The wonder that is the Microsoft Office system

This was really cool when they did it a few weeks ago. Have a look at the UK MSN page tomorrow to see the effect of 'Live Preview' and other things 2007 Microsoft Office flavoured.

News, Music, Movies, Money, Cars, Travel, Games and more from MSN UK

The Register has compiled a list of suggested reading on MOSS. I can't endorse any particular book but the Register has provided a brief overview of each title.

http://www.regdeveloper.co.uk/2007/06/20/register_books_june/

Here is a little project that I've been desperate to tell you all about!

I am very pleased to announce that the PartnerBot is now live.

Partner Bot is your Instant Messenger 'data digger', which quickly retrieves partner-related information and shows you where you can find the answers you need. Simply type in your question and Bot will bring back an instant response. Add Bot as a buddy in your Windows Live Messenger contacts and it will always be available whenever you're logged in.

Use Partner Bot to Help You 

Get answers quickly, whether you’re in the office or mobile

Find partner resources, like blogs and marketing help, more easily

How Do I Add Partner Bot to My Contacts? 

· Log-in to Windows Live Messenger

· Click on 'Add a Contact' icon

· Add 'partnerbot@hotmail.com' into Instant Messaging Address

> Click here to find out more

Please be aware that PartnerBot may guide you to areas of the Partner Portal which can only be accessed by Registered, Certified or Gold Partners, so you may need to sign-in to view this information.

I've been having one of those times recently when you know you have to do something (e.g. blogging) but you put it off for a couple of days, then a couple more, then push it to the end of the week, then the next and before you know it a couple of months have passed. Not good. Rather than start writing a list of things that I should have blogged about recently I thought you've probably read a few post from various bloggers over the last few minutes so I thought I'd treat you to a video instead.

They're here!!! (Well some of them are anyway.)

A number of partners have been asking me recently about when the new SharePoint 3.0 templates will be available. The ggod news is that 20 of the fantastic 40 are available for download now!

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/windowsserver/sharepoint/wssapps/templates/default.mspx

The Partner Readiness Team is pleased to announce the release of the BPIO University - Partner Sales Readiness Workshop. The first delivery for this course starts on the 22^nd January so please sign up as soon as possible. 

The Business Productivity Infrastructure Optimization (BPIO) University - Partner Sales Readiness Workshop is a 2-day in-depth, instructor-led sales readiness workshop for enterprise and mid-market partners. This sales training helps partners to understand how to develop customer conversations around the new 2007 Microsoft Office system and how to sell using the Business Productivity Infrastructure Optimization customer campaign tools. Focused on three main capabilities—Unified Communications & Collaboration, Enterprise Content Management, and Business Intelligence—this BPIO course features Microsoft marketing strategies, field priorities, and technology capability training. Partners will also learn how to execute their own BPIO customer campaigns and selling activities independently. This course is targeted towards Microsoft SI and ISV partners and sales and technical pre-sales support personnel.

The agenda for this unique 2-day course includes:

- Customer Campaigns, CES and BPIO Model,  and Enterprise Search
- Unified Communication & Collaboration
- Enterprise Content Management
- Business Intelligence

Enrol your partners now using the new Partner Learning Centre

This course is the first to be released on the new UK Partner Learning Centre. This replaces the existing Training and Events Centre and UK Events Site with immediate effect. The new Partner Learning Centre will vastly improve the partner experience in helping them find, review and track attendance on all training courses (online and classroom).

To enrol:

All individuals wishing to access the UK Partner Readiness resources will need:

a. A Windows Live ID

b. To associate their Windows Live ID with their Partner ID :- instructions can be found here

This link to enrol can then be used, or partners can search on the course ID 44Wk001  or ‘BPIO’. If partners have any issues enrolling, please ask them to call the UK Partner Learning Centre Support number 0870 8509442 or mailto:ukplc@microsoft.com.

Ok, so maybe the title is a little unfair. The iPhone does look quite cool and sounds like (no pun intended) it has some cool features such as the 'Pinch' feature that you can use to zoom into a webpage. One concern is how thin the device appears to be and therefore potentially fragile although I'm guessing that Apple will have learnt from the issues that it had with the original Nano.

Anyway back to the good bit. Microsoft Office 2008 for Macintosh! See links for details of the announcement from Macworld Expo.

Link to Mac Users To Get New Office Suite For Intel Macs - News by InformationWeek

Well here we are in 2007 and I've just noticed how long it's been since I last posted. I'd just like to point out for the benefit of my manager that this was due to my complete dedication to ramping up for our Business Evolution Roadshow that we undertook in December and not due to lack of commitment to blogging (is it review time soon?). We still have a couple of Business Evolution events in the pipeline for partners of a northern persuasion so check earlier blog postings for details.

Anyway, I'm back and blogging! Woohoo! Keep tuned for all the fantastic insightful nibbles to come.

I did think about putting this post as Oooohhh Pretty Mk2!!!!!!!!!! The registration page for the Exchange Server 2007, Windows Vista and Microsoft Office 2007 system road show. Our new registration page is now live. Events are filling up fast so register as soon as possible. More dates are to be announced soon including events 'north of the Border'. (Woohoo, trip home & Scotland 1 France 0)

I've been sitting writing some of the content for our upcoming Exchange, Vista and Office road show (more dates tba) and it suddenly struck me how much these new products have already changed the way that I work. I know that a lot of people have seen some of the cool new user experience stuff that has been included that dramatically increases personal productivity and also looks very cool (AERO anyone?) but it also changes things in some subtle ways. For example, I frequently listen to music whilst I'm working (can't wait to get my hands on a Zune!) and it's not unusual for me to put on U2 DVD (HUGE fan) of one of their concerts to listen to but now thanks to Vista I can also glance down to watch occasionally.

They came from TVP. A fearless group of Technology Specialists. They had trained in secret for months. They had the tools, they had the skills and now they had the technology. Their mission? To take Exchange Server 2007, Windows Vista and 2007 Microsoft Office system to the UK Partner community.

E.V.O.

Coming soon to a cinema or conference hall near you.

An interesting Friday read. I think rebuilding is a bit strong as I wasn't aware that we had collapsed. Perhaps remodelling would have been a better term to use?

If you haven't been reading any of the UK PTS blogs (which now of course includes the legend that is James Akrigg with his views on his Geek Gland amongst other things) then you will have missed the news about the new Exchange, Vista and Office microsite for Partners complete with 'AERO like' glass effect. Mmmmmm nice.

OK, what with travelling about a bit and a splash of holiday time my blog has been seriously neglected and now there is so much to talk about I don't know where to start. It's a good thing that Live Writer doesn't have a self blogging capability like the XBox 360 otherwise I'd be in trouble although my XBox 360 has also been neglected for weeks so it's a good job that I haven't enabled blogging.

Anyway, back to business. I guess there is a lot of stuff that I'm sure is old news to most of you but I'd better cover it off in the next few posts.

Our OneCare offering is getting some positive press coverage at present. It looks as though our venture into this market is welcomed by consumers given the chart position held in the US market. I have to admit that I'm looking forward to getting my parents onto OneCare (hmm that sounds I want them on some sort of personal 'care' programme so that I don't have to worry about calling them every so often to find out how they are etc) as they are currently using another vendor's Security 'bundle' and it does some 'interesting' things to the XP firewall and Windows Defender despite the desired user settings for this part of their suite which I think may end up potentially compromising their machine's security.