Tartan Tech: Microsoft Scotland Insight

I haven't tried Partner live, but some of these sessions look promising, if you try them out let me know your experience and I'll blog your feedback.

March 12, 2008

Microsoft Partner Academy Live Newsletter

These are joint Microsoft internal and Partner-facing Webcasts provided by Partner Academy Live.

BI33PAL: TechBrief: Advanced Dashboard Design Part 3

19 Mar 08 at 08:00 AM PST (GMT-08:00)

Level 300

Partner Type: GSIs, NSIs, LSIs

Partner Role:   BI Architect, Technical Pre-Sales, BI Delivery Consultant

PLC Registration Link

Live Meeting Link

Join us for the final segment of our 3 part series focusing on advanced topics in dashboard creation. This session will explore sizing and configuration, filters, time intelligence, conditional displays of reports, passing Scorecard context and more.

BI45PAL:  PerformancePoint Planning Essentials

20 Mar 08 at 09:30 AM PST (GMT-08:00)

Level 200

Partner Type: System Integrators

Partner Role:   Architect, Implementer

PLC Registration Link

Live Meeting Link

This session discusses how Office PerformancePoint Server 2007 can be used to address common planning, budgeting, and forecasting processes that enable businesses to deliver performance management capabilities. The main concepts of budgeting and forecasting, the business roles involved as well as the functional challenges customers are trying to address will be covered. The session will also discuss how to provide applications that are easy to use and less costly to deploy than traditional solutions.  A demonstration of the product delivering these functionalities and further discussion of the benefits that customers get from using Microsoft Office PerformancePoint Server 2007 to address their budgeting and forecasting challenges will also be provided.

LEG01PAL: Windows Mainframe

24 Mar 08 at 08:00 AM PST (GMT-08:00)

Level 200

Partner Type: System Integrators

Partner Role:   Architect, Implementer

PLC Registration Link

Live Meeting Link

In this session two of Microsoft’s senior specialists will compare and contrast the Application Server characteristics of both Windows and zOS.  You will hear about the “Windows Mainframe” and many application services that deliver a fantastic platform to run your most mission critical workloads.

WNS31PAL2:  Virtualization: Selling to the TDM

25 Mar 08 at 08:00 AM PST (GMT-08:00)

Level 200

Partner Type: System Integrators

Partner Role:   Architect, Implementer

PLC Registration Link

Live Meeting Link

This webcast will help identify virtualization sales opportunities and map Microsoft’s virtualization solutions to customer requirements. We will address how to create a buying vision for the Technology Decision Maker (TDM) and how to move sales opportunities to the next level.

BI46PAL: PerformancePoint Planning Advanced

25 Mar 08 at 08:00 AM PST (GMT-08:00)

Level 200

Partner Type: System Integrators

Partner Role:   Architect, Implementer

PLC Registration Link

Live Meeting Link

Join this session to learn about how Office PerformancePoint Server 2007 addresses the business modeling and reporting scenarios to deliver performance management capabilities broadly throughout an organization.  The session will cover the flexibility provided through business modeling capability and the functionality from the Application Type Library which enables business users to build and manage applications more easily than with traditional solutions.  A live demonstration will show the product delivering these functionalities and discussion will highlight the benefits that customers get from using Microsoft Office PerformancePoint Server 2007 to address their business challenges.

BI42PAL: Report Authoring in Reporting Services 2008

25 Mar 08 at 09:30 AM PST (GMT-08:00)

Level 300

Partner Type: System Integrators

Partner Role:   Architect, Implementer

PLC Registration Link

Live Meeting Link

In this session, we will take a deep look at report authoring in Reporting Services 2008. Come see the reporting scenarios that are enabled with Tablix, and preview the integration of Dundas charts and gauges. We will also discuss the positioning and roadmap of report authoring in RS 2008. Objectives: 1. Author reports in RS 2008 tools. 2. Describe scenarios enabled by Tablix as well as Dundas charts and gauge. 3. Describe similarities and differences between authoring tools in RS 2008.

WNS31PAL:  Virtualization: Selling to the TDM

26 Mar 08 at 07:00 PM PST (GMT-08:00)

Level 200

Partner Type: System Integrators

Partner Role:   Architect, Implementer

PLC Registration Link

Live Meeting Link

This webcast will help identify virtualization sales opportunities and map Microsoft’s virtualization solutions to customer requirements. We will address how to create a buying vision for the Technology Decision Maker (TDM) and how to move sales opportunities to the next level.

BI44PAL: Data Visualization with Reporting Services 2008

27 Mar 08 at 08:00 AM PST (GMT-08:00)

Level 200

Partner Type: System Integrators

Partner Role:   Architect, Implementer

PLC Registration Link

Live Meeting Link

Don’t just list your data, show your data!  SQL Server Reporting Services 2008 is empowering report authors to add effective data visualizations to their reports.  In this session we’ll cover the improvements being made to charting and the new gauge report data region in Reporting Services and outline the upgrade path for customers currently using Reporting Services 2005.

BI43PAL: SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services Overview

27 Mar 08 at 09:30 AM PST (GMT-08:00)

Level 200

Partner Type: System Integrators

Partner Role:   Architect, Implementer

PLC Registration Link

Live Meeting Link

Attend this webcast to learn more about SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services, an enterprise scale offering that helps enable organizations to build comprehensive analytic solutions that deliver actionable insights through familiar tools. While the session will provide a high level overview of Analysis Services in general, emphasis will be on introducing you to some of the key new capabilities that will be available with the next release of Analysis Services. You will also have the opportunity to see Analysis Services 2008 in action through product demonstrations. In particular you will see how the new design capabilities and best practice design alerts can be leveraged to more rapidly build solutions that are designed to perform.

BI34PAL: Better Together: Positioning Microsoft Office Excel and PerformancePoint Server 2007 for BI

31 Mar 08 at 08:00 AM PST (GMT-08:00)

Level 200

Partner Type: GSIs, NSIs, LSIs, ISV

Partner Role:   BI Architect, Technical Pre-Sales, BI Delivery Consultant

PLC Registration Link

Live Meeting Link

Join us as we discuss how to best position both Excel and PerformancePoint Server for Business Intelligence.

BI41PAL: Positioning Microsoft Performance Management in the Marketplace

31 Mar 08 at 09:30 AM PST (GMT-08:00)

Level 200

Partner Type: System Integrators

Partner Role:   Architect, Implementer

PLC Registration Link

Live Meeting Link

While business intelligence remains at the top of the CIO spending priorities, increasingly CFO’s and other business decision makers are buying performance management solutions to drive a more forward looking view of their business, and deliver bottom line results for the organization.  Attend this webinar to learn the key components of a performance management solution, and how Microsoft is working to deliver these capabilities to our customers today.

SQL37PAL: SQL Server 2008 Server Consolidation TDM Deck

21 Apr 08 at 08:00 AM PST (GMT-08:00)

Level 200

Partner Type: System Integrators

Partner Role:   Architect, Implementer

PLC Registration Link

Live Meeting Link

More details in next PAL Newsletter. Check the PLC Catalog for the latest updates.

Partners:

Check out our PLC Catalog for the latest information on scheduled and recorded PAL sessions!

What Is Partner Academy Live?

These are 1 hour managed Webcasts for Partners and Microsoft employees using Microsoft’s Live Meeting 2007. Connect with Microsoft and other partners; listen to Microsoft subject matter experts as they discuss their areas of expertise related to Microsoft’s sales and competitive strategy.  Learn more about Microsoft’s products (including insight into products on the launch horizon); positioning of business value to customers; sharing wins from the field and how the account team won; world class selling skills and best practice; and leveraging Microsoft resources to maximize your productivity. Partner Academy Live caters to all depths of knowledge. 

Before the Webcast:

To attend our upcoming Webcast you will need:

1. A computer with access to the Internet to view the visual portion of the event.

2. A functioning sound card and speakers or headphones for your PC.

3. Windows Media Player 9 (WMP 9).

4. A compatible computer configuration. Verify Microsoft Live Meeting 2007 System Requirements

5. Use the Microsoft Live Meeting 2007 Windows Console Compatibility Test to join a meeting to see if your computer is compatible with Live Meeting 2007.

During the Webcast:

Clink the Live Meeting link in the confirmation letter you’ll receive after registering.

Listen to the audio portion of the event

After you log in to the Live Meeting console, you will hear the event's streaming audio. If you do not have Windows Media Player (WMP) 9 or later installed, you will be prompted to install it.

If you have WMP 9 or later installed but still do not hear the audio, confirm that your PC speakers are turned on and that the volume is turned up. If you continue to experience difficulties, once you are logged into the session, please turn your seat color to red via the drop down menu in the Seating Chart.  Expect a 1:1 chat for assistance.

Web-based console

In some situations, you may not be able to use the Live Meeting console software. You will then be provided with a link to attend the event by using the Web-based console. You will be provided with this link if:

· You cancel the installation of the Live Meeting console software.

· You are unable to install the Live Meeting console software.

· You are using a Macintosh computer.

Note: Although using the Web-based console is similar to using the Windows-based Live Meeting console software, the functionality and layout of the Web Based console are different.

To contact Live Meeting Event Support:

+1.800.893.8779 (Within the US & Canada)

+1.971.544.3222 (International)