Deploy/Adopt: Realizing Value : Windows Vista

A New Laptop Hunters Video – Why I Like Them

cmross — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 18:13:14 GMT

Another good ad pointing out the obvious. It’s been interesting reading the blogs and comments, which are mostly positive. What surprises me is how well the ads portray the decisions every consumer has to make: I have specific needs and a finite budget, how can I get the most for my money? Enjoy!

Deploy Windows Vista or Wait for Windows 7?

cmross — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 02:36:14 GMT

Hey! Have you heard of Windows 7? LOL. Yeah, even my 13yr old is quizzing me on the date. Which is kinda funny, seeing that he’s the IT guy in the house. Well, Windows 7 is on the minds of our customers and Partners; I’m sure that most (all) of you are running the Beta too on some machine. The interest has been amazing (Circa Windows 95 maybe?) and it’s something we’re really happy and proud about. But the #2 question I hear from customers (after “When is it being released?) is “What should I be doing?” I’ll share with you the same guidance I’ve given to our field sales teams, customer’s I’ve met and our Partners. It’s framed around 3 statements:

Windows 7 is not a panacea for bad IT. Many of the customers I speak with are running Windows XP with a mix of Basic or Standard-optimized capabilities. That’s concerning; not because they aren’t running Windows Vista, but because they haven’t used the time to optimize their infrastructure. Windows 7 could be the next best thing to sliced bread, but if you don’t have the ability to build 2 images max, deploy without touching the desktop, leverage virtualization technologies, etc. it doesn’t really matter does it? I love technology just as much as the next techie, but make sure you have your priorities in the right order: training the staff, improving the server infrastructure and having a solid PC lifecycle plan. Which brings me to my next point, which is…

There are no stop signs on the road to Windows 7. If there is one consistent behavior I’ve seen over the past 2 client OS releases, it’s a hesitance to pull the trigger on deployment before SP1. Why is that? 2 reasons: confidence in the RTM quality and preparedness. Hopefully, we’re earning your trust and the interest in Windows 7 beta has proven to be a worthwhile consideration of early adoption. But if it were to RTM today are you ready to deploy? In most cases, the answer is probably not. And that’s too bad, because with Windows XP going into Extended Support, many of you may be in a reactive mode rather than proactively managing your desktop. So how can an IT shop plan for Windows 7? There are 4 resources you should be considering, as a way to keep your foot on the gas:

Desktop Deployment Planning Services. This is a free services engagement for customer with Software Assurance. It will pay for either a Partner or Microsoft Consulting Services to come on site for anywhere from 3-15 days and help you plan & pilot your deployment of Office 2007, Windows Vista or Windows 7.

Microsoft App Compat Toolkit. Most applications written for Windows Vista will run stock on Windows 7, so do your testing on Windows Vista. By doing so, you’ll be able to set a baseline with Windows Vista and return to it, rather than Windows XP, should an application not be immediately supported at RTM.

Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack. This subscription service has everything a band of IT rock stars could hope for, including:

Asset Inventory Service. Wouldn’t it be great to know exactly how many applications are in your Enterprise? Who is running them? What version? Many customers have work to do in understanding the scope of effort necessary to manage their applications. With AIS, this is something that can be started today, and likely decrease licensing costs and time spent building images, while increasing manageability.
Microsoft Application Virtualization. Pick your flavor: VPC, MED-V, APP-V, VDI. Never has there been so many ways to decrease the challenges of application compatibility, the time and cost of deploying and managing the desktop. Read the full Microsoft virtualization story here.
Advanced Group Policy Management. Managing multiple client OSes is the reality. AGPM gives that added level of flexibility and manageability to the desktop experience.

And finally the Springboard Series, chock-full of Windows client training resources.

It’s not about Windows Vista vs Windows 7. It’s about Desktop Optimization.

Your IT vision is probably less about what version of Windows to deploy, and more about optimizing your IT infrastructure and desktops. The Microsoft platform can help you do that, and I encourage you to expect the support of your account team and technology Partners to make that a reality. So without further ado, here’s what to do:

If you are deploying Windows Vista today, keep deploying Windows Vista. Take advantage of your MDOP subscription to begin exploring virtualization technologies.
If you are running Windows NT/2000 (or older). Deploy Windows Vista now. Seriously. Virtualize OS-dependent applications and get on a supported operating system.

If you are running Windows XP, begin your planning and infrastructure preparation now. When you are ready to being deploying, target Windows 7 but have Windows Vista as a fall-back if ISV support or appcompat issues are a blocker. You will be in the best position, with the agility and lower costs you’ve always hoped for.

So what do you think? I hope this gives everyone guidance they can take and make their own. It’s important that you use the announcement of Windows 7 as the opportunity to solidify your IT vision and make it a reality.

Join the Deployment Champs Club

cmross — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 08:16:02 GMT

I’m sometimes taken aback when talking with customers about deployment and they just can’t believe that Microsoft actually cares. We do! An effort that’s been kicked off by our east coast sales teams is the Microsoft Deployment Champs Club. It’s all about showing love to enterprise customers by providing [even more] resources to assist with the planning, piloting and rollout of Microsoft Office 2007 and Windows Vista.

While the club is limited to enterprise customers, everyone who signs up will get access to the myriad of free resources available, access to events and online presentations.

Why Windows Vista SP1 Matters In A [New] Windows 7 World

cmross — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 19:34:09 GMT

This week, Microsoft is making a big push to the consumer in building Windows 7 awareness and excitement. Friday, the public will be able to download the beta version and begin their own evaluation, through August 1^st. Following on the heels of a successful PDC, it should be obvious to everyone that we are making good on the promise of continued innovation of the Windows platform.

But I caution companies that are licensed for Vista but assuming that they should now delay or slow down their Windows Vista SP1 deployments. Rather, you should take this news as a confidence boost that your investment in planning, testing and deployment have prepared you to better asses the potential of Windows 7 in the enterprise. We are on the road to Windows 7, and the smoothest way to get there is by taking the Windows Vista SP1 route.

First, a couple of notes first about the Windows 7 beta.

· It only supports Windows Vista SP1 to Windows 7 upgrades. No trying this out on a Windows XP machine.

· Only one edition will be available, the equivalent of Windows Vista Ultimate Edition.

Most enterprises will have access to bits through MSDN or perhaps PDC participation. Just be aware that the beta released the public is not intended for corporate evaluation. Contact your Microsoft account team if you have any questions.

Are you aware of the Windows XP support lifecycle?

Windows XP is now 8 years old, and will lose mainstream support in April 2009. It’s important that you have a plan for both assessing potential risks and planning for migration. Many companies have policies related to only using products with full vendor support. If you are unfamiliar with the potential impact, you can review the Microsoft support lifecycle policy FAQ.

So how should you think about Windows Vista SP1 and Windows 7? There are 3 things I would suggest to any customer:

Production Pilots of Windows Vista SP1

Almost 10% of our EA accounts have yet to deploy a Windows Vista license. Now is a good time to collaborate with your DSMM to market Vista production pilots to these customers. The reason is two-fold. First, it gives us exposure to their infrastructure and deployment plans. With this information, we (our Partners and MCS) can better engage in an optimization dialogue, up-leveling from a Vista conversation. Secondly, a production pilot can significantly increase our deployed seats, bringing us closer to the Fy goal.

Demo Windows 7

Be proactive, and ask your Microsoft account team to schedule a Windows 7 demo with you. Kick the tires, ask questions. Discuss your thoughts, what you find compelling, your concerns. Windows is all about you.

Allow us to share the Windows platform story: the OS, MDOP and server tools that make up our Desktop, Server and Device Management strategy. Let’s talk about the roadmap, the fact that it’s inclusive of Windows Vista SP1, and that we have case studies in your industry of other companies that are taking advantage of their Windows client OS licenses now, making them better prepared for assessing Windows 7.

For many of you, this hopefully confirms the activities you’re already taking, and that’s great. I too am excited about Windows 7, but even more confident that we’re demonstrating our commitment to continue the success of Windows XP and Windows Vista.

Technorati Tags: Windows 7,Windows Vista,Windows XP,lifecycle,pdc

You’ve Got Questions? Try Microsoft Answers.

cmross — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 07:26:53 GMT

Technorati Tags: microsoft answers,mvp

Microsoft Answers is a site we’ve launched to provide a more friendly UI for getting answers to Windows Vista questions.

You will also see that there’s a forum moderated by the Microsoft Answers Team (employees and MVPs), for those queries that seem to stymie the search engine.

Interestingly, the site is built around the idea of a social network. By logging in with your Windows Live ID, you can Follow other individual’s activities. Why would you do this? Well, let’s say they ask a really good question that you’re curious of the answer to. Or, perhaps you’ve seen their profile and think they your IT infrastructures and interests are similar. It’s an interesting concept, at the least.

Both are efforts to break through the barriers that may be preventing customers from deploying Windows Vista or getting past nagging issues. And as always, don’t hesitate to contact your account team or services Partner for help!

Below are links to a couple of articles in the blogsphere:

http://arstechnica.com/journals/microsoft.ars/2008/12/23/microsoft-answers-beta-website-launched

http://www.techflash.com/microsoft/Microsoft_site_gives_Vista_answers36845064.html

Technorati Tags: Vista