Content and Code and Microsoft would like to invite you to a highly interactive and informative seminar, Microsoft Office PerformancePoint Server 2007, held at Microsoft, London, on Friday 11th April 2008.

This is a special seminar limited to approximately 20 participants. This intimate seminar will allow for open discussion in order to address your particular areas of interest or any enquiries that you might have.

Enjoy interactive demonstrations as well as a buffet lunch. This seminar unearths the business value of Microsoft Office PerformancePoint Server 2007 to your business.

This seminar is FREE and  is aimed at IT and Communications Directors and Managers wishing to understand Microsoft Office PerformancePoint Server 2007. We also encourage senior business professionals, such as CFO and marketing managers, to attend the event to learn about the business implications of PerformancePoint Server 2007.

It would be great if you could make it, please contact me should you wish to reserve a place, kallia.mansour@contentandcode.com, quoting reference CODECC.

I presented with Sense Solutions at their BI day. There is a lot of demand generation with BI especially as IDC, Gartner rank BI as #1 priority for BI.

ICS - The Microsoft BI Experts with Microsoft at the Butler BI Symposium 2007. From ICS; Seema Varma (BI Consultant), Sam Wijeyakumar (ICS Business Development Manager). From Microsoft; Barinder Hothi (MOPPS for Mid Market) and Shailan Chudasama (Data Technology Specialist).

Great view of the city's but not sure why you would watch?

http://www.itvlocal.com/new_site/london/live/

AM Events = Customer

PM Events - Partner

Birmingham, Institute of Directors

(Hereford & Worcester Rm)

Tel – 0870 166 6683

Tues 8^th April - AM

http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID= 1032366993&Culture=en-GB

Tues 8^th April - PM

http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032367000&Culture=en-GB

London, Cardinal Place

Tel – 0870 166 6680

22^nd April - AM

http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032366990&Culture=en-GB

22^nd April - PM

http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032366995&Culture=en-GB

Edinburgh – Microsoft

Tel – 0870 166 6680

7^th May – AM

http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032366991&Culture=en-GB

7^th May – PM

http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032366999&Culture=en-GB

Telephone – 0870 166 6680

London, Cardinal Place

Telephone – 0870 166 6680

20^th May - AM

http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032366997&Culture=en-GB

20^th May - PM

http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032366998&Culture=en-GB

To enhance the value of Microsoft Action Pack, from March 1^st, all of those renewing or subscribing must take a course and pass an assessment to receive it. Partners must take one specific Microsoft online course from the required Partner Learning Centre course list and complete its associated assessment with a minimum score of 70 per cent. To continue receiving Action Pack, partners must pass an assessment every two years. Courses are all 100% subsidised and take no more than 60 minutes. The assessments will take no more than 30 minutes to complete. To help partners, an enrolment guide and more information is available at:  www.microsoft.com/uk/partner/actionpack. In addition, if partners have any queries regarding their Action Pack subscription or if they are experiencing any issues when renewing, please call: 0870 60 70 700 (press option 1) for assistance.

We are proud to announce that a second Office PerformancePoint Server 2007 book is now available!   This book completes the Rational Press Series of PerformancePoint Server 2007 books.  While the first one covered Monitoring and Analytics (original announce attached), this one explores Planning.

With close to 20,000 copies ordered to date, these two books are the result of the collaborative effort between one of our partners, our development and marketing teams (click on the book pictures for more info).

As per tradition, we have sent our partners a Season’s Greetings e-card.

This year, our e-card contains a link to a seasonal quiz and ‘snowball game’ – upon completion, partners can enter a free prize draw for an Xbox 360.

A common question I am asked is the one of new features in SQL Server 2008, especially around BI. Hopefully this whitepaper will help you folk.

http://www.microsoft.com/sql/techinfo/whitepapers/sql_2008_bi.mspx

Nice write up in the Redmond Mag on SQL Server traction and closing in fast on Oracle

http://redmondmag.com/features/article.asp?editorialsid=2382

Nice quote -

Today's multibillion-dollar question is: Could Microsoft now do to Oracle, the long-time database leader, what it has done to the others?

The answer is (drum roll, please): Yes, probably.

The SQL Server 2008 November CTP introduces extensive new functionality across all of the core themes of SQL Server – Trusted, Beyond Relational, Dynamic Development, and Pervasive Insight. For example, this CTP helps customers manage a mission critical and productive data platform with key features such as compatibility with Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 as well as Resource Governor, Declarative Management Framework and Transparent Data Encryption. The CTP is also the first to help customers store and consume any type of data including new FILESTREAM data types and to provide support for spatial data. New business intelligence enhancements include improved performance, usability, and data visualization.

Read Ted Kummert’s Presspass Q&A to learn more on SQL Server 2008 and the Data Platform vision.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-gb/bb851664.aspx

We're extremely excited to bring you TechNet Edge! Some IT Professionals from around the world gave us their thoughts on IT Pro community without any knowledge of TechNet Edge. A local professional graffiti artist did an amazing rendition of the word EDGE on a 30 foot wall. Combine the two and you can see there is something big brewing here. Come join the community by registering now, hang out, and tell us about your own "Edge".

http://edge.technet.com/Media/TechNet-Edge-begins/

Join us as we approach the launch of SQL Server 2008. This Partner Academy Live session will cover 100-200 level content.

SQL Server 2008: Business Intelligence Overview
November 28, 2007

8:00-9:00 am PST
presented by Julie Strauss

Register for the Partner Webcast Partner Academy Live

Level: 200

Target Audience: Technical Specialists

Description:

As the platform for the end-to-end Microsoft Business Intelligence offering, Microsoft SQL Server 2008 builds on the strong momentum in the business intelligence market. This session will provide an overview of the new business intelligence capabilities available with the next release of SQL Server. In addition to discussing the overall value of the Microsoft business intelligence platform delivered with SQL Server 2008, you will also have the opportunity to see the new SQL Server 2008 BI capabilities in action through a set of product demonstrations.

Webcast Details

· https://www.livemeeting.com/cc/msevents/join?id=SQL29AL&role=attend&pw=JEI728

· Meeting ID SQL29AL

· Meeting Key: JEI728

· Telephony: 866-294-0201

· Pin: 7086

Two new courses available for Developers and Architects for Biztalk 2006, in London.

Developers

44CO049 - Introduction to BizTalk 2006 for Developers   Day 1 Intro to BizTalk and it’s architecture   In the introduction to BizTalk an it’s architecture we’ll have a look at the different pieces which come with BizTalk. Which process model is used and how the different pieces fit together or communicate with one another.  Messaging Engine (Includes Adapters, Pipelines, Maps) The core of BizTalk is the messaging engine. Although all the tools provided

17 Dec 2007

44CO049 - Introduction to BizTalk 2006 for Developers

05 Feb 2008

44CO049 - Introduction to BizTalk 2006 for Developers

11 Mar 2008

44CO049 - Introduction to BizTalk 2006 for Developers

Architects

44CO050 - Introduction to BizTalk 2006 for Architects   Day 1 Intro to Architecture In the introduction to the architecture of BizTalk 2006 we’ll discuss Service Oriented Architectures and designs in a whole, how BizTalk fits into that and what the architecture of the different BizTalk systems are. This also includes the side products like ‘Single Sign-On Server’, ‘Business Rules Engine’ and ‘Business Activity Monitor’.

17 Dec 2007

44CO050 - Introduction to BizTalk 2006 for Architects

26 Feb 2008

44CO050 - Introduction to BizTalk 2006 for Architects

26 Mar 2008

44CO050 - Introduction to BizTalk 2006 for Architects

There are 14 modules of training and video content available online.

Link http://www.microsoft.com/business/performancepoint/resources/training.aspx

Happy reading :)