tjlau's WebLog

random web stuff

2005-08-25T02:16:00Z

here they come... so MS catches up in maps, and now Google comes out with IM.

dood, this is pretty sweet actually... http://www.start.com/3/ hm... we have interesting random stuff too...

SPOT

2005-08-22T21:18:00Z

it was always interesting that MS cared about SPOT. I think there's definitely value in having smarter objects, but the model for SPOT was just too out of the blue. Definitely not a MS competency. Hopefully there's goign to be something more exciting in the future for that technology.

http://www.spotstop.com/default.asp?newsID=133

google maps what?

2005-08-20T02:22:00Z

Slowly but surely, MS always catches up and one ups the competition - http://virtualearth.msn.com/. Here's a fun video: http://www.virtualearthinfo.com/video.asp.

Too bad the international maps are still really bad. Can't look up things in Hong Kong yet.

new job: product manager for MOM and SMS --> product planner for Windows Embedded!

2005-03-23T02:16:00Z

I've transitioned from working on product management for Microsoft's enterprise management products to working on product planning for Windows Embedded. My new responsibilities are all about helping our Windows CE and Windows XP Embedded teams figure out what our customers and partners need and build the right things into our embedded operating systems.

The transition means that I leave the wonderful world of server and tools and enter the mobile and embedded devices division. My new VP was profiled today in the news and it's pretty interesting to learn about the backgrounds of some of the people I work with.

Now of course as a good samaritan in my new group, I have to talk about the Microsoft Mobile and Embedded Developer Conference in Las Vegas. All IT folks should be going to the Microsoft Management Summit in April, and all Embedded Developers need to go to MEDC in May. :)

I'm really pumped about my new job. So far it's been awesome...

so now he's royalty?

2005-03-01T18:15:00Z

Microsoft co-founder and chairman Bill Gates (news - web sites) will be awarded an honorary knighthood by Britain's Queen Elizabeth Wednesday for his outstanding contribution to enterprise. http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050301/us_nm/people_gates_dc

Final Fantasy Creator Joins Xbox! :)

2005-02-25T19:54:00Z

Microsoft Corp. today announced that Hironobu Sakaguchi, video game legend and president of Mistwalker game studio, has joined with Microsoft® Game Studios to develop role-playing game (RPG) video games exclusively for the next-generation Xbox® video game platform. Sakaguchi is best known as the creator of the "Final Fantasy" franchise, which has sold more than 60 million units worldwide, and was executive vice president in charge of game development at Square Enix Co. Ltd. until February 2001. http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2005/feb05/02-24SakaguchiPR.asp

the "truth" about marketing at Microsoft

2005-02-24T16:41:00Z

Dvorak talks about marketing at Microsoft. I must say that quite often I must agree with him. Although there is a gradual (and I mean very slow) shift of power from development to marketing, today development is still king.

There are pockets at which this is not true, but when that's the case, we usually lead the market TOO much and then don't put enough resource behind these investments to really make these break through successes. Look at the amount of money Apple spent on the IPod advertising and marketing vs. the amount we spend on Portable Media Center. I don't think any average joe knows that there is even such a thing as a PMC.

ms admired according to fortune...

2005-02-23T21:12:00Z

Considering the amount of perceived dissatisfaction with Microsoft, Fortune still has Microsoft Ranked Among Most Admired Companies. Perhaps it's because I generally hear more about things that go badly than about things that go well.

SMS stepping up

2005-02-15T00:24:00Z

Maintaining security continues to be one of the biggest issue affecting customers today. Although we have improved our process for releasing updates in a timely manner, we have not had a good track record of keeping our update deployment tools in sync with our security updates. Well this has come to an end this month.

Last week Microsoft released 12 security bulletins touching many different products and platforms, with 3 of the vulnerabilities not detected by MBSA. Previously, all we could offer our SMS customers was additional guidance from the update management solution accelerator, using process to remedy a technology limitation. This month however, the SMS team has stepped up to deliver a new enterprise scanner that scans for these vulnerabilities at the SAME TIME we released the bulletins, allowing our customers to immediately and easily secure their environment.

The SMS team has committed to continue to deliver the ability for SMS to scan for any updates MBSA does not scan for going forward at the time of release until hopefully Windows Update Services releases. This is vital to our customers and it’s great to see our development team step up to the plate.

Although update management conversations with customers are often difficult and uncomfortable, they are a harsh reality of the industry as a whole. SMS has constantly been dragged into competitive battles with pure update management solutions because our customers don’t believe that SMS can detect and deploy all security updates from Microsoft. With the SMS teams commitment demonstrated, we can now firmly tell customers that SMS is THE enterprise update management tool for Microsoft.

Go to school in Asia and want to work at MS?

2005-01-30T10:34:00Z

MICROSOFT JOB OPPORTUNITIES IN THE USA

Microsoft is looking for talented Computer Science Engineering students to work in the United States!

Please send your résumé in English to: uwork@microsoft.com

Please put in the Subject line: ASIA COLLEGE RÉSUMÉ (Your Name)

Who can apply:

Students or recent graduates of Computer Science, Computer Engineering or related disciplines. Bachelor’s, Master’s or Doctoral students are welcome to apply. Must finish your degree by September 2005. Recent graduates (May 2003 or later) are also welcome. PLEASE APPLY BY MARCH 15th – We will be interviewing in Singapore in early April.

Software engineering positions in the US:

1) Software Design Engineer (SDE) – Full-time positions

SDEs put all their technical talents and creativity to the test as they develop next-generation applications, operating systems and tools, just to name a few. SDEs build products from the ground up, writing secure, robust, scalable and efficient code. In addition to writing code, you’ll construct data structures and algorithms, and work closely with the Program Manager to define and prioritize features. It’s an opportunity to explore new technical realms and leave a lasting technical legacy.

SDE Skill Set:

C/C++/C#

Complex problem solving

Creativity and innovation

Passion for writing code

Broad knowledge of computer science fundamentals

Ability to “think outside the box”

Drive for results

SDE Roles and Responsibilities:

Construct data structures and algorithms

Write quality code

Explore innovative technical solutions

Test and debug code

Contribute to feature definition and design

Examine feature feasibility and estimate development time

Work with team to meet deadlines

For more SDE information:

http://www.microsoft.com/college/ft_softdeseng.mspx

2) Software Design Engineer in Test (SDET) – Full-time positions

SDETs are developers who design, develop and maintain automation systems. SDETs are responsible for utilizing innovative test technologies to develop a product’s testing strategy, and for facilitating the creation and execution of automated test suites across a diverse set of technologies. Perhaps more than any other software engineering position, SDETs enjoy tremendous job variety and the opportunity to design wide-reaching tools.

SDET Skill Set:

C/C++/C#

Complex problem solving

Creativity and innovation

Methodical approach

Attention to detail

Negotiation and conflict management

Drive for results

SDET Roles and Responsibilities:

Design and develop tool architecture

Write automation systems and device drivers

Author test plans and cases

Conduct security and stress tests

Debug at source level

Identify, investigate and prioritize bugs

Communicate with SDEs to resolve issues effectively

For more SDET information:

http://www.microsoft.com/college/ft_softdesengtest.mspx

Pat ourselves on the back... :)

2005-01-28T18:52:00Z

In an interview, Connors also pointed to strong performance by the company's server and tools unit during the just-ended quarter. Operating income for that unit rose to $2.52 billion, compared with $2.15 billion a year earlier.

"We've been joking internally (that) our server and tools business is comparable to the New England Patriots in the NFL playoffs -- they just don't lose." (http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/050127/earns_microsoft_12.html)

Envision 2005

2005-01-18T22:33:00Z

This week we have about 2000 of our field up here in Redmond to get an update on all of our latest information from the product groups. Last year I had to manage the management group's participation and this year thankfully I just had to help with Kirill's management keynote. He delivered the management keynote this morning to a packed room, updating them on our management business, presenting the DSI vision, and talking about some pieces of the future. Hopefully this will allow our field to better educate our customers and partners so we can scale better.

Btw, this is just ridiculous - Electronic Arts, ESPN ink exclusive 15-year deal. First the NFL deal, and now this. Unbelievable. And people complain about Microsoft locking people in. Good bye Sega Sports...

International...

2004-12-20T23:00:00Z

It's an international themed post.

1) We've just released the international versions of the Systems Management Server 2003 OS Deployment Feature Pack and the Systems Management Server 2003 Device Management Feature Pack (such great timing right before Christmas so there's going to be SOO many people looking at it... sigh...) If you are looking for something super exciting to do over the holidays, check them out.

2) I'm going to Hong Kong in 2 days! Absolutely ecstatic. The next 2 weeks are going to be great. :) Merry Christmas everyone!

Management Down Under!!

2004-12-06T13:03:00Z

Cheers mate from Aussie. Lots of great interest in management here. Last Friday Kirill presented to a group of 30 or so TDM's on management in Sydney and we had a bunch of meetings with various customers.

Here's Steve Goh, the management sales director for APAC, Peter Bender, the management specalist in Australia, and me celebrating a great day for management:

over the weekend I hung out with my buddy from primary school - known the guy for almost 14 years. Grabbed some awesome food. Seafood makes me happy.

Went to Melbourne today for a few more customer visits and another event. We had over 70 TDM's register and the room was totally full! The interest in the Dynamic Systems Initiative and management is incredible.

A couple more customer visits tomorrow, and then it's the end of the APAC tour. Back to the ivory tower... :(

Register today for MMS 2005!!

2004-12-04T06:26:00Z

April 18^th-22^nd 2005, Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada

MMS 2005 Registration is now open!

Thank you for your interest in the Microsoft Management Summit 2005 and for registering to receive email updates about this event.

On-line registration for MMS 2005 is now open, and can be accessed from the event web site at www.mms2005.com. This site also provides an overview of the event, the facilities at the venue and information about the schedule and receptions.

This year’s summit will be held at The Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. This year two different registration options are available for MMS 2005 attendees. You may either purchase your MMS 2005 Registration and hotel accommodation separately, or as a package.

If you choose to register using the “Package” option, your registration fee includes accommodation for the nights of April 18th – 21st 2005, at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino. These rooms are the closest available to the event venue.

Alternatively you may choose to purchase accommodation separately from your registration, during the registration process or at any time before March 15th 2005. The registration web site offers rooms at three different hotel locations, each close to the event venue. The MMS 2005 Event Team has negotiated special rates at these hotels, available only through the registration web site. Details of all the accommodation on offer is provided at the MMS 2005 web site.

“Knowledge” is this year’s conference theme and the event will be packed with useful information about how to optimize Windows®-based client and server networks. You'll learn about smart solutions for deployment and management of services and security, as well as how to seamlessly incorporate the latest innovations into your enterprise.

explore –

learn about the latest management technologies and solutions from Microsoft and leading industry experts

Over 80 breakout sessions and three keynotes will provide a wealth of technical content ranging from software and patch deployment, to asset tracking and fault diagnosis and remediation. These sessions by Microsoft staff and Industry Experts will provide the latest information about the products and technologies available for Windows-based Management.

You will learn how to efficiently plan and deploy Windows-based management solutions as well as how to improve the performance of the systems and solutions deployed across your corporate network, including servers, desktops, mobile devices and embedded systems. Many sessions will focus on best practices developed from real-world deployments, allowing you to benefit from the experience of others.

exchange –

network with your peers and experts from inside and outside of Microsoft, exchanging ideas and solutions

At MMS 2005 a variety of opportunities will be available to network with experts from Microsoft and the IT industry, as well as with your peers. Ask-the-Experts sessions offer an opportunity to discuss your issues with the Microsoft teams responsible for developing Windows management products, as well as with a variety of Industry experts. In addition, evening Birds-of-a-feather sessions will focus on specific topics, allow group discussion between attendees and an opportunity to learn from the experiences of others with similar management needs.

experience –

attend hands-on labs for a close-up view of management solutions available today and tomorrow

With over 6,000 Hands-on Lab places provided during the event, you will be able to learn about many of the solutions described during this event at first hand. With lab topics covering deployment, configuration, troubleshooting and optimization of management solutions, at a variety of technical levels, there is something for everyone to learn in either a self-paced or instructor led environment.

With all of this detailed content and the usual expert speakers the Microsoft Management Summit will clearly be the top management event of 2005. Visit the conference web site at www.mms2005.com for more details and registration information.