Microsoft Silverlight 3 and Expression 3 will be unveiled at a virtual launch event on July 10, 2009. Attend the event at www.seethelight.com on July 10 to watch the keynote sessions and see new in-depth sessions. Stroll through the customer and partner pavilions in the Exhibition Hall or stop by 'The Visual Kitchen' TV show and watch the chefs as they dish up digital designs and development entrees as part of this exclusively produced online experience.

Most people with ANY job today are happy and I would certainly include myself in that category. However, there are jobs that have inherent “opportunities” – for adventure, fulfillment, etc. (you get the picture)… Joe Wilson, a Senior Director in the Academic Evangelism organization for Microsoft has one of those jobs. Joe is one of many people working on the 2009 Imagine Cup awards show in EGYPT!  Check out his video for yourself.  I was struck by the juxtaposition of the technology of putting on a modern event with the technology inherent in the pyramids in the background.

A bit of background on the Imagine Cup… Now in its seventh year, the Imagine Cup is a global student technology competition focused on finding solutions to real-world issues. The competition encourages the world's most talented software designers, programmers, game developers, photographers and filmmakers to tackle the toughest problems facing the world today.

Over 200,000 technology students around the world competed in the 2008 competition.

Do you want:

• To contribute your talents to tackling some of the toughest problems facing us today-and maybe even turn your ideas into a business one day?
• To learn new technology skills and test yourself against the brightest students on the planet?
• To make new friends from around the world?
• The chance to win cash prizes, internships at Microsoft, and even a free trip to Cairo, Egypt this July for the Worldwide Finals?

Since 2002, the Imagine Cup has been challenging the world's brightest students to step up and make a difference.

We're the world's premier student technology competition and we invite you to join us!

Almost everyone in the golf world is familiar with Karsten Solheim, the founder of PING Golf.  Karsten and PING pioneered many of the innovations in club fitting and has long been the key player in the market for custom clubs.  Recently, PING embarked on an ambitious effort to radically improve the process of club fitting and to give the consumer a more scientifically accurate and visually compelling fitting experience.  Enter nFlight®.

According to the PING website, “nFlight uses PING's proven multi-step fitting processes for metal woods, irons and wedges to guide the fitter through the process. Familiar concepts such as the interview, static measurements and color code remain part of the process. In addition to providing detailed club specifications, nFlight includes a gapping analysis feature to make full set recommendations. By analyzing data from three clubs hit during the fitting session - typically a hybrid, iron and wedge - the software configures a set to produce proper distance gaps between every club.” 

This rather dry description masks some wonderful software engineering and visualization techniques inherent in the nFlight app.  After pursuing a more “conventional” process for a period of some months, the engineers at PING discovered the power of Microsoft Expression Blend and Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF).  Combining these toolsets with Visual Studio 2008, the developers working with their design team were able to achieve significant improvements in developer productivity and developer/designer efficiency.  The combination of PING’s years of experience and the scientific (especially physics) principles applied to this effort have made this a superior implementation for the fitter, the customer and PING.

I was excited to see this product come out and validate the Expression/Visual Studio productivity concept and I encourage you to review the excellent resources noted here for more details:

John Mullinax’s blog – Details on the technologies used

Microsoft case studies – White paper and Video

Ping Web Site – nFlight fitting section – Video also

Engineering Details – PING team discusses the science of fitting

May 26 was a great day for Phoenix participants in the BizSpark program!  Forty-two new entities signed up for the program as part of the AZ Groups “ScottGu day”. It was a treat for me as the local BizSpark champ to meet so many people and to have so many quality applicants come to my table.  Many thanks the Scott Cate for enabling me to volunteer and to have the table area for what turned out to be a veritable boatload of conversations. 

Although many startups were clear on the program, this is a good time for a brief review of what kind of organizations qualify for BizSpark:

1. Software-focused startup in business for 3 years or less.
2. Privately held.
3. Less than $1 million in revenue.

That’s about it… However, there seems to be some confusion, so let me clarify some organizations that may not qualify based on some actual conversations with potential organizations at the AZ Groups event:

• Non-Software companies that want “free software”. A gentleman that runs a clothing design organization thought that he could get software such as Vista and Office to run his business. This is not the purpose of the BizSpark program. If your primary business is not software development for resale or distribution to multiple clients, you do not qualify.
• Consultants looking to reduce their costs for acquiring Microsoft tools for development work for clients.  There are other programs for partners and related firms. Check out the Startup Zone and our Partner site for more details.
• Consultants that want to be the software development arm of a client company or be in essence, an outsourcer.  The focus of BizSpark is on the company developing the software. If a company wants to develop software for others that is again, the province of the partner program.

Also, there were other software-focused organizations that thought they did NOT qualify for BizSpark:

• Open Source developers – Open Source is cool!  Whether your primary business or a component of your offerings, that’s fine with us.
• Non-Microsoft developers – Non-Microsoft developers are cool! If you need to do anything in .NET as an adjunct to your core work on another platform, we would love to assist.

Another significant area for clarity is the involvement of the Network Partner (NP).  NP’s are an important element for startups that need to focus on the business aspects of their existence.  NP’s are selected for their involvement with the software development community and the ability to assist fledgling organizations with business services such as entrepreneurial training, legal advice, access to capital and the like.  This is an area I plan to spend more time on in the months ahead so look for more announcements soon.

Finally, to bring it home, this is what the BizSpark program offers:

• Software. Receive fast and easy access to current full-featured Microsoft development tools, platform technologies, and production licenses of server products for immediate use in developing and bringing to market innovative and interoperable solutions. There is no upfront cost to enroll.
• Support. Get connected to Network Partners around the world — incubators, investors, advisors, government agencies and hosters — that are equally involved and vested in software-fueled innovation and entrepreneurship who will provide a wide range of support resources.
• Visibility. Achieve global visibility to an audience of potential investors, clients and partners
  As a Microsoft BizSpark member, you’ll be tapping into a rich, vibrant ecosystem of peers, partners and support resources around the globe, helping you grow and succeed. Microsoft BizSpark is the quickest way to get your Startup fired up.

Please contact me for information or help with BizSpark!

For anyone who doesn’t know, Scott Guthrie is the force at Microsoft responsible for all things .NET. His official title is Corporate Vice President US-.NET Developer Platform (taken directly from the Microsoft Exchange GAL listing).  Suffice to say that if you want to hear about directions on development from Microsoft, Scott is the man to give it.

Thanks to Scott Cate and the good folks at AZ Groups for facilitating ScottGu in the valley:

AZGroups.org 2009 Scott Guthrie Event

Tuesday, May 26, 2009 from 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM (MT)

Scottsdale Resort and Conference Center
7700 E McCormick Pkwy
Scottsdale, AZ 85258

Registration (currently waitlisted)

On May 13, 2009 Garland Brown, an attorney with Greenberg, Traurig, LLP presented a well-rounded overview of some of the core legal issues facing startups. I have included his presentation in this post but I also wanted to share my personal notes on some of his key points for technology startups.

Before doing that, let me also mention that Garland has a unique background that should make anyone interested in this area eager to reach out to him for advice.  He started out as a software developer working for a certain large software company headquartered in Redmond, Washington. At one time he lead the team responsible for the Encarta web-based encyclopedia series.  He also has worked as an independent software developer toiling away on his own to bring ideas to life as salable products.  Somewhere along the line he entered the legal arena and spent considerable time trying to work out aspects of Microsoft’s relationship with the European Union (talk about global perspective)!  He is now focused almost exclusively on startups and early-stage technology companies.

Locally, Garland is a big fan of the Microsoft BizSpark initiative and has personally devoted many hours to assisting startups engaged in the program. He is also an angel investor and a member of ATIF (Arizona Technology Investor Forum).

Presentation Notes:

Organizing Concepts

An obvious but overlooked fact is that you don’t have to do ANYTHING to organize a startup. Many jump to the conclusion that they MUST be at least an LLC, LLP, C Corp, S Corp or whatever before even settling on what their product or service is. The entity you choose is important and has tax and liability considerations but the reality is that if you never develop that great idea in the first place, the organization of the company is moot.

If you do choose to organize right away, many software entrepreneurs choose LLC (limited Liability Company) as the entity of choice. Garland points out that choosing a Delaware based LLC is a good idea in that there is a large body of (pro-business) law around Delaware-based LLC’s.

More important, in Garland’s opinion, is to engage an Advisory Board of at least 3 members. This group will serve as your sounding board and sanity check.  Composition can vary but should consist of at least one person with business expertise (especially in the domain you are trying to reach), a financial person and a technologist familiar with your industry. They don’t have to be local but it should be an odd number to aid in making decisions.

Funding Issues

Debt vs. Equity is a critical area for startups and Garland had some strong opinions here. In the debt arena this was the first time I heard of the Three F’s as sources – Friends, Family & Fools!  (ouch!) The reality is that you need to get to a revenue stream or large user base as soon as possible. Angels and early stage investors are reluctant to engage with just an idea that has no one else validating it.

If you are funded by an angel, expect three things – A schedule, regular meetings and results. Think 10-15X results!

Equity is a particularly challenging area in that it’s so difficult to assign percentages where there is no solid valuation (which will change over time anyway). Garland’s view is that the VC sets the valuation no matter what you might think. And yes, each VC has a different set of variables and methods to assess valuation for equity distribution.  An additional note of concern is high initial valuations.

If you have an excellent advisory board expect to reward them with an equity stake. Be careful with employees. Giving away too many equity positions can dilute the company too quickly.  Think hard about how critical or essential someone is to the operation before conferring equity positions. An emerging rule of thumb is reserve 15% of the equity for employee stock options and/or grants.

In the middle of the road between debt and equity is Convertible Debt Financing. This is usually a note that accrues interest but can be converted to equity. No payments are made until conversion.

Intellectual Property

Garland zeroed in on the patent issue as similar to the obsession with getting the organization structure in place before getting real work done. Patents have their place but are too often seen as the anchor for funding an idea.  The reality is that a patent can expose your technology to a broad set of competitors that can infringe almost immediately and potentially outlast you legally and financially. This is an area for deep consultation with competent legal counsel.

A Trade Secret on the other hand is very helpful in that it lasts indefinitely. Just remember to keep it secret and avoid divulging even components of the idea.

Copyright is unique in that as soon as the work is created it IS copyrighted. Software code is intrinsically copyrighted by the fact you uniquely create it. A Registered Copyright is one where you send the material to the the copyright office for registering.  You can request that the the office not expose the source material.

For background reading Garland recommends Competing in Internet Time.

Visual Studio Team System events are typically focused on existing customers to the exclusion of too many for too long.  This event is for EVERYONE interested in Application Lifecycle Management (ALM).  We will have high-quality speakers from industry, the community and of course, Microsoft.

May 7, 2009 8:30 – 5:00PM AZ time
Microsoft Office – 2929 N. Central Ave., Suite 1400, Phoenix, AZ 85012

Registration Link

Event Overview

How do you take an idea from conception to completion? How can you truly do more with less?

Please join us for this unique, invitation-only event to discover how both product and processes help your organization succeed in today’s environment. We will explore how Team System assists teams across the board to be successful in today’s tough times. This “break through” event will not only provide you with best practices around development and testing, but will demonstrate key capabilities of both Visual Studio Team System 2008 and the upcoming 2010 release. It’s a day that promises to have something for everyone!

Agenda:

Test Driven Development:  Improving .NET Application Performance & Scalability

This session will demonstrate how to leverage Test Driven Development in Team System.  We’ll highlight both writing unit tests up front as well as creating test stubs for existing code. 

"It Works on My Machine!" Closing the Loop Between Development & Testing

In this session, we will examine the traditional barriers between the developer and tester; and how Team System can help remove those walls. 

Treating Databases as First-Class Citizens in Development

Team System Database Edition elevates database development to the same level as code development.  See how Database Edition enables database change management, automation, comparison, and deployment.

Architecture without Big Design Up Front

Microsoft Visual Studio Team System 2010 Architecture Edition, introduces new UML designers, use cases, activity diagrams, sequence diagrams that can visualize existing code, layering to enforce dependency rules, and physical designers to visualize, analyze, and refactor your software. See how VSTS extends UML logical views into physical views of your code. Learn how to create relationships from these views to work items and project metrics, how to extend these designers, and how to programmatically transform models into patterns for other domains and disciplines. 

Development Best Practices & How Microsoft Helps 

Sometimes development teams get too bogged down with the details.  Take a deep breath, step back, and re-acquaint yourself with a review of current development best practice trends, including continuous integration, automation, and requirements analysis; and see how Microsoft tools map to those practices. 

"Bang for Your Buck" Getting the Most out of Team Foundation Server

Today’s IT budgets are forcing teams to do as much as they can with as little as possible.  Why not leverage Team Foundation Server to its full potential?  In this session we’ll highlight some capabilities of TFS that you may or may not already know about to help you maximize productivity.

May 13, 2009 - 1:00–3:00 PM (AZ time)
Microsoft Phoenix office – 2929 Central Avenue, Suite 1400, Phoenix, AZ 85012
Ocotillo Conference Room

The first part of the meeting will be lead by Garland Brown, an Attorney from Greenberg Traurig, LLP. Garland is a unique member of the technology/legal community. He has worked as a professional developer both as an independent and for Microsoft. His legal experience ranges from negotiations with the European Union on behalf of Microsoft to his current focus on early stage companies.

Garland will cover in part:

• Formation issues (LLC, LLP, Inc., etc)
• Funding issues (equity vs. notes)
• Issues involving protection of IP (trade secret, patent, copyright, trademark)
• Licensing

In the second half of the meeting I will cover some new components of the BizSpark offering such as:

• Hoster Update
• New Tools Available
• New Portal Info.
• BizSpark T-Shirts
• CRM Update

This will also be an opportunity for you to bring up any issues with the program and areas where you would like to hear from your peers. Feel free to bring your partners or anyone who might be interested in the program.

Like many folks within Microsoft, I come from a background that includes many different technology approaches/solutions to business problems. That being said, interoperability is a crucial element for enterprise applications.  I’m happy to say that his area is getting renewed focus within Microsoft and I highly recommend this presentation from Vijay Rajagopalan of the Microsoft Interoperability Team at MIX09 on the state of our current thinking.

Come hear how Microsoft has delivered multiple technologies that focus on interoperability with non-Microsoft and Open Source technologies. Learn how to use the Eclipse tools today to build Silverlight applications that run on PCs and Macs, how to develop using combinations of Java, Ruby and PHP in addition to the standard Microsoft languages, and how Microsoft's commitment to openness with the Azure Services Platform and the use of claims-based identity supports heterogeneous identity systems.

April 1, 2009 will be an auspicious day for developers around the world. Microsoft is sponsoring the “Defy All Challenges.Together.” Developer Tools campaign.  This free event will begin at 8am in APAC and conclude 24 hours later in the Americas.  Just think, 24 hours of Dev delight!

This event is open to developers all over the world to speak on a topic you care deeply about, even if you have never presented at a Microsoft event in the past. Submit your event topic today at Microsoft Virtual TechDays 2009.

Through the TechDays online event portal, registered attendees will participate through Live Meeting or recorded on-demand sessions for more than 90 sessions.  Topics will be on any technology within 5 tracks:

• Interoperability.
• Developer tools & practices.
• Client development.
• Mobile development.
• Web development.

The thought of connecting to people is so compelling, even I might submit a session!

However, if you want a different kind of “cool T-Shirt” (my opinion only), I have some blue, long-sleeved BizSpark shirts for anyone who emails me using the link on the left.  The “catch”, yes there’s always a catch… They are all size “Large”… Sorry…

On the other hand, there is the I’m a PC Store! 

The merchandise is actually quite amazing including SHOES, postage stamps and BABY CLOTHES! Who would have thunk it…

I know all three of you who semi-regularly read my missives already have enough T-shirts but this one is a bit special. Why is it special you ask?  Because I said so! I’m even going to sweeten the pot and if you do the survey and respond back to me, I will send you an even cooler blue BizSpark long-sleeved T-shirt! 

                                                                    “Are you a PC?”

Get a FREE “I’m a PC” black, cotton t-shirt by taking a short survey…honest, it’s less than 10 questions!  Click here to take the survey and get your t-shirt:   I'm a PC T-shirt Giveaway Survey

Check out MSDN for all the latest on Windows®

Microsoft is committed to protecting your privacy. Your personal information such as name, e-mail address, postal address, and phone number may be collected if you choose to register to complete the survey to receive the incentive. It will be used for fulfillment of the incentive. Your responses to this survey will not be linked to the contact information previously collected by Microsoft. Your answers will be reported in aggregate with those of other respondents. This survey does not use any cookies or other technologies to track your responses to the survey. Please note that this privacy statement applies only to the [I'm a PC T-Shirt Giveaway] survey. It does not apply to other online or offline Microsoft sites, surveys, products or services.
Please contact jolarter@microsoft.com if you have any questions concerning collection and use of your personal information.

Offer good only to residents of the 50 United States (including the District of Columbia) who are 18 years of age or older and are professionals or hobbyists engaged in the field of technology development. Limit one gift per person. This offer is non-transferable and cannot be combined with any other offer. This offer is while supplies last, and is not redeemable for cash. Taxes, if any, are the sole responsibility of the recipient. Any gift returned as non-deliverable will not be re-sent. Please allow 6 - 8 weeks for shipment of your gift. We will try to accommodate your shirt size request and will send the next closest size if unavailable.

© 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

You probably won’t catch this in time but yours truly will be interviewed on the John Adams Show, KFNN, 1510 AM in Phoenix. The 10 minute interview will be broadcast LIVE at the FBR Open in Scottsdale on Friday, 1/30/09 at 9:08 AM.  I will be speaking on some key initiatives and offerings from Microsoft that can save businesses money in the current economic climate.  You can get the stream of the interview post event at www.thejohnadamshow.com.  I will post a direct link and additional content after the show.

LISTEN LIVE!

Microsoft SDKs

On this page you will find links to Microsoft Software Development Kits (SDKs), which provide documentation, code samples, tools, headers, libraries, and other files that developers can use to create software applications and libraries.

I’m happy to say even my beloved HealthVault is included!

Even though S+S or Software + Services has been out in the “wild” for a couple of years there are many who are not aware of what it really means.   It seems that in the internet culture of today nothing registers until it has an obligatory YouTube video.  Well here it is in all it’s glory (actually , its a bit understated).  Did it work for you?

For further definition, this is the “party line” from the Software + Services area of Microsoft.com… Developed by Ray Ozzie:

Software-plus-Services is the next logical step in the evolution of computing.  It represents an industry shift toward a design approach that is neither exclusively software-centric nor browser-centric.  By deeply and genuinely combining the best aspects of software with the best aspects of cloud-based services, we can deliver more compelling solutions for consumers, developers and businesses.  Microsoft envisions a world where rich, highly functional and elegant experiences extend from the PC, to the Web, to the devices people use every day.   Across the industry, Software-plus-Services is growing as a model strategy and even those claiming to deliver Web-only offerings are moving toward hybrid scenarios that involve both services and software.