I just posted a new screencast called “SharePoint Guidance for ISV Developers”
You can watch it here, or go directly to the Screencast.com link at http://www.screencast.com/t/DawjZ5l0B.
Here’s a quick abstract about the screencast:
With the growing presence of SharePoint 2007, more and more developers are looking to use SharePoint as an application development platform. Available guidance is provided by many sources and can often seem contradictory. We provide architects and developers with some help getting started with deployment, unit testing, and versioning. We also help with many common architectural decisions such as SharePoint list versus database.
Hope you enjoy it!
Thanks for checking out this post!
“PICS” is a new online plant sellers catalogue based on Silverlight 2. This app was created by the Japan Ministry of Agriculture and has just been released.
Users can locate a nursery that sells the plant they want by simply entering a plant name in the form.
This is a great way the government is helping small business owners to promote their products.
Try it (in Japanese or English)! [link...]
Thanks for checking out this post!
Silverlight has helped Bondi Digital Publishing bring classic magazine issues from Playboy and Rolling Stone back to life with Cover to Cover.
Very cool announcement a new application called “Cover To Cover” that was written in Silverlight.
“Cover To Cover” allows users to browse through classic issues of Playboy and Rolling Stone.
You can check out the Playboy app now at www.playboyarchive.com. There are more than 50 entire issue there already.
Both the Playboy and Rolling Stone apps will be rolled out by the end of the summer 2009.
“Silverlight is bringing magazine memories back to life through Bondi Digital Publishing’s Cover to Cover. Starting with classic issues of Playboy and Rolling Stone, Cover to Cover features stunning quality and lets you browse and search decades of content that would otherwise be impossible to mine. A must-see.
Bondi Digital Publishing was looking for a way to put magazine archives on the Web and provide options for branding and monetization. Enter Silverlight. Bondi founders were wowed by the high-resolution video quality, the ability to present mega repositories of image-based data and the ability to create a friendly, responsive user experience.
Microsoft Gold Certified Partner Vertigo helped Bondi develop Cover to Cover, which they built entirely on Microsoft technology. Silverlight provides the gorgeous quality levels and Deep Zoom close-ups, and the back-end software enables you to browse content at the same speed you can flip physical pages.
The first Cover to Cover collection is a 60-year archive of Playboy. That’s six decades of beautiful women like Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield, as well as a treasure trove of articles, cartoons, art, and interviews by modern masters such as Ernest Hemingway, Jack Kerouac, and Ray Bradbury. Forty years of Rolling Stone is scheduled to launch in Fall 2009.
Bondi has given magazine publishers a way to reinvigorate their businesses with existing content, and given the rest of us an opportunity to dive in to the best of modern magazine classics. “ – Silverlight.net
Great to see Silverlight being used for such iconic brands like Playboy and Rolling Stone.
Thanks for checking out this post!
Yesterday Microsoft announced Microsoft Hohm, though the link is not working yet. You can sign-up for the beta and read more at http://mshohm.orcsweb.com/.
Hohm is the concatenation of H + OHM, the unit of measurement for electrical impedance.
Microsoft Hohm is a free web based application (running on the Windows Azure platform) that enables consumers to better understand their energy usage by utilizing advanced analytics licensed from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the U.S. Department of Energy to provide home owners with personalized energy-saving recommendations.
The beta is now available to all residents in the United States with plans to roll out internationally over the next year and beyond.
Check Out Introducing Microsoft Hohm - Save Energy & Money | NicFill | Channel 9 for a cool videocast on Channel9 with Nic Fillingham and Troy Batterberry where they walkthrough Microsoft Hohm and explain how the service can help you reduce your energy consumption, lower your carbon footprint and save some real money.
Sign up & more info: www.microsofthohm.com or http://mshohm.orcsweb.com/ (till the DNS actually replicates )
p.s. This is a great example of a Windows Azure application. I’m guessing this application will do a great job at sparking ideas around applications for Windows Azure.
Thanks for checking out this post!
Awesome news for Microsoft BizSpark Startups. Now you can get great hosting deals for your solutions at special rates only available to BizSpark Startups.
Check out the details of the offer at the following link https://www.godaddy.com/Hosting/bizspark.aspx
If you haven’t heard of BizSpark, you can check it out here: http://www.microsoft.com/bizspark/. You can also read about Startups using Microsoft at the Microsoft Startup Zone.
BizSpark is a program for Startup ISV’s (Independent Software Vendors). The short story is you get free Microsoft software, support and visibility.
How do you qualify? (ISV, Privately held, <3yrs in biz, <$1M Rev)
http://www.microsoftstartupzone.com/BizSpark/Pages/Do_I_Qualify.aspx
What do you get? (Software, Support & Visibility)
http://www.microsoftstartupzone.com/BizSpark/Pages/What_Do_I_Get.aspx
Software
- All the software included in the Microsoft® Visual Studio® Team System Team Suite (VSTS) with MSDN® Premium subscription
- Expression® Studio Version 2
- VSTS Team Foundation Server (standard edition)
- Production use rights to host a “software as a service” solution (developed during participation in the BizSpark Program, on any platform) over the Internet, with regard to the latest versions of Microsoft products including:
- Microsoft Windows Server® (all editions up to and including Enterprise)
- Microsoft SQL Server® (all editions)
- Microsoft Office SharePoint® Portal Server
- Microsoft System Center
- Microsoft BizTalk® Server
- Microsoft Dynamics® CRM (coming soon)
- In addition to the core program offering, BizSpark startups will be eligible for other Microsoft offerings, such as:
- Microsoft Azure™ Services Platform
Startups may also work with a BizSpark hosting partner to deliver their software as a service solution using the latest Microsoft server products. For specific details on technology offerings and hosting scenarios refer to the Microsoft BizSpark Program Guide for Startups (Appendix A and Appendix B).
Support
- MSDN Subscription
- 2 Technical Support incidents
- Unlimited BizSpark program support for non-technical issues
- Global Community of BizSpark Network Partners
Visibility
- Online profile for your apps and your company in BizSpark DB
Thanks for checking out this post!
I read this recently and thought it to be a significant bit of info, especially if you are looking to target the Windows Azure’s .NET Workflow Service.
It’s direct from the product team.
“The next release of the .NET Services CTP will be the sixth version released since the initial CTP became public last year. The rapid iterative development cycle required for cloud offerings is driving an equally interesting and rapidly iterating feedback loop with customers and partners. Keep sending us your feedback!
Incorporating community feedback is the cornerstone of each and every development milestone. Talking to current and potential CTP users, listening to the community’s needs, and responding accordingly is essential to delivering .NET Services in a way that “just works” to address your business and development needs.
An area of consistent discussion is the Microsoft .NET Workflow Service delivered via .NET Services, and how it relates to the Windows Workflow Foundation (WF) in the .NET Framework. One of the comments that we’ve consistently heard about the .NET Workflow Service is that you want the Workflow Service to be built on .NET Framework 4‘s workflow engine. This is currently not the case, since we are prior to the release date of .NET Framework 4.
As the direct result of user feedback, we will hold off further releases of the Workflow Service until after .NET Framework 4 ships. Since there will be important changes to the Workflow Service before it goes to full production, we are planning to take down the existing Workflow Service as part of service improvements in the month of July. This means any solutions that currently rely on the Workflow Service will have to be modified on or before July 1 in order to continue functioning smoothly.
We understand this decision will cause disruption, yet we’ve consistently heard from customers “it is the right move” to ultimately deliver a better product and a better experience. The sixth iteration of Microsoft’s .NET Services will still include the Microsoft .NET Access Control Service and the Microsoft .NET Service Bus. The team will continue to deliver a number of requested improvements that make .NET Services more reliable, secure, and robust. Details will follow in due course.
Please be sure to check back frequently for updates and visit our forum if you have any questions.”
- .NET Services Team
Key Take-Aways:
- Further releases of the Workflow Service until after .NET Framework 4 ships.
- The .NET Services team is planning to take down the existing Workflow Service as part of service improvements in the month of July.
- Any solutions that currently rely on the Workflow Service will have to be modified on or before July 1 in order to continue functioning smoothly.
So if you are affected and using the Workflow Service, you should immediately remove that dependency prior to July 1, 2009.
At least until the .NET Framework 4.0 release later this year.
Thanks for checking out this post!
There are some great new “How Do I” videos on Windows Azure and Live Services.
They are free, task-oriented, and “bite-sized” to get you up to speed quickly
Love that they are a great way to see the Azure Services Platform in action without the CTP
Here’s some more info that’s super helpful:
Here’s the HowTo videos:
Leverage Concurrency in Windows Azure Table Storage?
Windows Azure table storage is designed to support many users at the same time. In this session, you’ll learn how Windows Azure table storage supports concurrency, and you’ll learn a few strategies to help you deal with any concurrency violations.
Use Paging in Windows Azure Tables?
To improve application usability, many applications need to support viewing data page-by-page. In this screencast, you'll learn how Windows Azure table storage provides a built-in mechanism that allows you to efficiently page through query results.
Sync Between Devices and the Cloud with FeedSync?
Syncing the cloud and a growing world of devices is a fundamental need in today’s world. In this video, you will learn how to use FeedSync feeds to synchronize Live Framework data between a device and the cloud.
Get Started with the Messenger Web Toolkit?
Making your application sociable is easy. In this screencast, Chris Parker uses simple code to add instant messaging to his Web site. In minutes he connects his Web site to 320 million Instant Messenger (IM) users on PCs, Macs, mobile devices and Xbox 360. These efforts can help bring new users to his application and retain them for a longer period of time through the use of cool features like chat, presence, contacts and profile information.
Thanks for checking out this post!
I just got notice about a FREE Microsoft sponsored training event on the Microsoft Windows Azure Services Platform.
The event will be provided by RDA Corporation.
You can read all the details below. Click the “Register now.” button or goto to this url http://info.rdacorp.com/forms/AzureTraining09
With the announcement of the pricing model right around the corner at the WWPC, this is a great opportunity to get up to speed on developing for the Azure Platform. The WWPC or 2009 Worldwide Partner Conference will be held in New Orleans, July 13-16.
| Azure Platform Training We are pleased to invite you to a complimentary day of intensive training on the Azure Services Platform for developing the next generation of enterprise applications in the cloud. This Microsoft sponsored event is being offered at no cost to you. Breakfast, lunch, and free parking will be provided. The event is targeted for developers and technical decision makers with a background in .NET development. No prior experience with Azure is required and this training session will provide enough background for software development teams to pilot cloud-based applications in their organizations. The training will be divided into multiple sessions to provide a comprehensive overview of the platform. Agenda Topics:
Session 1 - Microsoft Azure Platform Business Overview Session 2 – Azure Roadmap Session 3 - Azure .NET Services Overview
Session 4 - Developing Applications for MS Azure and Azure Storage Session 5 - Exploring Microsoft Live Services | Date and Time: Tuesday, July 7th, 2009 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. EST · 8:30 a.m. Registration & Breakfast · Lunch Served · Free Garage Parking 
Where: Microsoft Corporation 1125 Sanctuary Parkway Alpharetta, GA 30009 Cost: There is no cost to attend this seminar. Featured Speaker(s): | Chris Schaich Senior Project Manager RDA Corporation | | Damon Squires Senior Software Engineer RDA Corporation | Get more details about this event. Learn more about RDA. | |
Thanks for checking out this post!
I’ve had a lot of folks ask me about Geneva lately. This post provides a quick summary of the different places I’ve looked to find out more about The Geneva Framework and Microsoft’s story for a building claims-based WCF services.
Please let me know if you have more suggestions for good content on the topic. I’m a big fan of Michele Bustamante’s writing style, so you notice there are a couple articles here from her. You can always check her out at http://www.dasblonde.net/
Here’s a quick summary of the story around Geneva:
| | "Geneva" Claims Based Access Platform
"Geneva" helps simplify access to applications and other systems with an open and interoperable claims-based model.
For developers: "Geneva" helps simplify user access for developers by externalizing access logic from applications via claims, and reducing development effort with pre-built security logic and integrated .NET tools.
For IT professionals: "Geneva" helps IT efficiently deploy and manage new applications by reducing custom implementation work, consolidating access management in the hands of IT, helping establish a consistent security model, and facilitating seamless collaboration between organizations with automated federation tools.
For information workers and consumers: Users can benefit from help navigating logins, managing different personas, and controlling how personal information is shared. - "Geneva" includes built-in interoperability via open industry standards and claims, and implements the industry Identity Metasystem vision for open and interoperable identity.
- "Geneva" includes three components for enabling claims-based access. Beta 1 of the following components are now available for public evaluation:
- "Geneva" Framework for building .NET applications that use claims to make user access decisions
- "Geneva" Server security token service (STS) for issuing and transforming claims, enabling federations, and managing user access
- Windows CardSpace "Geneva" for helping users navigate access decisions and for developers to build customer authentication experiences for users
|
Here’s some great resources fro reading up on Geneva:
History - formerly called "Zermatt."
Features:
- Plumbing to build a custom Security Token Service (STS)
- A mechanism to require federated authentication from ASP.NET applications
- An object model that facilitates claims-based authorization for ASP.NET applications and Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) services.
- Support for Windows CardSpace such as managed information card issuance and ASP.NET controls that simplify the creation of a Windows CardSpace login experience.
Geneva Framework spans the breadth of security features, but at its core is claims-based security. It is the new framework for building claims-based applications and services, and for implementing federated security scenarios.
WCF has always had native support for a claims-based security model.
The Geneva Framework:
- Enhances and simplifies access to claims at run time.
- Provides a mechanism to support claims-based authorization in a manner that is consistent with the role-based authorization principals already available in the Microsoft .NET Framework.
Thanks for checking out this post!
In case you missed it, on Monday, June 1st, 2009 Microsoft announced there will be no Office Developer Conference this year.
However Microsoft will be rolling the Office Developer Conference track into the SharePoint Dev Con.
So if you are an Office developer ISV, you should think about attending the SharePoint conference (Read about it here at the Microsoft SharePoint Team Blog):
http://blogs.msdn.com/sharepoint/archive/2009/06/01/office-developer-conference-moving-to-sharepoint-conference-2009.aspx
You should get most the content you have been looking for Office development at the SharePoint conference.
Thanks for checking out this post!
Today, we announced the IIS Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Toolkit Beta – a free toolkit that helps Web developers, hosting providers, and server administrators improve their sites’ relevance in search results by recommending how to make them more search engine-friendly.
The SEO Toolkit Beta is available for installation via the Microsoft Web Platform Installer 2.0 Beta.
The IIS SEO Toolkit Beta is a piece of the larger Microsoft Web Platform strategy, which enables developers and end-users to build great websites, experiences, and achieve success in the Web ecosystem.
The IIS SEO Toolkit can:
- Improve the volume and quality of traffic to Web site from search engines
- Control how search engines access and display Web content
- Inform search engines about locations that are available for indexing
The IIS SEO Toolkit includes three modules that integrate with IIS Manager:
- Site Analysis, which suggests changes that can help improve the volume and quality of traffic to your Web site from search engines;
- Robots Exclusion, which makes it easier to control and restrict the content that search engines index and display; and
- Sitemaps and Site Indexes, which can help inform search engines about locations that are available for indexing.
The IIS SEO Toolkit Beta can be installed with the Microsoft Web Platform Installer 2.0 Beta.
To follow Microsoft Web Platform on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mswebplatform
Thanks for checking out this post!
I was very excited today about the release and availability of the Windows Mobile 6.5 Developer Tool Kit!
Find it here on MSDN: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=20686a1d-97a8-4f80-bc6a-ae010e085a6e
The Windows Mobile 6.5 Developer Tool Kit adds documentation, sample code, header and library files, emulator images and tools to Visual Studio that let you build applications for Windows Mobile 6.5.
For general information about writing software for Windows Mobile, please see the Windows Mobile Developer Center.
FYI - The Windows Mobile 6 SDK must also be installed in order to use any of the Windows Mobile 6.5 Gesture API or samples.
The Tool Kit also comes with the following Emulator Images:
- Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional Square Emulator
- Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional QVGA Emulator
- Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional WQVGA Emulator
- Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional VGA Emulator
- Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional WVGA Emulator
- Windows Mobile 6.5 Standard Square Emulator
- Windows Mobile 6.5 Standard QVGA Emulator
Here’s some more resources:
- What's New for Developers in Windows Mobile 6
- Windows Mobile Team Blog
- Windows Mobile Developer Center
Thanks for checking out this post!
Bruce Kyle just blogged about the new Windows SDK release that supports Windows 7 RC and Windows Server 2008 RC. This is great news for ISV’s. I spoke with one of my favorite ISV’s today and they have already downloaded the bits. Great to see the community so quick to embrace Windows 7.
Here’s what Bruce had to say on the ISV Team Blog:
Windows SDK release supporting Windows 7 RC and Windows Server 2008 RC is now available on the Microsoft Download Center. The Windows SDK for Windows 7 and .NET Framework 3.5 SP1: RC provides documentation, samples, header files, libraries, and tools designed to help you develop Windows applications using both native (Win32®) and managed (.NET Framework) technologies.
This SDK is compatible with Visual Studio 2008, including Visual Studio Express Editions, which are available free of charge.
You can choose from two versions. One that supports DVD ISO image file so that you can burn your own DVD and Web setup that lets you download the SDK as a single file.
Please note if you are running a 64-bit version of Windows and Visual Studio 2008, please upgrade to Visual Studio 2008 SP1 before installing the Windows 7 SDK.
US ISV Developer Evangelism Team : Windows SDK Supports Release Candidates
Thanks for checking out this post!
