ready for these important dates:
· Support for Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) and Windows 2000 will end on July 13, 2010.
· Support for the Windows Vista Release to Manufacturing (RTM) will end on April 13, 2010.
To help ensure your Windows Vista PCs stay secure and up to date, make sure they are running Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) or SP2. If you are running Windows XP, stay more secure by moving to Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) or migrating to Windows 7. If you are running Windows 2000, we recommend that you move to Windows 7 as no additional support or updates will be offered for the Windows 2000 operating system.
Visit the End of Support Center for more details.
The Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V) 4.6 Guide enables organizations to implement application virtualization and respond to the associated challenges. This IPD guide takes you step-by-step through the process of planning your application virtualization infrastructure; and now includes information on how App-V supports Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2, including such features as BranchCache; support for 64-bit clients; and server-sizing data.
Later this year, TechNet and the Server & Cloud Division will partner to launch the new TechNet Wiki. And Keith Combs provides a preview of how this technology will offer a better way to discover and participate in the creation of TechNet content.
During this tough economic climate, there's never been a better time to prove your credentials on latest software releases from Microsoft. Whether you are currently unemployed, looking for a promotion, or trying to become indispensible in your existing role, Microsoft Certifications can validate your training and knowledge for skills applicable for some of the top IT and Developer jobs in the industry.
Second Shot provides a free retake when you fail your first attempt at an IT Pro or Developer Microsoft Certification Exam, reducing concern and fear of not passing your exam. Customers must take both the first and (if necessary) second retake exam before June 30, 2010. Here's more on this offer.
This new Solution Accelerator is the newest addition to the Windows Optimized Desktop Toolkit 2010. The DirectAccess Connectivity Assistant informs mobile users of their connectivity status at all times; provides tools to help them reconnect on their own if problems arise; and creates diagnostics to help mobile users provide IT staff with key information if necessary.
· Download the DirectAccess Connectivity Assistant.
· Visit the Download Center to get more technical information and download the DirectAccess Connectivity Assistant.
· Visit the Windows Optimized Desktop Toolkit 2010 page to get more tools and guidance to plan, deliver, and operate your optimized desktop infrastructure.
The Microsoft Outlook product team has posted links to the fix for the bug in the Microsoft Office 2010 Beta that increases the message size of some e-mail messages sent from the Microsoft Outlook 2010 Beta.
Download Outlook 2010 Beta fix for 32-bit Office 2010
Download Outlook 2010 Beta fix for 64-bit Office 2010
In Episode 4 of Keith Combs’ preview of TechNet 2.0, he talks about the new controls that were built to address the key search scenarios for resolving problems and finding specific downloads. As always, we want hear what you think before these features go live.
And while you are there, check out the first three episodes:
· TechNet 2.0 – Episode 1 – Core Scenarios and Branding
· TechNet 2.0 – Episode 2 – The New TechCenters
· TechNet 2.0 - Episode 3 – TechNet Search
Each Tuesday and Thursday in February, Keith is posting a new episode in the series to highlight a new aspect of the upcoming TechNet platform changes.
In Episode 3 of his series on the improvements coming to TechNet, Keith Combs describes the changes that will make the content more discoverable. His post also includes a podcast by principal group program manager John Martin, which details what is in store and the search scenarios that will be supported by the new features.
TechNet Magazine continues to serve up daily tips to help you tweak, optimize, manage, and get more out of Windows 7. And throughout the month of February, you get twice the daily tips. Every day (M-F), TechNet Magazine is also sharing a new Exchange Server 2010 tip.
Check out all these tips and more at http://www.technetmagazine.com/tips. And you can follow the daily tips feed on Twitter and Facebook.
If you are still running the Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC), beginning March 1, 2010, your PC will start to shut down every two hours in preparation for Windows 7 RC expiration on June 1, 2010. To avoid interruption, you will need to reinstall an earlier version of Windows, or the final, released to manufacturing (RTM) version of Windows 7.
To avoid data loss, read the Windows blog for more details on moving to a released version of Windows 7, and also see this Knowledge Base article.
With the release of the bulletins for February 2010, this bulletin summary replaces the bulletin advance notification originally issued February 4, 2010.
For information about how to receive automatic notifications whenever Microsoft security bulletins are issued, visit Microsoft Technical Security Notifications.
Microsoft is hosting a webcast to address customer questions on these bulletins on February 10, 2010, at 11:00 AM Pacific Time (US & Canada). Register now for the February Security Bulletin Webcast. After this date, this webcast is available on-demand. For more information, see Microsoft Security Bulletin Summaries and Webcasts.
We’ve listened before and we’ll listen again. Many of the ideas for the recent changes to the newsletter came from subscribers. Tell us what you think of them and give us more ideas. Take the short survey.
More to come, Mitch Subscribe to the TechNet Flash newsletter
Keith Combs kicks off a series describing the enhancements under development for TechNet. In Episode 1, he explains the mission of TechNet 2.0 and features a podcast where group program manager John Martin describes the core scenarios. Keith’s main goal is to inform everyone on the coming improvements, get your feedback, and help the TechNet team prioritize its work around this project. Each Tuesday and Thursday in February, he will post a new episode detailing different features of the new TechNet experience. So take part in the conversation.
This free poster gives you a visual of the different Communications Server 2007 R2 workloads, including how certificate requirements and DNS and firewall configuration come into play. It describes the traffic flow of protocols and ports used in each workload, including IM and Presence, Conferencing, Application Sharing, and Enterprise Voice.
Download the post here.
The Configuration Manager 2007 ACT Connector is now available for download to inventory installed applications and determine their compatibility with Windows. It also retrieves device driver compatibility for installed devices and reports which device drivers will need to be updated to support Windows.
Configuration Manager 2007 Service Pack 2 is recommended for full Windows 7 deployment support.