Swiss IT Professional & TechNet Blog : News

Introduction of German and French IT Pro Blog - End of this blog

MJDorner — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 10:53:00 GMT

In order to better serve you, we decided to publish the Swiss TechNet and IT Pro blog in German and French instead of English.

You can find the new blogs with the same information and content at the following URLs:

German: http://blogs.technet.com/chitpro-de

French: http://blogs.technet.com/chitpro-fr

We hope you will enjoy the new blogs as well. Thanks for reading this blog.

Microsoft SQL Server 2005 JDBC Driver 1.1 Community Technology Preview June 2006

MJDorner — Thu, 13 Jul 2006 15:11:00 GMT

Download the Community Technology Preview (CTP) version of the SQL Server 2005 JDBC Driver 1.1, a Type 4 JDBC driver that provides database connectivity through the standard JDBC application program interfaces (APIs) available in J2EE (Java2 Enterprise Edition).

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=f914793a-6fb4-475f-9537-b8fcb776befd&displaylang=en

Now Launched Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2

MJDorner — Thu, 13 Jul 2006 11:43:00 GMT

Small Business Server 2003 R2 was launched at our world wide partner conference.

SBS 2003 R2 will be available for purchasing in August (English and German versions; additional languages will be available in following months.). It is offered in two editions: standard and premium.

With the update release we are also changing the access licensing rights of SBS to allow you to use your SBS CALs to access SQL Server 2005 Workgroup or Exchange 2003 running on a second server. The current version limits the SBS CAL to access the server suite from only one server. SBS comes with five client access licenses free.

The updated SBS R2 offers following enhancements:

automated, network-wide patch and update management
increased mailbox limit up to 75 gigabytes
a new feature called "Green Check," which informs customers whether or not they are running up-to-date Microsoft software
Daily report on status of desktops and server(s) running Microsoft software

The premium edition also includes SQL Server 2005 Workgroup Edition and ISA Server 2004. In addition to the enhancements, Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2 includes Windows Server 2003, Exchange Server 2003, Microsoft Office Outlook, Windows Sharepoint Services, Shared Fax Service and Routing and Remote Access Services (RRAS).

Read more about the Windows Small Business Server R2

Introducing the 2007 Microsoft Office System: Amplify the Impact of Your People, On It’s Showtime!

MJDorner — Wed, 12 Jul 2006 10:52:00 GMT

This strategic briefing provides an overview of the new 2007 Microsoft Office system, an integrated system of programs, servers, and services. In particular, the session covers innovations in the client-side user interface and XML-based file formats, as well as investments in new SharePoint server-based capabilities around workflow, content management, search, forms and Excel services.

German French

Internet Explorer 7 - Beta 3 now available for download

MJDorner — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 15:39:00 GMT

Beta 3 of Internet Explorer is now available for download. You can get it from:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/downloads/default.mspx

You also find a host of information on the IE7 webpage:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/ie7/technology/default.mspx

Group Policy Script Center

MJDorner — Thu, 29 Jun 2006 16:29:00 GMT

If your are interested in scripts for group policies than this is the resource for you. Browse for Group Policy scripts or find detailed articles about how to script Group Policy for yourself.

Windows Vista Customer Preview Program to be closed on Friday, June 30, 2006

MJDorner — Thu, 29 Jun 2006 15:07:00 GMT

The Windows Vista Customer Preview Program will close to new orders in the evening of Friday, June 30. For registered customers who have already received a Product Key by this time the download sites will remain open until Friday, July 14. This also affects all TechNet Beta Central registered users who did not yet get a Product Key. The reason being that we have reached our program capacity. We apologize for any inconvenience.

ISA Server 2006 Release Candidate Is Now Available

MJDorner — Thu, 29 Jun 2006 12:08:00 GMT

Download the latest version of the Microsoft solution for firewall, VPN, and Web caching. With ISA Server 2006 you can protect your IT environment from Internet-based threats while providing your users with secure, anytime, anywhere access to Microsoft applications and data.

Download

Detailed Information

Watch Overview Webcast (German only!)

Choosing Exchange Server 2003 Hardware for Reuse with Exchange Server 2007

MJDorner — Wed, 28 Jun 2006 17:57:00 GMT

When selecting hardware for your computers running Microsoft Exchange Server today, there are a couple of things that you should consider in order to make sure that you can reuse the hardware for Exchange Server 2007.

Get the details

Commerce Server 2007 RTMs -- general availability planned for Aug 1st 2006

mtruempy — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 12:15:00 GMT

The latest and greatest version of Commerce Server has been released to manufacturing (RTM) and is planned to be generally available in price lists from August 1st 2006.

The 2007 version of Commerce Server especially makes "Connected Commerce" scenarios very easy to achieve thru its webservices interfaces to all subsystems and BizTalk Server Adapters. Synchronizing your Catalog data from SAP to your e-commerce solution has become a matter of configuring.

for more information, documentation and an evaluation edition of Commerce Server 2007 check out: http://www.microsoft.com/commerceserver

CommerceServer 2007 will also be presented at the WebSummit 2006 in Zurich -- for details see: http://blogs.technet.com/chitpro/archive/2006/06/23/LAST_CALL_for_WebSummit_2006_on_Tue_27th_June_2006_at_WTC_Zurich.aspx

Microsoft Announces Plans for July 2008 Transition for Bill Gates

MJDorner — Thu, 15 Jun 2006 23:47:00 GMT

Bill Gates will transition out of a day-to-day role in Microsoft effective July 2008 to spend more time on his global health and education work at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and will continue to serve as the company’s chairman and an advisor on key development projects. Ray Ozzie assumes the title of chief software architect and will begin working side by side with Gates on all technical architecture and product oversight responsibilities, while Craig Mundie takes the new title of chief research and strategy officer and will work closely with Gates to assume his responsibility for the company’s research and incubation efforts.

View a live webcast of the press conference (1:30 pm PDT, June 15):
56 Kbps | 100 Kbps | 300 Kbps

Read the press announcement

Get the Windows Vista Beta now!

MJDorner — Thu, 15 Jun 2006 16:15:00 GMT

You would like to order or download the Windows Vista Beta but haven't done it yet?

The Customer Preview Program for Windows Vista is available in a limited quantity both through download and DVD kit ordering. Once the allotted quantity has been reached the program will be closed and no new orders will be accepted. If you have already received an activation key, the bits will be available for download until the end of the month.

Since opening up the Customer Preview Program (CPP), we have been experiencing an incredibly high volume of demand for the Windows Vista Beta 2 download. Therefore you should expect delays in the download.

Go to TechNet Beta Central to download or order! Go to the Windows Vista GetReady page to determine if your computer is ready for an upgrade to Windows Vista.

Get Ready for Exchange & Office 2007 Roadshow stops in Munich

MJDorner — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 14:23:00 GMT

Get the facts about deploying Exchange & Office 2007 in one information-packed day.

Independent Exchange and Office experts will present practical, real-world information in three tracks:

Exchange 12 for the IT Pro
Delivering Better Inbox Value
The Business Value of Office 2007.

Each presentation will end with a question-and-answer session. You'll come away from the Get Ready for Exchange & Office 2007 Roadshow with a clear understanding of how to implement a best-practices migration to Exchange Server 2007, how to use Exchange Server 2007's new capabilities to improve your messaging environment, and how you and your end users can get the most out of Office 2007.

Location: Hilton Muenchen Park, Munich, Germany

Date / Time: June 28, 2006 / 09:00 to 17:30

Learn more and sign-up

New Virtual Lab available: SQL Server 2005 Upgrade

MJDorner — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 09:20:00 GMT

Increase your confidence and reduce your upgrade risks by performing detach and attach, in-place, and side-by-side upgrades from SQL Server 2000 / 7.0 to SQL Server 2005. By completing these 7 labs, you will learn proven techniques and gain valuable experience in performing upgrades involving both the relational database engine and business intelligence components.

Step into a New 2007 Office System Virtual Lab for Free!

MJDorner — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 00:24:00 GMT

The Microsoft Office system has evolved from a suite of personal productivity products to a more comprehensive and integrated system. Building on the familiar tools that many people already know, the Microsoft Office system includes programs, servers, services, and solutions designed to work together to help address a broad array of business problems.

Use this Virtual Labs for free to learn more. It is simple - no complex setup or installation is required to try out Microsoft Office System. You get a downloadable manual and a 90-minute block of time for each module. You can sign up for additional 90-minute blocks anytime.