News & Views for Australian SBSCs : Technical

Microsoft in the cloud - "Windows Azure"

rupcroft — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 02:40:02 GMT

Lots of notes & noise swirling around today after the Professional Developers Conference announcement of Windows Azure, Microsoft's platform for cloud computing and software + services.

As you can imagine the wraps on this were kept tighter than a very tight thing & so I haven't really had a lot of time to think about what it means specifically for SBSC partners. Anything that helps customers & partners be more productive has to be a good thing but as always, time will tell.

Anyway, much smarter people than me are all over this & so to catch some of the coverage, check out:

The official Microsoft web site
The press release
Ray Ozzie's keynote - on demand video
Mary Jo Foley's guide for the perplexed

Cheers & let the conversations begin,

Robbie

Online technical support for Action Pack subscribers

rupcroft — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 04:23:54 GMT

Not sure how many partners in Australia use this complimentary online technical support service but it could be worth a look. Not the be all to end all of technical support, but another tool in your armoury.

Open to MAPS subscribers only, questions will be answered by the folks at Microsoft support with an SLA of 8 hours - though they nearly always get back to you a lot quicker than this.

Products include (but are not limited to): SBS, SQL, Windows Server, Office, Sharepoint, Vista, Exchange, Terminal Services & so on & so forth.

Cheers & if you sign-up, let me know what you think.

Robbie

Small Business Server - RTMs !!

nickmayhew — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 14:08:56 GMT

Straight from the official SBS product team blog, Small Business Server 2008 has 'released to manufacturing' - which means the code is baked and moves to escrow etc. The product will be generally available within a few weeks and the worldwide launch date is officially 12th November - more soon I am sure from Robbie.

Wishing all our SBSC community lots of success with this launch - we know this product is as important for your businesses as it is for ours.

Nick Mayhew

Are you working with the SBS or EBS 2008 betas yet?

rupcroft — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 01:41:55 GMT

Both the Small Business Server 2008 & Essential Business Server 2008 betas are proving very popular in Australia & so if you haven't already, now's the time to get started with them.

We're currently ranking fourth worldwide & accounting for over 5% of downloads - not bad considering we've got only 0.3% of the world's population.

Download SBS 2008 beta here
Download EBS 2008 beta here
Or order DVDs of both by emailing me on rupcroft@microsoft.com

Thanks & would love to know your thoughts,

Robbie

SBS 2008 public beta now available - come & get it!

rupcroft — Thu, 29 May 2008 04:43:21 GMT

Hot on the heals of the EBS 2008 beta, the Small Business Server 2008 public beta is now available for you to download. Using RC0 code, this is your first chance to have a play with the software you've been reading about for the last couple of months.

Download the software here (Standard or Premium, includes list of system requirements)
Download the reviewers' guide here
Check out loads of TechNet information here
Sign-up for the first Australian face-to-face partner training sessions here

This is another major milestone in the lead-up to the launch & so I'm really looking forward to as many Aussie partners as possible working on the beta & sharing their feedback & thoughts.

SBSCs will be first on the list: It can be up to 10gb download (depending on the components selected) & so for those without the broadband capacity to spare, I'll have a limited amount of DVDs available in the coming weeks. Send a mail with your address details to rupcroft@microsoft.com if you'd like to go onto the list.

Cheers & let me know how you go,

Robbie

PS - lots of Aussie interest so far in the WEBS beta with local downloads currently ranking 4th highest worldwide behind the US, Germany & the UK.

Great training now available

sbscaustralia — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 06:03:56 GMT

We're starting to roll out our training schedule for our Small Business Partners, starting with the below 1-day course on SBS R2.

The full day training including lunch is only $163.90 and I'd say it was well worth your money.

See more details below and register now

-----------------------------------------------------

This technical training focuses on the Small Business Server 2003 Release 2 and will be delivered in two sessions, with each session focusing on a different aspect of SBS Server 2003 R2. The sessions will run for approximately three (3) hours with a lunch break in between the sessions. The session’s outlines are:

Session 1 - Microsoft SBS 2003 R2 – Exchange 2003 and Outlook 2003 SP2 Features

This session introduces the new features on SBS 2003 R2 in regards to Exchange 2003 SP2 and Outlook 2003 SP2. After completing this course, you will be able to:

· Describe the new flexible client licensing in SBS 2003 R2.

· Identify ways to increase mobile security and efficiency through new Windows Mobile 5.0 policies and Direct Push technology.

· Provide increased message hygiene by using the Open SPF standard as well as an improved Intelligent Message Filter.

· Show how to allow for more storage with an increased mailbox size limit of 75GB.

Session 2 - Microsoft SBS 2003 R2 – Windows SharePoint Services V2.0\V3.0 Features

This session will introduce WSS v2.0, however it will be mainly focused on WSS V3.0. Students will learn the advantages of using Windows SharePoint services in their SBS 2003 R2 environment. After completing this course, you will be able to:

· Describe the benefits of using SharePoint as an information sharing tool.

· Show the advantages of using WSS V3.0 in their environment.

· Preparing for and upgrading to WSS V3.0.

· Integrate WSS V3.0 into Microsoft SBS 2003 R2 environment.

· Utilizing advanced WSS V3.0 features to enhance the current environment.

REGISTER NOW : https://www.local.microsoft.com.au/australia/events/register/home.aspx?levent=400723&linvitation

SBS and Forefront

sbscaustralia — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 02:42:58 GMT

I've had a few people ask questions about the the interoperability with Forefront and SBS - have had a chat to a few Microsofties and I've included comments below:

“Whilst Microsoft haven’t yet made any public statements about the Forefront server Products – we can confirm that Microsoft Antigen 9.0 has been successfully tested on the SBS build of Exchange Server 2003. The SBS team is currently in the process of integrating the current Forefront for Exchange as a part of the next SBS release – but as yet, no dates are confirmed for this.

There are a couple of caveats to this solutions, firstly; installing Forefront for Exchange(FSE) and Forefront for SharePoint(FSSP) on the same box is not supported, currently only one of the Forefront products can be deployed onto a single system at any one time. Secondly; when Exchange and SharePoint are present on the same box, deploying FSSP is known to result in some issues and we are currently not recommending this configuration. These issues are to be resolved in the forthcoming release of the Forefront Server SP1 package”.

SBSC Add-On Kit - Update

sbscaustralia — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 02:22:51 GMT

I've had a few questions from Partners about the SBSC Add-On Pack - date for shipping was late April.

However, Corp shipped the kit to us without the second Visual Basic CD - so instead of sending you a incomplete kit and then sending you another a few weeks later with the missing CD - I made the call to wait until the missing CD comes in and ship complete kits.

This means the kit will be a couple of weeks late - but my feeling is that is better than receiving half a kit that you can't do anything with.

Happy to change my mind if you disagree - just leave a comment.

Coming Up...... Loadfests

sbscaustralia — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 09:16:13 GMT

I caught up with Luisa Pagliarini who works in the Partner Team, looking after Partner Readiness and Internal Communications.

She asked me to blog about a project she's currently working on called Loadfests - so I thought it would be a great opportunity to quiz her about what exactly Loadfests are and what else she's got in the works for Partners.

So, Luisa, great to have you here, I know you do a lot of work on the upcoming Loadfests, they sound interesting, what exactly are they? A Loadfest Event creates the environment where partners can come in and load their PC’s with Vista and Office (using their own Volume License keys) in the company of our Microsoft Partner Technology Specialists (PTS).

What type of Partners would be interested in Loading and Festing? Loadfest is exclusive for Action Pack subscribers, Gold and Certified Partners. Anyone ITDM who hasn’t deployed Vista or Office 2007 on their PC should attend Loadfest as it will allow them to ask any technical questions to our PTS’s.

What else do you do at Microsoft? I work on all ISV communications, internal partner communications, and I have also just taken on board Microsoft Learning communications, and readiness communications.

What gets you out of bed in the morning? Steven my boyfriend giving me a wake-up phone :-)

How do you filter the Microsoft jargon to talk real speak to partners? It is very hard because we use so many acronyms internally – but it is like I have a little acronym conscience that rings in my ear, so if I accidentally talk an MS (oops I mean Microsoft) jargon, then the little conscience automatically corrects and out comes ‘real language’.

If you were a superhero, who would you be? Well she isn't really a super hero – but Hermione from Harry Potter.

What do you like most about working in the partner organization within Microsoft? There is a great culture and vibe here within the partner team. Everyone works hard and works together to achieving goals. It is so nice to come to work and know that no matter how much work is on we can all manage to smile and have a laugh.

Exclusive Partner offer - APAC Sharepoint Conference

sbscaustralia — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 06:38:37 GMT

After much negotiation I have been allowed to open up registration to the upcoming APAC Sharepoint Conference on the 15 - 16 May in Sydney.

This is the first time this event has been held in Australia and is a great opportunity to learn more about Sharepoint as well as network with customers. It was invitation only for customers and has already sold out - we have only a small number of spaces held for Partners, so make sure you get in quick if you're interested in attending.

After two highly successful conferences in Seattle and Berlin, seats for the Microsoft® APAC SharePoint® Conference in Sydney are sure to sell out. Registration for this third and final event will open to a wider audience on 16 April 2007. However as a priority partner, you and your team are invited to pre-register to ensure you secure a spot at this highly-anticipated event.

BRAND NEW DEEP DIVE CONTENT from US and APAC SharePoint experts
Pass this invitation on to IT professionals, developers and architects in your team. By registering, they can hear first-hand SharePoint product experts, such as Derek Burney (General Manager; SharePoint Platform), Mike Fitzmaurice and Joel Oleson (both Senior Technical Product Managers), about the new innovations, features and functionality in the latest release of SharePoint products and technologies. And for the first time in Australia, information on Microsoft Office Performance Point Server 2007 will be presented.

When:	May 15 - 16 , 2007.
Where:	Hilton Hotel, Sydney.
Cost:	$AUD549.00 +GST
Notes:	Register using code: Partner

Who will benefit the most: Over 2 days, your team can access hands-on training and deep dive technical "how to" breakout sessions covering subjects such as architecture, security, integration, deployment, migration, management and scalability. Sessions are aimed to help atendees best develop, customise, integrate and build powerful enterprise-ready solutions with SharePoint products and technologies.

How much: Just $AUD549 +GST per attendee, which includes access to all sessions, including keynotes, attendee materials, breakfast and lunch, a welcome reception, conference dinner attendee party, and chances to win prizes.

To find out more about the conference, including the full agenda, plus to register or read more about SharePoint technologies, visit the APAC SharePoint Conference 2007 Web site.

Longhorn Readiness Sessions for Partners and Customers

sbscaustralia — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 09:11:35 GMT

Courtesy of my boss and fellow blogger, Nick Mayhew - register for the Longhorn Readiness Sessions in Sydney Melbourne and Brisbane.

Microsoft invites you to attend a one-day technical readiness event designed to introduce you to many of the new features of Windows Server codenamed “Longhorn”. As Microsoft prepares to release the most advanced version of their server platform ever, now is the time to start learning how this release could offer significant benefits to your organisation.

The topics in this event have been selected to appeal to Developers that write applications to run on the Microsoft Server Platform. The event will also be beneficial for IT Pros that need to support, deploy and monitor these applications.

http://blogs.msdn.com/nickmayhew/archive/2007/04/13/longhorn-partner-and-customer-readiness-brisbane-sydney-and-melbourne.aspx

Just launched - Action Pack Managed Newsgroup

sbscaustralia — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 02:28:49 GMT

Hot off the press - Corp have just launched an Action Pack Managed News Group for support around Action Pack!

They have committed to a 1-day turnaround on responses - which given its based in the US will be a bit longer here in Australia.

Should be a great way to get faster responses to your questions. Leave a comment if you use it and have any feedback.

SBSC Exclusive Add-On Kit

sbscaustralia — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 04:02:49 GMT

We've finally had confirmation on the release date of the MAPS SBSC Add-On Kit - which will hit your desks in mid April. The Kit is part of a new value-add for SBSCers - and you will receive one every quarter.

Despite the fact that the name of the kit implies that it is only for Action Pack subscribers - the kit will actually be for all SBSCs - whether you're Registered, Certified or Gold and will include the following:

1. Sales and Marketing Tools:

- Small Business exclusive training

- Small Business Demo showcase DVD

2. Software

- 1 copy of Microsoft Visual Studio® Standard edition

Exclusive - Win a Mobile Device

sbscaustralia — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 03:58:06 GMT

Corp are offering a chance to win one of 10 mobile devices every month as part of the new mobility part of the Technology Assessment!

So now, that means the new Technology Assessment offers you the chance to get the following:

* Free copy of SBS R2 for every 5 assessments submitted

* 1 partner point for every 5 assessments submitted

* Chance to win one of 10 mobile devices every month for every mobility and SBS tech assessment submitted

All in all, not too shabby :-)

See the official details below:

Right now, Small Business Specialists who use the powerful new assessments in the Business and Technology Assessment Toolkit have a chance to win a Windows Mobile® 5.0 handheld device. The new assessments allow deeper evaluation of customers’ server, mobile, and desktop needs.

To take advantage of this great incentive:

Complete one Windows® Small Business Server assessment and one Mobility assessment.
Submit the results online and get entered to win one of 50 Windows Mobile 5.0 handheld devices.

Visit for more details on this great offer.

https://partner.microsoft.com/assesssmbneeds https://partner.microsoft.com/global/sbscoffer

*NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open only to authorized employees of Microsoft Partners who are actively enrolled in the Microsoft Small Business Specialist Community with a valid Microsoft Partner Number. Void where prohibited. Challenge ends June 30, 2007. For full rules see

Understanding the latest Action Pack Updates

sbscaustralia — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 09:44:03 GMT

I've just come back from a week at Building Number 122 at Microsoft Corp in Redmond - despite the fact that Redmond reminded me very much of the Truman Show :-) the visit was definitely worthwhile.

I finally put faces to names of some great people who have been doing some good things for SBSCers worldwide - one in particular was Eric Ligman

Eric has been fielding a lot of questions from US Partners about Action Pack and presented a great Live meeting on the recent Action Pack Update its now available on demand - so if you've got questions about Action Pack, then its highly likely that they've been answered on this Live Meeting. Check it out!