Nick's ISV Blog

Showing the value of the Microsoft Platform for ISV's in Belgium and Luxembourg.

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  • Nick's ISV Blog

    Starting today you need Windows Phone 7.5 to use Marketplace

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    Today’s the day. This afternoon we started requiring Windows Phone 7.5 on phones to download, buy, update, or review apps in Marketplace. These changes will make Windows Phone OS 7.5 the minimum OS required to install new or update existing apps from Marketplace via the phone or Web.

    If you are wondering why, I invite you to read this article - http://windowsteamblog.com/windows_phone/b/windowsphone/archive/2012/04/24/two-marketplace-changes-and-how-they-affect-you.aspx

    If you do get the error, all you need to do is install the free Windows Phone 7.5 update. You’ll find all the information you need to do that, including an update checklist and easy step-by-step instructions, on Update Central. (Not sure if you have Windows Phone 7.5 installed? Here’s how to check.)

    By the way, even if you don’t use Marketplace, there are still lots of great reasons to update. We made hundreds of improvements, big and small, in Windows Phone 7.5

    Source : Windowsteamblog

  • Nick's ISV Blog

    Windows Store expanding to new markets including Belgium

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    Last week the Microsoft Windows Store blog announced an expansion of the Windows Store coming soon. By the next milestone of Windows 8, the preview release of Windows Store will include new markets and new languages.

    Currently Windows Store includes five markets in Consumer Preview: France, Germany, India, Japan and the United States and China, as well as a “Rest of World” setting that all other regions get to see. By the next milestone Microsoft is adding 33 new developer submission locales, expanding the possible reach even more.

    And there is good news for Belgian developers: in addition to being able to publish to the new markets, developers will also be able to target a Belgian market specifically.

    >> To learn more, please read the official announcement post: Windows Store expanding to new markets.

    For developers and companies in Belgium and Luxembourg we have several options to help you getting your apps ready. We have training events (online webcasts as well as hands-on sessions), App Clinics to discuss apps face to face and validation of the app through Excellence labs which is your ticket to a Windows Store token later in the process.

    Don’t hesitate to join us at either step of the way:

    1. Metro Map with all free events listed per date, make sure to register in time: http://www.microsoft.com/belux/msdn/metromap/metromap.html
    2. App Clinics book a slot with an evangelist or consultant (your ticket to the App Excellence Lab) – note Belgium & Luxembourg only: http://www.microsoft.com/belux/msdn/metromap/appclinic.aspx
    3. Discover how your application can be monetized in the Windows Store:
  • Nick's ISV Blog

    Working on an app? Register Windows 8 App Clinics

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    image[4]Combining the broad reach of Windows, best-in-class developer tools, a reimagined user experience, support for new chipsets, and a built-in Store with industry-leading business terms - Windows 8 is the largest developer opportunity, ever.

    But now what? In Belgium we have announced a series of developer camps, webcasts and MIC calls for projects. These activities will allow you to dive technically into the platform to support you in building apps. However, you probably need more.

    What about testing on more than one device? What about discussing the best UX and experience to integrate with Metro? And most importantly, what about getting that access to the Windows Store and publish an app?
    The answers are the App Clinics. Meet with the Microsoft Evangelists and consultants to discuss ideas, the app, architecture, the platform, UX and technical questions. It’s an open discussion and allows you to be ready for the next step: passing an App Excellence Lab with a Microsoft engineer, the last step before getting access to the Windows Store as a developer.

    image[24]

    Are you actively working on a Windows 8 Metro app? Have an idea but are not sure what the next step is? Join us at an App Clinic and we’ll help you move to the next stage.

    image[9]

    image[30]

  • Nick's ISV Blog

    Register for a free SQL Server 2012 training

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    We’re very proud to announce that SQL Server 2012 is now generally available for purchase and download.  SQL Server 2012 delivers a powerful new set of capabilities for mission-critical workloads, business intelligence and hybrid IT across traditional datacenters and public and private clouds.

    To help you fully understand how SQL Server 2012 can impact your business – adding more business value to your solutions or by helping you reach new customer segments – we are organizing a free classroom training in cooperation with Oak3, one of our learning partners.  In this training session you’ll get a technical overview of the new capabilities of SQL Server 2012.

    Because we know your time and that of your developers is precious, we have made this a compact, half-a-day training session.  And if you miss the first session on April 17, we’ll have 2 more re-runs on May 3 and May 31

    Don’t miss this opportunity and register now by clicking on the session of your choice!

    Register for SQL2012 April 17
    Register for SQL2012 May 3 Register for SQL2012 May 31
  • Nick's ISV Blog

    Web Camps Special Edition on May 3rd

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    WebCamps-01

    Come to camp

    … on May 3rd in Brussels on a very special edition of Web Camp to learn the latest on web development on the Microsoft Platform!

    Web Camps are free, fun, no-fluff events for developers, by developers.

    This European edition is really unique with speakers flying in directly from the Microsoft main offices: Brady Gaster (of Channel9 Web Camps TV fame) and Matthew Osborn currently working on NuGet. Expect a lot of code and great fun!

    Place to be is the exquisite Event Lounge in Brussels. Learn how to develop beautiful, interactive and scalable web sites using Microsoft’s web tools and platform including IE, ASP.NET, MVC, WebMatrix, Windows Azure and Visual Studio. Learn from experts and get the resources for publishing to the web.

    Quick preview of your camp content:

    • The Microsoft Web Stack
    • WebMatrix 2.0 – The Comprehensive Web IDE You Thought You’d Never Need
    • Creating Rich HTML 5 Experiences
    • Integrating Your Site with IE
    • Building Sites Using ASP.NET 4.5
    • Deploying Web Apps to the Cloud

    Check out the full program  & sign up to spark your expertise

    Limited places, so please be fast!

    web_tent

    We hope to see you on our campground !

  • Nick's ISV Blog

    Register for upcoming Windows 8 Metro Style App events

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    Now is the time to register for the upcoming Windows 8 Metro Style Apps events.
    In this post you can find a summary of the main activities, for which you can find an updated view on our Metro Map.

    1. Windows Camps at Microsoft and the Innovation Centers
    2. MIC Call for Projects Windows 8 Metro Style Apps: still a few seats
    3. MSDN Webcasts
    4. Community events

    ---

    1. Windows Camps

    2. MIC Call for Projects Windows 8 Metro Style Apps: still a few seats

    A Microsoft Innovation Center Call for Projects is a streamlined process to call for ideas, give you training and support going from technical to Metro Design guidelines and UX. In addition, by participating in a Call for Projects you have a privileged access to App Clinics (testing on devices, discussion of the app) which leads to a selection of apps to go through App Excellence Labs later in June. The Excellence Labs are currently the only ticket for getting Windows Store tokens.

    While the first info session has already been done end of March, there is still an opportunity to register. Make sure you register for each of the sessions separately in order to secure your full project call attendance.

    MIC Brussels Project Call (all in English)

    1. 16 April, 2012 09:00 — 17 Apr 17:00 – Windows 8 Metro Style apps - Hands-on Session
      Two full days of sessions and hands-on labs to build a Windows 8 Metro Style app in C#/XAML or HTML/JavaScript.
      http://micbru.fikket.com/event/call-for-projet-windows-8-metro-style-apps-hands-on-session
    2. April 24 2012 9:00 to 17:00 – Windows 8 Metro Style apps - Brussels - UX Workshops session 1 - http://micbru.fikket.com/event/mic-project-call-windows-8-metro-style-apps-brussels-ux-coaching-sessions—3
      Attention: date change!
    3. 14 May, 2012 09:00 — 17:00 – Windows 8 Metro Style apps- UX Coaching session 2 - http://micbru.fikket.com/event/mic-project-call-windows-8-metro-style-apps-brussels-ux-coaching-sessions
    4. 21 May, 2012 09:00 — 17:00 - Windows 8 Metro Style apps - Brussels - Developer Q&A session - http://micbru.fikket.com/event/mic-project-call-windows-8-metro-style-apps-brussels-developer-qa-session

    MIC Mons Project Call (in French)

    1. 19 avril 2012 09:00 — 20 avr. 17:00 - Windows 8 Metro Style apps - Appel à projets – Windows 8 Hands-on training : http://events.mic-belgique.be/event/windows-8-metro-style-apps-appel-a-projets--2
    2. 9 mai 2012 09:00 — 10 mai 17:00 - Windows 8 Metro Style apps - Appel à projets – UX Coaching sessions : http://events.mic-belgique.be/event/windows-8-metro-style-apps-appel-a-projets--4
    3. 16 mai 2012 09:00 — 17:00 - Windows 8 Metro Style apps - Appel à projets – Developer Q&A : http://events.mic-belgique.be/event/windows-8-metro-style-apps-appel-a-projets--5

      3. MSDN Webcasts

        4. Community events

        But wait, there’s more! You’ll find some Summer Hackathons and more sessions on our online Metro Map. See you soon at one of our events or App Clinics.

        Don’t miss on the developer opportunity. Combining the broad reach of Windows, best-in-class developer tools, a reimagined user experience, support for new chipsets, and a built-in Store with industry-leading business terms — Windows 8 is the largest developer opportunity, ever.

      1. Nick's ISV Blog

        How does Windows Azure handle security, privacy & compliance?

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        Windows Azure LogoIn talking with ISVs, I very often get questions about security and data protection and data privacy when hosting an application in the cloud. For example, ‘What happens to my data once if my subscription ends? Is it physically destroyed from all media and backups?”.  These questions and concerns are all very relevant and valid, and not always easy to answer.  Until now…

        Microsoft has published a document, ‘Standard Response to Request for Information – Privacy & Security’, in which we provide our customers with a detailed overview of how Windows Azure core services fulfills the security, privacy, compliance, and risk management requirements as defined in the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) Cloud Control Matrix (CCM).

        Download the document from the Microsoft Download Center or from the Cloud Security Alliance’s Security, Trust & Assurance Registry.

        By the way, did you know that on November 29, 2011, Windows Azure obtained ISO 27001 certification for its core services following a successful audit by the British Standards Institute (BSI). You can view details of the ISO certificate here.

        Are you ready to get started with Windows Azure?  Here are a few easy steps:

        1. Setup an Account:

        Set up an account and obtain a free subscription for accessing the online portals for Windows Azure an SQL Azure. You can sign up and get the free trial from http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/pricing/free-trial/.

        2. Create your First application and Deploy it on the Windows Azure Platform:

        Download the tools and learn how to create an application using .NET, JAVA, Node.js or PHP and deploy it on Windows Azure at http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/develop/overview/

        3. Attend one of our free Azure events:

        Get hands-on overview of the entire platform during a two-day Azure Camp at the Microsoft Innovation Center (MIC) Brussels. Or get an introduction on how Azure can be beneficial for your ISV business in one of our Azure business sessions (mail us).

      2. Nick's ISV Blog

        Team Foundation Service: now with cloud-based build service

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        Visual Studio 11 Beta LogoAs you may or may not know, at the BUILD conference last September, Microsoft announced the availability of a preview of Team Foundation Service.  With Team Foundation Service Microsoft provides you world class ALM as a service, entirely hosted on the Windows Azure platform

        This means that you can benefit from all the great features and functionality of Team Foundation Server, without having to setup a server infrastructure for it.  In only a few minutes you can have an account and be productive with your team, regardless of where you are around the world!  It takes away the time and hassle of arranging for hardware, installing software, providing network infrastructure, etc. The service takes care of all of that for you and lets you focus on your project.

        We are continuously adding new functionality to Team Foundation Service Preview and one notable feature that was missing up to now, and which people were often asking for, was being able to run your team builds in the cloud, rather than on local build servers.  Up to now…

        Earlier this week Brian Harry, Technical Fellow at Microsoft, announced and demonstrated a new cloud-based build service for Team Foundation Service on Azure.  With this new service, we’ve made it possible to skip installing and managing build machines and just use a pool of build machines that we manage in the cloud. And, of course, you can do more than just build – like with on-premises TFS, you can run a default workflow that includes, compilation, testing, etc or you can create a custom workflow that does whatever you like.

        Note that Team Foundation Service is still a pre-release offering. We’re working very hard on it and you should stay tuned to a lot more improvements in the coming months. We are releasing new capabilities to the service about every 3 weeks. In one of our recent updates, we changed our Terms of Service to more clearly express that the service can be used to “go-live” production projects and not just test and experimentation.

        Team Foundation Service is a great, real life example of providing software as a service.  Are you ready to provide your software as a service to your customers, where they can get started in a matter of minutes, without having to go through provisioning, installing and configuring an entire infrastructure? 

        Here’s is how you can get started with the Windows Azure Platform:

        1. Setup an Account:

        Set up an account and obtain a free subscription for accessing the online portals for Windows Azure an SQL Azure. You can sign up and get the free trial from http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/pricing/free-trial/.
        Note: With the new spending limit functionality available you are assured that no charging is happening once your trial offer has expired.

        2. Create your First application and Deploy it on the Windows Azure Platform:

        Download the tools and learn how to create an application using .NET, JAVA, Node.js or PHP and deploy it on Windows Azure at http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/develop/overview/

        3. Attend one of our free Azure events:

        Get hands-on overview of the entire platform during a two-day Azure Camp at the Microsoft Innovation Center (MIC) Brussels.  Or get an introduction on how Azure can be beneficial for your ISV business in one of our Azure business sessions ().

        Did you know that for Microsoft Partners with the Silver or Gold ISV competency, you are entitled to software benefits. Included in these benefits is Visual Studio Premium with MSDN, which entitles you to use Team Foundation Server.

      3. Nick's ISV Blog

        MIC Brussels organizes Windows 8 project call

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        Last week was memorable for Microsoft BeLux: first we launched the Microsoft Innovation Center (MIC) Vlaanderen, and at the end of the week we organized our Windows 8 anchor event

        In the slipstream of these events, MIC Brussels is launching a Windows 8 project call with the first info session this Wednesday, March 28.  More details on the ISV blog

         

        In the meantime, you can already get started with Windows 8:

        Explore documentation

        Explore the Documentation
        Our docs are optimized to make you more productive. Discover everything you need to plan, build, and sell great apps.


        Read Developer Guide

        Read the Developer Guide
        Windows 8 Consumer Preview introduces many powerful features for developers. Discover the new features for Desktop, Web, and Metro style app developers.


        DownloadDownload the Preview and tools
        Get the Consumer Preview and tools to build Metro style apps for Windows 8. Our free download includes Microsoft Visual Studio 11 Express Beta for Windows 8 and Blend for Visual Studio 11 Beta to help jumpstart your project.

      4. Nick's ISV Blog

        TechDays 2012: session recordings, slides and content online

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        If you missed TechDays 2012 in Belgium (Braine l’Alleud), there is no way to bring you back the whole 10th anniversary experience. That’s the bad news, the good news however is that we go a long way and bring you a recorded video of each of the sessions so you can learn from the best.

        From now on, you can
        browse all the sessions, view them online or download to your favorite media player and download the slides.

        TechDays Pictures

        TechDays Pictures

        TechDays Pictures

        TechDays Pictures

        TechDays Pictures

        We welcomed many top speakers like Scott Guthrie, Brian Keller, Jeff Prosise, … in the developer track and Ward Ralston, Corey Heynes, John Craddock, … in the IT Pro track.

        Discover now

        Happy learning and feel free to share your thoughts about TechDays 2012 via #techdaysbe!

        PS. The Microsoft Extended Experts Team (MEET) made this awesome video, interviewing attendees and sharing their thoughts about TechDays 2012.

      5. Nick's ISV Blog

        Get your company ready for Windows 8

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        Windows 8 Start ScreenAs Steven Sinofsky, president of the Windows and Windows Live Division, stated : “We reimagined Windows. From the chipset to the user experience, Windows 8 brings a new range of capabilities without compromise”.

        Last September at the BUILD conference, Microsoft announced the Windows 8 Developer Preview,  where we focused on presenting the new APIs and amazing new tools for developers. 

        On February 29th, at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, we unveiled the Windows 8 Consumer Preview, which is focused on a broader audience, and along with improvements to the WinRT APIs, we are introducing the full user experience, the Windows Store for apps, and early previews of some first- and third-party apps.

        Windows 8 brings great opportunities for your ISV business: grow your business by selling directly to millions of users, tap into new user scenarios by supporting new devices and form factors, and amaze your users with a fast and fluid and seamlessly connected user experience across their devices.  Of course there is a lot more to see and learn, and you’ll probably have a lot of questions.

        Windows 8 for ISVs

        To kick off this Windows 8 wave of innovation, the ISV Team is organizing the Windows 8 for ISVs event on March 23. During this event for business and technical decision makers, you’ll learn about Windows 8, how it will help your business and how to get your applications and your business prepared.  But of course you also want to make sure your developers are ready for the next version of Windows!  For them the Developer and Platform team is organizing in parallel the Windows 8 Developer Day, a day and night (!) packed with technical sessions to learn how to build great apps for Windows 8.

         

        Registration

         

        Agenda

        14:30 – 15:00 Registration and welcome
        15:00 – 15:20 Windows 8: Reimagine your future
        15:25 – 15:45 Metro Design – Your ticket to ride
        Windows 8 marks the next step in the evolution of the Metro design style. Through the bold use of color, typography and motion, Metro design style brings a fresh new approach to user experience. In this session we will share the design principles behind Metro and provide insights for how to apply these principles in apps that you build.
        15:50 – 16:10 Selling your apps to millions of customers
        See the many ways you can monetize your app across a global audience and learn how Windows Store analytics and feedback help you understand and adapt your app’s user experience.
        16:15 – 16:35 Devices and Services
        So, you’re building apps that span multiple devices apps and you’re curious about what the cloud can offer. Is it possible to deploy scalable Web apps and services on Windows Azure? How about storing data in the cloud? Is it possible to use the cloud for push notifications to the device?
        16:40 – 17:00 How to prepare your apps for Windows 8
        Do you have existing Windows apps? We'll show you the "compatible by design" principles and features of Windows 8 for future-ready desktop apps. Through this session, you will discover how to make your desktop apps work harmoniously alongside Metro style apps and how to position your app for the future by applying new Metro style design principles.
        17:00 – … Closing drink

         

        Location

        Sportoase Philipssite

        Philipssite 6, Leuven

         

        Get prepared for this event

      6. Nick's ISV Blog

        Join the Belgian Experts and Microsoft Corp Product team for 12 hours of SQL Server 2012

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        12hofsql 

        Join us for the 12 hours of SQL Server 2012, the next release of the Microsoft Cloud-Ready Information Platform that is scheduled to be released in the first half of 2012. During the 12 hours of SQL Server 2012 we'll offer you 12 webcasts over 12 hours starting 12:12 CET on February 24th (too bad February 12th is a Sunday).

        Together with our 12 speakers, both local and international, we'll walk you through the all new innovations we're bringing to the platform, or as we call them "The Fantastic 12 of SQL Server 2012". Our speakers will dive into all the new things around Business Intelligence, Tier-1 Performance & Reliability, the Manageability enhancements and of course the Cloud readiness and integration of SQL Server 2012 and SQL Azure.

        Make sure to Register Today and explore the next release of SQL Server 2012 together with us.

        Agenda:

        Timing Title
        12:12-13:12 Partially Contained Databases
        13:12-14:12 An introduction to Data Quality Services (DQS)
        14:12-15:12 Power View from the Data Visualisation Perspective
        15:12-16:12 Building your first Analysis Services Tabular BI Semantic model with SQL Server 2012
        16:12-17:12 What's new in Integration Services 2012?
        17:12-18:12 Manageability Enhancements of SQL Server 2012
        18:12-19:12 Building the Perfect BI Semantic Tabular models for Power View
        19:12-20:12 SQL Server 2012 and Big Data
        20:12-21:12 Extending your data to the cloud
        21:12-22:12 Database Schema Management & Deployment using SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT)
        22:12-23:12 Inside SQL Azure: Self Governing, Self-Healing, Massively Scalable Database Service in the Cloud
        23:12-00:12 Performance and High-Availability at Scale with SQL Server 2012
      7. Nick's ISV Blog

        Bring your idea to life- turn it into an app

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        Nokia WP7Windows Phone 7.5 brings dozens of new platform features to Windows Phone. When you have previously built an application for Windows Phone, you might ask yourself, "How do I take advantage of all these cool new features in my existing Windows Phone application?"

        Check out the full post from my colleague David Hernie: http://www.mytic.be/blog/dhe/Lists/Billets/Post.aspx?ID=91

      8. Nick's ISV Blog

        Win a Nokia Lumia 800 by filling out our developer survey

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        nokia-lumia-800-all-300x300

        Your feedback is valuable to us and that is why we kindly invite you to take our short European developer survey. We promise it won't take more than 5 minutes.

        Grab your chance now to win a Nokia Lumia 800 Windows Phone!

        Thank you very much for your time & good luck.

        hh770390_start-dev-survey(de-ch,MSDN_10)

      9. Nick's ISV Blog

        TechDays 2012 full agenda online & Scott Guthrie for developer opening session

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        Less than one month to go! As we approach TechDays 2012 be sure to secure your spot before we sell out! The full agenda is now available: we invite you to have a closer look and pick your favorite sessions.

        For our 10th anniversary edition we got ourselves a special gift ... Scott Guthrie (aka The Gu) will deliver the Opening Session for developers on February 14!

        Opening Session by Scott Guthrie

        Top Speakers

        Join a mix of international third-party and Microsoft speakers paired with some of our local heroes. Some names are:

        - In the Developer track: Alex Turner, Brian Keller, Bart De Smet, Gill Cleeren, Jeff Prosise, Maarten Balliauw, Matt Milner, Ben Riga, Steve Sanderson, Rob Miles, Tarek Madkour, Wade Wegner
        - In the IT Pro track: John Craddock, Kurt Roggen, Ilse Van Criekinge, Adam Hall, Corey Hynes, Kim Oppalfens, Mike Resseler, Dan Holme


        TechDays Full Agenda Now Available

        This year promises to bring a lot of new content from Microsoft. Looking at the next versions of tooling, languages, OS and management you know this is not a standard TechDays event. Our content is split into current and upcoming technology. You can take advantage of filtering options on the website in order to build your custom agenda by adding sessions to your calendar through the export icon. By choosing a filter on the main themes you can have your Chinese sessions menu.


        Register now


        Deep Dives (February 16)

        Peter Himschoot and Jurgen Postelmans (U2U) will be delivering a full day deep dive covering all the latest and greatest in .NET 4.5, focusing on Web Development with ASP.NET (both WebForms and MVC), HTML5 and WCF. Come spend a full day with us to dive into next-generation web development.

        Rhonda Layfield
        will be delivering a full day deep dive covering all the different tools and techniques to deploy Windows 7, she will also cover the upcoming Windows OS deployment tools.

        Mike Resseler & Tom Shinder
        will deliver a full day covering private cloud topics, including Management and Operations of your private cloud infrastructure.

        Please note that 1 day tickets for the Deep Dives Day are SOLD OUT. Other packages are still available: register here.

          
        Entrepreneur Track (February 15)

        New at TechDays 2012 is the Entrepreneur Track: a full day to learn from best practices in the industry, meet the owners of successful startups and learn from their experiences as an IT entrepreneur.

        This track is organized in close collaboration with the Microsoft Innovation Centers – the MICs are supporting entrepreneurs and startups to boost their IT projects into a successful business enterprises.

        It is possible to register separately for this track. MIC members should contact the MIC directly as there is an offering from the MIC.


        Dynamics Sessions (February 14)

        In an effort to broaden the topics of the conference there will also be 3 sessions about Microsoft Dynamics on the TechDays agenda. All 3 of them are scheduled on February 14:

        10:45 – 12:00
        Microsoft SharePoint 2010 and Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 – Better Together
        Wim Coorevits

        13:00 – 14:15
        Integrating on premise Line Of Business applications with CRM Online
        Sam Vanhoutte

        14:30 – 15:45
        Extending the reach of your Microsoft Dynamics AX Application with the next-gen tools
        Jeroen Doens

         
        About TechDays 2012

        Join our 10th anniversary edition in a new location (Kinepolis Imagibraine - Braine l'Alleud) and learn about:

        • Windows & Internet Explorer
        • Windows Server 8 & Hyper-V
        • Windows Phone 7 development
        • System Center 2012 & Windows Intune
        • Tooling and languages with Visual Studio, C# and VB Futures
        • Windows 8 Metro Style applications runtime and apps
        • Cloud development with Windows Azure Platform
        • Web development with HTML5, JavaScript and ASP.NET
        • ...

        Questions? Connect with us on Twitter, Facebook or simply via e-mail.

      10. Nick's ISV Blog

        Participate in “The Imagine Cup 2012”, the world’s premier student technology competition. Deadline for registration is coming closer

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        image The StudentsAppsVenture contest has just been closed, or another very renowned international competition is waiting for you : “Imagine Cup 2012”. In addition to the prestigious category “Software design”, there are 4 other very interesting competitions in which you can participate as individual student or in groups up to 4 participants.

        Sign up for the Imagine Cup. It is an amazing experience!

        What makes it so exciting ?

        · You work on a topic that interest you the most – though related to “millennium development goals” ( eradicate poverty and hunger, education for all, sustainability, improve maternal health, reduce child mortality, ..)

        · You will use all various skillsets : project management, technical development and communication skills

        · You discover in-depth the technology and will be encouraged to go the extra mile, via e-learning and or coaching

        · You will be able to network with peers ( participating students and academic coaches)

        · Big prices : the best Belgian teams in each category will be able to join the international contest in Sydney from July 6-10. Travel and participation costs will be completely covered for you. On top of that, the best international team (being the winners of each category) can win a prize ranging from 3.000USD up to 25.000USD!

         

        How can you participate ?

        There are different categories, with focus on different technologies. You will certainly find the category that fits best your core skills/interest.

        Have a look at the different categories, presented in a nutshell.

         

        You can still register, but act now : select carefully your category and topic to work !

        Category

        Short description

        Rules

        DEADLINE for registration and 1st round

        Software design

        In this ultimate category, participants will develop innovative, dynamic and powerful software applications. It is the ideal competition to demonstrate your ideas and technical ingenuity.

        info

        March 13, 2012

        Windows Phone Challenge

        Develop a Phone App (Imagine Cup theme). Ensure it is a practical application with a strong content and an appealing look and feel.

        info

        March 13, 2012

        Azure challenge

        Use the Azure Cloud computing platform in an innovative way to develop a powerful web application that answers one of the challenges of the millennium targets.

        info

        March 13, 2012

        Game design: Xbox/Windows

        Create a “fun game” that illustrates the Imagine Cup themes. Above all, the game should be fun to play and illustrate how technology can impact positively the world in which we live.

        info

        February 14, 2012

        Game design phone competition

        Develop a creative and technically unique phone game in line with the Imagine Cup themes. Do not forget a high fun factor !

        info

        February 14, 2012

        For all categories, except Software design, the will be a first and second round, managed completely by Corp. Please read carefully through the info on each category to find out:

        -  the different milestones

        - The selection criteria (and their importance in judging process)

        Get additional inspiration from last year winners : http://blogs.msdn.com/b/academicbelux/archive/2011/11/08/irish-imagine-cup-winners-2011-on-visit-in-european-parliament-and-revealed-the-save-road-to-success.aspx

        Should you have any further question, feel free to contact the Academic Program Manager or post your question on Facebook group : http://www.facebook.com/#!/MicrosoftAcademicBelux

        Good luck.. and hope to see you and your teammates in Sydney !

      11. Nick's ISV Blog

        PhoneGap now fully supports Windows Phone

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        Back in September, Microsoft joined Nitobi to announce a Beta of PhoneGap support for Windows Phone Mango, and at the same time committed to continue working with the PhoneGap Open Source project community to help bring full support.

        PhoneGap by Nitobi is an open source mobile framework that enables developers to build applications targeting multiple platforms, by using standard web technologies (HTML5, CSS and JavaScript). This release extends the cross-platform capabilities of PhoneGap, giving more choice to developers in need of a programming environment allowing them to easily deliver the same mobile experience to their users across the various existing and prominent mobile operating systems.

         

        image

        In addition to being able to leverage their HTML5 and Javascript skills to target Windows Phone, developers can now enjoy a selection of PhoneGap Plugins that support social networks and a solid integration into Visual Studio Express for Windows Phone. The plugins are:

        • Facebook JS SDK
        • Twitter/LinkedIn/WindowsLive status retriever
        • Bing Maps Launcher
        • LiveTile Update

        This release includes many new features, and you can find more details here

        Resources

        Other resources

      12. Nick's ISV Blog

        How can your business benefit from SQL Server 2012? Learn from the early adopters

        • 2 Comments

        We have already talked about the availability of the release candidate of SQL Server 2012.  There are a lot of great features in this new release of the product, which your business can benefit from.  That’s why we’re excited to announce the publication of the first SQL Server 2012 case studies. 

        http://beluxisvpartnerblog.wordpress.com/2012/01/10/how-can-your-business-benefit-from-sql-server-2012-learn-from-the-early-adopters/

         

        You can get started using the new features or validating the compatibility of your application with the upcoming SQL Server 2012 by taking the following easy steps:

      13. Nick's ISV Blog

        Azure Spotlight: Agilys myShopi combines mobile and cloud

        • 0 Comments

        Agilys LogoAgilys is a Belgian startup company, based in Braine-l’Alleud, involved in mobile development, building mobile applications and Internet sites.  They are a member of the Microsoft BizSpark program, giving them have access to Microsoft software, support and a worldwide ecosystem of peers and partners.

        myShopi Logo

        Are you always writing down the same shopping items again and again, only to find out afterwards that you didn’t bring that one important item. Read more about it on the Belux ISV blog

        http://beluxisvpartnerblog.wordpress.com/2012/01/09/azure-spotlight-agilys-myshopi-combines-mobile-and-cloud/

         

        Do you want to be the next one to feature your cloud application here? You can get started with the Windows Azure platform in 2 easy steps:

        1. Setup an Account:

        Set up an account and obtain a free subscription for accessing the online portals for Windows Azure an SQL Azure. You can sign up and get the free trial from http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/pricing/free-trial/.
        Note: With the new spending limit functionality available you are assured that no charging is happening once your trial offer has expired.

        2. Create your First application and Deploy it on the Windows Azure Platform:

        Download the tools and learn how to create an application using .NET, JAVA, Node.js or PHP and deploy it on Windows Azure at http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/develop/overview/

        When all steps are executed successfully you should have your first application running on the Windows Azure Platform. Let us know about it and maybe you’ll be in the spotlights!

        Windows Azure Logo

      14. Nick's ISV Blog

        ALM Summit 2011 recordings available on Channel9

        • 0 Comments

        Last November we hosted the annual ALM Summit at the Microsoft Conference Center in Redmond, where luminaries from across the software industry presented, covering the evolution of practices across both the Microsoft and OSS communities.

        Attending the the ALM Summit allows you to gain deeper insight into your application lifecycle. You also discover and learn about industry best practices that address additional development challenges, and how Microsoft's ALM Solutions enable and support those best practices.

        In addition to offering over 30 sessions on current technologies the ALM Summit gives a glimpse into the future of the next generation ALM Tools with 7 sessions delivered by the Visual Studio 11 product team members.

        Some of the key speakers we’ve had at the event were:

        Tim Lister Jason Zander Scott Guthrie Thomas Grant Mark Russinovich Brian Harry

        Tim Lister
        Author
         

        Jason Zander
        Corporate VP
        Microsoft

        Scott Guthrie
        Corporate VP
        Microsoft

        Thomas Grant
        Senior Analyst
        Forrester Research

        Mark Russinovich
        Technical Fellow
        Microsoft

        Brian Harry
        Technical Fellow
        Microsoft

         

         

         

         

         

         

        For those who have missed the ALM Summit 2011 or if you want to watch some of the sessions again, we have put the recordings of all keynote, plenary presentations and breakout sessions online on Microsoft Channel 9 Events.

         

        Get started with Microsoft’s ALM Solutions today:

         

        To learn about the next generation of ALM Tools:

      15. Nick's ISV Blog

        Try Windows Azure Risk-Free: spending limits explained

        • 0 Comments

        Windows Azure: Unlimited possibilities

        A few weeks ago, at the Learn Windows Azure event, we announced a series of new features for the Windows Azure platform, one of which was the introduction of a spending limit for newly provisioned trial and MSDN offers.

        Our US colleague, Jim O’Neil, has written two posts explaining in detail how to register for the trial and all ins and outs of the spending limit feature – definitely worth a read!

        http://blogs.msdn.com/b/jimoneil/archive/2011/12/28/the-new-improved-no-risk-windows-azure-trial.aspx

        http://blogs.msdn.com/b/jimoneil/archive/2011/12/27/windows-azure-trial-account-spending-limit.aspx

         

        Get started with the Windows Azure platform today in 2 easy steps:

        1. Setup an Account:

        Set up an account and obtain a risk-free subscription for accessing the online portals for Windows Azure an SQL Azure. You can sign up and get the free trial from http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/pricing/free-trial/.

        2. Create your First application and Deploy it on the Windows Azure Platform:

        Download the tools and learn how to create an application using .NET, JAVA, Node.js or PHP and deploy it on Windows Azure at http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/develop/overview/

        When all steps are executed successfully you should have your first application running on the Windows Azure Platform. Let us know about it and maybe you’ll be in the spotlights!

      16. Nick's ISV Blog

        Azure Spotlight: Numeri’zik Robot Stream Goes Cloudy

        • 0 Comments

        Numerizik LogoNumeri’zik is a Belgian startup company that is involved in the digitization of media and new ways of communication. They are a member of the Microsoft BizSpark program, through which they have access to Microsoft software, support and a worldwide ecosystem of peers and partners.

        Robot Stream LogoCompanies need to communicate to their employees about internal events, organizational changes, HR-related announcements, etc. Often email or other electronic communication is not appropriate and a more personal approach is needed. However, bringing all employees together in one physical location may not always be possible for different reasons.

        NumeriBoxNumeri’zik has built the Robot Stream application, which provides companies and institutions with an Enterprise Radio that gives them an innovative, fun and informal way to communicate with their employees. Through Robot Stream, you can integrate information messages in a music stream and target them at all or specific groups of employees, regardless of their location. Whether it’s in the coffee corner, during lunch in the cafeteria, on the PC or smartphone, you can reach anyone, anywhere in the organization.

        With support from the Microsoft Innovation Center in Mons, Numeri’zik has developed the Robot Stream solution using Microsoft’s Cloud Computing platform. The streaming server is hosted in Windows Azure and which can communicate with an on-premise Robot Stream appliance (NumeriBox).

        By leveraging Microsoft’s cloud computing platform, Numeri’zik can offer its customers a solution that is highly available without having to invest in and manage a server infrastructure. At the same time, as the number of Robot Stream users fluctuates the platform can flexibly scale up or down, optimizing the operational cost.

        Follow Numeri’zik:

        clip_image006[4]clip_image008

         

        Do you want to be the next one to feature your cloud application here?  You can get started with the Windows Azure platform in 2 easy steps:

        1. Setup an Account:

        Set up an account and obtain a free subscription for accessing the online portals for Windows Azure an SQL Azure. You can sign up and get the free trial from http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/pricing/free-trial/.
        Note: With the new capping functionality available you are assured that no charging is happening once your trial offer has expired.

        2. Create your First application and Deploy it on the Windows Azure Platform:

        Download the tools and learn how to create an application using .NET, JAVA, Node.js or PHP and deploy it on Windows Azure at http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/develop/overview/

        When all steps are executed successfully you should have your first application running on the Windows Azure Platform. Let us know about it and maybe you’ll be in the spotlights!

        clip_image0046

      17. Nick's ISV Blog

        TechDays 2012 Developer Content and Deep Dive Updates

        • 0 Comments

        During next year’s TechDays 2012 running February 14 to 16th you’ve got the chance to choose between Developer or IT-Professional tracks, covering more than 70 unique sessions. Take a look at the online session listing and speakers where you can see for yourself and have your preferred agenda in mind.
        Just in time for the end of the early bird, ending today!

        Developer content focus

        The TechDays developer focus we have is make sure developers get a head-start on the platform and tools such as the next generation of Visual Studio Tools and Languages, ALM, Cloud, Web and Mobile as well as learning how to build applications that leverage cloud services and target multiple devices.
        At the same time we also ensure there are enough sessions that go deep on current technology learning’s and real world architectures.

        Top speakers

        This year we are welcome some of the regulars as well as some new faces. Speakers like Jeff Prosise, Bart De Smet, Brian Keller, Wade Wegner, Tarek Madkour, Matt Milner and more. Alex Turner is also back after a few years away, as is Nikhil Kothari the creator of Script#. From over the English channel we are welcoming Steve Sanderson and Richard Finn for the first time, as is Rob Miles joining us for the second year.

        Local speaker favorites and again a few new faces for TechDays: Gill Cleeren, Maarten Balliauw, Kevin Dockx and Sam Vanhoutte, and Peter Himschoot and Jurgen Postelmans for the post-conference deep dive.

        As for the keynote: we still have an announcement to be made there once we are ready to confirm.

        Post-conference deep dive

        This year the developer deep dive on “Web Development Futures” is delivered by Jurgen Postelmans and Peter Himschoot from U2U. Peter and Jurgen prepared a full day of sessions focusing on Visual Studio 11 for web development, ASP.NET (4.5) Web Forms, ASP.NET MVC 4, HTML5 and WCF. If you are looking at how to leverage new tooling for HTML5 and JavaScript development, target multiple devices, take advantage of new ASP.NET features you should not miss this deep dive.

        Techdays_352x193[5]

      18. Nick's ISV Blog

        TechDays 2012: 80% of agenda online and 1 more week to benefit from 15% discount

        • 0 Comments

        Just 1 more week to benefit from a 15% discount on your ticket for TechDays 2012: the Early Bird pricing ends on December 21. Registrations are coming in strong, so be sure to secure your spot before we sell out!


        Top Speakers

        Developer Track
        Alex Turner

        Brian Keller

        Jeff Prosise
        IT Pro Track
        Corey Hynes

        John Craddock

        Adam Hall

        We are happy to confirm speakers like:

        - In the Developer track: Alex Turner, Brian Keller, Bart De Smet, Gill Cleeren, Jeff Prosise, Maarten Balliauw, Matt Milner, Ben Riga, Steve Sanderson, Nikhil Kothari, Rob Miles, Tarek Madkour, Wade Wegner

        - In the IT Pro track: John Craddock, Kurt Roggen, Ilse Van Criekinge, Adam Hall, Corey Hynes, Kim Oppalfens, Mike Resseler, Dan Holme 

        International speakers are teamed up with our local experts to give you a top content mix.


        TechDays program: 80% of agenda is finalized

        This year promises to bring a lot of new content from Microsoft. Looking at the next versions of tooling, languages, OS and management you know this is not a standard TechDays event. Our content is split into current and upcoming technology.

        Deep Dives (February 16)

        Peter Himschoot and Jurgen Postelmans (U2U) will be delivering a full day .NET 4.5 and Visual Studio (Dev11) Futures for Web Development Deep Dive covering all the latest and greatest in .NET 4.5, focusing on Web Development with ASP.NET, HTML5 and WCF.

        Rhonda Layfield will be delivering a full day deep dive covering all the different tools and techniques to deploy Windows 7, she will also cover the upcoming Windows OS deployment tools.

        Mike Resseler & Tom Shinder will deliver a full day covering private cloud topics, including Management and Operations of your private cloud infrastructure.


        About TechDays 2012

        Join our 10th anniversary edition in a new location (Kinepolis Imagibraine - Braine l'Alleud) and learn about:
        • Windows & Internet Explorer
        • Windows Server 8 & Hyper-V
        • Windows Phone 7 development
        • System Center 2012 & Windows Intune
        • Tooling and languages with Visual Studio, C# and VB Futures
        • Next generation apps
        • Cloud development with Windows Azure Platform
        • Web development with HTML5, JavaScript and ASP.NET
        • ...

        > REGISTER NOW

        Hope to see you at the TechDays 2012!

        Questions? Connect with us on Twitter, Facebook or simply via e-mail.

      19. Nick's ISV Blog

        New Windows Azure Site and Features Available Today

        • 0 Comments

        Today we released the new Windows Azure Website with improved billing, management and SQL Azure capabilities. The site is in English today with localized versions planned to roll out next year

        A highlight of the new features include:

        • Implementation of “Spending caps” where you can eliminate the risk of being charged by setting a €0 cap or reduce risk of large bills from unexpected usage by setting a higher cap and receiving alerts as they approach the cap.
        • SQL Azure database size increased from 50GB to 150GB and lowered prices
        • SQL Azure also has a new sharding feature along with SQL Azure Federation that enables you to build applications that are virtually unlimited in size
        • Open Source Experience with an updated Java SDK, a new SDK for Node.js that makes Windows Azure a first-class environment and new limited preview of Hadoop on Windows Azure
        • Simplified billing/reporting experience that integrates directly into the Management Portal
        • ISO 27001 compliant (public certification coming next month)

        On Tuesday December 13th after European Business hours, Microsoft will be holding a special Windows Azure event for developers. Join us LIVE from the Microsoft Redmond Campus to learn how to get started building applications for the cloud from Microsoft technical leaders Scott Guthrie, Dave Campbell, and Mark Russinovich. More details can be found here.

        You can start building your application on it in some simple and easy to do steps:

        1. Setup an Account:

        Set up an account and obtain a free subscription for accessing the online portals for Windows Azure an SQL Azure. You can sign up and get the trial from http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/pricing/free-trial/.

        Note: With the new capping functionality available you are assured that no charging is happening once your trial offer has expired.

        2. Create your First application and Deploy it on the Windows Azure Platform:

        Download the tools and learn how to create an application using .NET, JAVA, Node.js or PHP and deploy it on Windows Azure at http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/develop/overview/

        When all steps are executed successfully you should have running your first application on the Windows Azure Platform.

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