The Sharper Blog

Microsoft Services is Hiring!

2012-05-25T03:43:00Z

Recruiting Open House - Thursday June 7, 2012

6:00 to 8:30 PM

Chicago Office - AON Center - 200 E Randolph St, Suite 200

All attendees should register in advance. Please send your resume and contact information to esjobs@microsoft.com and register online at http://mcschicago-eac2.eventbrite.com

We are hiring Project Managers, Engagement Managers and Technical Consultants who have a consulting and technology background in the following areas:

Active Directory
Windows Server
SharePoint - Development and Infrastructure
System Center
Desktop Deployment
SQL/BI
Exchange
Lync

Meet Microsoft - Women's Networking Event - Chicago, IL - Tuesday, May 15 4:30 PM to 7:00 PM

2012-04-18T00:46:00Z

Do you have 8+ years of experience in sales, marketing, consulting services or technical support? If so, we invite you to attend the Meet Microsoft: Women’s Networking Event, a forum to network with local employees and learn about careers at Microsoft.

Microsoft understands and appreciates the value of a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture for our employees and our customers. On May 15th, we are looking to meet experienced professional women with an innovative spirit who have excelled in their careers and who want to be a part of changing the world through technology. We invite these women to join us at Microsoft’s Chicago office for the opportunity to network and gain insight as to why Microsoft is continually ranked in the Top 5 by Crain’s Chicago Business as the Best Places to Work in Chicago. Whether you are actively searching for a career transition, or just want to build your professional network, we look forward to speaking with you.

Event Details

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

4:30pm – 7:00pm

Microsoft 200 E Randolph Dr, Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60601

Register to attend

Agenda

4:00pm Doors open for Registration/Networking

4:30pm ‘Driving Your Own Success’ presentation delivered by Pernille Spiers‐Lopez a Senior Associate at Barbara Annis & Associate Inc. dedicated to advancing Gender Intelligence, Cultural Inclusiveness and empowering women to achieve their highest aspirations while remaining true to themselves.

5:30pm ‘Why Microsoft’ presentation by Janet Kennedy, Microsoft Regional Vice President

5:45pm Cocktail Reception/Networking with Microsoft Employees

7:00pm Event concludes

To register for the Meet Microsoft Women’s Networking Event click here or visit www.msevents.microsoft.com and search on Event ID: 1032510551

Please note that registration is limited and attendees must pre-register to participate.

Questions? Email mwdevent@microsoft.com

For more information about job opportunities at Microsoft, visit: www.careers.microsoft.com

10 Year Anniversary

2012-02-27T21:05:00Z

Well y'all my 10 year anniversary with Microsoft was February 25, 2012. I can't believe I've been working here for 10 years. Before coming to Microsoft the longest I'd worked at any company was three years. I remember when my second anniversary passed, my friends started asking me how soon I'd be moving on. Neither they nor I imagined I'd stick around this long. It's like I blinked and 10 years passed.

I remember when Microsoft first contacted me for an interview. I had been unemployed for about three months largely due to the aftermath of September 11. My resume was posted online just about everywhere imaginable and I was getting a ton of spam and a lot of rejection because either folks weren't hiring or my salary history was too high and companies were afraid that I'd leave once the job market improved. I don't know if any of you have ever been unemployed before, but it really does start to wear on your spirit the longer it goes on. Also, my unemployment benefits were not enough to cover my mortgage AND I couldn't afford COBRA so I had to find healthcare coverage through Blue Cross of IL. I was literally living off severance pay, commission, my last paycheck and unemployment and about to dip into my savings when I got an e-mail from a Microsoft recruiter. Thinking it was spam I almost deleted it, but something said give her a call. I called her and we set up my first phone interview. This was January 2002 and Microsoft had recently released Windows XP.

Now I'll say upfront that my background is not Microsoft technologies. I started my career as a Unix system administrator. I also used to administer an Apple server and at one time I had standardized my entire organizaiton on Mac computers - I'm really dating myself here because it's been almost 20 years since Apple made the effort to have the type of corporate presence it used to have back in the early to mid '90s. I was somewhat of an Apple and Unix bigot and never had much exposure to Microsoft products. During the interview the recruiter kept asking me how much I knew about Windows XP and Office. I kept having to tell her nothing beyond what was on the public website. It was really quite embarrassing. Thank God I interview well and had a technical background and sales skills. I made it past the phone screen but I was definitely not a fit for the first role they were recruiting me for and was passed on to another team.

The second team I interviewed with was looking to add to their growing team of presenters that would travel around the country giving four hour seminars to customers, partners, IT Pros and developers. I made it to the final interview in Dallas. Forget what you've heard about the Microsoft interview process. The whole process is standard technical and situational questions as well as a background check. Developers do get questions meant to test their logic and design skills, however, the legend is way sexier than reality. But I digress, I had to give a technical presentation on the topic of my choice. This is still a pretty common practice at Microsoft depending on the role. I wasn't silly enough to present on any Microsoft products because I knew I'd blow it so I chose the technology from my old company. It made perfect sense to me because I knew that no one would know anything about the technology. I was also allowed to stage the audience the way I wanted and I chose the least technical person in the room to be the decision maker. My strategy worked. Before I left Dallas I had an unofficial offer and a written offer within a week. We did some negotiating over salary, but I did accept the offer. I took a $24k paycut, but it was worth it. Between commission and bonuses in the first two years, I never missed a beat in my total earnings.

So what's happened in the last 10 years?

On the Microsoft front we've seen two or more major releases of Windows Client, Windows Server, Office, Exchange Server, SQL Server and Visual Studio. We've seen the complete evolution of SharePoint, the total overhaul of System Center and Dynamics, the introduction of Hyper-V, Forefront, Intune and Azure. Zune has come and gone and Windows Phone (as well as Microsoft's overall mobile strategy) has come back from the brink of death. Lastly we cannot forget that the world has met and embraced Xbox, Kinect, and Halo - the crown jewels of our entertainment division.

On the personal front, I sold my first house in the suburbs at the top of the market and foolishly bought a condo at the top of the market in the city. I now own a very spoiled Bichon Frise named Tango. I enjoy traveling around the country and the world with my friends. I also enjoy eating out and don't be surprised to see me out at a nightclub in the city. I'm also about to buy a big girl car because I deserve it. Of course I'm using money from my stock options and stock grants to pay for it. Thank you Microsoft.

On the professional front, I have multiple MCITP certifications as well as a CISSP certification. I'm also actively evaluating my next career move within Microsoft. I'm no longer on the team I started with, but I definitely need to flex different muscles and sharpen new skills.

Wow 10 years! Microsoft is not a perfect employer. No employer is perfect. There have been days when I wanted to hand in my resignation and days when I couldn't imagine working anywhere else. I do have to say though, that the good days have definitely outweighed the bad. I'm very much looking forward to what the future has to offer, both for Microsoft and myself.

Hope you guys continue to take the ride with me, however long it lasts. I promise I'll get back to blogging more frequently.

Hasta Luego!

Kinect for Windows Launched Today!

2012-02-02T00:43:00Z

More details - http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/kinectforwindows

R.I.P Don Cornelius

"Office 15"

2012-01-30T18:57:00Z

First official public disclosure - http://blogs.office.com/b/office-exec/archive/2012/01/30/quot-office-15-quot-begins-technical-preview.aspx

This One Is For All You Parents Out There

2011-10-30T16:31:35Z

Yesterday my very dear friend was at his son's football game. He got so excited when his son scored his first touchdown, he forgot he was supposed to be filming. I fell out laughing listening to him scream.

Please enjoy.....

(Please visit the site to view this video)

A Day Late and A Dollar Short

2011-10-19T21:25:00Z

I know I'm almost a week late with this, but I do have bid a fond farewell and to Dennis Ritchie, the father of C and Unix. For many years I was a Unix System Administrator and developer. I even saved copies of scripts I've written because I was so proud.

***Total Nerd Moment***

Thank you Mr. Ritchie for your pioneering spirit and innovation that helped change the world and made the lives of developers and system admins a little easier.

Moment of Silence Part III

2011-10-06T02:46:00Z

Dear Fred Shuttlesworth,

Because of you and people like you people like me have the right to vote. We can live where we want. We can eat and sit where we want. Our schools are integrated. The laws of this land protect our rights now. You fought for people like me and we can never repay you enough.

Civil Rights Leader Shuttlesworth Dies

Civil Rights Icon Shuttlesworth Dies

(Please visit the site to view this video)

Thank You and God Bless You!

Sjonia Harper

Moment of Silence Part II

2011-10-06T02:21:00Z

Dear Steve Jobs,

I was first exposed to Apple computers in middle school. In college I was always in the Mac lab. My first job out of college I standardized my entire department on Macintosh computers and I administered a Power Mac server. When I first joined Microsoft friends used to tease me and say that I joined the dark side. Both Microsoft and Apple have forever changed the world, but I do have to admit that you've definitely been giving us a run for our money lately. It's been a long time since I've used your products, however you should know that I do admire what you've accomplished through the power of innovation, drive and marketing.

May you forever rest in eternal peace,

Sjonia Harper

And Now for a Moment of Silence.....

2011-10-04T07:32:00Z

Tonight my worst fear was confirmed - http://www.zune.net/en-US/support/zuneplayers/supportzuneplayers.htm. OK so not my absolute worst fear but, still disappointing news. There's been a lot of speculation in the press that this was going to be the direction that Microsoft was taking, but I still hoped it wasn't true.

This weekend it all came to a head for me.....

I've had a first generation Zune since 2006. Yes my device is five years old. I'm not a gadget junkie, shoes are my drug of choice. In fact, aside from computers (I always want the latest and greatest) I tend to be a late adopter when it comes to all things electronic. My TV (definitely not a HD flat panel) and home entertainment system (surround sound but no blu-ray) are both 11 years old. I don't have cable TV. My Windows Phone is the first smartphone I've ever owned. Hell even my car is even a 2001. By the time I joined MySpace everyone had already migrated to Facebook. I couldn't figure out Google+ so I gave up. At least I own an Xbox 360 and a Kinect.

But I digress.....

Besides that unfortunate New Year's Eve 2008 incident, I haven't had any problems with my Zune. However, for the last six months or so I've been wanting to buy a Zune HD. My best friend has one and every time we hang out she has it with her. I also noticed a few years ago that Zune apps and games only work with HD models. So for a while now, whenever I thought about it I would visit the Zune website to check out different models. However, I kept putting off making a purchase for another day. I decided that this past Friday was going to be the day that I finally buy a new Zune HD and as I had in the past I returned to the Zune website. Only this time there was no link available to buy directly from the site. I thought it was kind of odd so checked out the Microsoft Store website and the only Zune player I saw there was a 16 GB model that was out of stock. Then I checked the internal company store and couldn't find one there either. Obviously something was going on that I couldn't buy a Zune from my own company. I started getting nervous thinking that I waited too long to make a purchase. I finally called the Microsoft Store in Oakbrook, IL and was able to purchase a 32 GB Zune HD there..

After all that effort I wanted some answers. I started an e-mail chain at work but no one was really sure about what was going on with Zune players. Finally someone sent a message containing the link above and that was that.. I was optimistic that now that Windows Phone 7.5 seems poised to really begin to take off that there would be a renewed interest by both Microsoft and consumers in the Zune player. I'm one of those people who prefers keeping my MP3 player and phone separate. I don't want to carry my phone in the gym. I just want to strap my Zune to my arm and work out. When I'm in my car or on a plane I want to listen to my Zune, not my phone.

Deep down I'm hoping the powers that be change their minds. Zune had an uphill battle from the beginning because we were so late to market. However, Zune owners are fiercely loyal. I've been hooked since day one and never wanted to own anything else.

Hey a girl can dream, right?

My two Zunes

If you are interested and while supplies last, you can purchase a Zune and accessories from Amazon.com and participating Walmart and Best Buy stores. If you live near a Microsoft Store you can scoop one up. If you don't live near a Microsoft Store, they will ship one to you.

TTYL

I've Been Plagiarized

2011-09-30T13:37:00Z

This morning I woke up to discover that someone took the blog I posted yesterday about creating custom ringtones for Windows Phone 7.5/Mango and reposted it on their blog, word for word as if my words were theirs - You know who you are. While I appreciate that people find the information I provide to be useful, I appreciate being acknowledged even more.

Do me a favor, please?

If you want to repost or quote my blogs, please identify me as the source or at the very least link back to my original post. It's just good Blog Etiquette folks.

Thank You Very Much!

Created My First Custom Ringtone for Windows Phone 7.5 - You Can Too!

2011-09-29T23:28:00Z

I really should be working, but I needed to figure this out. I don't think I'll ever pay for a ringtone again.

What I used:

Microsoft Expression Encoder 4 w/SP1 - http://www.microsoft.com/expression/service-packs/Encoder.aspx - This is a free download. No need to pay for Pro unless you need advanced features.
DRM free audio file - can be WAV or MP3

How to do it:

Download and install Microsoft Expression Encoder 4 w/SP1 - skip entering a product key because you don't need it.
Launch the application and choose 'Transcoding Project'
From the File menu select 'Import' and then navigate to the audio file you want to use.
You can either play the song and hit the 'Insert Edit at Playhead' button where you want to create the first edit or just drag the Playhead to where you want to make the first edit and hit the 'Insert Edit at Playhead' button.
Repeat Step 4 for the second edit.
In the Output pane on the right, select the 'Clips' tab and delete any clips before and after the section of audio you want to use - only one clip should be left. Your clip should be no longer than than 39 seconds and no bigger than 1 MB. You can make modifications using the other tabs if you like; I chose not to.
From the File menu select 'Encode Selected Item'.
Close Expression Encoder - no need to save job unless you want to - I didn't
Your ringtone will output to C:\\Documents\Expression\Expression Encoder\Output\ComputerName Date Time
Create a new folder called Ringtones on your hard drive. I stored my Ringtones folder in the same folder where I store all my music.
Drag and drop you new ringtone to the Ringtones folder.
Open Zune Software.
From the Settings menu add your Ringtones folder to the Libraries managed by Zune.
Follow the instructions here.
Enjoy you new ringtone!

Important Note: When you edit the genre of your ringtone, you might want to consider appending the name of the song with "- Ringtone" so that you don't confuse it with the song the clip came from before you sync it to your phone.

Repeats steps as often as you like.....

Ciao!

I Got Mango Today - Here's What I Like and What I Don't (As Much)

2011-09-29T00:06:00Z

OK I am so excited that I got the 'Mango' (Windows Phone 7.5) release on my phone today. I am absolutely loving it! I believe that Microsoft finally has a phone that not only can compete but can take market share from iPhone and Android. I really should be working right now but I can't stop playing with my phone. Let's get into some features:

What I Like:

Battery Saver - Anyone who has the HTC Arrive running Windows Phone 7.0 knows that battery life is less than optimal. I was draining my battery daily since I first got my phone back in March. With Battery Saver, I can preserve my battery life because the phone will automatically turn off services when the battery gets low. You also have to option to run Battery Saver until the next time you charge your battery. Loves it!
Web Marketplace - If you read my last blog I complained about having to manually reinstall apps that were purchased using my phone and what a pain that was. Well Microsoft has solved that problem. Just visit http://www.windowsphone.com/en-US/marketplace and sign in with your Windows Live ID, and select 'Account' from the drop down menu under your name and voila! Every app you have purchased is listed and available for you to reinstall. No need to search through the phone-based Marketplace ever again to get your apps back. Score!
Custom Ringtones - You can turn any MP3 or WMA file into a ringtone as long as it's not protected with DRM - http://www.microsoft.com/windowsphone/en-us/howto/wp7/start/create-ringtones.aspx. Awesome!
Conversation View - If you have been using Office 2010 then this will be familiar. I can manage conversations as a thread and cut down on inbox clutter. Now all I need is the 'Ignore' function from Outlook 2010 and I'll be totally satisfied.
People Hub - I can now organize my contacts into groups and interact with them in various ways - e-mail, text, Facebook, etc. I can also pin groups to my Start Screen. Sweet!
Search - OMG does it get any better than this? Visual Search, built-in Shazam, Local Scout, Deals, App Connect - where do I begin? The search experience is phenomenal.
Snooze - One of my biggest complaints about Windows Phone 7 was that there was no way to modify the snooze function. The default was 5 minutes and you couldn't do anything about it. Now you decide how long an alarm or reminder should snooze, not Microsoft. Finally!
Video Upload - Another big complaint that I used to have. You can finally upload video directly to Facebook or whatever services your are using. What took so long?
App Switcher - Just press and hold the 'Back' button for a few seconds and you can quickly toggle between apps that are running on your phone. Cool!
Hidden Wi-Fi (SSID) Connect - The SSID of my DSL router is hidden and because of that I could not connect to it. Mango has solved this problem. Yeah!
Contact Cards & History - I can see the history of e-mails, texts, calls, FB, etc. with every contact I have. Wow!
Facebook Integration - Notifications and Chat are now built in. Also, Facebook events are now integrated into your phone's calendar - color coded of course. I'm not fond of all the changes to Facebook's website. However, the experience from the phone just keeps getting better and better. The newsfeed is still in chronological order which I love - me no likely Top Stories. All I need now is the ability to like individual comments and to share links and I guarantee that I will never visit Facebook from a browser again.
Windows Live Messenger - The integration is seamless. Just set your chat status in the 'Messaging' tile and away you to. Loves it!
Mall maps - I'll always be able to find the Charles David store now.
Speech to Text - I can have a whole text convo using my voice. This will totally come in handy when I'm driving. Can't get a ticket for talking :-)
More Features - http://www.microsoft.com/windowsphone/en-us/howto/wp7/start/whats-new-in-windows-phone.aspx

What I Don't Like (As Much):

LinkedIn & Twitter Integration - OK let me preface this by saying that having Twitter and LinkedIn fully integrated is great. From what I've read on blogs, news articles and Twitter, people love this feature. What I wasn't so jazzed about is the fact that if you want to take advantage of this built-in functionality, you have to link both accounts to your Windows Live ID. While I agree that most people don't or won't care, I prefer to keep my accounts separate. I just want to sign into LinkedIn and Twitter on my phone they same way I did with Facebook. This is just my personal preference. For now I'm going to keep using the Twitter app that I love and I'll save LinkedIn for when I'm using my laptop a traditional browser.
Still no Yahoo Contacts integration. Minor irritation, but if Google contacts and calendar can sync to my phone, why can't Yahoo? Yes I know I work for Microsoft, but I had my Yahoo account way before I got here. Yahoo mail access works great in Mango, but I would love to have my Yahoo contacts too.

What's Missing from the HTC Arrive:

Internet Connection Sharing - Just verified that this feature is not available for my phone. Cool feature but not necessary. Check with your carrier to see if this update will be supported on your particular phone.
Visual Voicemail - Another nice to have feature but not a need to have. Again check with your carrier to see if your phone will support this.

A Few Words on Lync & Skype:

Lync Mobile for Windows Phone 7.5 isn't available yet. I can't even get access to it internally. http://lync.microsoft.com/en-us/Product/UserInterfaces/Pages/lync-2010-mobile.aspx
Microsoft doesn't own Skype yet. Our acquisition is subject to regulatory approval. For more info please visit http://www.microsoft.com/Presspass/press/2011/may11/05-10CorpNewsPR.mspx

All in all this is a solid release and I'm so happy about what Microsoft has accomplished. Today I went from really liking my phone to totally loving it.

What say you TechNet? I would love to here your feedback on Mango - Windows Phone 7.5. Please leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail from the 'Email Blog Author' link.

Tip for All You Current and Future Windows Phone 7 Users

2011-09-21T03:01:46Z

I apologize if I'm late in sharing this info, but I've managed to destroy two phones in a row and each time I replaced my phone I had to spend at least an hour or two re-installing apps that I purchased using my phone. How did I destroy two phones you ask? I have a habit of dropping them from very high places onto solid concrete. Don't worry I finally bought a case and I've learned to keep my phone in my purse when I'm out at the club with my friends.

Tonight as I sit here setting up phone #3, I noticed that the apps I purchased and installed from Marketplace using the Zune Software on my computer automatically re-installed themselves on my phone. I didn't have to do anything to get those apps back.

My suggestion (albeit a late one) is to purchase as many apps as possible using Zune Software and spare yourself the trouble I've gone through to get my apps back. Yes purchasing and installing apps from your phone is convenient, but when you are as hard on phones as I am you will be glad you went the Zune route. It also comes in handy when you upgrade/change phones.

Nite Nite All

P. S. I'm officially back to blogging regularly. All my work and vacation travel is over for a while and all of our FY12 planning is finally done. You'll be hearing from me more often :-)

Job Fair Thursday, August 18 - Chicago

2011-08-18T01:19:00Z

Details - http://blogs.technet.com/b/chicago/archive/2011/08/17/considering-a-career-change-check-out-microsoft-s-job-fair-in-chicago.aspx

Are We There Yet?

2011-08-08T09:33:00Z

Hope you guys are having a great Summer. I'm slowly easing out of my blogging hiatus after spending the first three weeks of July traveling for work and play. I've got one more work trip and two mini-vacations coming up and then I'm totally back into the swing of things. Microsoft is almost completely back at it too. I've got two more official kick off meetings to attend and then final FY12 quotas get set. Even without individual quotas, our account managers have been asked to provide preliminary forecasts for the full year. We don't mess around here. We celebrated record earnings of almost $70B and now it's time to get back to work. I'm sure there will be a few more celebrations once final FY11 commissions are paid out, but in general, there is no rest for the weary. The work starts now to make sure we hit our FY12 numbers.

Anywho, back to the real reason for this blog post.....

I was going through some old videos tonight that we used to show at seminar events when I first joined Microsoft back in 2002. Back then I didn't think realize quickly the vision in these videos would come true. This was way before there were smartphone apps for just about everything. Before the proliferation of Tablet PCs and slates. Before VOIP and video chat. Before businesses had begun to integrate LOB applications to support better decision making and improve customer service. Take a look at the videos I have posted below. As I watched these videos, all I could think about was how most of the technology from Microsoft and our competitors that has come to pass like: Windows Phone 7, Windows 7, Windows 8, Skype, Tablet PCs/Slates, Apple iPad, Apple iPhone, Blackberry, Android, Windows Live SkyDrive, Windows Live Messenger, Microsoft Lync, Microsoft SharePoint, PerformancePoint Services, Business Intelligence, PowerPivot, Bing Search, Yahoo Search, Google Search, Xbox, Xbox Live, Kinect, Windows Home Server, etc. Seeing how far we've come in nine years makes me even more excited about the future of technology and role that Microsoft will play both in the consumer and business market.

.NET Health

(Please visit the site to view this video)

.NET Consumer

(Please visit the site to view this video)

.NET PC Experience

(Please visit the site to view this video)

.NET SolarComm

(Please visit the site to view this video)

.NET One Degree of Separation

(Please visit the site to view this video)

Long Ago

(Please visit the site to view this video)

Red

(Please visit the site to view this video)

Vintage

(Please visit the site to view this video)

So are we there yet? Based on these videos I would have to say yes - at the very least we are close.

VEVO Finally Has a Windows Phone 7 App!

2011-07-25T06:51:38Z

I'm still officially on my blogging break, but I had to share this info. Go to the Marketplace on your phone and download now. VEVO is my new favorite app and something tells me I'm going to be burning out my battery a lot more than usual. I'm currently watching Amy Winehouse videos - may she rest in peace.

Gotta go now; I'll be back to regular blogging in the next 2-3 weeks.

Now back to your regularly scheduled program.....

Time to Take a Break

2011-07-05T02:32:00Z

Well ya'll it's July which means it's that time of year again. It's Q5/Q1 - internal Microsoft-speak for we are still waiting for the final Q4 and full year numbers to be reported, but the new fiscal year has officially started. It's also that time of year when Microsoft employees spend the most of their time either on vacation or at internal conferences.

Well, I'm doing both.

Our fiscal year is 12 months, but most field sellers squeeze it all in between September and June. Most of the month of July and part of August are already booked solid for me and almost everyone else who works here. I'm taking some much needed time off AND I've got a few Microsoft conferences to attend. It's absolutely crazy. My poor dog is going to spend so much time boarding with my groomers he's going to think he belongs with them. I've also had to rearrange a several hair appointments (a diva has to look good). Thankfully I've managed to squeeze in some shopping, but I digress.....

I say all this to say that I'll be taking a break from regular blogging as I fly back and forth across this country for work and play. Look for a new blog from me towards the end of July or the beginning of August. You'll hear from me sooner if something major happens or I come across some cool info I can't wait to share.

Thanks for reading my blog, bookmarking it, subscribing to the RSS feed, quoting and linking to from your websites, sharing it via Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, MySpace (yes people still use it) and e-mail. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it. I'm off now to watch all the illegal fireworks being set off in my neighborhood. Forget Navy Pier, I have a 360 degree show from my roof.

Happy 4th of July! Enjoy the rest of your Summer and I'll type at you soon :-)

It's the End of Microsoft's Fiscal Year for Our Retail Stores Too

2011-06-26T17:11:00Z

You may or may not have known this, but Microsoft's Fiscal Year runs July 1 - June 30. Most of our business customers have known this for years and all of our account managers are busy trying to close out as many deals as possible. I just learned that our Microsoft Stores adhere to the same fiscal year. What does that mean for consumers? Tons of in-store promotions.

I live in Chicago so I only have insight into some the of deals we have going at our Oak Brook, IL store:

SLATES? If you are looking for slate solutions, we have some new offerings. And new ones being added. Check out the following:

^$1,099.⁰⁰

ASUS Eee Slate

$1299 as a bundle.

Save $297.95 when you purchase the ASUS Eee slate together with Assure, Office Home & Student PKC, and the Microsoft Bluetooth Mouse 5000.

^$549.⁰⁰

Acer Iconia Tab W500

^$699.⁰⁰

EXOPC Slate

$999 as a bundle

Assure DQF-00039, Arc Keyboard J5D-00001, Arc Touch Mouse RVF-00001, Office H&S PKC 79G-02020, Accessory Stylus and stand DHF-00175, Exo PC CVF-00139, WAU Ultimate 39C-00040

Fujitsu

STYLISTIC® Q550 Slate PC

w/TPM

Preorder through the Store Today!

Motion

CL900 Tablet PC

Preorder through the Store Today!

We have Windows Phones now from all 4 carriers. Also, we recently added the HD7S for AT&T, and the Verizon Trophy - http://phones.microsoftstore.com/mobile/?referringdomain=microsoft

Deals? We have a bunch of great promotions going:

Buy an Amazon Kindle, Receive a $25 MS Gift Card
Microsoft Employees save $25 on FitBit Wireless Personal Trainer
Buy any Windows Phone, get 4000 Xbox Live Points
Purchase Xbox 360 Kinect Sensor, get $25 Gift Card
Purchase Xbox 360 4GB/250GB Kinect Bundle, get $50 Gift Card
Buy a PC, Get Office H&S 2010 PKC and 2 yr PC Assure (accidental coverage, etc.) for $199
With any PC Purchase: Buy Windows Anytime Upgrade Starter to Home Premium for $49.99, or WAU Home Premium to Pro for $79.99
Buy a HP PC, get a free Deskjet 3050 Printer

Student Offers: For students in your household, we have some amazing Back-To-School Offerings going on.

FREE Xbox with PC (Buy PC over $699 and get a 4GB Xbox)
Purchase any PC (excluding Netbooks, Kindles), Get $40 off a Printer
Windows 7 Pro Upgrade, $29.99 for students!

We still have Windows 7 Home/Premium upgrade Family Pack (soon to be discontinued again), at $109 (three licenses).

MORE! And if you still need a reason, we have the following EOL (end of life products), most are at 20% off (discounts can’t be bundled). Call or e-mail for availability and to confirm pricing. Many offers can be combined with these, however usually not additional discounting. We can help you with the specifics. Some of these are from the online store, and may require some time to get shipped to the store.

While supplies last:

PC	Old Price	New Price
Acer Timeline 5820 Notebook Black	$ 699.00	$499.00
Asus Bamboo U43F Notebook Bamboo	$ 799.00	$599.00
Asus Eee PC 1008PB Netbook Hot Pink	$ 399.00	$249.00
Asus Eee PC 1018P Netbook Black	$ 379.00	$249.00
Asus EeeBox PC EB1501 Desktop Black	$ 479.00	$299.00
Asus NX90JQ Notebook Glossy Aluminum-Silver	$ 1,999.00	$1,299.00
Asus U43JC Notebook Bamboo	$ 1,099.00	$599.00
Dell Alienware M17x10 Notebook Space Black	$ 2,199.00	$1,499.00
Dell Inspiron 14R Notebook Mars Black	$ 749.00	$499.00
Dell Inspiron 580 7798 Desktop Piano Black with Chrome Trim	$ 649.00	$499.00
Dell Studio 1558 Notebook Premium Black Chainlink Finish	$ 1,199.00	$799.00
Dell Studio 1747 Notebook Premium Black Chainlink Finish	$ 1,199.00	$799.00
Dell Studio 7100 Desktop Piano Black	$ 899.00	$699.00
Dell Studio XPS 13 Notebook- 1632 Obsidian Black	$ 999.00	$699.00
Dell Studio XPS 1647 Notebook - 5330 Obsidian Black	$ 1,149.00	$799.00
Dell XPS 14 2174 Notebook Metalloid Aluminum	$ 999.00	$799.00
HP 27 Inch HD LCD monitor	$ 399.00	$319.00
HP Pavilion DM4-1164NR Notebook	$ 799.00	$649.00
HP Slimline S5621f Desktop	$ 499.00	$399.00
HP TouchSmart 600 1350 PC	$ 999.00	$699.00
HP Touchsmart TM2-2151NR Notebook	$ 899.00	$699.00
Samsung NB30 Series NB30-JP02 Netbook Black	$ 359.00	$249.00
Samsung Q430 Notebook Black	$ 849.00	$599.00
Samsung R Series R540-JA02 Notebook Black	$ 699.00	$499.00
Sony VAIO VPCEA43FX Notebook White	$ 749.00	$549.00
Sony VAIO L137FX All in One Bordeaux	$ 1,699.00	$1,299.00
Sony VAIO VPCEB35FX Notebook White	$ 749.00	$599.00
Sony VAIO VPCS135FX Notebook Black	$ 1,009.00	$799.00
Sony VAIO VPCX131KX Netbook Black	$ 1,299.00	$799.00
Sony VAIO W211 Netbook White	$ 449.00	$299.00
Toshiba Satellite A665 S5182 Notebook Charcoal	$ 999.00	$699.00

Again, these are only examples of the offers we have at our Oak Brook store. Check with your local Microsoft Store to learn more about deals near you.

Free Microsoft Store Summer Camps

2011-06-22T01:05:04Z

Are your kids bored already? Take them to Summer Camps at your local Microsoft Store. Attendance is free and open to children ages 8-13, but you must RSVP. Contact your participating Microsoft Store for detailed information and schedules.

Just in case you thought about it - CHILDREN CANNOT BE DROPPED OFF. Caregivers must remain in the store during the event.

Microsoft Minority Partner Network Social at Worldwide Partner Conference July 12

2011-06-18T05:36:00Z

Sponsored by Microsoft's US Diversity and Inclusion Team, the 1st ever Microsoft Minority Partner Network Social will take place July 12, 2011 at Lucky Strike Luxe Lounge in Los Angeles, CA (800 W. Olympic Blvd) at 6:00 PM. This event is open to all Microsoft Partners attending Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC), however as a Microsoft Partner if your organization is woman or minority owned, you shouldn't miss out on this networking opportunity.

UPDATE: Jon Roskill, Corporate Vice President, Worldwide Partner Group and Cindy Bates, Vice President, US Small and Medium Sized Business will both be in attendance and provide opening remarks.

I will not be at WPC so if you attend this event, please share your feedback with me.

Nite Nite!

Office 365 is Officially on Microsoft's Price List Today for Enterprise Agreement Customers

2011-06-01T13:02:00Z

Today is June 1, 2011 which means Enterprise Agreement customers can start ordering Office 365 - the next release of our hosted solutions for SharePoint, Exchange, Lync, and Office. The official launch date hasn't been announced yet, but it's coming very soon. We have offerings for Small Business and Enterprise. The beta is still open for those of you who want to try before you buy. Check the Buyer's Guide for more info. If your organinzation has 250 seats or more, please contact your Microsoft account manager or call 1-800-823-3645 or 1-800-426-9400 for smaller companies, you can order directly from the Office 365 Portal when it becomes available.. Plans for Small Business start as low at $6/user/month. If you are thinkng about a new or have an existing Enterprise Agreement, you now have to the option to include Office 365.

This is a game changer folks!

Mango - I Think Microsoft Finally Gets It

2011-05-24T18:00:00Z

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/presskits/windowsphone/

So you all know that Windows Phone 7 is my first smartphone - EVER. Sadly I've become what I've mocked - someone who can't put their phone down. Windows Phone 7 has made me a convert and now with the "Mango" announcement I'm a true believer. I cannot wait to get this update!

Microsoft should have owned the smartphone market. Why? We invented it - Windows Mobile is over 10 years old. We should have owned the slate/tablet market too, but I'll save that for another blog.

Kudos to Apple, RIM and Google for completely changing the game and forcing Microsoft to re-evaluate its approach to the consumer market (on a lot of levels). Over the last 6-7 years consumers have driven disruptive change through their rapid adoption of our competitor's offerings. It's been a real needed kick in the ass butt for Microsoft. Despite some missteps in our consumer strategy, the successes of Xbox, Kinect, and Bing have been impressive and encouraging.

Never count us out; I really believe that Mango can be a game changer. Check out our Video Gallery and our YouTube channel for some cool videos showcasing some of the new features.

(Please visit the site to view this video)

Now, back to work.....

Free Xbox 360 with the Purchase of a Qualifying PC for Students Only

2011-05-23T02:08:00Z

Please vist www.windows.com/freexbox or the Students tab on the Windows Facebook Fan page for more info.

Also check:

Microsoft Store
- on Facebook
- Online
Best Buy
Dell
HP
Amazon

Nothing to do with Technology

2011-05-18T05:09:36Z

An interesting history lesson from Lawrence O'Donnell on the 57th anniversary of Brown vs. Board of Education - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3096434/#43070455 - we've come so far.