May 2006 - Posts
In March 2006, enhancements to Software Assurance benefits started offering customers 24x7 business-critical support, improved deployment and manageability, greater cost savings, and more technology protection. Software Assurance benefits are designed to help customers realize the full value of their software investment throughout each stage of the software lifecycle, whenever they need it.
If you haven't checked out this site lately, please do!
It’s now available for download!
The 2007 Microsoft Office system preview site has details.
The Windows Vista Product Guide is now freely available in Microsoft Word format!
Click here to download it as .xps or .doc.
You should also check out the Windows Vista Home Page for additional information. It’s an exciting time!
If you can’t describe the basic differences between a Critical Update, a Hotfix, an Upgrade, and a Security Update, then you may want to check out
this KB article. It’s a quick read, but will clarify Microsoft’s update terminology for you and your customers.
I had a great question today, asking if Windows Rights Management Services is supported on SQL Server 2005. I just received the answer from a Technical Product Manager:
Is the RMS Server supported with a SQL Server 2005 database?
Yes, RMS is supported with a SQL Server 2005 (or 2000, SP3 or above) database. There is a SQL Server update that must be applied in order to reconcile an issue involving error codes (the patch adds an error code required by RMS to one of the SQL Server tables). Once this update is applied, the RMS Server will function normally. The update can be found at the following KB link: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/913372
In the “Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt” category comes Gartner’s report claiming that Windows Vista won’t be widely available until Q2, 2007. If you have customers who are concerned about this, you may want to read Ed Bott's response and this Computerworld article. Like us, you probably get questions all the time about Microsoft, so it’s important to have a good sense of perspective.
For example, in March everybody was claiming that Windows Vista’s launch date had slipped. But was this really true? While Microsoft is still on track to RTM all versions in November—and distribute them to enterprise customers—Windows Vista won’t be broadly available to consumers until January. Microsoft Partners, including system builders and retailers, need more than a month to fill their product channels. This makes perfect sense, and is worth passing along if/when your customers ask you about it.
Questions about Microsoft Dynamics? Looking for information on Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0? Want to know where to go for white papers, marketing materials, sales information, or technical resources?
Download the Microsoft Dynamics Resource Directory below! This is a one-page PDF document highlighting Microsoft Dynamics resources for Microsoft Partners.
File Attachment: MSCP62_chart_032306final.pdf (580 KB)
Win an Xbox 360!
One lucky Microsoft Partner who attends a TS2 Event during the month of May will win an Xbox 360!
Check the official rules for details.