Chris Birmele's Blog : VSTS Specific

VSTS2010 Extensibility Points

ChrisBirmele — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 03:37:00 GMT

I am busy getting people excited about VSTS2010 (it's not very hard :-)) and often I get questions about customising workflows, work items, Team Build, etc. Terry Clancy has written a good blog post listing all the extensibility points in Visual Studio Team System 2010. Check it out here.

Visual Studio Team System 2010 - coming soon to a computer near you ..

ChrisBirmele — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 06:34:00 GMT

I get more and more questions about VSTS2010 - Microsoft's next generation tool platform - as the days go by. I am not surprised given the exciting stuff we'll release on **/**/20** (sorry date is TOP SECRET). In the meantime here is a collection of links you can use to start reading more about specific areas of interest:

VSTS2010 Beta 1 Download

http://www.microsoft.com/visualstudio/en-us/products/2010/default.mspx

VSTS Overview

http://www.microsoft.com/visualstudio/en-us/products/2010/default.mspx

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/teamsystem/default.aspx

Testing

http://blogs.msdn.com/edglas/

http://blogs.msdn.com/shivajin/

http://blogs.msdn.com/amit_chatterjee/

http://blogs.msdn.com/mathew_aniyan/

http://blogs.msdn.com/billbar/

http://blogs.msdn.com/slumley/

http://blogs.msdn.com/densto/

http://blogs.msdn.com/mtaute/

Quality

http://blogs.msdn.com/vstsqualitytools

Profiler

http://blogs.msdn.com/ms_joc

http://blogs.msdn.com/habibh/

http://blogs.msdn.com/brads

http://blogs.msdn.com/Profiler

http://blogs.msdn.com/dalaqab

http://blogs.msdn.com/hshafi

DB Pro

http://blogs.msdn.com/psirr/

http://blogs.msdn.com/gertd

http://blogs.msdn.com/psirr

Sharepoint

http://blogs.msdn.com/somasegar/archive/2009/02/19/sharepoint-tools-support-in-visual-studio.aspx

http://channel9.msdn.com/posts/VisualStudio/Sharepoint-Development-with-Visual-Studio-2010/

http://download.microsoft.com/download/C/0/9/C0965791-049B-4200-9008-F07A783026F6/VisualStudio2010_ProductOverview.pdf

http://SharePoint.microsoft.com/2010/Sneak_Peek

Reporting

http://blogs.msdn.com/aaronbjork

http ://blogs.msdn.com/sunder

http ://blogs.msdn.com/teams_wit_tools

VSTS Essential training offered in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane

ChrisBirmele — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 03:06:00 GMT

Enhance ALM, a Microsoft Partner in Australia, offers training courses this month to get you started with Visual Studio Team System. If you live in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane see the schedule below. The courses are short and well priced. This is a very good opportunity to use your remaining training budget and get your development team trained up and ready for the next FY :-)

	Duration	Cost^	SYDNEY	MELBOURNE	BRISBANE
VSTS Essentials	2d	$ 1195	29-30 Jun	15-16 Jun	22-23 Jun
VSTS Essentials for Project Managers & Business Analysts	1d	$ 595	1 Jul	17 Jun	24 Jun
Essential Database Development using VSTS	1d	$ 595	3 Jul	18 Jun	25 Jun
TFS Admin Essentials	1d	$ 595	2 Jul	19 Jun	26 Jun

For more information about EnhanceALM check their website: www.enhancealm.com.au

Agile Development with TFS - Training in Brisbane

ChrisBirmele — Thu, 14 May 2009 02:50:00 GMT

Readify, one of Microsoft's best partner is running a 2-day workshop in Brisbane, covering agile development with VSTS - an event not to be missed! For details of how to sign up, click the link below:

Readify's Professional Series Training...

What’s coming up in Brisbane...

Readify’s Team Foundation Server/Agile Workshop

This 2-day Team Foundation Server (TFS)/Agile Workshop will provide you with a working knowledge of Agile project management (particularly Scrum),

and the recommended management and engineering practices that should be used by agile teams.

You will also learn how TFS and Visual Studio Team System can help your team implement those practices.

Course Details

Dates: Thursday 21 – Friday 22 May 2009

Duration: 2 days

Times: 9am - 5pm daily

Presenter: Richard Banks | Readify, Principal Consultant & MVP

Location: Cliftons | BRISBANE (click here for location information & map)

Investment: $1,260 + GST

Bookings: Register online or phone 1300 666 274

Reminder - there is a 30% promotion available until 30th June 2009 ..

ChrisBirmele — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 05:43:00 GMT

In case you haven't heard (or haven't read my blog!) there is a 30% promotion available to step up from Visual Studio Professional to one of the Team Editions or from a Team Edition to Team Suite. This offer is valid until June 30th 2009, so you still have time to think about it :-)

For more information about the promotion check out the details here.

Keep in mind VSTS 2010 (formerly known as Rosario) is only a few months away and this offer (in conjunction with a valid MSDN subscription) is by far the cheapest way to get your hands on this fantastic release. Check out here of what's coming in VSTS 2010.

VSTS 2008 on Windows 7 - very nice!

ChrisBirmele — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 09:18:00 GMT

I couldn't resist... Windows 7 and Visual Studio Team System 2008 - all on HyperV .... very nice!

VSTS promotions available NOW!

ChrisBirmele — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 02:15:00 GMT

Christmas is just around the corner and yes I realise times are a bit tougher than usual, but here is an opportunity not to be missed. We have a number of special promotions you can take advantage of:

30% Discount

If you buy (or own) a Team Edition you can step up to the Team Suite and receive a 30% DISCOUNT

Get 2 for 1

If you buy (or already own) Team Edition for Developer or Database Professional with a MSDN subscription - you'll get the other one for FREE

For more details about these (and other) promotions, click here. If you are located in Australia and would like to know more, contact either Arabind Coomaraswamy (arabindc@microsoft.com) or Jihad Dannawi (
jihad.dannawi@microsoft.com)

The Road to Visual Studio 2010!

ChrisBirmele — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 07:07:00 GMT

After Steve Ballmer last week, we have another illustrious person visiting us from Corp (no wonder, today's weather forecast for Seattle is 8-12 degrees and rainy....) - Matt Nunn. Matt is a Group Product Manager for Visual Studio Team System and presents (and demos!) what is coming in Visual Studio Team System 2010. You will learn how Microsoft’s development tool platform vision complements our application platform and helps secure your technology investments.

If you are located in Sydney please join us at the Microsoft Offices in North Ryde, otherwise join the LiveMeeting:

When: Friday 14 November
09:00 am "The Road to Visual Studio 2010"
10:30 am Q&A
11:00 am Close

Venue (if you are in Sydney):
Microsoft, 1 Epping Road, North Ryde, 2113, Theatre 1 (# of seats is limited to 60, 1st come 1st serve)
Registration required: https://www.microsoft.com.au/events/register/home.aspx?levent=654837&linvitation

Live Meeting (unfortunate ones not in Sydney):
https://www112.livemeeting.com/cc/_XML/microsoft/join?id=C2W7QF&role=present&pw=s%3Fp%7B5_mMP
with alternative audio at +61 1800 202 713, Participant Code: 8893367

Who is Matt Nunn? Matt Nunn is a Group Product Manager for Visual Studio Team System and has been with Microsoft for just over 6 years. He currently runs the team responsible for all outbound product management for Visual Studio Team System working with customers, partners and the field. Previously Matt ran product management for the VSTS Database Edition and has worked in both the SQL Server and Microsoft Office Teams within Microsoft. Matt has over 15 years experience in the IT industry working as a developer, DBA, technical project manager and consultant for numerous Microsoft partners as well as many positions within Microsoft. You can reach Matt at mattnunn@microsoft.com

VSTS workshop training (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth)

ChrisBirmele — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 02:34:00 GMT

Readify, one of our partners here in Australia is offering a one day workshop focusing on Team Foundation Server, Agile Development and technologies such as Silverlight, WCF, LINQ and others. The training is not free but it will be delivered by excellent MVP's - so I have no doubt its a worthwhile investment. Here are the dates/locations:

SYDNEY: Thursday 30 October 2008, 8:30am – 5:30pm | Cliftons, 190 George Street, Sydney

MELBOURNE: Friday 31 October 2008, 8:30am – 5:30pm | Cliftons, 440 Collins Street, Melbourne

BRISBANE: Friday 7 November 2008, 8:30am – 5:30pm | Cliftons, 288 Edward Street, Brisbane

PERTH: Tuesday 11 November 2008, 8:30am – 5:30pm | Cliftons, 191 St George’s Terrace, Perth

If you are interested, register here: http://readify.net/training-and-events/rdn-dev-days/

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ChrisBirmele — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 06:27:00 GMT

Usually I don't blog about product futures, but I make an exception... Microsoft released a few videos on Channel 9, showcasing new features among other things.

I watched a couple of them demonstrating UML modelling capabilities you will see in VS2010. It is great to see Microsoft finally joining the UML bandwagon (and the OMG).

Now I can dig out my old UML Primer which has been gathering dust over the last three years and re-energise my passion for modelling :-) Here are a couple of videos you might find interesting: top-down, bottom-up.

Buy one Visual Studio Edition - get another one for free!

ChrisBirmele — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 09:57:00 GMT

Well I said we announce something today - and we did ! All well and good, but much more importantly anyone with a valid MSDN subscription and Team Editon for Developers or Team Edition for Database Professional will receive ALL these products for FREE:

	Visual Studio Team System 2008 Development Edition
	Visual Studio Team System 2008 Database Edition
	Visual Studio 2005 Team System for Software Developers
	Visual Studio 2005 Team System for Database Professional

In other words if you have Team Edition for Developer you'll get Team Edition for DB Pro for FREE or vice versa! If that isn't enough incentive to offload some of your financial shares for more valuable assets, I don't know what is :-)

Upgrade from TFS Trial Edition to Full Version?

ChrisBirmele — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 02:08:00 GMT

I get asked this question a lot - usually when TFS stopped working because the trial license expired..... If you are in this situation don't panic and don't call me - the answer is right here.

New MSSCCI Provider for TFS 2008 released!

ChrisBirmele — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 01:53:00 GMT

If you are using one of the technologies listed below and want to use TFS 2008, you may want to check out our new MSSCCI provider we just released. You can download it here.

Visual Studio .NET 2003

Visual C++ 6 SP6

Visual Visual Basic 6 SP6

Visual FoxPro 9 SP1

Microsoft Access 2003 SP2

SQL Server Management Studio

Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect 6.1

Sybase PowerBuilder 10.5

Toad for SQL Server 2.0

TFS 2008 Powertools released!

ChrisBirmele — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 01:44:00 GMT

The VSTS2008TFSPT (short for Visual Studio Team System 2008 Team Foundation Server Power Tools) have been released.... It's a mouthful but there are some interesting features, check it out here.

Upgrading to TFS 2008? Need a migration tool?

ChrisBirmele — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 01:38:00 GMT

If you plan upgrading from TFS 2005 to TFS 2008 you may want to have a look at this migration tool. Make sure you understand the limitations of the tool.