In this episode of Brad and Jeff's periodic chats about the management business at Microsoft, they talk about how System Center fits in the constellation of platform and server releases in the fall of 2009.

In part 2, Brad and Jeff talk about all the improvements in System Center Configuration Manager 2007 SP2 and R3 that make deployment and management of Windows 7 clients far more energy efficient and cost effective than ever before.
Also in this episode:

• Part 1: Driving Manageability Across Microsoft
• Part 3: System Center and Windows Server 2008 R2 (forthcoming)
• Part 4: System Center and Microsoft Exchange (forthcoming)

• System Center Home
• Because It's Everybody's Business (the joint launch and campaign site)

The following System Center and Forefront products are available for download as evaluation.

Forefront Identity Manager 2010

Forefront Protection 2010 for Exchange Server

Forefront Threat Management Gateway 2010


System Center Essentials 2010

System Center Service Manager

Windows 7 was launched last week! We had our launch event at the Australian National Maritime Museum.  Media, technology enthusiasts and PC makers were present.  There are some amazing looking PC’s running Windows 7 which were on display, my favourite one  was the new and amazingly thin Sony Vaio X Series.  

For more photos check out the Microsoft Australia Flickr Photostream

You may have already seen some of the ads on TV:

To check out more ads visit the official Windows 7 Australia youtube channel

Here are also some great TechNet Edge videos:
Microsoft Deployment Toolkit - building install media for Windows 7


Windows XP mode for Windows 7


Branch Cache in Windows 7


Check out TechNet Edge for more Windows 7 videos

Some fun facts about Windows 7

• More than a billion people around the world use Windows every day, and millions have provided input on what they want to see in an operating system. This feedback was built into the product.
• Windows 7 saw the largest beta testing program in the history of the industry, with 8 million testers worldwide.
• People from more than 113 countries downloaded the Windows 7 beta.
• We conducted more than 16,000 online interviews directly aimed at helping us identity, test and validate scenarios and features for Windows 7.
• More than 2,600 customers participated in user research and usability studies for Windows 7.
• More than 40,000 hours of Windows 7 usage was logged from external user research field trials (through our Living with Windows program in which users were recruited to provide an understanding of how they use Windows 7).
• We received product instrumentation and usage data from millions of PCs in more than 200 countries and regions around the world that help Microsoft Corp. better understand how its customers use its software. Windows 7 includes input from more than a billion user sessions.
• More than 600 new feature ideas for Windows 7 were tested through global quantitative research early in the engineering process, helping Microsoft determine the features that best address its customers’ top needs. These features were tested through extensive online research survey fielded in five global markets.
• More than 15 million people participated in the Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP) —across Windows Vista and Windows 7 prereleases.
• Tens of thousands of people have signed up to host a Windows 7 Launch Party, a grassroots gathering of friends and family to show off the product and share their enthusiasm.
• Twenty-seven new TV ads were developed for Windows 7 across the U.S., Canada, U.K., France, Germany and Australia.
• Weight reduction of new Genesis Windows 7 packaging versus Windows Vista Longform packaging: 56 percent
• Percent improvement in Windows 7 Ecometrics score over Windows Vista: 50 percent
• There are 50 new fonts in Windows 7.
• Number of languages that are available as of October 2009: 34
• 49 Indian-language fonts are supported in Windows 7.
• Wallpaper: 12 backgrounds, seven Windows Aero themes, six character wallpapers, six scenes and unlimited downloads
• Windows 7 is available at more than 45,000 retailers around the world.

Windows 7 Twitter’s
MSWindows
MSSpringboard
Windows7AU

Have a look at the Windows 7 Australian Pricing

Deployment Tools, Windows XP to Windows 7 Migration

Windows 7 Deployment Technologies