MITPro

ITIL Implementation For Smaller Organizations

See this article brought to my attention by one of our TAMS, Joseph Michelotti, for interesting implementation information for ITIL geared toward smaller organizations.

Read further on the enterprise-focused ITIL and MOF. The writing asumes enterprise-size IT, but most of the advice works as well for small and medium-sized IT.

Help With Licensing Hell is Here

Check out the new Microsoft Product Licensing Advisor (MPLA), nifty new FREE tool that:

Provides Volume Licensing program comparisons and guidance. 

Simplifies Microsoft product selection through a series of questions. 

Produces a downloadable report and estimated retail price (ERP) quote in Microsoft Word or Excel.
 
Lets you review your report offline, and save your quote to send to someone, or get in touch with a real-live person.

Launch the Microsoft Product Licensing Advisor

Help with Regulatory Compliance

Read about how the processes and tools Microsoft IT uses to support regulatory compliance in the new IT Showcase whitepaper: Creating a Systemized Approach to Regulatory Compliance at Microsoft .

Others who downloaded Creating a Systemized Approach to Regulatory Compliance at Microsoft also downloaded:

1. Microsoft CRM 3.0 Implementation Guide
2. Using SQL Server 2005 Integration Services in a Scalable Business Intelligence Solution
3. Windows SharePoint Services Applications Template: Employee Activities
4. Visual Studio 2005 Tools for Office Sample: My.Blogs Outlook Sample
5. Visual Studio 2005 Tools for Office Sample: Outlook Snippets

FREE IT Pro Resource Guide

Check out the .PDF free download of the IT Pro Resource Guide from Barnaby in Canada.It includes a couple of Canada-specific links, but most of the guide will be usefull to you no matter when in the world you work.

Worth the look to make sure you are using all the resources you can.

Connect MOM to your Helpdesk

To reduce your internal IT support costs you can use the MOM-CRM connector to hook MOM alerts up to your Helpdesk module in the Microsoft CRM 1.2 Customer Service Module. You can read the CRM 1.2 implementation guide here. If you are just implementing CRM, you may want to also want to check out the Microsoft CRM 3.0 SDK - Preliminary.

See the MOM team blog on how to install the MOM Connector Framework (MCF), MOM to MOM Product Connector (MMPC) and MOM Web Console silently

Get Free IT Pro TS Resources

This post has a comprehensive list and lots of tips for using free Microsoft trouble-shooting support resources.

For example, this tip on using KB Advanced Search:

Pick an “Article Type” Keyword (optional) – Helps pinpoint the specific type of support you need.
BUG – Known problem (may have a FIX)
DOC – If your printed docs are wrong
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
FILE – Downloadable support files
filename.ext – Search for a specific file
FIX – Shows fixes for known “BUGs”
HOWTO – “How To” Articles
INFO – Product info & specs
PRB – End-user Perceived Problems
QFE – Quick Fix Engineering Patch
SAMPLE – Samples program code

SBS 2003? Get Upgrade Help (US$10K worth) <<Move Fast>>

Ballmer on Microsoft's Midmarket Strategy

The VAR Business site today quotes Ballmer in "Microsoft Stakes Out the Middle".

"The midmarket customer is the least well-served customer across a spectrum of people involved in IT today," he says. "They are challenged in dealing with complexity and scale, and need to find solutions that are very appropriate to their needs."

"Microsoft has been methodically crafting its answer to midmarket IT challenges. Its approach? To create single products that combine the company's ERP and CRM applications, Microsoft Office--as a front-end interface--and server offerings into integrated, out-of-the-box solutions. The forthcoming Centro server product is one example, which packages a bundle of Microsoft server tools, including Windows Server Longhorn, the next version of Exchange Server, SharePoint Server, and its system-management products. The caveat for partners and customers is that Centro won't likely sell for at least two years. That's because it leverages the code base for Microsoft Vista, the next version of Windows that isn't slated to ship in server version until 2007."

Microsoft offer for financing for Small Business Partners

Medium Business Solution for Collaboration Services v 1.0

Medium Business Solution for Collaboration Services v 1.0 is available for download. Tell then MITPro blog  sent you.

Quick Description

SMB Hosted Unified Communications Services Foley'd

Mary Jo Foley reports:

"According to partners, who requested anonymity, a hush-hush Microsoft team known as the Unified Communications Services group is working on the hosted SMB (small/midsize business) bundle. The offering will likely include e-mail, unified messaging, instant messaging, VOIP and data-conferencing capabilities all rolled into a single, hosted collaboration suite, partners said. A "smart personal agent" is central to the pending offering, as well, partners added.

Microsoft plans to target the offering at SMBs who are interested in an integrated communications experience that will be managed by others — most likely Microsoft partners, or maybe even Microsoft itself — partners said. Microsoft will pitch the hosted bundle as an easy way for smaller companies to enjoy features such as intelligent call routing, auto-attendant voice response, and the like.

When asked about the hosted collaboration suite, a company spokeswoman said, "While Microsoft believes that businesses both large and small can benefit from unified, real-time communications we don't have a product as you describe to announce at this time."

Try Server Software Free Before You Buy

Everything Counts (In Large Amounts)

Steveb's most recent exec mail pours out roadmap info and special customer love for medium business (50-250 PCs). You can grab the exec mail RSS feed here.

Steve and Bill are speaking this week at the Business Summit 2005, read their stuff here. If I can find a blogger posting from the summit I will post their link here.

The exec mail give some announcement details about Centro:

"In July, we launched the Windows Server System for Midsize Business promotion that includes Microsoft Windows Server, Microsoft Exchange Server, and Microsoft Operations Manager Workgroup Edition, all under a single umbrella with attractive pricing specific to midsize organizations. Along with the next version of Windows Server, we will launch a new integrated product, code-named "Centro," that brings together Windows Server, next-generation Exchange and security technologies, and a new integrated management experience designed for the IT professional in a midsize business. "

It also announces the launch of http://www.microsoft.com/midsizebusiness/default.mspx.

Looks like they are launching the IT Capabilties assesment this week as part of the summit as well, the summit page says:

• The IT Scorecard was developed by Microsoft and independent research firm Keystone Strategy. It rates your IT systems in the areas of sales and marketing, finance, operations, employee productivity and collaboration, and IT infrastructure. Find out how your company fares.

New SBS Support Blog

SMB Articles and Insights

Check out this collection of articles in the "small" busines center. Many apply to Medium business IT Pros as well ;-)

Some of the stuff you can find there includes:

Squeezed by high gas prices? 4 options to consider
Most small businesses are getting hit hard, and must find ways to either increase their revenues or reduce their expenses related to gas costs. Here are some strategies.

RFID: 5 things small businesses should know about it
You've heard the buzz about Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), and you may be wondering if this new technology is right for your business. Here's what to know.

Keeping your investors informed: 7 dos and don'ts
Most small-business owners don't bother to stay in touch at all with their investors. Here are good reasons why you should — and some strategies for how to do it.