New Zealand ISV Blog

BizSpark New Zealand Exclusive: Create a Virtual Machine in Windows Azure and be in to win an Acer slate!

2013-04-17T04:17:00Z

We are proud to announce an exclusive competition for New Zealand BizSpark Startups. Get a solid understanding of Virtual Machines in Windows Azure and be in to win an Acer Iconia W510 Slate!

We have announced the general availability release of our Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) support for Windows Azure, where you can easily deploy and run Windows Server and Linux virtual machines in minutes!

To celebrate, we want to encourage New Zealand startups on BizSpark to try Windows Azure and create a new Virtual Machine.

If you are not on BizSpark yet it is not too late - go to the BizSpark sign up page to review the requirements and apply. We have recently written about the technology benefits of the program.

Please read on for details on the competition.

Prize & Dates

Your first prize will be learning more about Windows Azure! But the main prize is a chance to win an Acer Iconia W510 slate running Windows 8.

Eligible entries must be New Zealand participants who enter before 11:59pm on 13 June 2013

So what are you waiting for!? Let's see how you can enter...

How To Enter:

There are two parts to entering the competition:

1: Create a Small Virtual Machine on Azure
Follow these steps to create your Virtual Machine for the competition:

a. Activate your BizSpark MSDN Subscription. Disregard this step if you already have it, otherwise follow this:

i. Go to the My BizSpark page on the BizSpark Website and login with the same Microsoft account(Windows Live ID) you used to sign up to BizSpark.
ii. Click on the “Get your free software” link in the middle of the page
iii. Click on "Download Microsoft Software (via MSDN)". It may take up to 6 hours for the subscription to be activated.

b. Activate your Azure Subscription associated with an MSDN account. Just remember to sign in with the same account used to sign up for BizSpark and the MSDN Subscription.

c. Create your Virtual Machine! There are many ways to create a new Virtual Machine on Windows Azure (Quick Create, from the Gallery, or through the VM Depot). Scott Guthrie talks about them in his blog. Here’s instructions for the Quick Create:

i. Sign into the Windows Azure Management Portal and click the big plus sign at the bottom of the page:

ii. Go into Compute -> Virtual Machine -> Quick Create, and fill out the details for a new small size Virtual Machine of your choice at the datacentre of your choice, and then click on Create a Virtual Machine:

iii. Your virtual machine will go through its provisioning stages: first as Starting (Provisioning), then change to Starting, then Running (Provisioning) then finally Running. Once it has changed to Running click on the Virtual Machine name:

iv. Then click on Dashboard at the top:

v. And voilá! Take a screenshot of the Virtual Machine dashboard to send to us like this:

That’s it! You now have a Virtual Machine running on Windows Azure, you can connect to it using the Connect button which gives you an RDP access to it for you to play around. Perhaps install a web server on it and open port 80 to expose a website? To learn more, go to the Windows Azure Virtual Machines page.

2: Send us the details

Once you are up and running, email us three pieces of information: a Printscreen of the dashboard of you new Virtual Machine where the details on the page are readable; your contact details; and the Microsoft account (formerly Live ID) associated with the Windows Azure subscription used to create the virtual machine.

Important Notes

- Your Windows Azure MSDN Subscription activation comes with a $0 spending limit by default so you don’t need to worry about getting charged. The credit card step is for identification purposes and in case you switch to a full Azure subscription later or remove the spending limit.
- If using an existing subscription with spending limit turned off, or if you turn off the spending limit feature, you are responsible for ensuring the virtual machine doesn’t go over your allocation, and accept that there might be charges.

Good luck, and thank you in advance for participating!

BizSpark Virtual Machine in Windows Azure Competition - Terms and Conditions:

Eligibility
1. By entering this competition you agree to be bound by these terms and conditions.
2. To be eligible for the competition, you must be a New Zealand Resident.
How to enter
3. To enter you must:
          (a) email msdnnz@microsoft.com before 11:59pm on 13 June 2013, with a printscreen of the dashboard of your new Virtual Machine from the Windows Azure Management Portal, the Microsoft account associated with the Windows Azure subscription used to create the virtual machine, and your contact details
          (b) The Virtual Machine and the competition entry must be associated with an MSDN Subscription of a currently active New Zealand BizSpark startup member.
4. Use of the Windows Azure website, including creating your account, signing up for new offers, and changing your contact and billing information is subject to the Windows Azure Terms of Use.
5. Prizes and award criteria:
         (a) Only one entry per Windows Azure subscription is allowed
         (b) Each and every valid entry created and submitted by 11:59pm on 13 June 2013 will go in the random draw to win one Acer Iconia W510 tablet.
General
6. Prizes will be allocated on the 14th of June 2013, and winners will be notified by the 21st of June 2013, via the email address used to submit the entry to msdnnz@microsoft.com, as specified in clause 3.
7. Microsoft is not responsible for entries not received and incomplete, illegible, 'hacked' or otherwise fraudulent entries are not valid.
8. Prizes will be delivered to a New Zealand address that each winner nominates, at Microsoft's expense.
9. It is a condition of accepting any prize that the prize winner agrees to participate in publicity generated by Microsoft (or Microsoft’s marketing partners), and agrees to the use of their name and photo for promotional purposes.
10. Employees of Microsoft (and each of their immediate family members) and independent contractors of Microsoft (and each of their immediate family members) are not eligible to enter.
11. Prizes are not transferable or redeemable for cash. If you are unable or unwilling to accept your prize, Microsoft may award it to an alternate winner.
12. If you accept a prize you will be solely responsible for all applicable taxes related to accepting the prize.
13. If for any reason an advertised prize is unavailable, Microsoft may substitute the advertised prize for another prize which has approximately the same recommended retail price.
14. If there is a dispute as to who submitted the winning entry, the winner will be the authorized account holder of the Microsoft account associated with the Windows Azure subscription used to create the Virtual Machine. Entries submitted in to the draw must be submitted by the actual owner of the Microsoft account.
15. Microsoft New Zealand Limited is the promoter of this prize draw and may modify these terms and conditions without notice.
16. Microsoft reserves the right to cancel, suspend or change the competition or any element of the competition for any reason, including any cancellation, suspension or change necessitated by any event outside Microsoft’s control.
17. The judge's decision in relation to the winners or any other aspect of this prize draw is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
18. Microsoft may disqualify, from participating in this prize draw, any person who tampers with the entry process, or submits an entry not in accordance with these terms and conditions.
19. Microsoft is committed to complying with the Government gift and ethics policies. Employees and independent contractors of the Government must adhere to gift and ethics policies applicable to them when entering this prize draw or accepting any prize.
20. Microsoft is not responsible for any problems or technical malfunction of any telephone network or lines, servers or providers, or any combination thereof. Nor is it responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information caused by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilised in this prize draw, or by any technical or human error that may occur in the course of the administration of this prize draw.
21. To the extent permitted by law, Microsoft, its retailers, suppliers, associated companies and agencies will not be liable to you for any direct, indirect or consequential loss or damage whatsoever, including personal injury, which is suffered as a result of, or arising from, your participation in the prize draw or winning (or not winning) any prize.
22. Microsoft is not responsible for any credit card charges incurred as a result of, or arising from, the use of your Windows Azure account. We recommend that you use a new 3-month trial subscription, or activate the benefits of an MSDN subscription, for your entry. In both of these cases, a Windows Azure 'spending limit' of $0 will be enabled by default. Removing this spending limit, or using a Windows Azure subscription that does not have a spending limit, will leave your credit card open to incurring charges. Note that, once disabled, a spending limit cannot be re-enabled.
23. At Microsoft, we are committed to protecting your privacy. Microsoft will collect and use your details for the purposes of running this prize draw and to send you promotional material that may be of interest to you, as set out in clause 24 below. You can access or request correction of your details by emailing uptodate@microsoft.com.
24. By entering this competition, you consent to Microsoft New Zealand Limited sending you marketing and promotional material by email or using any of your other contact details Microsoft may have.
25. Microsoft reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to withhold the award of any or all prizes if entries do not meet the criteria set out in these terms and conditions.

The New Zealand Windows Azure Application Showcase: Find.ly

2013-04-15T21:58:02Z

Microsoft's public cloud platform, Windows Azure, has seen considerable growth in its adoption by the hundreds of New Zealand startups on the BizSpark program, and thousands of ISVs, SMEs and large enterprise customers.

We have put together a booklet that illustrates a subset of the amazing work that New Zealand software businesses are doing on the Windows Azure platform, creating not just remarkable solutions but solutions that have the potential to go global. Get a copy of the booklet here:

http://aka.ms/nzazure

This is the steventh blog post of a series where we feature the companies in the booklet. This week we are featuring Find.ly, a very successful service that helps companies instantly hire the right person at the push of a button.

find.ly helps companies cut 100% of their recruiting costs and solve all their talent acquisition problems – for good.

Built entirely on Windows Azure, find.ly builds large social networks of people who become ‘talent acquisition ambassadors’ for a brand. Its cloud based services can engage and motivate these ambassadors to apply for jobs or refer their friends to.

find.ly stunned a major retailer by driving more applicants to its jobs than the combined marketing forces of Monster, Indeed, CareerBuilder and SimplyHired – in less than six months.

From volume recruitment to hard-to-fill hires, find.ly removes cost, finds better people, fills jobs – and it all runs and scales seamlessly on the Microsoft Windows Azure platform.

.http://find.ly

Contact us by posting a comment or by emailing the blog author for any queries or if you’d like to tells us about your application or service on Windows Azure.

Not using Azure yet?

BizSpark Program for Technology Startups: Software, Cloud and Developer Benefits

2013-02-28T03:28:27Z

I manage the BizSpark program in New Zealand. BizSpark was created by Microsoft to help foster innovation and to invest in the future of the industry, while also gives startups an entry point to become a Microsoft partner.

There are a few different ways in which we help the startups on the program, both on technical and non-technical perspectives. On the technical side there are A LOT of benefits, and these technical benefits are what I am covering in this post. You can pick and choose which benefits you take advantage of.

Most these benefits are tied to an MSDN Ultimate Subscription that you receive on signing up. MSDN Subscriptions are how Microsoft provide you with the tools, platforms, and services you need to successfully develop and test your applications.

How do I get my MSDN Subscription and the benefits?

First thing is to get accepted into BizSpark – your startup needs to be:

Less than 5 years old
Creating software or an online solutions that will eventually be the main source of revenue for the company (i.e., no pure software consulting or services companies)
Making less than US$1 million in revenue per year
Privately held

If you fit that criteria and are not in the program yet, apply here! One tip: make sure you have a website, and make sure to add as much detail as possible in the Company Description field so we can review it properly.

Once you’ve been accepted, you will receive a ‘Welcome to BizSpark!’ email that tells you how to get MSDN: you sign in to your My BizSpark on the BizSpark Website and login with the same Microsoft Account that you used to sign up for BizSpark, click on ‘Get your free software’ link, and then choose ‘Download Microsoft Software (via MSDN)’.

Once the enrolment process is complete you can download software and get product keys, access Windows Azure, get Technical Support and subscribe to the MSDN Magazine. (there is a short processing period and it may take up to 6 hours before your subscription is activated).

After your subscription is activated, rock up to the MSDN Subscriptions page, sign in with the same Microsoft Account you used for the BizSpark application (the little Sign In link on the top right), and you’re good to go.

If you click on the My Account tab: woa! it’s all there! See the links for Software download, technical incidents, Windows Store developer account, Windows phone developer account, Windows Azure, discounted MSDN Magazine, and others:

Let’s break some of these down.

Microsoft Software

The MSDN Ultimate subscription provides the startups access to software downloads (over 11 terabytes of Microsoft products) for developer and testing purposes. This includes most of what you can think of: Windows 8 (and older), Windows Server 2012 (and older), Visual Studio 2012 Ultimate (and others), Team Foundation Server, SQL Server, SharePoint Server, etc.

It’s worth noting that BizSpark also gives startups with some server production licenses too! See the list on the BizSpark FAQ page.

Windows Azure

It is hard to find a startup that won’t take advantage of Windows Azure – do you need to host a website (in your language of choice, of any size, from small to huge)? Do you need hosting for your complex multi-tiered Software-As-a-Service website solution? Are you looking for one or a network of Windows Server or Linux VMs to run any type of workload on? Need access to databases, cloud storage, big data, media services? Are you building a mobile solution that cuts across multiple platforms? Then Azure has the offering for you.

The Windows Azure page has a nice summary table of the benefits – just look at the MSDN Ultimate subscription column.

The Windows Azure ricing, billing and metering details page will explain how each service is metered, and if you are within the monthly benefits mentioned above you won’t have any charges.

It requires a credit card or debit card for sign-up, but for all new subscriptions there is a $0 Spending Limit so you do not accidentally exceed the monthly benefit mentioned above while developing or testing. If you use more in a month than the above amounts, you will exceed your $0 Spending Limit; you won’t get charged but your service will be disabled for that month. If you choose to turn off your Spending Limit in case you’re hosting production and wouldn't like your services to be disable if you go over, any usage each month in excess of the monthly benefit will be charged at the standard Pay-As-You-Go Rates.

With all this said, you can run quite a lot of stuff on your subscription before reaching the limit, so get cracking!

For some examples of local startups and ISVs running on Azure have a look at our ‘New Zealand Windows Azure Application Showcase’:

Windows Store and Windows Phone Developer Accounts

With the great adoption that Windows 8 and Windows Phone are having, creating apps for them should be high on your list of platforms to support! Just think of the over 690 million Windows 7 users that have now started moving to Windows 8!

Windows Store apps is a new type of app that is sold in the Windows Store and runs on Windows 8 devices. To publish an app to its marketplace you require a Windows Store developer account. And you know it: through MSDN you get a registration code that you can use when signing up as a Windows Store developer which will make your first year free.

Windows Phone apps follows the same story – to publish an app to its marketplace you require a Windows Phone developer account, and you also get a code for it from MSDN applies to your first year.

But Wait, There’s More: Microsoft Partner Network Benefits!

When you sign up to BizSpark you are also in the Microsoft Partner Network. Guess what? Any Microsoft partner can sign up for the Microsoft Cloud Essentials program anytime here – this gives you 25 internal seats of Office365 Enterprise, Microsoft CRM Online, and Microsoft Intune.

The Microsoft Cloud Essentials Pack gives you the opportunity to learn about and try the latest cloud software, online technical support, training and other resources from Microsoft at no charge. Ideally it is suited for partners just starting to build a Microsoft Online Services business. By leveraging Cloud Essentials benefits you will experience Microsoft cloud solutions

After your first year in order to maintain the 25 Internal Usage Licenses you need to have sold at least 25 seats – so if you think you will refer 25 other Office 365, CRM Online or Intune seats in your first year, Cloud Essentials is for you!

Office 365 Enterprise gives you virtually anywhere access to the Microsoft Office tools you know and rely on, plus business-class IT services that are easy to administer. This includes business-class email, file-sharing, conferencing, and other productivity services in the cloud.

With Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online, you get powerful CRM software delivered as a cloud service from Microsoft.

And finally, Windows Intune combines both cloud and on-premises capabilities to fit your PC and mobile device management needs:

The Partner Network program also helps you connect with other companies and be more visible. Check out some of the key opportunities for our partners to reach the Microsoft Partner community.

Conclusion

There is plenty more to the BizSpark program which you will learn about while you are in it, but I hope to have covered the main technical benefits here. Make sure you sign up for BizSpark and then utilize the benefits it gives you; or if you are in BizSpark already review the benefits you have and use them.

There are also plenty of non-technical support, from partner offers, to local contacts like me, opportunities to enter local and international competitions, and other opportunities as they come about (see my post about how TranscribeMe went to Demo Asia).

The New Zealand Windows Azure Application Showcase: Dimension Data

2013-02-03T21:05:29Z

http://aka.ms/nzazure

This is the sixth blog post of a series where we feature the companies in the booklet. This week we are featuring Dimension Data and the LanzaTech project. LanzaTech is a New Zealand biotechnology company recently recognised as one of the world’s most innovative firms. Dimension Data utilized Windows Azure to provide LanzaTech with a secure platform that allows authenticated users to access global data that scales as needed. The project is detailed on Dimension Data's case study.

Dimension Data - LanzaTech

LanzaTech’s rapid growth created a need for a secure solution that enabled timely access to large volumes of globally dispersed research and operational data. Dimension Data New Zealand identified a solution for LanzaTech that addressed this challenge.

Dimension Data New Zealand augmented LanzaTech’s integration and communication services by leveraging Windows Azure, and was able to deliver the business outcomes LanzaTech requires both now and in the future. It also provided LanzaTech with tailored data processing tools, within budget and in a timely fashion.

.http://www.dimensiondata.com/

Contact us by posting a comment or by emailing the blog author for any queries or if you’d like to tells us about your application or service on Windows Azure.

Not using Azure yet?

The New Zealand Windows Azure Application Showcase: Contrast Media

2012-12-13T02:59:00Z

http://aka.ms/nzazure

This is the fifth blog post of a series where we feature the companies in the booklet. This week we are featuring Contrast Media - their Hardlink solution brings the real world to digital life via QR codes, Text SMS, and Short URLs.

Contrast Media - Hardlink

Contrast Media is at the forefront of helping companies connect the real world to the virtual through its innovative solutions.

Using our Hardlink Platform, we empower our clients to engage with their customers in meaningful, interactive ways initiated from any print or film media channel via mobile devices. Contrast Media is focused on delivering innovative solutions that accelerate our clients into the mCommerce and mobile engagement space through our Hardlink platform.

Being an Agile company, we needed a platform that would support a rich set of development and platform services, coupled with the ability to scale massively on demand. Because of this, we chose Windows Azure.

http://www.hardlink.co.nz/

Contact us by posting a comment or by emailing the blog author for any queries or if you’d like to tells us about your application or service on Windows Azure.

Not using Azure yet?

The New Zealand Windows Azure Application Showcase: CommerceConnect

2012-12-10T01:20:10Z

http://aka.ms/nzazure

This is the fourth blog post of a series where we feature the companies in the booklet. This week we are featuring CommerceConnect, an e-commerce solution that integrates supply, inventory, fulfilment, logistics, CRM and PIM systems.

CommerceConnect

CommerceConnect is the essential webstore middleware solving:

How do I populate and decorate a website – quickly and easily
How do I manage some or all of my inventory in multiple web
marketplaces
What happens when I get orders – a few or many
How do I handle inventory so we don’t oversell
How do we ship effectively – from anywhere in the world

It supports an Azure hosted digital asset that can be built, extended, decorated, uploaded to a growing number of web marketplaces. CommerceConnect captures order and CRM data, allocates the fulfilment to the applicable inventory shipper and manages keeping the customer up to date, short shipments and returns. To analyse your customer database, CommerceConnect has a full
history of each transaction.

Azure takes infrastructure out of the picture, instant, scalable,
worldwide.

http://www.commerceconnect.co.nz/

Contact us by posting a comment or by emailing the blog author for any queries or if you’d like to tells us about your application or service on Windows Azure.

Not using Azure yet?

The New Zealand Windows Azure Application Showcase: Booktrack

2012-11-22T20:33:00Z

http://aka.ms/nzazure

This is the third blog post of a series where we feature the companies in the booklet. This week we are featuring Booktrack, who created an award winning solution for synchronized movie-style soundtracks to eBooks.

Booktrack - Soundtracks for Books

Booktrack is creating the standard and platform for a new genre of entertainment content that provides synchronized movie-style soundtracks to eBooks. Sound effects, music audio and ambient sounds are automatically paced to an individual's reading speed to match the storyline while they read. The result is a totally immersive experience that pulls the reader into the author’s world. Booktrack utilizes .Net and Azure's Content Delivery Network (CDN) to ensure consumers have the simplest and fastest way to select and download ebook soundtracks to their device.

http://www.booktrack.com/

Contact us by posting a comment or by emailing the blog author for any queries or if you’d like to tells us about your application or service on Windows Azure.

Not using Azure yet?

The New Zealand Windows Azure Application Showcase: Avancert

2012-11-15T04:01:00Z

http://aka.ms/nzazure

This is the second blog post of a series where we feature the companies in the booklet. This week we are featuring Avancert, everything you need to deliver computer based examinations, interviews & assessment in one place.

Avancert - Everything You Need to Deliver Computer Based Examinations, Interviews & Assessment in One Place

Avancert.com makes the creation, management and delivery of computer examination, video interview, assessment and testing easy and affordable for organizations of all sizes. Rather than requiring organizations to host, build or integrate a number of different solutions themselves - Avancert provides all the tools required in an easy to use web browser accessible format with a 'per assessment' pricing model.

With examinations often conducted 'en-mass', Windows Azure allows Avancert to scale massively for short periods when required - without the need to invest in infrastructure that sits idle for off peak usage periods.

Windows Azure global data centres allowing us to effortlessly deliver video based assessment across multiple geographies and regions without having to manage the complexity of multiple date centres ourselves.

http://www.avancert.com/

Contact us by posting a comment or by emailing the blog author for any queries or if you’d like to tells us about your application or service on Windows Azure.

Not using Azure yet?

The New Zealand Windows Azure Application Showcase: Virsae by Agile

2012-11-06T20:08:00Z

http://aka.ms/nzazure

This is the first blog post of a series where we will feature one of the companies in the booklet. This week we are featuring Virsae created by Agile, a long standing communications integrator and software development company.

Redefining Service Management for Unified Communications

Controlling costs and improving service delivery are key business objectives for IT leaders. Virsae delivers on these objectives by providing real time contextual information about the performance and configuration of unified communication systems. Using Virsae, customers can pro-actively manage their valuable communication assets and detect business-affecting trends before they impact service to end users.

Virsae is hosted on Windows Azure, allowing it to deliver a secure and scalable service to its global customer base – anywhere any time.

www.virsae.com

Contact us by posting a comment or by emailing the blog author for any queries or if you’d like to tells us about your application or service on Windows Azure.

Not using Azure yet?

Microsoft BizSpark Sponsors Auckland Startup Weekend

2012-05-29T00:23:54Z

Microsoft is very proud of our global partnership with Startup Weekend, and especially of our local sponsorship and support of Startup Weekend Auckland happening on the weekend of June 15 at the ecentre in Albany.

Our sponsorship is made possible through BizSpark, our program to help startups succeed. The program gives startups free access to our whole range of software, and provides them with support and visibility in the market.

With close to 350 startups on the program here in New Zealand and growing fast, we have a long list of successful stories to tell. A lot of our startups are using our open and flexible cloud platform Windows Azure for creating and hosting their web applications and services. If interested in the platform we have a promotion ending VERY soon where you help with scientific research by deploying a pre-developed solution to a free Azure trial account, and are in to win some epic prizes so get in quick http://aka.ms/win

Another awesome opportunity for startups is to develop great Metro style apps for the Windows 8 and Windows Phone marketplaces. Windows 8 will run on millions of devices across the world, making it the single biggest platform opportunity available to developers!

We have recently launched BizSpark Plus, which will cover up to $60,000 of your production Windows Azure usage over two years and will have other offers coming soon; you just need to be nominated through one of our partners, which include Startup Weekend or the ecenter.

Microsoft has a true commitment to fostering innovation and ensuring a bright future for startups. BzSpark and our relationship with Startup Weekend is a great way to ensure that happens. So good luck with your pitches at Startup Weekend Auckland, and we will see you there!

Thiago Almeida

Technology Evangelist
Microsoft New Zealand
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