Chris Bortlik's Blog : Adoption

SharePoint Consulting and Training Resources

cbortlik — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:02:00 GMT

Over the past few months I have been meeting and working with customers to help them with Microsoft Office SharePoint 2007 (MOSS) and to plan for SharePoint 2010. Our discussion usually starts with generic questions such as:

How do we architect and setup our SharePoint environment?
What features should we turn on and what’s the impact of doing so?
How do we move content from one environment to another?
What are the best practices for governance, security and information architecture?
How much disk space do we need and what should we think about when planning for search and content databases?
What about backups?
How do we train our end users?

While there are some quick answers to these questions, most of the time there is much more to think about than just the surface level questions. Discussions that go well beyond a quick conversation.

In some ways getting started with SharePoint is a lot like building a new house for the first time. Just like how you would never build a house without having detailed architectural blue prints and plans, and involving subject matter experts (plumbers, electricians, etc.) to help with the construction, so too should you consider engaging certified SharePoint partners to help with the detailed architectural design, training and implementation.

What many customers do not realize is that there are often a number of free benefits and services available to them that are designed to assist with the up front planning. These include:

Packaged services consulting benefits: Prepaid consulting days that many customers have available to them based on their contract with Microsoft. Key ones to note for SharePoint:

SharePoint Deployment Planning Services (SDPS) is designed to help your organization plan an effective deployment that can optimize the core capabilities of Microsoft Office SharePoint Server.
Business Value Planning Services (BVPS) helps your organization's business decision makers develop a plan to maximize the business value of the Microsoft Office system through structured, multi-day engagements.

There are also a number of different IT and end user training resources available. Most of these are at no additional charge as well:

Training vouchers can be used to attend training classes with Microsoft certified training partners.
E-Learning courses can be used for self paced training.
The Productivity Hub can be downloaded, installed and customized in your SharePoint environment to both provide training resources and showcase key SharePoint capabilities.

One final note: many of the resources above are provided to Microsoft customers that have Software Assurance (SA) for SharePoint. If you don’t currently have SA for SharePoint, now may be a good time to get the above resources as well as the rights to use SharePoint 2007 now and SharePoint 2010 after it is launched next year.

See you at the SharePoint Conference in Las Vegas!

cbortlik — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 18:58:07 GMT

It’s hard to believe, but the SharePoint Conference is less than 7 weeks away! The conference is being held in Las Vegas from October 19-22. This will be THE place to hear and see all about SharePoint 2010.

I will be attending the SharePoint Conference and will be involved in a few things, including:

Presenting a session titled: “Office 2007 vs. Office 2010 - Deployment Considerations”
Proctoring hands on labs where you can use SharePoint 2010

The hands on labs are self explanatory. This will be your time to take a guided tour of all things SharePoint 2010 and be able to use the latest bits.

My presentation, at first glance, may seem a little odd. Why, at the SharePoint Conference of all places, are we talking about Office?

The answer: in the 2007 product release, the Office client lights up many of the key SharePoint capabilities and helps drive end user usage and adoption. More details on that can be found here in my prior blog post. In the 2010 release, we will build upon and extend this integration.

This session will dive into the pros and cons of Office 2007 and Office 2010 deployment and discuss how deploying Office 2007 now can help pave the way for Office 2010 in the future. Specific areas of focus will include the Open XML file formats; Office Business Applications; user interface changes and adoption; application virtualization; and integration of the Office client with SharePoint, Exchange and Office Communications Server (OCS).

Are you planning to be at the SharePoint Conference as well? If so, what sessions and topics are you most interested to learn about?

Free Office, SharePoint and Windows training resources for your Intranet

cbortlik — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:32:00 GMT

We have recently released the Productivity Hub as a free download. A number of my customers have been beta testing this Hub over the past few months and it has received great feedback and helped to accelerate the deployment, adoption and training for Office and SharePoint 2007.

The Hub is a SharePoint Server 2007 site collection that serves as a learning community and is fully customizable. It provides a central place for your training efforts, and includes training content from Microsoft’s core products. Microsoft also provides ongoing and updated content packs.

The Hub uses SharePoint Server’s social networking capabilities, such as blogs and discussion groups. In addition, it offers the Coach program, a change management feature to help you train end users to self-help, reducing the burden on your training and IT staff. The Coach program impacts productivity in a collaborative and positive way.

What the Productivity Hub is:

Format: Pre-loaded SharePoint site collection, optimized for Web 2.0 functionality and easily deployed within SharePoint Server 2007 environment.
Content: Convenient end user productivity training in a variety of formats (documents, videos, podcasts, etc.). Receive free quarterly updates of content that you will learn about through the Productivity blog.
Blog: The Productivity blog offers tips and tricks for end user productivity. Use it as is, or your training staff can use the posts as their own to help them get started in running an internal blog.
Train the trainer: Includes IT/Manager section to aid with deployment of the site collection, and guidance to develop the Coach program.
Products: Office 2007 System applications including SharePoint Server 2007. Windows 7 and others will be added in the future.

Want to get Office Enterprise 2007 for $9.95?

cbortlik — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 16:30:28 GMT

We recently rolled out changes to the Microsoft Home Use Program (HUP) that may enable you to download Office Enterprise 2007 for your home personal use for just $9.95!

Details can be found on the Home Use site.

Not familiar with the Home Use Program? Home Use is just one of the many Software Assurance (SA) benefits that many of our customers enjoy.

In addition to getting upgrade rights to newer versions of Microsoft software, SA benefits also help with training and deploying Microsoft software.

InfoPath – Going Green, Saving Money and Accelerating Development

cbortlik — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 21:52:00 GMT

Prior to joining Microsoft last year, I worked for more than 14 years as a Microsoft customer primarily in IT architect, development and technical management roles for large companies. Most of my recent work was related to building custom applications and forms on top of ASP.NET

One area that I did not explore much before joining Microsoft was InfoPath – especially what is currently available in InfoPath 2007.

With so many of my customers looking for ways to save money, go green and accelerate the development and deployment of new solutions, I figured it was a good time to write about my top 10 list of favorite InfoPath 2007 capabilities and solutions.

Many InfoPath developers are not developers at all! InfoPath is a great tool for business analysts and “power users” to create forms with little or no code. InfoPath also enables the creation of reusable templates and the segregation of development tasks between traditional developers and InfoPath designers. Check out this article for more details.
InfoPath can easily import existing Word or Excel documents into rich forms, which then enables the forms to be used as data input tools rather than just things that people print and then fill out.
You can quickly use optical character recognition (OCR) software to scan existing paper based documents into InfoPath to accelerate the move to electronic forms.
InfoPath forms can be built to target a rich InfoPath client and/or a web based InfoPath form running in SharePoint so users only need a browser to complete the form. The great news is that the design process is the same and InfoPath has a compatibility and design checker to automate the deployment and allow you to use the same form on a rich client or browser. There are a great set of InfoPath FAQ and roadmap articles to help you determine the right solution.
InfoPath forms can be used standalone or easily integrated into Outlook, Access or Groove. For example, a person can complete an InfoPath form in the body of an Outlook email message and never know that they are using InfoPath.
Using a tablet PC, InfoPath forms support inking technology to allow a user to write directly on an InfoPath form – another way of eliminating the need for paper forms.
InfoPath forms can be designed to support offline usage which is ideal for using InfoPath forms in scenarios where a network connection is not available.
Using XML technologies, InfoPath enables you to separate the data from the presentation device (e.g. PC, browser, phone) and to integrate InfoPath forms with back end systems and processes via web services, BizTalk and other techniques.
Need to do more with InfoPath than is available from the InfoPath forms designer? Good news. InfoPath forms can also be designed and extended using Visual Studio and managed .NET code.
Many customers and partners have used InfoPath to develop some advanced systems and processes that have helped them go green, save money, improve data quality and create more effective processes. Check out the case studies available to read more about what InfoPath can do!

Love OneNote? Prove it!

cbortlik — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 19:25:08 GMT

Many of my customers and partners comment about how much they love OneNote.

OneNote is a great tool for organizing notes; brainstorming; collaborating; and (most importantly) finding information.

For those of you that simply cannot live without OneNote (such as me!) you’ll be glad to know that we recently launched a new community site for OneNote users to connect. The site is simple to remember: IHeartOneNote

With the focus that many of us have on going green and saving money, OneNote plays a valuable role.

For example, many people now use OneNote for distributing and updating HR policies and training manuals. A great capability of OneNote is that multiple people can collaborate in the same notebook and OneNote can automatically synchronize changes between SharePoint, a network share and multiple computers.

Some people think that OneNote is only for people with tablet PCs. That is a common misconception. While tablet PCs add to the OneNote experience (for example you can write your notes on your tablet just like you would in a paper notebook) the majority of OneNote users do not use tablets.

Still want to take notes on paper, but see the value in having your notes stored electronically in OneNote so you can easily file and search them later? Check out a partner solution from Adapx that allows you to write notes in a notebook and then sync them with OneNote.

Don’t just take my word for it. If you’re not using OneNote yet, download the free 60 day trial version of OneNote and let me know what you think.

Additional 2007 Microsoft Office System Tips and Tricks Live Meetings Scheduled February – June 2009

cbortlik — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 05:32:00 GMT

Tips and Tricks for the 2007 Microsoft Office System

Get the most out of Office 2007! You’re invited to attend a Live Meeting. Learn about timesaving features to help you in your day-to-day work. Suitable for beginner or intermediate users. Everyone will learn something!

The Ribbon

The Microsoft Office Fluent user interface, called ‘the Ribbon’ will help you find the features you need to complete tasks quickly and easily. This presentation will demonstrate useful tips and tricks for Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint and help you get familiar with the Ribbon.

Save time

The time you take to attend this session can help save you time later. Past participants reported saving from 15 to over 30 minutes a day after attending a Tips and Tricks session. That adds up! Led by an expert Microsoft presenter, the session is not only informative, but entertaining.

Ask questions

Take advantage of our expert – join the live version of this meeting to ask your burning questions!

Tips & Tricks for the 2007

Microsoft Office System

Schedule 2009

All sessions are Office 100 Level

Wednesday, February 18

8:00 am – 9:15 am (PST)
11:00am – 12:15 am (PST)

Wednesday, March 18

8:00 am – 9:15 am (PST)
11:00am – 12:15 am (PST)

Wednesday, April 22

8:00 am – 9:15 am (PST)
11:00am – 12:15 am (PST)

Wednesday, May 20

8:00 am – 9:15 am (PST)
11:00am – 12:15 am (PST)

Wednesday, June 17

8:00 am – 9:15 am (PST)
11:00am – 12:15 am (PST)

Please use your computer for the audio portion of the presentation for best results.

First Time Users:
To save time before the meeting,
check your system to make sure it is ready to use Microsoft Office Live Meeting.

New Horizons Presents: Office 2007 and Vista Tips and Tricks

cbortlik — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 18:14:09 GMT

New Horizons is delivering a series of FREE Office 2007 and Vista Tips & Tricks seminars designed to help you find the latest and most helpful pointers for the Microsoft Office and Vista programs that you use every day. Whether you are new to the 2007 Microsoft Office System and/or Vista, or you are ready to use their more advanced features, these 2-hour seminars will help you work smarter. You'll learn new ways to manage documents and meeting notes, coordinate schedules and instantly search for files.

Date: Friday, February 20^th, 2009

Location: Waltham, MA

Start Time: 9:00 AM

To register, visit http://www.nhboston.com/seminars or call them at 781-487-3200.

Date: Friday, February 20^th, 2009

Location: Waltham, MA

Start Time: 1:00 PM

To register, visit http://www.nhboston.com/seminars or call them at 781-487-3200.

Office Shop Has Launched …

cbortlik — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 21:36:32 GMT

THE OFFICE SHOP has LAUNCHED!

This is a one stop shop for all of your “Office” needs. Posters, Pens, Hats, T-shirts, Tips & Tricks Documents, just to name a few.

The site has both orderable and FREE downloadable materials to help our customers and partners with generating internal excitement around their Office 2007 deployment along with training resources to support the process.

Office 2003 Mainstream Support Ending in April 2009

cbortlik — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 22:40:51 GMT

Mainstream support for Microsoft Office 2003 is scheduled to end on April 14, 2009. Extended support for the 2003 release will be available until January 14, 2014. The Office 2003 Frequently Asked Questions and Support Lifecycle pages have more details regarding Office 2003 support plans and options.

If you have not looked at the Office 2007 release recently, here are some prior blog posts that you may want to review and consider:

2007 Microsoft Office System Tips and Tricks Live Meeting

cbortlik — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 16:16:00 GMT

Tips and Tricks for the 2007 Microsoft Office System

Get the most out of Office 2007! You’re invited to attend a Live Meeting presentation on January 13, 2009. Learn about timesaving features to help you in your day-to-day work. Suitable for beginner, intermediate, or advanced users. Everyone will learn something!

The Ribbon

Save time

Ask questions

Take advantage of our expert – join the live version of this meeting to ask your burning questions!

Registration links – 2 sessions on January 13, 2009

8:00am – 9:15 am (PST) – Register
11:00am – 12:15 pm (PST) - Register

Show me the proof!

cbortlik — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 16:49:01 GMT

When I meet with customers to discuss how they can use the Microsoft Office 2007 System to have a real impact on their business, I am frequently asked for proof and examples of other customers that are doing this in the real world.

Having spent 14 years as a Microsoft enterprise customer myself (working in various IT architect, development and technical management roles) I can certainly understand why our customers make this request.

If you find yourself asking for Microsoft to show you the proof, here are a few great sites and resources that you may want to check out:

Happy New Year!

Office 2007 Value, Integration, Deployment and Training Slides

cbortlik — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 18:51:00 GMT

Thanks again to all of the customers that joined us at our Office 2007 events in New York & New England during the past 2 weeks to hear more about:

The business & technical value of Office 2007
How the Office Client integrates with the Office system server products: SharePoint, Exchange & Office Communications Server (OCS)
Best practices & tools for deployment & file conversion
Available training & learning resources

It was great getting to meet with so many customers & I enjoyed discussing how you’re using Office today & your plans for Office 2007.

As requested, the slides from our presentations have been posted on line:

Office 2007 Overview – Presented by Kevin Bauman
Office 2007 System – Better Together – Presented by Chris Bortlik in New York

NOTE: This presentation is similar to the demonstrations that we did in the Microsoft Technology Center (MTC) in Waltham, MA

Office 2007 Deployment & Training Resources & Best Practices – Presented by Chris Bortlik

Happy Holidays to all!

Office 2007 Resources from BrainStorm

cbortlik — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 21:51:03 GMT

A partner of ours, BrainStorm, has worked with the Microsoft team in Redmond to summarize some of our best practices and links to resources to help with deploying and training on Office 2007.

You need to complete a free registration at BrainStorm's site in order to access the material, but it is worth it.

Happy Birthday Microsoft Word!

cbortlik — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:36:45 GMT

Did you know that Microsoft Word has turned 25 years old? Perhaps we should all send a birthday card to Clippy, if we can find him. I hear that Clippy has assumed a new identity and is relaxing somewhere in a secret location! ;-) But I digress ...

PC World has published an article that takes a stroll down memory lane and shows how Word has evolved from its humble beginnings to what we see now in Office 2007.

If you want to see the full story on the evolution of Microsoft Office through the years, please check out my earlier blog post.

Finally, if you are still ramping up on the Office 2007 fluent user interface, then you may want to see this blog post of mine that reviews and aggregates various training tools and resources for you.