When I first got to Redmond, my old boss and mentor Frank Arrigo told me that until I had my name on an office door, I was nobody in Redmond!

Well, this morning, I became somebody… (along with my stable mate Mr. Brandon)!

I feel so blessed, thank you Microsoft Facilities elves.

So I just finished my Cloud Services session at this years WWPC in Houston, and while I was impressed as usual with the level of feedback and questions that I received at the end, one really struck a chord with me.

Let me give you some background first. I’ve spent the past month getting up to speed with where we’re at as a company in terms of the cloud. More specifically, as I look out at the market, I’ve asked myself, “Why Cloud Services?”.

We have BizTalk Services and SQL Server Services, and it’s not hard to see where we’re going… we’re taking the stuff we’ve done best on-premise, extracting the services DNA, and making it available in the cloud for developers.

So onto the question today from the audience, “What are we doing to tackle Google and Amazon in the cloud?”.

As I thought through the answer, one thing kept resonating with me, what and more importantly, why are they doing cloud? It hit me that the motivation of the vendor makes a big impact on the type of cloud offering they have, and how they will offer that to their audience. For example, if you want to drive users to your bigger back-end ad revenue system, then it makes sense to offer a free platform that encourages that behavior. Alternatively, for us, if you want to enable your partner ecosystem to be immediately productive and effective in the cloud, using their existing experience, skills and tools, then it makes sense to do what we’re doing.

What it made me realize more importantly is that there won’t be one cloud platform provider, but many who will have cloud platforms that exhibit functional behaviors based on their business motivations.

I think that’s good for all of us! :)

So it’s been a while since I last posted to my blog… almost 3 months ago. What have I been up to?

Well, me and the clan moved to Redmond, WA, and have been busy setting ourselves up. I’ve been busy in my new role working on Cloud Services, and now most immediately, I’ve been getting ready for WWPC 2008.

So I have some questions…

1. Who is going!?

2. Who is going to hear about “The Cloud”?

3. Who answered yes to questions 1 and 2, and is not going to my session on “AP019 - S+S and Cloud Services”?

If you answered yes to question 3, then a pox on your XBox 360! Put another way, please come and participate, I’d love to see you there. Oh, and if there are any folks who want to have a more intimate conversation around Cloud Services, book some time with me through the WPC Connect tool, I’ll be around Tuesday afternoon and all day Wednesday.

See you there :)

So one thing that has occurred to me over the past three months of being a dad is that munchkin's have the coolest, exciting, comfortable clothes around. I submit into evidence exhibit A below, a picture of Oli wearing her one piece suit and sock shoes!

Exhibit A - Sock Shoes

OK, so have I been stuck in the shed with the lids off my paint tins again? No!! I've been thinking...

Why can't adults have such comfort and convenience. I would love a pair of socks of appropriate thickness and durability, printed with a leather shoe and sock design, that I could wear to work. Off course I would still wear shoes, but only to and from the office. But while in the safe confines of my carpeted castle, I would take off my "outside" shoes to reveal my "inside" shoes, then conduct my daily business routinely. At meetings, my colleagues would not even notice that I wasn't wearing "real" shoes, as it would appear to the casual voyeur that I in fact, I was. And all the while, comfort would be my companion.

Now as for the one piece armless jumpsuit...

So last Friday I was invited to be part of a panel session with my fellow Microsoft'ees Nigel Watson and Chris Vidotto, hosted by MOSSIG's Tim Wragg.

The panel was asked to consider the impact of emerging and developing platforms, such as the cloud and next generation mobility, on current platforms such as Sharepoint Server.

During the session I was asked how would I describe "the cloud". Now, I've spent a fair bit of time thinking about this question myself, and have gone between a number of ideas, but at that point, all I could think off was "Think of the cloud, as the mother of all servers!".

Now, I admit I am a simple man, but before you tip your cup of Quietly Camomile over while scrambling for the comment button, let me tease this out.

For me, there are a couple of reasons why I think the cloud is just a big server.

Firstly, if we go back to that time in desktop computing where there was no such thing as client/server, everything just ran on one machine. As people started to work together in an organisation, they started to need a central place to keep stuff, so came the network computer and client/server was born.  Developers then made decisions around where to deploy certain components of a solution based on whether it was required by one user or required my many. We're back at this point again, only the reach needs of users is extending past the firewall, and the problem of where to deploy shared services is upon us again. Developers are now faced with the problem of where to deploy components of a solution that are needed by one, by many within the organisation, or by many outside the organisation. They need a server somewhere outside their organisational network where they can put their components, but preferably somewhere accessible by their other collaborators. For me, this server is the cloud.

The other aspect is the cloud is not the same as the Internet. The reason for this is that the cloud as a commercial technology concept has the attribute of ownership attached. Therefor, the Microsoft Cloud is different from anyone else's cloud, because unlike the Internet, which is more like public infrastructure, we determine what our cloud does or doesn't do, what is installed or not, who gets access and not.

Finally, the cloud is more than just a bunch of packaged services. The cloud, like a server, has an inherent architecture and set of capabilities, but the fun begins when developers exploit these capabilities to create brand new capabilities.

For me, as a simple person, the way I see the cloud now is really an extension of my server, but for the Internet. If it's to work, it needs to be a seamless extension, one where I simply decide that the characteristics of my solution require an environment that does not reside within my organisations sphere of control, where scalability must happen on demand and reliability is the same whether one or one million users are loaded.

Now, the key here is that the cloud is going to mean something different for everyone. A developer working in-house, a consultant at a Systems Integrator, an architect building bespoke software or an engineer working for a product company, are all going to have different factors that influence their needs and influence their decision to leverage the cloud.

Main thing is, everyone's gonna need one... I hope! ;)

In keeping with my intense desire to constantly improve my top line, I've accepted a new job!

I'll be taking on the role of Chief Weapons Controller at SkyVault, where my colleague Crystal and I will dispatch systems to our team of Centurions as they battle the evil Doc Terror!

Well, ok, so I didn't get that job, but I did one that is just as cool!

My new job will be the Sr. Product Manager for Cloud Services, based at HQ in Redmond, Washington. I'll start my new role while still in Australia, then relocate with Yil, Oli and the doggies to the U.S., probably some time in June.

What will my new job involve? Well, I'll pretty much be spending heaps of time on our cloud stuff, working with the various product engineering groups who are building the new shiny bits, marinating in their cloudy goodness, then spreading the word via blogs, conferences (PDC too, yesh!), and the power of love; that kind of thing. 

Why am I moving? Because I strongly believe that the cloud offers Microsoft an unreal chance to redefine the boundaries of our application platform. To take the whole S+S thing into a new playing field. And to be on the ground floor as we do this is a dream come true! Also, I just miss Franky!

Will I forget everyone in Australia? Probably. I don't know, jeez! Depends on what presents I get. No, no, only joking... *whispers under breath* I better get good presents!

Will Microsoft Australia be waiting until the body goes cold? Not at all! In fact, we're looking for my replacement as I type. So if you are, or know someone, who would love to do what I do (at Microsoft I mean), then send me an email.

Anyhoo, I'm off to get my lego hair and high pants fitted, but please leave comments and let me know how much you'll miss me (or leave porn spam... you know who you are!).

Ba bye!

Cat and Andrew have tagged me as part of the chain meme going around, so here are 8 little known things about moi. But first:

The background/rules:-

1. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
2. People who are tagged need to write a post on their own blog (about their eight things) and post these rules.
3. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
4. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

My 8 tidbits:-

1. Both my parents were born in Sri Lanka (Ceylon)

2. My first car was a magnificent 1967 Holden HR Special

3. I have a half sleeve tattoo on my right arm

4. I appeared on The Price is Right as a model when I was 17 years old (My gridiron team was invited to sit in the car when it was driven out)

5. I was born in Melbourne but spent 7 years in Western Australia from ages 7 to 14 during which time my parents owned and ran a pizza shop!

6. My middle name is Jonathan

7. I'm currently studying Law at Monash University in their Juris Doctor/LLM program

8. I once applied to be a Navy Pilot but was advised during my JOES day that flying machinery was not something I should consider ;)

So now to tag 8 folks I'd like to know 8 random things about:

• Shane Morris
• Nigel Watson
• Graham Elliott
• Tim Wragg
• Ben Riga
• Phil Richardson
• Jorke Odolphi
• Brian Madsen

Franky sent me a wonderful little present that arrived today:

Every "fact" is pure gold. And what makes it even more special is its now almost legendary status!

So to leave you with a random fact, let me open the book to...

Page 72 - "If you ask Chuck Norris what time it is, he always says, 'Two seconds till.' After you ask, 'Two seconds till what?' he roundhouse kicks you in the face."

Pure gold!

From the CRM Resource Center, some great goodies!

• 11 Things to Know About Customization - Conceptual article aimed at system administrators, developers, people who customize CRM. This article contains links to 11 other articles in a series format. Revised for 4.0.
• Design considerations for business units - Conceptual article aimed at system administrators, people who deploy and customize CRM. This one is about structuring CRM for your business hierarchy. Revised for 4.0.
• Edit your Site Map: Configure the Site Map to customize application navigation - Combination how-to and conceptual article for system customizers, developers, and system administrators. New for 4.0.
• Close multiple activities with a workflow - Scenario-based article with how-to steps for one of 4.0’s new features. General interest. New for 4.0.
• To delete or not to delete: How Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Outlook handles deleted records - This article explains some of the behavior of CRM that causes confusion for users. It contains guidelines and 2 tables with examples. General interest. New for 4.0.

All the above articles are focused on CRM 4.0 ;)

OK, now I know the public perception of Dave Lemphers is that of a hard nosed corporate assassin who deals with only the most challenging challenges, worthy of my Hasselhoff like good looks and Norris agility. A pitbull in a pinstripe suit some might say.

But even the most deft business master has a soft side. So when I received this heartfelt message from Sabrin B (lidayfoss@holidays.net) in my Junk Email folder, I was touched to say the least.

I mean, who doesn't want to cook while being watched by someone sitting under a blanket (preferably if they are in the same room, not across the street in a blacked out, cockroach infested bedsitter). I now fully understand how Britney felt when Chris Crocker was moved to do something similar.

And oh the thought of kissing some ones hair (lips are so overrated). Or having someone feed me fruit using their hands for once (feet just don't do food justice). Or how I've yearned to "click" someone from behind (I'm not sure what that's street talk for?).

But alas Sabrin, I already have someone who watches my smile while I sleep (and I don't think he wants someone else joining him in the large oak tree at the back of my house), so you will have to continue your search.

All I can say is... I hope you am find the thoughtfulness and care hugs you seek :)

Happy reading,

Dave.

Shanemo and I went for an adventure today, down to Myer to see the new Asus Eee.

The first thing that hits you is how small it is, that's a 20c coin next to it!

The next thing that hits you is how fast and responsive the Linux OS is. The trick is it doesn't do lots of nearly worthwhile things, but does a few very useful things. Always a good move.

Next, it has all the bits and pieces you'd expect from a full strength notebook. It has 3 USB 2.0 ports, Ethernet and Telephony ports, Video out port, Webcam, cool touch pad with a single multifunction touch pad button (press on the left side is left click, right side is right click), speakers, and audio out and microphone jacks.

It is light as (under 1 kg), and also has a Windows version coming out very soon.

To be honest, it's a great buy, and at $499 AUD, it meets the number one rule of product selling, don't make the purchasing decision too hard. At that price, with those features, the decision to buy is not intensive, which is why these little machines are running out like hot cakes.

Noice.

Btw, if anyone at Asus would like me to "test" one of these babies (or any mobile computer for that matter), please feel free to furnish me with goodies ;)

Another delivery of Dynamics CRM 4 goodies just arrived, and this time, it's a couple of very handy data sheets.

Win, Drive, Grow Datasheet (breadth) provides an overview of the Microsoft Dynamics CRM product that is non-version specific. Use this breadth data sheet in situations where high-level general exposure to the Microsoft Dynamics CRM product is needed.

Enterprise Brochure (depth) focuses on details relevant to enterprise implementations. Use this depth brochure to detail Microsoft Dynamics CRM to enterprise customers.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 - What’s New data sheet provides an overview of the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 product features and is intended to be used in conjunction with the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 What’s New – Top 60 Features Guide (to be released next week). This data sheet provides a quick overview of 4.0 whereas the guide delves into feature details.

The data sheets are best used when you want to give someone a high level snapshot of CRM's capabilities, as the starting point for a more detailed discussion.

As always, enjoy :)

Today's good oil is four BDM decks for CRM 4.

CRM Overview BDM Deck – High-level summary of the CRM suite capabilities and overall business.  Leverage this deck to kick off sales discussions.

Marketing BDM Deck – Deeper dive into Marketing to help business decision makers better understand the capabilities and value of leveraging Microsoft Dynamics CRM for marketing organizations (including customer evidence, etc.).  Use this deck in conjunction with the CRM Overview BDM Deck.

Sales BDM Deck - Deeper dive into Sales to help business decision makers better understand the capabilities and value of leveraging Microsoft Dynamics CRM for sales organizations (including customer evidence, etc.).  Use this deck in conjunction with the CRM Overview BDM Deck.

Service BDM Deck - Deeper dive into service to help business decision makers better understand the capabilities and value of leveraging Microsoft Dynamics CRM for service organizations (including customer evidence, etc.).  Use this deck in conjunction with the CRM Overview BDM Deck.

BDM decks are unreal for those who are trying to position the business value of CRM 4 to internal stakeholders or customers.

They are really slick and shiny, and provide a great base to build on if you're trying to paint a bigger picture.

I've uploaded them to Skydrive, but they will be also publicly available on the usual Microsoft sites very soon.

Enjoy :)

OK, so since my last post on my new costume for the CRM 4 DevJam, I've had a bunch of emails asking:

1. What is the CRM 4 DevJam?

2. Who is running it?

3. Where is it being run?

4. What's the format?

5. What's the cost?

All great questions.

The CRM 4 DevJam is just an idea I came up with to help get developers trained on Microsoft CRM 4.

The idea is that it is run by the local user groups, with content and VPC's provided by Microsoft.

My hope was that it would be run everywhere in Oz, but it really depends on local state support from the community, to actually facilitate the days.

The format I thought was really basic, to make sure the barrier to running it was low. So I thought, what if it was BYO laptop, with hard drives and wireless storage servers setup with the VPC on them, so folks could get in early and copy the stuff down (it's also already available on the web). Then, it would be a set of hands on lab sessions on how to develop on CRM 4. The training content is already baked and tested for extra flavor, so need to stress about that.

Finally, the goal would be to keep the cost low. With some clever thinking, I reckon the event could be run free, if we leverage the local user groups (.NET, SharePoint, CRM, whichever) and their local Microsoft office folks.

Now, this is where the rubber meets the road. I live in Melbourne, so getting my community peeps together is a cinch. Most of my .NET and Dynamics mafia live in Sydney, so getting that cranking is also easy. My challenge is QLD, ACT, WA (I'm already watching my Inbox Brian!), SA and TAS.

So what I need to know is, who can I reach out to in states other than VIC and NSW to help get a CRM 4 DevJam going? And what are folks thoughts about the way to get these going?

Holla!

Well, it finally arrived, and how splendid it is!

So where am I planning to wear this fantastic garb to? Well, to the community CRM 4 launch!

When is that? Good question. Not sure. I'm working on the plan now, but my high level thinking is that we run a weekend DevJam in conjunction with the local User Groups, and serve up some of the hot developer training content that was developed at HQ in Redmond by the product team (9 smoking HOLs on how to do everything from custom entities to workflow to plug-ins, in Visual Studio, Sharepoint and CRM).

My thoughts at this point is we (those passionate about CRM 4 development) reach out to the local user group el presidentes, work with them to setup events in each city through their favorite training company, then run a full day of hands-on lab style training and breakouts.

What do folks think? Is this something we can do? Who wants to put their hands up to help me do this! We can try and get some sponsorship from local companies (I'll put my hand up to run around with the hat), and I reckon if I cry loud enough, big daddy (MSFT) will cough up some cash too. I'll also front the VPC images and lab manuals.

Spread the word. And what's more, if we can stagger the dates, then I'll do my very best to bring Optimus to a local Dynamics CRM 4 Community DevJam near you ;)