The TechNet Guy

It's a pleasure to announce that the System Center Virtual Manager TechCenter has launched today, in coordination with the RTM announcement of the product.  You can view the site at: http://technet.microsoft.com/scvmm/default.aspx.

You can join the Virtual Machine Manager community via the forum.  Go to the TechCenter and choose the "Community" tab.  The link is there, which will guide you to the forum.  The VHD and trial software will be available soon.  Visit the site often to check on the VHD and trial software availability.

We're pleased to announce the launch of the Manageability TechCenter (http://technet.microsoft.com/manageability/default.aspx) on Microsoft TechNet.  Here, you will find task-based and best-practices guidance on how to effectively manage an IT environment using System Center family of management products and Windows Server management technologies.  The top level tasks include: Getting Started, Configuration Management, Service Monitoring and Control, Storage Management, Consolidation and Virtualization, and Troubleshooting.  Check it out and we'd like to hear from you.

We're pleased to announce the launch of the Windows Mobile TechCenter at: http://technet.microsoft.com/mobile/default.aspx.

Windows Mobile works with your existing Microsoft technology and infrastructure, delivering a scalable, familiar platform for mobile messaging and line-of-business applications.  Here's the breakdown of information the TechCenter provides:

Evaluate
Evaluate and compare Windows Mobile powered devices, including Pocket PC, Pocket PC Phone and Smartphone for your business. Learn more about these integrated mobile devices and how best to manage them effectively in your organization.

Plan
Find information and resources to help you plan for mobile business solutions, including information on secure deployment, customer relationship management, enterprise resource planning, and more.

The System Center Configuration Manager TechCenter has launched today as the product is in the Release Candidate (RC) stage.  You can download and try the RC software (on Microsoft Connect), read the preliminary version of the online documentation, try the virtual lab, and view the webcasts.

TechCenter: http://technet.microsoft.com/configmgr/default.aspx

When the product releases to manufacturing, there will be availability to the trial software and a TechNet Forum (for Community involvement).

The biweekly TechNet Flash IT newsletter delivers the latest IT news, security bulletins, product updates, event announcements, and more, making it easy for you to stay in the know. Sign up now for either HTML or text format. When you subscribe, or if you already receive TechNet Flash, you can customize your own version to receive the information that's most important to you.

Explore remote infrastructure IT cost and value drivers and locate the resources you need to deploy and support Branch Office in your organization.

This solution center will help you implement a branch office infrastructure with these broad steps:

1. Well-Planned and Optimized WAN
2. Centralized Management
3. Value of Branch Investment
4. More Secure Data
5. Future of Branch Infrastructure in Windows Server "Longhorn"

Providing hardware and software asset intelligence, Service Pack 3 enables better Windows Vista migration planning, software license management, and full Windows Vista manageability in addition to providing the latest Systems Management Server (SMS) hot fixes.

Read more about it...

The TechNet team is pleased to announce that the Systems Management Server TechCenter launched today, Wednesday, January 17, 2007, at 9:00 AM Pacific. In coordination with the TechCenter launch, the Systems Management Server product Web site has been redesigned by allowing you to quickly get to what you need, whether it's: (1) product information, (2) TechNet, and (3) Help and Support.

You can view the new sites at:

TechCenter: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sms/default.mspx
Product: http://www.microsoft.com/smserver/default.mspx

The first of many more-to-come webcasts is now ready for viewing.  Justin Incarnato's Distributed Application webcast demonstrates creating a distributed application model using the MSPetShop application as an example.

 Check back here frequently for more produced webcasts: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/mom/opsmgr/webcasts.mspx.

Microsoft Certificate Lifecycle Manager (CLM) Beta 2, a policy- and workflow-driven solution that helps organizations manage the lifecycle of digital certificates and smart cards, is now housed on TechNet with a new Web design (compared to Beta 1).  Take a look at the Web site at: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/clm/default.mspx, and download Beta 2.

• Read What's New
• Download SP1

We're pleased to announce the availability of Data Protection Manager (DPM) version 2.0 Beta 1 and DPM's new location on the microsoft.com web site.  More information can be found on the web site at: http://www.microsoft.com/systemcenter/dpm/default.mspx.

Please take a look at the Overview and FAQ before downloading the Beta 1 software.

The updated SMS 2003 Device Management Feature Pack (DMFP) is now available at: http://www.microsoft.com/smserver/downloads/2003/dmfp.mspx.  The feature pack now allows SMS 2003 to manage mobile devices running Windows Mobile 5.0 and Windows Mobile Pocket PC Phone Edition 5.0.

The updated DMFP ICP, release note, and guidance document will be available within the next two weeks.  Check back soon. 

In coordination with the general availability of Microsoft's premier server for creating eCommerce solutions, I'm pleased to announce the Web update of Microsoft Commerce Server 2007 product site and the TechNet site.  Commerce Server 2007 enables IT professionals to manage full-featured Web business applications with a low TCO and rapid time to value.  Extended integration features, including Microsoft BizTalk Server 2006 adapters, allow easy integration with existing Line-of-Business systems.