Here’s the latest round of partner webcasts:
WVC90PAL: Introducing the New Windows 7 Microsoft-Alinean ROI Tool For Pre-Sales Engagements
Presented by: Tom Pisello, Patty Baumgardner, Winni Verhoef, Jason Leznek
This webcast will be held at 2 separate times to allow for greater flexibility. Please choose from one of the following times:
Session #1
Webcast Date:12/2/2009
Webcast Start Time: 8:00 AM (Pacific)
PLC Registration Link for Partners
Session #2
Webcast Date:12/7/2009
Webcast Start Time: 9:00 AM (Pacific)
Partner Audience: Partner Business Decision Maker, Partner Marketing, Partner Sales, Partner Training, Partner Developer, Partner IT Professional
Today's frugal customers require a business case in order to prioritize and approve any IT project. This new tool by the ROI/TCO experts at Alinean will help you to quantify the tangible value of Windows 7, estimate migration costs and calculate all financial metrics needed for project review and approval. Working with the Microsoft "War on Costs" team, the tool includes the latest results from our early Windows 7 adaptors. The tool will come in 2 flavors, one lite for fast results and easy convincing, and one advanced that allows for deeper engagement and customization for CIO/ CFO presentations and your most skeptical customers. In this live meeting, we’ll show you the tool and how to use it to make Windows 7 a priority project, accelerate deployments and drive more sales.
MGT49PAL: VHD Test Drive Program allows Partners to Distribute Virtual Appliances for Evaluation, Training and Demo Purposes
Presented by: Vipul Shah & Volker Will
Webcast Date:12/3/2009
Level: 200
Partner Audience: Partner Business Decision Maker, Partner Marketing, Partner Sales, Partner Developer, Partner IT Professional
Attend this Academy Live session to learn about the VHD Test Drive Program and how partners can take advantage of this unique Microsoft offering. The VHD Test Drive Program offers partners the chance to build virtual appliances that contain Microsoft and partner software. The virtual appliances are created in the Microsoft Virtual Hard Disk (VHD) format, a common virtualization file format that captures the entire virtual machine operating system and the application stack in a single file.
VHD Test Drive partners are allowed to distribute these VHD images to customers and resellers for evaluation, demo and training purposes. Available Microsoft images include Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows 7, Exchange 2010, SQL Server and many more. Partners around the world already take advantage of this opportunity.
Join us to learn how easy it is to become a VHD Test Drive partner today and start distributing Virtual Test Appliances tomorrow. Don’t miss this opportunity to offer customers a faster and simpler way to evaluate software.
BRD12PAL: Aligning with Customers to Drive Your Business Growth
Presented by: Ryan Morris
Webcast Start Time: 11:00 AM (Pacific)
Level: 100
Partner Audience: Partner Business Decision Maker
Secrets to Drive Competitive Differentiation and Business Growth…Even in Today's Uncertain Economy
CSD14PAL: Windows Azure Platform - Launch Update
Presented by: Stephanie Selin
Partner Audience: Partner Business Decision Maker, Partner Marketing, Partner Sales
Windows Azure platform will launch commercially at Microsoft's Professional Developer Conference (PDC) November 17-19, 2009!
http://microsoftpdc.com
Don't miss out on the latest news coming from PDC, and join us for this Launch Update Partner Academy Live webcast.
We will give you a summary review of all launch announcements, updates on the Windows Azure business model, licensing and pricing, and of course share with you how to get ready to build and sell with Windows Azure.
BRD21PAL: Trusted Advisor - Meeting Mania - How to Use meetings to Build Trust and Win Business
Presented by: Teri Lee & Jan Hill
Webcast Date:12/10/2009
Webcast Start Time: 10:00 AM (Pacific)
Partner Audience: Partner Sales
Webinar #2 Trusted Advisor – Meeting Mania—How to Use Meetings to Build
Trust and Win Business
90% of respondents say they attend too many meetings, and yet they continue to schedule meetings all the time! Trusted Advisors possess a competitive advantage that enables them to run meetings that energize and motivate customers to take the actions they desire.
You can generate big wins simply by having a standard approach in working with your customers that includes a common language and easy-to-use tools that help you build trust while you get your work done.
What we will cover:
If you conduct meetings and want to apply proven tools and techniques to create productive, engaging and fun meetings, this webinar is for you!
OFF60PAL: Customer Offers and Channel Incentives Monthly Webcast
Presented by: Michael Moore
Webcast Date:12/11/2009
Join us each month for a review of in-market customer offers and channel incentives and also get a preview of promotions and incentives launching within the next month. This webcast will cover offers and incentives for Enterprise Agreement, Select, Select Plus, Open Value, Open License, and other relevant promotions. Recommended for sales and marketing roles.
BTS32PAL: BizTalk Server Roadmap
Presented by: Sudhir Hasbe
Webcast Date:12/16/2009
This session will discuss BizTalk Server roadmap over next few years. Session will also cover BizTalk Server in context for Windows Server AppFabric.
WES29PAL: Should you go Vertical?
Presented by: Robert Lindley
Moderator: Robert Lindley, President, Innovative Systems, Inc.
Panelists:
Dave Sobel, CEO, Evolve Technologies
Garrett Brucker, Principal, Solve IT, LLP
Robert Lamm, President, Lamm Technical Resources LLC
Industry analysts and many Microsoft partners have demonstrated that focusing your solutions to address the specific needs of vertical markets can help your company improve the success of its sales and marketing efforts, improve your competitive positioning, and build sustainable customer loyalty even in a weak economy.
In this session, a panel of partners will discuss how they focus on specific vertical market solutions at their company and what this approach has meant to their success. The panel will discuss the following topics:
MOS18PAL: Let Microsoft Online Services Make You a Star!
Presented by: Lauren Delgado
Join us for our monthly webcast where we provide an overview of Microsoft Online Services and discuss partner program opportunities. Microsoft Online Services are enterprise-class software delivered as subscription services, hosted by Microsoft and offered by partners like you to generate predictable, recurring revenue. Help customers increase their efficiency with the messaging and collaboration solutions in the Microsoft Business Productivity Online Suite. Sell Microsoft Online Services to earn advisor fees, expand your base, and serve new segments. Join each month for important updates and a chance to win an X-Box 360 Pro Console System and Rock Band 2 Kit. Questions? Contact usmosg@microsoft.com.
We often get asked by partners for more information on Microsoft Datacenters. Here is a little bit more detail ………………….
The current portfolio of Datacenters include the following:
How we choose future datacenter locations: When choosing future datacenter sites, we take into account over 35 weighted criteria in our “global heatmap,” including close proximity to an ample power source and fibre optic networks, a large pool of skilled labour, affordable energy rates, tax, and to determine the long-term viability of each site.
The Microsoft datacenter strategy: Our strategy is focused on smart growth, measurable efficiency, and global trust.
Sustainability efforts: We are focused on integrating the latest innovations in technology and building techniques to maximize efficiencies and utilize alternative energy sources when and where possible to improve our Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) and overall impact on the environment. As updated technology and techniques are developed, we make adjustments to our existing and new facilities, as well as our processes, to continue to improve our effectiveness.
Amount of power we use: Microsoft’s power consumption is between 30 and 50 percent better than the global industry average for traditional facilities. At Microsoft, we believe that it is important to track and monitor an average PUE across all of our datacenters (no matter how small or how old) in order to truly understand how well our datacenter operations are under control, and to allow us to make the right business decisions. Our current annual global average PUE is 1.60.
Windows Server 2008 in our datacenters: Windows Server 2008 is the operating system of choice for both on-premises datacenter applications and hosting applications in the cloud. Windows Azure is built on Windows Server 2008.
Windows Azure in our datacenters: Windows Azure provides developers with on-demand compute and storage to host, scale, and manage Web applications on the Internet through Microsoft data centers. The Windows Azure platform is an internet-scale cloud computing services platform hosted in Microsoft data centers. The Windows Azure platform, which provides a range of functionality to build applications that span from consumer Web to enterprise scenarios, includes a cloud services operating system and a set of developer services. Windows Azure, Microsoft SQL Azure and AppFabric are the key components of the Windows Azure platform.
SQL Azure in our datacenters: Microsoft SQL Azure delivers on Microsoft’s SQL Server Data Platform vision of extending the Data Platform capabilities in cloud as web-based services. SQL Azure enables a rich set of services for relational database, reporting; and analytics and data synchronization with mobile users, remote offices and business partners. As of October’s Community Technology Preview release, SQL Azure Database is feature complete and will continue to be offered as a free service until launch. Other services will be available in the future.
SQL Azure Database in our datacenters: Microsoft SQL Azure Database is a cloud-based relational database service built on SQL Server technologies. It provides a highly available, scalable, multi-tenant database service hosted by Microsoft in the cloud. SQL Azure Database enables easy provisioning and deployment of multiple databases. Developers do not have to install, setup, patch or manage any software. High Availability and fault tolerance is built-in and no physical administration is required. SQL Azure Database supports Transact-SQL (T-SQL). Customers can leverage existing knowledge in T-SQL development and a familiar relational data model for symmetry with existing on-premises databases. SQL Azure Database provides a strong value proposition through helping to save in the cost of development by working with existing toolset and providing symmetry with on-premises and cloud database.
Microsoft Online Services in our datacenters: Delivers enterprise-class software as subscription services to businesses of all sizes hosted by Microsoft and sold with partners. This includes Microsoft Exchange Online, Microsoft Office SharePoint Online, Microsoft Office Live Meeting, Exchange Hosted Services, Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online, and soon – Microsoft Office Communications Online.
Generation 4 Modular Datacenter Vision: The concept behind the modular datacenter builds on the innovation deployed at our Chicago datacenter, which will house shipping containers packed with up to 2,500 servers each. Container facilities help ensure that server capacity meets customer demands, reduce the likelihood of overcapacity, and reduce the time to build a datacenter from 24 to 12 months. Our “Gen 4” modular datacenters will take the flexibility of containerized servers and apply it across the entire facility, which will be composed of modular “building blocks” of prefabricated electrical, mechanical, and security components, in addition to containerized servers. These facilities can be built incrementally as capacity grows and deployed in only three to six months, reducing capital costs by 20% to 40%. Modular datacenters will be scalable and sustainable, ensuring that our global footprint is only as big as capacity demands that it be. The GFS datacenter team blog is posted here outlining Microsoft’s vision of the foundation of our cloud datacenter infrastructure in the next five years. The public video is posted here.
Security and Privacy: Microsoft endeavors to protect the privacy and security of our customers. We comply with all applicable privacy laws, and we follow the privacy practices outlined in the Microsoft Online Privacy Statement. Microsoft is committed to protecting the security of your personal information. We use a variety of security technologies and procedures to help protect your personal information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. For example, we store customer information on computer systems with limited access, which are located in controlled facilities. When we transmit highly confidential information over the Internet, we protect it through the use of encryption. All information that can be shared publicly about this topic is posted on the GFS external web site’s security page here.
I’ve shamelessly pinched this from Ray’s blog …………… and tweaked it a little!
We know that lots of people are using SharePoint in their school – or have it provided to them by their local authority or partner. When you install SharePoint “out of the box”, it is fair to say that it isn’t something that whacks you between the eyes shouting out “I’m beautiful. Look At Me!”. But that’s perhaps not surprising where people have many different uses for it, and almost everybody that sees it comes up with yet another use for it schools.
But there are some common uses, such as providing a document storage and collaboration system, or supporting the workflow for a learning platform (you may not realise it, but many of the Becta certified Learning Platforms run on top of SharePoint, as it invisibly handles all of the workflow underneath). And now schools are turning to it to run their public-facing websites too – because you can use exactly the same skills to control the content on a public website as you do for your internal SharePoint. Which means that a well-designed website can be updated by non-technical users (making it easy for the staff in the school office to update the announcements, or publish newsletters and notices).
And so the inevitable question that gets asked is “Can I make it look better?”. And to help, Ray has put together a “Good Looking Education SharePoint Websites” album from UK sites.
The latest one that we’ve seen is the Twynham School VI Form in Dorset, where they’ve had professional designers creating a look and feel that is just stunning – and then the programmers in school have turned it into a reality.
If you’re looking for inspiration, take a look at the album, and then go and explore your favourites – the URLs are shown at the bottom of each picture.
If you don't have access to SkyDrive , then you can download a PDF version of the album
Have you as a partner implemented a great SharePoint experience? Do you know of another one to add? Just drop Ray an email with a URL
Today, at PDC in Los Angeles, Microsoft announced the public beta release of Office 2010, SharePoint Server 2010, Visio 2010, Project 2010, Office Web Apps for business customers, and Office Mobile 2010. This is an important milestone, which, alongside last week’s Exchange 2010 General Availability, marks the next major step this of our flagship products.
Over the past year, these products have undergone worldwide validation and testing through the most comprehensive set of pre-release programs we have ever run. Demand for July’s Technical Preview was incredible, with tens of thousands customers and partners providing invaluable feedback. As we gear-up to collect input from millions of additional users, we are confident that the final product set will be among Microsoft’s highest-quality releases.
Office 2010 provides the best productivity experience across the PC, phone, and browser. It is full of new innovations that make using Office faster and easier than ever—including Office Backstage View, Ribbon UI across all applications, photo and video editing in PowerPoint, fast new data comparison tools in Excel, and improved mail/calendar management in Outlook. With the new Click-to-Run technology, home users will also have a dramatically faster download experience.
In addition, with this beta we are unveiling several exciting new features and products:
· Office Web Apps for business customers, available through SharePoint Server, allows //my and //sharepoint sites to host browser-based Web Apps accessible from virtually anywhere. (Office Web Apps for consumers is still in Technical Preview.)
· Outlook Social Connector, a new feature that brings communications history and social networking feeds into the Outlook experience.
· Office Mobile 2010, which includes mobile versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and SharePoint Workspace Mobile 2010 and is available on the Windows Mobile marketplace for Windows Mobile 6.5 phones.
Together, the 2010 business productivity product line ensures that the whole of our offerings is truly greater than the sum of its parts. SharePoint 2010 plus Office 2010 provides a rich and robust platform for the enterprise and the Web, and allows Microsoft partners and developers to build innovative new business collaboration solutions. Project 2010 and Visio 2010, meanwhile, are the most important updates to these products in over a decade. They enable great interoperability with SharePoint, and include intuitive new user interfaces, significant ease-of-use enhancements, and many additional features that enable customers to optimize resources and drive business process improvements more easily than ever.
Office 2010, SharePoint 2010, Project 2010 and Visio 2010 have all reached the Beta milestone and are now available for download.
What’s new in the Office system?
On Monday 9 November, Microsoft Exchange 2010 became the first product launch in wave of innovation across the Office system. The first half of 2010 will see this launch wave continue with the release of Office 2010, SharePoint 2010, Project 2010 and Visio 2010 .
Microsoft Office 2010 provides rich and powerful new ways to deliver work. New features include enhanced tools, customisable templates, photo editing and the ability to work with multiple people from different locations at the exact same time using new co-authoring capabilities. By offering more ways to access files from virtually anywhere, Office 2010 gives users greater control. Learn More
Microsoft SharePoint 2010 enables organisations to connect and empower people through an integrated set of rich features. SharePoint 2010 facilitates business collaboration in its broadest sense and helps colleagues, partners and customers to work together in new and effective ways. Learn More
Microsoft Project 2010 provides teams and organisations of all sizes with the right project collaboration tools, and a pathway to step up to more advanced Project and Portfolio Management capabilities as their needs evolve. Learn More
The advanced diagramming tools of Microsoft Visio 2010 help you simplify complexity with intuitive and professional-looking diagrams, dynamic and data-driven visuals and new ways to share these on the Web in real-time. Learn More
We’ve been getting quite a few questions from partners asking what our plans are for BETT, so here’s an update.
We’ll have two stands again this year in the same location. The first stand will be exclusively for Theatre Presentations. The exact schedule has yet to be finalised, but this is the planned list:
Presentations every 25 minutes
Customer led in most instances with Microsoft Support
9 different presentations:
The second stand will host 20 technology ‘pods’. The current plan is as follows:b
TOTAL = 20 pods
As you may have noticed, we have some product announcements to make so we fully expect this to be a very busy show with massive customer interest in Windows 7, Office 2010, SharePoint 2010 and the new products. The Microsoft stand struggles to cope with the number of customers visiting us, so our intention is to encourage as many customers as possible to visit partner stands to get a demo and more detailed information. We’ll run a Live Meeting in December to give partners more information on our plans.
Microsoft’s public sector partner ecosystem boasts an extraordinary quality of products, solutions and services. The launch of the Public Sector Partner Guide provides us with the perfect opportunity to celebrate and communicate this remarkable asset with a captive and influential audience of technology decision makers.
Lynn Moates Industry Marketing Manager, Western Europe Microsoft
Dear Partner,
Following the continuing success of our Partner Guides for retail, manufacturing and financial services, we are pleased to announce the publication of the inaugural EMEA Public Sector Partner Guide in February 2010.
I’d like to take this opportunity to invite you to participate in the Guide alongside over 200 leading and innovative partners in the government, public safety and national security, health and education sectors. Our partner guides are a proven, effective and affordable method of raising your profile in the sector and I encourage you to explore the marketing opportunities this publication provides.
This invitation provides an overview of the book, but should you have any questions to help you make an informed decision about your participation, please contact Sean Nicklin.
I look forward to working with you for a successful year in 2010. Per Bendix Olsen SMS&P & Partner Director WE Public Sector, Microsoft
http://www.onwindows.com/newsletters/Public_Sector_PG_Invitation.html
How to participate
Step #1: Download a booking form (.doc)
Step #2: Complete and return the booking form to Tudor Rose
Step #3: Submit profile, logo and other content (as applicable)
At a glance
WVC86AL: Windows Optimized Desktop
Presented by: Rich Reynolds
Webcast Date:11/16/2009
Following the general availability of Windows 7 and Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack 2009 R2, this is your chance to join Rich Reynolds, GM of Windows Commercial team, to hear the benefits you can offer to your customers. The Windows Optimized Desktop is designed to help with today’s imminent IT challenges while ensuring future success for enterprises. Join us to learn how Windows 7 and the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack 2009 R2 combine technology and best practices to specific worker scenarios that result in a more efficient IT organization.
BTS29PAAL: Sales Scenarios: Legacy Connectivity
Presented by: Paul Larsen
Webcast Start Time: 9:30 AM (Pacific)
Every account team has these valued enterprise customers, which run their daily operations on IBM legacy (“heritage”) mainframe and midrange host systems. It is tough selling into these true blue IBM customer accounts. In this session, we’ll explore scenarios through which you can help your customer modernize and extract better value from this huge investment in IBM. With this information, while demonstrating the value proposition of workload migration onto a more cost-effective development and runtime platform (Windows).
ENV08PAL: Environmental Policy Trends & Their Impact On Your Customers
Presented by: Josh Henretig & Steve Lippman
Webcast Date:11/17/2009
The challenges of global climate change, energy availability and energy price volatility have governments around the globe adopting policies to promote greater sustainability, energy efficiency, and reduced carbon emissions. Some of these policies will directly regulate the energy efficiency and environmental performance of information technology. Many more of them will require software solutions to measure and manage carbon and resource use, improve energy efficiency, and deliver clean energy breakthroughs. During this Academy Live session, we will explore the following:
What are the key environmental policies and trends that are impacting MSFT and our customer’s business, and creating a demand for software solutions? How can customer facing resources effectively position ICT, and more specifically MSFT technology to address these policies and trends? How can we use environmental policies and trends to accelerate opportunities and increase value with your public/private sector customers? What are the COP15 Climate Negotiations, and what does it mean for MSFT and our customers? What resources are available to help you?
MOS06PAL: U.S. Accelerate Initiative for Microsoft Online Services Partners Monthly Webcast
Presented by: Penelope Delgadillo
Join our monthly partner webcast for the Accelerate Initiative for Microsoft Online Services Partners to receive ongoing program updates, and resources as outlined in the initiative requirements document. The series will run through the end of 2010, providing sales and technical resources, marketing tools and information, readiness and other resources to help you achieve initiative goals. For more information or questions, please contact USMOSG@microsoft.com.
BRD02PAL: Viruses, Spyware, and Malware
Presented by: Stephen Deming
A few years ago it was a few simple SPAM messages with an occasional “I Love You” virus tossed in for variety. Now we are faced with thousands of SPAM messages, web sites containing malicious code, and assorted spyware and phishing schemes. These attacks no longer are just mild annoyances but pose a real threat to the security of our confidential information and productivity of our employees. Join us for a frank discussion on how to recognize these attacks and what tools and techniques available to defend our businesses.
VEN26PAL: Best Practice Solutions for Migrating from Lotus Notes/Domino to the Microsoft Platform
Presented by: Steven Pivnik & Ian Bergman
Partner Audience: Partner Business Decision Maker, Partner Marketing, Partner Sales, Partner Training, Partner IT Professional
This session is designed for partner organizations that want to learn about best practice approaches and a comprehensive set of solutions that align with Microsoft's Enterprise Notes Migration (ENM) methodology for migrating customers from Lotus Notes/Domino to the Microsoft platform or Microsoft Online. Audience members will learn about the two types of approaches for migrating to the Microsoft platform: the traditional on-premises migration approach and the remotely hosted migration approach. In addition, audience members will find out how to analyze their customer's Lotus environment to properly plan a migration, how to establish robust coexistence between the Lotus and Microsoft platforms, how to migrate email users and applications from Lotus to Microsoft, and how to consolidate and retire the Lotus environment after the migration.
BI71AL: PerformancePoint Server 2007 SP3 – All You Need to Know
Presented by: John Hormaechea, Scott Sebelsky, Theresa Hollenbeck, Peter Bull and Josh Zimmerman
Webcast Date:11/18/2009
Partner Audience: Partner Business Decision Maker, Partner Marketing, Partner Sales, Partner IT Professional
With the BI strategy change in January 2009, there were a lot of questions that were left remaining. Will there be updates? What of my current PPS customers? What is the status of planning and where do I go. Attend this session to learn about PPS 2007 SP3 as well as information on future PPS 2007 update issues (will it work with Windows 7, Office 2010).
ENV09PAL: Optimizing Your Infrastructure for Sustainability: New Tools & Resources To Help You Address Environmental Sustainability With Your Customers
Presented by: Josh Henretig, Yoav Land & Robert Hanegraaff
The WW ES Team, in partnership with the WW IO team, have developed a comprehensive set of materials that help field sales roles guide both BDM and TDM conversations and initiatives into actionable technical processes that delivers environmentally sustainable benefits for our customers.
These tools will help field sales teams align Environmental Sustainability business drivers & priorities, to specific capabilities and MSFT products that support them. At the end of this session, you will better understand both the business opportunity that Environmental Sustainability/Green IT presents, as well as the tools and resources to help you drive a successful engagement with your customers.
WNS159PAL: Windows Server 2008 R2 File Services Overview
Presented by: Joel Garcia; Sabrinath Rao
In this session, come and learn about the “untold” file services story in Windows Server 2008 R2. Discover the file services innovations that are now available with Windows Server 2008 R2. Learn how you can position to customers why Windows File Servers are cost effective, enterprise ready, and have a great better together story with Microsoft and 3rd party infrastructure. This is the first in a seven part series of webcasts to help you better understand and position Windows Server File Services to your customers.
WES27PAL: Virtualization: Defined. Building your Virtualization Practice and Solution Offerings
Presented by: Dave Sobel
Virtualization is becoming mainstream; are you ready with your practice? Learn from Dave Sobel, author of “Virtualization: Defined. A Primer for the SMB Consultant”, how to build your consulting practice, get trained and offering solutions, and solutions you can start delivering right away. Learn about server consolidation assessments, Virtual Desktop Infrastructures, and how to deliver high value solutions to your customers.
MOS17PAL: Let Microsoft Online Services Make You a Star!
SQL113PAL: Early Launch Briefing – SQL Server 2008 R2
Presented by: Jack Tang
Webcast Date:11/20/2009
This session provides an early view of SQL Server 2008 R2 and its key features and benefits. SQL Server 2008 R2 is a significant release with opportunities to help you building or updating your solutions to delight the customers. Come learn more about these opportunities, and begin planning for SQL Server 2008 R2.
WES33PAL: Virtualizing Windows Essential Business Server 2008 with Hyper-V
Presented by: David Fabritius (Digital One Corporation); Brent Reeser (Star Technical)
Webcast Date:11/23/2009
Level: 300
Partner Audience: Partner Training, Partner Developer and Partner IT Professional
Virtualization continues to be one of the hottest opportunities in the industry today for businesses of all sizes. Join us to learn how you can virtualize Windows Essential Business Server 2008 using Hyper-V. In this session, we will discuss several virtualization scenarios, demonstrate how to deploy and manage EBS 2008, and share some best practices for configuration
Windows Azure platform will launch at Microsoft's Professional Developer Conference (PDC) November 17-19, 2009!
The Microsoft Developer and Platform Group are offering a limited number free half day Fasttrack Architectural / developer Reviews focused on the Windows Azure platform for partners. These will take place at the Microsoft offices in Reading, and will run from Monday 30th November to Friday 4th December, 2009.
What does a Windows Azure Fasttrack Architecture Review consist of?
A fasttrack review is an opportunity for a partner to lay out their technical, business and architectural problems in front of some Microsoft experts, and gain advice and guidance on choosing the best path for their future development. These are interactive, conversational engagements which typically last for around 3 to 4 hours, and have proved very successful and useful for participants in the past. For these specific sessions, the focus is on Cloud computing, and in particular Windows Azure, SQL Azure and the Azure platform.
The format is that of an informal meeting - some chairs, a table, a couple of whiteboards and a lot of imagination and honest speaking. The conversations are all about problems and solutions, and if you come with an open mind then you should leave with a lot to digest and think about, and a good idea of your next steps.
If you think it would help to give us demonstrations of your products, then come along with it (but not PowerPoint, please), then that's what we can do. If you'd rather draw diagrams, or talk, or listen, or sit in silence for the entire length of the session, then that's what we can do. The experience is totally driven yourselves - though obviously we have some suggested structures developed out of experience that can help things flow best, if you'd rather fall back on those.
What makes a good Fasttrack Architecture Review?
The best Fasttrack Architecture Reviews tend to happen at the stage when a partner is looking at a specific upcoming new project or software release, and is starting to think about what features or capabilities around Cloud Computing and Azure might influence their own plans (e.g. "Can we offer both on-premise and off-premise solutions?", “How do make sure we can scale up?”). An open mind and a willingness to discuss ideas are essential.
Conversely, a few things can prevent a good Fasttrack Architecture Review session. If you have already made your mind up and are simply looking for more detailed discussions, then this is possibly not the right forum - let us know and we can suggest the best routes forward. Similarly, if management are not behind the changes, or you are unable to bring a senior decision maker to the meeting, or there are no specific time scales for a new version, then these sessions can be less then optimum, and we urge you only to apply when the time is right for you.
How to apply for a Windows Azure Fasttrack Architecture Review
If you have been looking thinking about Windows Azure and cloud computing, and you think your company has a great idea, or interesting problem that would benefit from one of these sessions, then please get in touch with us, and we'll let you know if we think a fasttrack review session would be suitable. Please note that we mainly deal with architectural discussions, rather than deep technical support.
We typically get more applications than we have space for, so to make sure we get the right companies at these session, please take a little time to tell us about yourselves, and what you want from the session. You *must* provide us with a 'draft agenda' for the fasttrack review by emailing details about the following topics for discussion:
Azure Fasttrack review
1 - What are the top one or two key things you want to get out of the meeting?
2 - Are there any specific problems, issues or opportunities are you currently facing?
3 – In addition to Azure, are there any other key technologies will you want to cover in the review – e.g. SQL Server, Silverlight/WPF, SharePoint, etc?
4 - Who do you plan to bring along to the reviews (2 to 4 people is typically ideal, at least one technical person)
Technology background
5 - What technologies are you currently using?
6 - What are your timescales for considering Azure? What are your experiences with Azure to date? Are there any specific aspects of Azure you anticipate using?
Company background
7 - The size of your company and the development team
8 - Company/Product URLs
To get in touch, just email this information to ukdev@microsoft.com and state any dates that week that you would be unable to attend, we will then allocate time with our team and advise you of the proposed date.