Ilse Van Criekinge,  technology advisor on Microsoft Unified Communications, explains several customizations in Lync that can be applied via Lync Client Policies, including: appearing offline while signed in, custom presence states, warnings when starting an IM session, and many more.

The Microsoft Solution Accelerators team recently announced the release of new resources that you can use in combination with the Microsoft Security Compliance Manager tool: the Windows Server 2008 R2 Security Baseline and the Office 2010 Security Baseline, and setting packs for Windows 7 and Internet Explorer 8. Together with the tool, these resources are designed to help organizations efficiently manage the security and compliance process for some of the most widely used Microsoft products.

• The highly-anticipated security baselines for Windows Server 2008 R2 and Microsoft Office 2010 provide you with free Microsoft-recommended solutions to meet today's security challenges. In combination with best-practice guidance and the Security Compliance Manager tool, the baselines are designed to help you plan, deploy, and monitor the security of computers running Windows Server 2008 R2 and of Office 2010 applications. Both releases also include a setting pack (for Windows Server 2008 R2 and Office 2010, respectively) enabling you to define baselines that include settings outside the scope of the security baselines from Microsoft.
• The Windows 7 and Windows Internet Explorer 8 setting packs, in combination with the Security Compliance Manager tool, will enable you to define baselines that include settings outside the scope of the security baselines from Microsoft. Use these new resources to define custom baselines, meet business-critical needs, and elevate the security of Windows 7 and Internet Explorer 8.

The Security Compliance Manager works with the Microsoft Assessment and Planning (MAP) Toolkit and the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) to help you plan, securely deploy, and manage new Microsoft technologies—easier, faster, and at less cost. Learn more.

Next steps:

• First, learn more about the Security Compliance Manager tool. Next, learn more about the new security baselines and setting packs:

• Windows Server 2008 R2 Security Baseline
• Microsoft Office 2010 Security Baseline
• Windows 7 setting pack
• Windows Internet Explorer 8 setting pack

• Download the tool:

• New users can access these resources by visiting the Microsoft Download Center to download the Security Compliance Manager tool.
• Existing users can access the baseline and setting packs in the tool by clicking the Tools menu, and then clicking Check for Baselines.

• Help spread the word: Tell your friends about these new security resources and the Security Compliance Manager tool.
• Questions? Comments? Feedback? Tell it to the development team.

The Microsoft Unified Communications Business Value Tool helps partners explore and accelerate opportunities within customer organizations. Partners canto use it to identify business objectives, demonstrate how unified communications solutions can help meet their customer’s objectives, and assess the financial impact of deploying unified communications solutions. Version 5 of the tool includes updated information around Microsoft Lync.

The tool can be downloaded by Microsoft partners from MPN.

These hands-on labs online (HOLOs) are provided at no charge to Microsoft partners, and provide IT Professionals with the essential information they need to setup, deploy, and configure Microsoft Exchange Server 2010. This 300 level hands-on labs online course (including seven hands-on labs) will prepare learners with the knowledge to engage with customers to help them implement best practices for smooth Exchange 2010 upgrades and deployments. The course will address gaps in knowledge around topics such as new features, upgrade paths, tools and processes to support upgrade and deployment planning.

Microsoft partners can access the training here: Exchange 2010 Upgrade and Deployment (HOLO)

Duet Enterprise is a highly anticipated product that blends SAP applications with Microsoft SharePoint to empower information workers with unified and simplified access to data. Join Microsoft and SAP as we introduce this new product through a one-day, worldwide virtual summit on February 1, 2011.

More info and registration at http://duetenterprisesummit.com