Tartan Tech: Microsoft Scotland Insight

As remarked in Scotland on Sunday last week, a select group of Scottish pioneers will be hitting the Texas Trail and brave the 90+ degree heat and high humidity of Houston.

The Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference is a great opportunity for the 30 hardy pioneers who will join yours truly and colleagues James Henderson, Stephen Neilson, Raymond O'Hare and Yvonne Thompson in Houston.

The 4 days of the conference is an opportunity to hear from the high heid yin's about Microsoft's technology and business investments, hear from Technology luminaries about industry trends, and even gain inspiration from world leaders in how to succeed in business and life!

Speakers this year include Peter Hillary (son of the late Edmund Hillary) and Stephen M R Covey (who wrote highly successful business book "The Speed of Trust"). One the final day of the conference we will hear from Muhammad Yunus, the philanthropist and economist who won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in microcredit in 2006.

The conference is a huge event with over 10,000 attendees spanning 4 days next week. As it can be confusing how best to make use of the time, I have picked out some pointers for the hardy scots pioneers:

• you can leave your long johns at home - it will be hot and humid in Houston. But bring a waterproof as there is a reasonable chance of rain
• make sure you catch Stephen Elop, the incoming President of Microsoft Business Division on the morning of Tuesday 8th who looks set to spill the beans on partner plans for Business Productivity Online Services
• Its a 35 mile taxi ride into the centre of Houston, might be handy to have some dollars $$
• Familiarise yourself with the geography of Houston using the useful Local Live map opposite with WPC locations marked.

Looking forward to seeing you all at Houston...Some pictures from the lone star state below to get you in the mood!

The long-awaited Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V Virtualisation technology was shipped last week - either few months early or several months late depending on your point of view.

At the risk of sounding melodramatic - the world just changed for all Microsoft partners. Only 7% of servers are virtualised today, but the technique will be dominant within the next 2 years, in small, medium and large enterprises.

Several factors will drive this: increasing power costs, outsourcing to co-located infrastructure and cloud services, and a tighter economic outlook driving infrastructure automation and removal of people from todays manual server management processes.

Hardware virtualisation tools from the likes of Microsoft, VMWare, XEN, etc will become mainstream technologies in small and medium sized businesses before the end of the decade, as gain a dominant footprint in larger enterprises where market leaders VMWARE have made the biggest impact. Especially at the low end of the customer scale, vendors like VMWare charging big money for their virtualisation platform will find their margins squeezed.

It is the very familiarity, ease of use and integration with Windows Server 2008 which will drive widespread adoption of the free Hyper-V platform in smaller enterprises. Hyper-V is highly performant virtualisation tool which can be deployed by clicking a check box, and managed commonly available skills. Whenever customers and partners deploy a new x64 server, it becomes very tempting to more fully utilise it by consolidating several older servers to virtual images on this box. The arrival of the Essentials Business Server family this year, with its extra server in the Premium editions, will drive a big opportunity for Partners with the skills and awareness.

The real challenge for customers, and opportunity for partners, is in how you manage this newly virtualised world. The likes of Microsoft and VMWare are gearing up their technology and Partner network to take advantage (with the System Centre toolset and  Virtual Centre/VMotion/HA respectively). A key advantage of Microsoft's is that a customer can deliver a Highly Available virtualised infrastructure with nothing more than a Windows Server 2008 license (using W2k8 failover clustering) whereas VMWare solution demands costly licensing of at least VMWare ESX and VMWare HA. And the customer still has to license the OS anyway.

With 96% of servers out there still running on underutilised hardware, there is a huge opportunity for many Microsoft partners to introduce efficiencies in their customers operations. Here's a few closing suggestions to get you thinking:

• Consolidate existing servers where the hardware is old or becoming unreliable
• Introduce an efficient low cost business continuity platform so that customers can fail over important servers to offsite virtual machines. Many customers images could be co-hosted in the partners datacentre as part of a Business Continuity offering
• Deliver a multi-site High-Availability solution for a customer without incurring complexity and cost for high-end distributed storage
• Fund virtualisation/consolidation projects through reduced power consumption - save £1K in electricity costs for every server switched off

Technology News: Virtualization: Microsoft's Hyper-V Finally Shows Up to Virtualization Party

Many Scottish Partners are implementing solutions based upon Microsoft Forefront, ISA Server or Application Internet Gateway (IAG), and not aware of the Security Software Advisor Program which is available to Microsoft Partners.

A Partner who have signed up as a Security Software Advisor (SSA), can earn fees up to 30%* of their customers' total Microsoft Forefront security software purchases when you recommend and deploy Forefront solutions. You do not need to transact the licenses to claim this fee.

_{*The average payout observed over the year 2007 was 23% of the Estimated Retail Price (ERP).}

Help medium-size to enterprise customers protect their IT environments from spyware, malware, viruses and other threats - while driving new revenue.

This program applies to members of the following competencies:

· Advanced Infrastructure Solutions

· Security Solutions

· Networking Infrastructure Solutions

· Information Worker Solutions - Portals and Collaboration specialization

Full information on how to enroll and make a claim on the Partner Portal at : https://partner.microsoft.com/40029032?msp_id=securitysoftwareadvisor.

Don’t miss out on revenue you are entitled to…. enroll and make a claim!!!!

Make more money and boost customer satisfaction with free training

Skilling up your sales team really does increase revenue. As this recent case study shows, specialist licensing training delivered impressive results for Computacenter:

· 200% increase in revenue from small and medium-sized business customers

· 30% increase in customer satisfaction

All this just six months into a training programme to equip their SME sales team with real licensing expertise. The industry-recognised Microsoft Licensing Sales Specialist (MLSS) and Microsoft Licensing Sales Expert (MLSE) qualifications were at the heart of their approach, which has clearly paid dividends.

How can I get this training?

You can now train for the MLSS qualification using seven handy “bitesize” sessions filmed by Microsoft’s presentation team. Each one-hour module is available via the partner learning centre. They’re convenient, free and flexible. Your sales team can download and view them on demand, so they can easily be slotted into their busy schedules. And you needn’t worry that time spent on this training will be at the expense of revenue – as Computacenter’s experience proves.

Some 16 Microsoft Partners sat these exams in Edinburgh last month, during the month of May.  Even Microsoft Scotland's James Henderson & Peter Ferry sat the exams and are now fully fledged licensing experts! 

Why wait?

MLSS and MLSE qualifications give you the knowledge you need to give your customers credible, expert advice on their Microsoft buying options. Increased revenue and customer satisfaction are just a few hours’ study away. Don’t delay - start downloading the MLSS modules now.

Internet Explorer 8 beta 2 will be available this August in 20 languages worldwide. Internet Explorer 8 is the next version of Microsoft’s popular browser, and in beta 1 it delivers significantly improved standards support and developer platform investments with enhanced user experiences. Beta 1 for Internet Explorer 8 is currently available and is focused on Web developers and designers to help them deliver Web experiences that go beyond the page for consumers.

Availability this week of Silverlight 2 beta 2, the latest version of Microsoft’s cross-browser, cross-platform and cross-device plug-in for delivering the next generation of .NET-based media experiences and rich interactive applications for the Web. Now available with a commercial Go Live license, Silverlight 2 beta 2 will be used to power the unprecedented online experience NBC Universal is creating for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. To help developers take full advantage of Silverlight, Microsoft also released Expression Blend 2.5 June 2008 Preview and Microsoft Silverlight Tools beta 2 for Visual Studio 2008.

An alliance with IBM that will further simplify application development for enterprise teams working in heterogeneous environments. IBM and Microsoft have agreed to work together to integrate IBM DB2 database access with Visual Studio Team System Database Edition.

Multiple partner wins and the latest community technology preview (CTP) of the Microsoft Sync Framework, a comprehensive synchronization platform that enables collaboration and offline scenarios for applications, services and devices. New partners include Fujitsu Siemens Computers, Ontela Inc. and SmugMug Inc. Microsoft Sync Framework will be released in the third quarter of 2008 with full support for the FeedSync open protocol format on devices. A CTP for Windows Mobile support will also be available in the third quarter 2008.

The first CTP of the Microsoft project code-named “Velocity,” a distributed, in-memory application cache platform that makes it easier to develop scalable, high-performance applications needing frequent access to disparate data sources. Large clusters of machines can be seamlessly integrated into a single cache, providing high availability to data.

Ongoing momentum for Microsoft code-name “Oslo.” Microsoft reiterated its commitment to model-driven development and focus on helping developers realize the full potential of declarative programming, inspiring collaboration across organizational roles and enabling developers and IT pros to more easily deploy, manage and evolve applications. Microsoft will bolster its investments in a unified modeling platform code-named “Oslo,” which will be used by future versions of Visual Studio, Microsoft System Center, BizTalk Server and Microsoft SQL Server. “Oslo” will include visual modeling and composition tools, a foundational repository built on SQL Server 2008 for managing application metadata, and a new, declarative modeling language to enable interoperability of models between tools and domain-specific modeling notations.

A new version of Visual Studio 2008 extensions for Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 v1.2, which will allow developers to use Visual Studio 2008 to extend the value of Windows SharePoint Services and Microsoft Office SharePoint Server by providing a simplified development environment.

Small claims and other legal action now shown by region

Customers visiting Microsoft's anti piracy web site tell us again and again that they want us to “name and shame” counterfeiters and illegal traders.

We work hard to educate and rehabilitate resellers that have been caught trading illegally, but we also need to strike a balance in terms of protecting our customers from the risks of fake and illegal software.

So in response to customer feedback Microsoft has re-arranged its press page. You can now see at-a-glance who we have taken legal action against, by region. To be fair to the resellers and individuals listed there, all the press releases are removed after 12 months.

The revamped page also demonstrates that we’re serious about creating a level playing field for honest partners and protecting their revenue.

You will read that a Falkirk business has been found guilty of trading in unlicensed software and faced court action; the positive outcome is that this business will work with Microsoft to ensure they remain compliant and stop selling illegal software.

Help us beat the pirates – report them to ukpiracy@microsoft.com

Customer reporting piracy form

Partner reporting piracy form

The fun bit in Microsoft Scotland is working with customers to discuss how Microsoft solutions could have a positive impact on their business.

Words and pictures can only go so far. And a powerpoint presentation is often a better way to induce sleep than induce a vision of a future business enabled by powerful software tools.

So my colleagues and I generally demonstrate how the products work in real customer scenarios with real data. Rather than finding lots of hardware to run lots of Microsoft products on, we obviously use hardware virtualisation to support this - and for a few months now we have been using Windows Server 2008 with Hyper-V.

Our trusty Scottish Shuttle Quad-core mini-server workhorse (pictured) was just painlessly upgraded to Hyper-V RC1. Last week we ran a 2 hour session around Microsoft Unified Communications and Collaboration technologies for a customer based in Aberdeen - over LiveMeeting. This environment was supported by 2 virtual machines images of Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2003. Our main impression is of a highly performant hardware virtualisation platform, supported by a well-executed and simple to use admin toolset.

Hyper-V is scheduled for release up to 180 days after RTM of Windows Server 2008, which by my reckoning takes us to August 2nd 2008.  With RC1 now available, things are clearly going well in John Howard's Hyper-V development team.

For many customers and partners starting consolidation and Virtualisation projects, that means they can now go into a test phase with a solid release candidate, in the knowledge that the fully supported release version will be available at the start of August, if not before.

If any readers are tempted to evaluate Hyper-V on Windows Server 2008, some simple things to watch out for which will save you time:

• Upgrade to RC1 from RC0 is painless - as long as you have gracefully shutdown all your virtual machines and none are in a saved state
• If you want full integration of your Guest VM, and highperf network connectivity you will need to install Hyper-V integration services - this is helpfully available to all virtual machines as a "dummy" CD
• This is only supported on Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2003 SP2, so another alternative is just to install an emulated "Legacy Network Adapter" to the VM - not so performant and won't give you mouse integration
• I found that after updating my Vista guest, I needed to use MSCONFIG.EXE to force HAL detection at reboot before the VMBUS was detected - after that network, mouse integration etc worked well

As our Shuttle is a shared resource the next step is to install the System Center Virtual Machine manager 2008 beta to utilise the virtual machine library functionality - more on that soon.

John Howard : Hyper-V RC1 is available for download

Some of you out there in Scottish Partner land may have seen the announcement from the Microsoft recently around the introduction of new competencies and changes to the Partner Programme, so thought I would summarise the key points below.

Next month, June 2008 sees the introduction of three new competencies in Business Intelligence, Unified Communications Solutions and Hosting Solutions. There are also changes to the Microsoft Business Solutions competency and Small Business Specialist certification exam requirements.

So what are the new competencies:

Business Intelligence - This will be made up of the Business Intelligence Platform specialisation (currently the Business Intelligence specialisation within the Data Management Solutions competency) and the Performance Management specialisation (currently within the Information Worker Solutions competency). Learn more

Unified Communications Solutions - This competency will include the Instant Messaging/Presence specialisation (formerly the Unified Communications specialisation within the Information Worker Solutions competency), the Messaging specialisation (formerly the Exchange Migration and Deployment specialisation within the Advanced Infrastructure Solutions competency) and a new Voice specialisation. Learn more

Hosting Solutions - With the growing importance of Software + Services, Partner hosted services play a key role in how customers consume Microsoft software. The new Hosting Solutions competency (formerly the Hosting Solutions specialisation within the Advanced Infrastructure Solutions competency)  has been created for Partners to be able to better distinguish themselves as a hosting expert.  Learn more

Additional Programme News - applicable from 30th May

Business Process and Integration Competency - the Business Process and Integration competency will become the SOA and Business Process competency. .

Microsoft Business Solutions Competency - Microsoft is aligning partner certification requirements across its commercial agreements and the Microsoft Business Solutions competency.

Changes to Exams for Competencies and Programmes

Effective 30 May, exam requirements will change for five competencies and programmes. Check the requirements on the Partner portal for each competency or programme for details.  See below:

ISV/Software Solutions , Identity and Security Access, Small Business Specialist Community, Advanced Infrastructure and Mobility

Please go to the Partner Portal for More information

Note: there is a potential customer/partner satisfaction issue with Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 Trial and Time-Limited versions with respect to converting them to production Business Ready Licensing or MSDN development licenses. The following warning has been placed on Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 trial download sites:

MICROSOFT DYNAMICS CRM 4.0 TRIAL OR TIME-LIMITED VERSIONS CANNOT BE UPGRADED OR CONVERTED TO MSDN OR BUSINESS-READY LICENSING (BRL - DYNAMICS PRICE LIST) LICENSES BY APPLYING A COMMERCIAL LICENSE KEY. Customers or Partners who begin with the TRIAL version of Microsoft Dynamics CRM and wish to upgrade the TRIAL to either a MDSN or BRL license, will need to perform a new install using the MSDN download or PartnerSource product downloads (respectively), and import their original Organization; OR, must begin their implementation directly with either the MSDN or BRL non-time limited/production versions. FOR BUSINESS-READY LICENSING PARNERS/CUSTOMERS OR DEVELOPERS WHO HAVE ALREADY BEGUN USING THE MICROSOFT DYNAMICS CRM 4.0 TRIAL, please refer to this Knowledge Base article for instructions and further information:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/947272/en-us

I am regularly amazed at the number of Scottish Partners who do not have access or use the Microsoft Sales Toolkit.  Well the good news is that the new edition of the Microsoft Sales Toolkit has now arrived. This edition runs from June to December 08 and has been updated to include the new 2008 products. This edition has been automatically sent to partners who have subscribed online. For those Partners who do not already receive a copy, you can subscribe at www.microsoft.com/uk/gearup - there is also an electronic version available for download.

What is the Sales Toolkit?

The Microsoft Sales Toolkit is the licensing and sales 'product handbook' that helps partners generate up-sell and cross-sell opportunities, giving Partners information on the full portfolio of Microsoft products and services. You can find information on what the product is, how to sell it, relevant SKU numbers and FAQs.

Steve Ballmer was clearly reading TartanTech and saw last weeks post on the Yahoo saga - immediately deciding to call off the bid. Subsequent backtracking from CEO Jerry Yang and threats of action by shareholders on the board are leading to speculation of a further bid, for example in Bill Magee's article in Scotland on Sunday.

Yahoo has nothing to shout about - Scotland on Sunday

A number of Scottish Partners have been asking the Microsoft Scotland Partner team, for information regarding Microsoft's plans around Software + Services and our Online Services offerings.  These services are currently in Beta for US customers / partners right now, and plans for a Europe launch are aimed for the second half of 2009 once the new Microsoft datacenter in Dublin is fully operational.

A new Microsoft Online Services demo featuring Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Office Live Meeting, Office Communications Online, and Exchange Hosted Services is now available. This demo showcases our communication and collaboration services and can be viewed using both Internet Explorer and FireFox. The demo is available at www.microsoft.com/online on the learn pages.

For Partner specific information and opportunities, please use the following link : Partner Information

Want to understand the ins and outs of the Microsoft bid for Yahoo? Don't have a background in American corporate law?

Even so, you should find the analysis on Marc Andreessen's blog a good analysis of a complex issue, and some informed speculation of how it might all play out.

blog.pmarca.com: If Microsoft goes fully hostile on Yahoo

 The long awaited System Centre Virtual Machine manager (SCVMM) vNext beta is now available, according to the Windows Virtualisation team.

Headlines are:

• Support for VMWare ESX/Virtual Center/VMotion
• Third of the cost of VMWare solution
• Unified management infrastructure spanning physical, virtual and applications

This release will of course introduce Windows Server 2008  Hyper-V support, the most newsworthy feature of this release is its leverage of the VMWare Virtual Center web service APIs to drive VMWare admin tasks.

Its possible to have fully automated, repeatable and scripted operations across Virtual Server, ESX and Hyper-V virtual environments from VMMs GUI and powershell interface. Having a "single pane of glass" controlling all your virtual platforms certainly simplifies things for the hard-pressed server admin, but the most significant benefit here is integration with System Center Operations Manager through Performance and Resource Optimisation (PRO).

Where VMWare's platform knows nothing of the state of applications and OS's running on top of the ESX layer, VMM can utilise PRO to efficiently balance workloads across ESX, Hyper-V and Virtual Server platforms. And they can all be automated with powershell scripts.

If you want to take a closer look, see the following links

• Info on how to install the Hyper-V release candidate.
• Sign up for VMM2008 beta.

Windows Virtualization Team Blog : System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 beta has arrived

On the BBC website there is a piece on soon to be retired Bill Gates' chat on Windows futures, hinting that the successor to Vista could arrive 'sometime in the next year or so'. This was soon modified by marketing, and Bill's reported view is of course not official Microsoft policy etc etc, investments can go down as well as up, skilled driver on a closed course...

However interesting that Windows7 (I don't know what the snappy code name is) looks well underway