Consumer Electronics Installer Blog : Business

MCIA installation case studies

kollenkark — Sat, 30 May 2009 20:31:00 GMT

The Media Center Integrator Alliance has just published two case studies demonstrating two approaches for installing Windows Media Center. The first case study out of Florida is a fully automated showcase home coming in under $50,000 with Windows Media Center at the core of the experience. The second installation is the winner of the Ultimate Install Contest and truly a reference design for best practices for how to integrate Windows Media Center into a customer's home.

See the case studies and their companion videos at http://www.mediacenterintegrator.org/media_center_ecosystem/installation_case_studies.

Microsoft @ CEDIA EXPO 2008

cei — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 23:22:00 GMT

Microsoft heads to CEDIA EXPO 2008 with some exciting announcements and new initiatives for custom installers. Last year at the show, the Windows Media Center team showcased the latest hardware from their channel partners and engaged integrators in education and training. Planning to continue this momentum in the CEDIA channel, Microsoft, located in booth 410, will highlight new scenarios for the Media Center platform and continue to encourage installers to learn more about the benefits of Windows Media Center as a whole-home entertainment solution.

Through CEDIA training courses, Microsoft will be instructing installers on everything from the very basics of Windows Media Center installations to the setup and configuration of Windows Home Server. Below is a listing of the four separate classes and the times they are being offered during the show.

CEDIA Training

Date/Time	Session	Location
Thursday 9/4 4p – 5:30p	Introduction to Windows Media Center in Custom Installations	Hyatt – Capitol 7
Friday 9/5 12:00p – 1:30p	Setup and Configuration of Digital Cable TV Tuners for Windows Media Center	Hilton Garden Inn – Platinum
Saturday 9/6 10:00a – 11:30a	Introduction to Windows Media Center in Custom Installations	Hyatt – Capitol 3
Saturday 9/6 2:00p – 3:30p	Setup and Configuration of Windows Home Server	Convention Center – 608
Saturday 9/6 4:00p – 5:30p	Setup and Configuration of Digital Cable TV Tuners for Windows Media Center	Hyatt – Capitol 3
Sunday 9/7 10:00a – 11:30a	Adding Value to Windows Media Center with Windows Home Server, Extender and Zune	Convention Center - 505

Windows Media Center Ultimate Install Contest
In addition to dedicated education initiatives at the show, Microsoft will also be announcing the winner of the 2008 Windows Media Center Ultimate Install Contest – Microsoft's exclusive competition for custom installers. Now in its second year, the Ultimate Install Contest seeks to recognize the residential integration business that best utilizes Windows Media Center (WMC) in a custom home installation project

The contest, announced earlier this year at EHX Spring in Orlando, FL, closed entries on August 1. The winning entry will be announced at on Saturday, September 6, 2008.

Free & Easy Web Development for Home Entertainment Integrators

kollenkark — Fri, 30 May 2008 19:14:00 GMT

Setting up a web site can be an overwhelming effort for a small business. As a home entertainment integrator, creating a destination where your customers can find you on the web and learn about your business is a must. A web site can give your business credibility and help you differentiate your business from your local competition through install portfolios and customer testimonials.

Historically, building out a web presence required hosting, coding, design, marketing and content production expertise. I know this all too well from personal experience. Over the years, I have helped my parents create and manage several iterations their high-end remodeling business web site.

Recently the Internet service provider (ISP) that was hosting their site decided to close up shop and so we were forced to find a new home for the site. While I was impressed that the site had made it eight years with almost no disasters, it was built in what is considered today dated technology. My choices were to upgrade their site to the latest and greatest web technologies (which I didn't have time for) or find something a bit simpler for everyone. And it exists… Finally, a web hosting solution that's so easy even my mom can literally do it!

Microsoft Office Live Small Business significantly reduces the effort required get your business online. They not only provide hosting and domain registration services, but also have a set of easy to use tools that allow you to quickly create great pages, site navigation and email addresses. If you don't want to hire a designer, there are several themes you can choose from that allow you to customize the site look and feel of your Web site to meet your specific needs. There really are too many features to go through in detail, but here some of the best features:

Easy site building tools – If you can use Microsoft Word, you can do this.

Themed or custom look and feel – Apply one of several themes and styles to your site easily or hire a pro to do something more custom.

Site traffic reporting – Get detailed reporting and analytics on your Web site traffic.

Page Templates – Choose from a set of standard templates or create and save your own.

Reusable Web Modules – Add advanced components into any number of your pages to provide additional capabilities on your site.

Image Gallery – Easy to upload and manage all the images for your site.

Slide Show Module – Select a set of photos for a slide show featuring your best work.

Live Spaces Blog Module - You can even add a module that allows you to pull in content from a blog on Live Spaces. This is an excellent way to add dynamic content to your site like news or press releases without having to republish entire pages.

These are just some of the things you can do with this great toolset, but I suspect you are waiting for a catch. There is no catch. The features and hosting I described above are free. If you want a custom domain for your Web site, it is free for the first year, and $14.95 for each year following...There are additional pay-per-use features you can add to your account (such as E-Mail Marketing, eCommerce, and search advertising), however the basic Web site tools are all provided free of cost by Microsoft.

Go to Office Live Small Business for product information, pricing and to get started. Here are a couple of good video overviews if you aren't completely sold yet: