Chris Parkes: A PC is not just for Christmas... : Exchange 2007

Demo Showcase 2007 Download

chrisp — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 17:41:27 GMT

The Demo Showcase 2007 edition is now available for download to all Microsoft Gold and Certified partners. It's also possible to order the two disc DVD set from the partner portal here.

Technologies included in the Demo Showcase 2007 scenarios are:

Business Scorecard Manager 2005
Dynamics AX 4.0
Exchange Server 2007
Live Communications Server 2005
MapPoint 2006
Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0
Microsoft Dynamics CRM Mobile
Microsoft Dynamics CRM Mobile Express
Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007
Microsoft Systems Management Server 2003 (Desired Configuration Monitoring 2.0)
Office Enterprise 2007

OneNote 2007
Excel 2007
InfoPath 2007
PowerPoint 2007
Word 2007

ProClarity Desktop Professional
Project 2007
SQL Server 2005
SQL Server Analysis Services 2005
SQL Server Reporting Services 2005
Systems Management Server 2003 R2
Visual Studio 2005
Visual Studio 2005 Team Foundation Server
Windows Mobile
Windows Server 2003 R2
Windows SharePoint Services 3.0
Windows Vista
Windows Vista Enterprise

Enjoy!!!

Ciao for now :)

Have You Tried The Microsoft Office Interactive Developer Map..?

chrisp — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 19:20:05 GMT

How fantastic, this is a must see! A Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) application that provides developers with resources for programs, servers, services, and tools that work with the Microsoft Office System. It guides the user through drill down access to each product and technology to aid learning about new features, objects, Web services, namespaces, and schemas required to extend Microsoft Office and build custom Office Business Applications (OBAs).

There is Office Development, Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS) 2007, Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 and Visual Studio Tools for Office (VSTO) content available alongside many others.

You can download and install the Microsoft Office Interactive Map via ClickOnce if you're running Windows Vista. For Windows XP users, you'll need to install the prerequisites and run the application.

The map is a living document that provides links to MSDN Library reference documentation, MSDN portal pages, and RSS feeds that describe how developers can use the 2007 Microsoft Office system and associated tools and technologies to develop solutions that meet their needs.

The map stores resource links in an XML file hosted on MSDN. Once you install it, the map pulls the latest version of the resource file. No need to reinstall!

Ciao for now :)

How to Remotely Wipe a Mobile Device

chrisp — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 19:15:00 GMT

So there you are, sat in a coffee shop finalising the details for the sales pitch you have to deliver shortly to the critically important prospect you are visiting at their offices. Your email friendly windows mobile phone kindly lets you know that the press release for your newest shinyest product has nearly been finalised and is ready for final review.

You take a quick look before heading off with your Iced Caramel Macchiato (or whatever takes your fancy!) but, half way back to the office, you realise you've left your mobile device on the counter complete with all of your companys' oh so sensitive data...arrrrrrrggggghhhh, panic attack time!

Do you:

Call the coffee shop (like they'll answer, right?) harassing the staff into looking for your phone during their busy period.
Charge back to the coffee shop, wasting valuable pitch time, harassing the staff into looking for your phone during their busy period.
Keep driving and go ahead with the presentation, half heartedly, knowing that right now, someone could be in process of stealing your company confidential information.
Pop into the nearest Internet cafe and use Outlook Web Access on Exchange Server 2007 to remotely wipe the data before delivering the faultless sales pitch, winning the deal and stopping off at the coffee shop on the way home to pick up your totally erased mobile device.

Feel free to download the PowerPoint simulation for step by step visualisation purposes! When I find myself in times of trouble, Windows Mobile it might be...wiping words remotely, let it be.

Whilst this might sound a bit far fetched, I was recently on a ski trip to Alpe D'Huez where one of my compatriots lost his mobile device in a nightclub, sozzled at 4am in the morning...I guess that's more like real life!!!

Just to reiterate, you can download the PowerPoint simulation for step by step visualisation purposes. Go on. Go on go on. Go on go on go on... And persuade your friends to do the same!!!

Ciao for now :)

The Truth About Demo Showcase 2007 & Windows Vista ReadyBoost

chrisp — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 20:15:00 GMT

Microsoft will soon be launching a preview of the next iteration of the Demo Showcase for Partners to use to help evangelise around three recently launched technologies, Windows Vista, Microsoft Office 2007 System and Exchange 2007 plus complimentary solutions.

One of the most significant pieces of feedback I've had regarding the beta content so far surrounds the area of performance. With a minimum specification requirement of 3Gb RAM (available, not total!) the Demo Showcase is running the risk of becoming unusable in customer facing situations (that is until hardware refresh cycle's catch up with it) as performance is significantly affected with less RAM available. More on how this can be solved in future posts...

In the meantime, for people who have a paltry 2Gb of RAM in their machine (like me, :) one way to ensure additional resources can be kept running on the host machine (if it's running Windows Vista) is to use ReadyBoost technology. Unfortunately, as Frank points out, this is no use to anyone whatsoever in a virtual environment. I'm loving Frank's comments on the way Company Net have taken to using the Technical Demonstration Toolkit (TDT) and the Demo Showcase though!

Security in Windows Vista, 2007 Office and Exchange 2007

chrisp — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 20:15:32 GMT

"Office 2007 presents a radically different way of working, with employees no longer limited to the desktop and company information being disseminated far more effectively. A new way of working needs a new paradigm for security, and Windows Vista is designed to deliver it. Vista alone includes almost 200 entirely new security features."

So, if you want to know more about:

Security today: big bucks for organised criminals
Closing the vulnerabilities with Vista
Security features in Office 2007
Security and Compliance go hand in hand for Outlook and Exchange
2007 Security in a box

Then take a look at this article written by independent IT journalist Mary Branscombe where she finds out what’s in the box. Additionally, Mary will be hosting a web based meeting on January 30, looking further at these new desktop projects. Click here to register for the live event where you will be able to join in with Q&A!

Ciao for now :)