Tartan Tech: Microsoft Scotland Insight

Check out Instalecfilm stars Jim Duncan, Chris Forbes and Graeme Taylor explaining their national growth strategy on the Scotsman Business Club video 

The Scotsman - Scotland's national newspaper

Following on from your feedback from earlier Technet events, we have announced the first ever TechNet UK Virtual Event taking place live on 19^th June.   It features a dedicated IT Management auditorium, including sessions on How IT will change over the next 10 years and Growing Business and Managing Costs, as well as sessions on Windows 7 and other Microsoft technologies and product overviews from the experts.

Event title: TechNet Virtual Conference 2009

Date: June 19^th 2009

How to Register: For the full agenda and to register visit www.microsoft.com/uk/technet/govirtual)

Competition – Enter the free prize draw to win one of 500 goody bags, which is a snazzy laptop bag with some great event swag, terms and conditions apply.

The Technology sessions, selected by the readers of the UK TechNet Flash, feature key products including:

• Windows 7 – Deployment and Management
• Windows Server 2008 R2 – 10 Things to Make life easier for IT Pros
• An Overview of Office Communication Server R2 and Office Capabilities
• The trials and tribulations of Sharepoint Implementation

We are also really pleased to announce an exclusive Keynote featuring Mark Russinovich, Microsoft Technical Fellow specialising in the Windows platform.

And that’s not the only difference this year. In addition to Microsoft technology news and product overviews from the experts, the TechNet Virtual Conference will also feature a second auditorium focused on IT Management, including:

• How IT will change over the next 10 years and why you should care – an exclusive session delivered at TechEd EMEA
• Growing the Business and Managing Costs at Microsoft – An Insider’s View, presented by Asif Jinnah, IT Manager, Microsoft UK

One for those deploying Office Communications Server 2007 R2  - a frequent request has been for guidelines on best practice for virtualising OCS infrastructure  - so theat the number of physical servers can be minimised.

A new white paper fully details the supported configurations for OCS Server roles – no support for virtualised media roles though (because of the potential impact on user experience from delay, packet loss and clock skew).

Download details: Running Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2 in a Virtualized Topology

Need to keep up with technology developments? Struggle to find the time?

Partner Academy is a series of 1 hour overview sessions on topical Microsoft matters, available to all Microsoft partners, and delivered over t’Internet using the wonders of Live Meeting.

The sessions are generally scheduled first thing in the morning Redmond time, meaning that they form an ideal learning opportunity towards the end of the working day in these parts. Details of all these sessions are on the PLC Catalog

The program for the next 3 months has just been announced…keep up with developments by subscribing to the newsletter here..

Coming Partner Acadamy Live sessions:

Azure:

What is Azure?

Forefront:

Building a Safer Web Surfing Experience: Preview Forefront Threat Management Gateway Beta 3

Identity:

Introducing Microsoft Code Name Geneva, a Next Generation Identity and Access Platform

Management:

Client Management Futures

Public Sector:

Connected Health - Common User Interface | Improving Patient Care  Through Patient Safe and Clinician Empowered User Interfaces

SAM Webcast Series:

SAM Webcast Series: Conducting a SAM Engagement

Windows Server:

VMware Compete: Why it matters, Where we are and where we are going

Selling Business Value of Windows Server 2008 R2

What's New in Active Directory for Windows Server 2008 R2

VMware Compete:  Understanding and winning in the VDI space

Windows Server 2008 Foundation - Addressing Server Needs for Small Businesses

Introducing Windows Server 2008 Foundation-New Product Overview - in Spanish

Windows 7:

Values of Windows 7 Professional + Virtual Windows XP for Partners

An Overview of the Windows Troubleshooting Platform in Windows7

Other Announcements:

Now available for download - Infrastructure Planning & Design (IPD) guide for DPM 2007 SP1

Become a System Center Data Protection Manager (DPM) Partner Hero

Many partners who work with Exchange are unfamiliar with the Microsoft security and infrastructure tools which can help maintain resilience and availability.

Next Weds 6th there is a brief introductory overview of how Microsoft's Security, Edge and backup tools integrate with and add to the exchange environment. details below

Wed 6th May      14.00-15.00                         Securing Exchange Solutions                

Technical Level: 100

Who Should I attend? Exchange design and deployment partners who are looking to enhance the security and management of Exchange solutions they implement for their customers.

Audience: Sales, Pre-Sales, Technical Architect, Marketing

Content:

· Overview of Microsoft Forefront for Exchange, IAG and Data Protection Manager for Exchange and the associated partner opportunity.

· Partner case study – Why we’re deploying these solutions with our Exchange solutions.

· Q&A.

Registration link:

http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032414558&Culture=en-GB

Here you go boys and girls....have fun.

That is, if you have a subscription to TechNet or MSDN, otherwise you will have to wait till after the Bank Holiday :-)

https://partner.microsoft.com/UK/40084742

Windows 7

Many of the Scottish Partners have already downloaded the Beta for Windows 7, and we are now pleased to announce the availability of Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC), a pre-release version of the next generation operating system from Microsoft. This release will be available to the public on 5 May 2009, but if you are an MSDN or TechNet subscriber you can download it today!

In addition to navigation, taskbar and security enhancements, Windows 7 RC includes:
Windows XP Mode
Windows XP Mode enables Windows 7 Professional users to seamlessly run many Windows XP applications in Windows 7. This feature is designed to help businesses that are still using older Windows XP applications migrate easily to Windows 7. Note: Windows XP Mode is a separate download in addition to Windows 7 RC. Install the Windows XP Mode Beta.
Remote Media Streaming
Remote Media Streaming enables you to securely access your home-based digital media libraries via the Internet from another Windows 7 PC outside the home.

Window 7 Beta and RC Expiration periods
You must rebuild your test machine with a valid version of your previous Windows operating system before the Windows 7 Beta and RC software expires. Windows will notify you that the expiration date is approaching. Two weeks after the expiration date, your PC will shut down every two hours.

The Beta will expire 1 August 2009 with two-hourly shutdowns beginning 1 July 2009. The Windows RC will expire 1 June 2010 with two-hourly shutdowns beginning 1 March 2010.
In both cases, you will need to rebuild your test PC to install a new operating system and reinstall all your programmes and data.

As many of you will be aware, the Microsoft Partner team have been promoting the new online hosted services offerings from Microsoft to Partners over the past 6 months.

Well the big day has now finally arrived, and Microsoft's Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS) is now available to your customers. BPOS provides enterprise-class software delivered as a subscription service, hosted by Microsoft and sold by you.  BPOS, provides the opportunity to expand your customer base and establish ongoing revenue streams earning up to 18% commission in year 1 with up to 6% recurring revenue in subsequent years.

BPOS online services can be brought individually or as a suite which includes:

• Microsoft Exchange Online
• Microsoft SharePoint Online
• Microsoft Office Live Meeting
• Microsoft Office Communications Online
• Microsoft Exchange Hosted Services

Your customers can try BPOS today by simply registering for a 30 day free demo here.
You can obtain a free one year demonstration account for internal testing by simply following these instructions.

We know it is easier to sell a product when you have direct experience of using it. For this reason you can now purchase BPOS, for use within your business, at a reduced price of £5.02 per user/month.
This discounted price is available to partners who are enrolled in Microsoft Online Services, Microsoft Action Pack or Empower Programmes. The number of seats available to partners depends on your partner type:
> Registered partners can purchase up to 10 seats
> Certified partners can purchase up to 25 seats
> Gold Certified partners can purchase up to 100 seats
To order, visit Microsoft Online Customer Portal (MOCP) and request a price reduction. You will need to include your Live ID, Partner ID and Order Number.

Microsoft has just announced a new members of the Windows Server family - Windows Server 2008 Foundation.

This is a server aimed at small businesses of 15 users or less who do not necessarily require the whole suite of features supplied with Windows Small Business Server (SBS) or Essential Business Server (EBS). We are yet to officially launch this in the UK but you can join a Live Meeting on 30 April 2009 at 16:00 - 17:00 here.

At the end of the Live Meeting Partners will:

• Be familiar with the low end Server market
• Understand Windows Server 2008 Foundation
• Be able to sell Windows Server 2008 Foundation in this New Market

There will also be opportunity to ask questions directly to the Corporate Product Management team.

Link: Click here to register for the Live Meeting

Many of our Scottish Partners who also work with Citrix attend their annual IForum conference which is held annually in Edinburgh.  This year the event is taking place on 15-17 June at the Edinburgh International Conference Center (EICC).

This year Microsoft is proud to be a platinum sponsor of the Citrix iForum 2009, and Microsoft Partners wishing to attend can take advantage of the early bird discount and a saving of £80, which has been extended until 30th April, by registering at:

http://www.citrixiforumedinburgh.com/?VOUCHER_CODE=MSFT1

Reducing costs, improving efficiencies and increasing performance is a challenge for any business…but Microsoft and Citrix can help.

Citrix and Microsoft have decades of experience working together to provide customers a range of solutions which deliver choice, flexibility and cost savings. Our joint solutions to dynamically deliver desktop service and applications to uses wherever they are is based on tight integration of Citrix solutions with Window Server 2008, Hyper-V server virtualisation and terminal services / presentation virtualisation, and with the System Center management tools especially Virtual Machine Manager.

Enterprises shouldn't take a blind bit of notice of anything Gartner say (0.95% probability).

Nevertheless, this is a rare shaft of good sense from the illustrious yet over-cautious analysts. Taking stock of the general polish and performance of Windows 7 Beta, and its excellent app compat story, they are advising enterprises to crack on with planning and deployment of the new Windows client as quickly as possible - without waiting for a service pack.

Gartner: Don't Wait for Windows 7 SP1 - InternetNews.com

Last year over 30 Scottish Partners made the trip to Houston to attend WPC 08.  The general consensus was that this was a great investment of their time, and attending WPC really helped them understand Microsoft priorities for the year ahead.

This years WPC is being held in New Orleans, from July 13 - 16, and registration is now open.  Previous attendees will be aware that registering early gives the best choice of hotels etc, which can avoid the need for bus transportation to the conference center, so worth thinking out if you are planning to attend.

Full information about WPC 09 is below, and how to register.

By attending Microsoft WPC 2009, Partners will gain exclusive access to the latest information and insights about upcoming Microsoft strategies, cutting-edge technologies, and programs—directly from Microsoft leadership. Partners will learn about innovative ways to harness these technologies, tools, and resources to help them capture new business, sustain customer loyalty, and grow market share. And connect with other partners to create new relationships, explore mutually beneficial opportunities, share best practices, and identify new ways to address current and future business challenges.

Here’s a few exciting reasons why you won't want to miss this year's conference:

• Arrive Sunday to be a part of optional WPC events, including the Enterprise Partner Forum, MS 101 and the golf invitational.
• Join Microsoft executives Steve Ballmer, Kevin Turner, and Allison Watson early Monday morning to hear about the latest Microsoft vision and insights.
• Attend breakout sessions by solution area, customer segments, and business model.
• Take advantage of a full day of regional sessions and events.
• Experience the redesigned Expo Hall, where you can quickly find the solutions and people you want to connect with.
• Gain exposure to the Microsoft executives who support your practice areas.

Learn more about the conference and register today to ensure your place.

*********************************

The Alumni promotional period and the Award submission now ends on April 9, 2009 at 11:59pm PDT.

Take Advantage of the special Alumni partner rate extension today. 

If you attended WPC 08 in Houston, then the Microsoft Partner Program is offering you the special rate of *US$1,395.  This reduced rate is available for partners that register before 11:59pm PDT on April 9, 2009. 

ACT NOW! (*The rate will increase to US$1,795 after this promotional period.)

A further update on the availability of partner access to a demo environment for BPOS - your demo account will be hosted in the Dublin facility (rather than the earlier US-based demo).

Full instructions on how to create anew, or extend your existing account below:

New Demo Account

Extending Existing Demo Account

Microsoft Scotland are running a two day Microsoft Licensing Sales Specialist Training course in our Edinburgh Office at Waverley Gate on 3^rd & 4^th March. There are only very limited spaces for this session so early booking is recommended.  Paces are allocated on a first come first served basis.  If there are 2 representatives from the same company, you will be required to share a workstation. 

This two day course covers the fundamentals of the Microsoft volume licensing programs for small and medium businesses and the licensing models for key Microsoft desktop and server products. This new course will help attendees to attain the Microsoft Licensing Sales Specialist (MLSS) accreditation.

Prerequisites:

It would be helpful if attendees had a working knowledge of the products contained in the Microsoft Stack and a knowledge of the fundamentals of how the Microsoft licensing programs work, and the basic licensing models.

Agenda:

Day one will consist of Licensing Programs – selling Volume Licensing to small and medium businesses, selling Software Assurance to small and medium businesses and also understanding Volume licensing programs for larger businesses.

Day two will concentrate on Product Licensing – Windows Vista, Office and Windows Server licensing, Infrastructure Servers Licensing, Application Servers Licensing and Security and Management Servers Licensing.

To register for this event please go to:

https://training.partner.microsoft.com/plc/register.aspx?publisher=12&delivery=262922&site=UK&lang=en-uk