December 2006 - Posts
Redmond dives into sector with acquisition
Robert Jaques, vnunet.com 14 Dec 2006
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Microsoft is making waves in the Secure Sockets Layer virtual private networking (SSL VPN) space, according to Forrester Research.
This is the first time that Microsoft has been included in this review of the SSL VPN market prepared by Forrester.
Microsoft's SSL VPN products were recognised for their security support, manageability and usability, and monitoring and reporting features.
"Microsoft has moved quickly and efficiently into the SSL VPN appliance market with its acquisition of Whale Communications, now a wholly owned subsidiary," the report said.
"Whale's Intelligent Application Gateway places Microsoft among the top SSL VPN vendors and provides a critical component for enhancing its Internet Security and Acceleration [ISA] Server.
"The result should not only be a heavyweight contender for enterprise remote access, but an ideal architecture for small and medium-size businesses as well. "
Microsoft's SSL VPN offering includes the Intelligent Application Gateway and ISA Server, which provide the cornerstones for Microsoft's overall secure access strategy and platform.
"Microsoft's SSL VPN crown jewel is its intelligent Application Optimizer templates for deploying large applications, which will save hours of complex configuration for IT administrators," the Forrester report noted.
With an increasing number of mobile and remote workers, a challenge for many of today's organizations is how to provide effective technology tools to maximize the productivity of mobile workers while maintaining a high level of security for critical company information. Windows Vista can enable your mobile workforce with highly secure and seamless ways to access and exchange information.
Be more productive on the go
Windows Vista provides solutions that can be scaled and adapted to a business using a mobile workforce to meet changing customer demands. Enhanced mobility features help your mobile workforce be more productive, and ultimately can create a competitive advantage for your business while helping contain IT costs.
Mobile workers can rapidly adapt to different locations with features such as Windows Mobility Center.
Be more responsive in and out of the office
When employees travel or work remotely they often have difficulties collaborating with colleagues, responding to critical e-mails, and resolving business issues. Windows Vista is designed to connect people, improve collaboration, and enhance customer contacts with secure access to people, groups, and to the latest, most relevant information.
Features such as Windows Meeting Space, which enables the use of ad hoc networks, help mobile workers collaborate more efficiently. Additionally, with the optional subscription to Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack, your users can have anywhere, anytime access to licensed applications through Microsoft SoftGrid.
Be more secure
With an increasing number of mobile and at-home employees, it becomes more difficult to maintain network security and the confidentiality of your information. Windows Vista provides the latest wireless security protocols and improved layers of protection that safeguard your network and provide secure remote access to documents and programs.
Protect data stored on your mobile PC from unauthorized access with enhanced security features like BitLocker Drive Encryption.
Be more cost-effective with mobile computing
It can be expensive and time consuming to support and manage technology for workers who travel, telecommute, or work in remote locations. As a mobile workforce becomes more common for many organizations, Windows Vista can help your business reduce the time and expense associated with managing mobile PCs or other portable devices linked to a central network.
It's easier for mobile workers to troubleshoot, diagnose, and resolve common computer issues with features such as Disk Diagnostics.
Next Steps
Prepare to Demo and Sell Windows Vista
Build the expert skills you need to effectively demo the Windows Vista operating system. The messaging and step-by-step instructions provided in the Partner Demo Readiness Toolkit prepare you to take advantage of all the new opportunities Windows Vista offers, like upgrades, add-on services, and customized solutions. The toolkit includes Windows Vista Release Candidate 1, Microsoft Office Professional 2007 Beta 2 Technical Refresh, and demo scripts organized by audience.
The Windows Vista Demo Readiness Toolkit
The Windows Vista Partner Demo Readiness Toolkit (DRT) enables you to check out the product for yourself, and gain the expert skills needed to effectively demo it to your customers. It includes Windows Vista RC1 and Microsoft® Office Professional 2007 Beta 2, and has been pre-populated with settings and media to simulate an end-user PC experience. You will also find demo scripts, hardware recommendations*, presentation resources, and release notes to support you in developing your demo skills.
If you already have a copy of the Windows Vista DRT, you'll need a product key to activate it. Access DRT product key
*See system requirements below
Request your copy of the Partner Demo Readiness Toolkit.
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Sign-up now System Requirements
*The Recommended System Requirements for the Windows Vista Partner DRT includes at least: - 1 GHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor.
- 1 GB of system memory.
- Support for DirectX 9 graphics with a WDDM driver.
- 128 MB of graphics memory (minimum), Pixel Shader 2.0 and 32 bits per pixel.
- 40 GB of hard drive capacity with 15 GB freespace.
- DVD-ROM Drive.
- Audio output capability.
- Internet access capability.
If your system does not meet the above requirements, you will not be able to enjoy the premium experience. You still may run the Windows Vista Partner DRT on a Windows Vista Capable PC, which includes at least:
- A modern processor (at least 800MHz).
- 512 MB of system memory.
- A graphics processor that is DirectX 9 capable.
Note: The above minimum PC configuration may not support all of the premium-feature demos in the Windows Vista Partner DRT.
Dec 11, 2006
DEC 11, 2006 07:43:34 AM | Add Comment (0) | Permalink
A new IDC report on the impact of Windows Vista on the industry claims Microsoft’s business partners stand to benefit more financially from the OS than Microsoft itself will in 2007.
According to the report on the U.S. economic impact of Vista, for every one U.S. dollar Microsoft makes on Vista in 2007, Microsoft partners that offer software, hardware and services related to Vista will make US$18.
"If there’s a surprising thing to people, it’s how extensively a Microsoft piece of software ripples out through the ecosystem," said John Gantz, one of the IDC analysts who wrote the report. "Microsoft, as a software vendor, casts a bigger shadow than its revenues."
IDC analysts Al Gillen and Marcel Warmerdam co-wrote the report, released Monday, which was commissioned by Microsoft.
The report also said that 35 percent to 45 percent of new PCs that ship to enterprises in 2007 will run Vista. "Some thought [adoption] would move faster," Gantz said. "But to me, that’s relatively quick."
However, he added that most of the Vista adoption in the enterprise will come from new PCs, not upgrades to enterprise computers that are running an earlier version of Windows. And 2008 will be the year Vista really takes hold in the enterprise, with about 80 percent of PCs being shipped to businesses running the OS, and nearly 40 percent of the enterprise installed base running Vista, Gantz said.
According to the report, Vista will be good not only for the wallets of Microsoft partners in 2007, but also for the IT industry in general. The OS should produce more than 100,000 new jobs in 2007, according to the report.
IDC said that within the U.S. in 2007, as many as 200,000 IT companies that produce, sell or distribute products or services running on Vista will employ more than 660,000 people. Another 1.15 million will be employed at companies using the OS. And more than 60 percent of the growth in Windows-related employment will be driven by Vista, according to the report.
-Elizabeth Montalbano, IDG News Service (New York Bureau)
Get Ready to Sell
Microsoft announces its release to manufacturing of Microsoft Exchange Server 2007. For you, it's the perfect time to get up to speed on new features and benefits. Find answers to common licensing questions and learn about edition and client access license options.
Microsoft Opens Up Halo 3 Beta
December 6, 2006, 11:24 AM
Microsoft's Bungie Studios has put the call out for beta testers of the next installment of the Halo game series for the Xbox 360 console, set to offer for the first time a multiplayer aspect of the game through Xbox Live. Halo 3 is slated to come out in 2007, and Microsoft says it is offering the beta to allow gamers to become part of the development process. Feedback received would be used to refine the final product, it said.
Those interested can sign up through the Halo 3 Web site. It is open to North American gamers with an Xbox 360 and hard drive, and an Xbox Live Gold subscription. Additionally, gamers must be 17 years or older. Microsoft plans to eventually offer the beta in Europe, and it advised gamers there to watch their local Xbox sites for more details.
Launch Central prepares you to benefit from the rising demand with comprehensive launch resources for Windows Vista ™ , 2007 Microsoft ® Office system, and Exchange Server 2007 – all in one place. Check here regularly for updated product, solution and readiness, and marketing campaign information, and get ready for a new day.
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Access product information on Windows Vista, 2007 Microsoft Office system, and Exchange Server 2007 to help you prepare customers for these groundbreaking software releases.
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Vista Will Foil Office File-Format Attacks
Vista's Address Space Layout Randomization approach will stop some kinds of exploits, notably those that rely on memory manipulation, by arranging key data areas randomly in the available address space.
By Gregg Keizer, InformationWeek
Nov. 29, 2006
URL: http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=196600278
New security features of Vista, among them memory randomization, will make it more difficult for attackers to exploit some kinds of vulnerabilities, including those in Microsoft's Office suite, security researchers said Wednesday.
Users updating to Windows Vista will be protected from the kind of attacks that plagued Office users this summer, when a slew of unpatched Word, Excel, and PowerPoint bugs were exploited by hackers suspected of operating from China.
Thomas Dullien, chief executive and head of research at the reverse-engineering tool developer Sabre Security, kicked off the discussion in his blog, where he noted that Vista's Address Space Layout Randomization will make file-format attacks moot.
"Client-side bugs in MS Office are approaching their expiration date. Not quickly, as most customers will not switch to Vista immediately, but they are showing the first brown spots and will at some point start to smell," said Dullien, who also goes by the nom de plume "Halvar.Flake." ASLR, which has been used in the Unix world for over a decade, stymies some kinds of exploits, notably those that rely on memory manipulation, by arranging key data areas randomly in the available address space. Microsoft's debut of the technique will be in Windows Vista.
"ASLR should be more effective at blocking the kinds of attacks on Office seen this year," agrees Oliver Friedrichs, director of Symantec's security response team. "It will make exploitation of memory management vulnerabilities much more difficult. Even if a developer makes a mistake in coding memory management, it shouldn't manifest itself in an exploit."
Although Office users may be better protected against file-format exploits when running Vista, those who rely on other applications may not, warns Friedrichs. "Third-party software may still be susceptible to these kinds of attacks," he says, since developers have to explicitly compile ASLR capabilities into their products.
Nor will ASLR and other security technologies new to Windows in Vista stop all attacks. In fact, the rise of attacks that don't rely on vulnerabilities but that depend on so-called "social engineering" tactics to trick users into opening malware or visiting malicious Web sites can be directly traced to improvements in Windows XP that are being expanded upon by Vista.
"Vista will not mean the end of malicious code," Friedrichs says. "Stack and heap protection will make an impact, but attackers will learn to work within the confines of Vista. Windows XP already introduced some of these [defensive] technologies, and one can make a correlation between the decrease in the number of widespread worms and [security] improvements in Windows XP SP2." As Vista rolls out new security technologies, cyber criminals will simply continue to shift their points of attack. "Attackers are moving up the application stack because they're being pushed out of the operating system," says Friedrichs. "They're now moving up the application stack and to the Web layer.
"And as for Vista's overall impact, I can't speak to that yet," concludes Friedrichs. "It will be more effective at blocking some kinds of current attacks, but I suspect there will be whole new areas [for attackers] to explore."
Microsoft plans to launch Windows Vista, as well as Office 2007, in the United States at a New York City event Thursday.
Learn about the benefits and available specializations of the IW Solutions Competency that can help you differentiate your practice from the competition and grow your business. Be part of a community of partners delivering customer solutions built on the 2007 Microsoft Office System and Exchange Server 2007.
Overview
The worldwide services opportunity for information worker solutions offers revenue potential for partner services of US$148 billion* by 2007. The Microsoft Partner Program Information Worker Solutions competency can help you tap into this revenue stream and the business potential offered by the 2007 Microsoft Office system.
To help you prepare to meet your customers’ needs, we have aligned market opportunities with five specializations within the Information Worker Solutions competency. These specializations are designed to support your business needs as you work toward attaining the competency.
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Messaging and Collaboration. Developed for partners who specialize in developing messaging and collaboration solutions using the Microsoft Office System, Microsoft Exchange Server, Office Live Communications Server 2003, and Windows SharePoint Services.
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Office System Desktop Deployment. Developed for partners who specialize in providing desktop deployment solutions to customers wishing to upgrade to the latest versions of programs in the Microsoft Office System.
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Enterprise Project Management. Developed for partners who specialize in developing enterprise project management solutions based on Microsoft Office Project Professional 2003.
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Portals and Enterprise Content Management. Developed for partners who specialize in portal solutions using Microsoft Office SharePoint Portal Server, Windows SharePoint Services, and Microsoft Content Management Server.
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Office Smart Client Development. Developed for partners who build solutions using XML and Web services in Microsoft Office Professional 2003 (including InfoPath), and solutions built using Visual Studio Tools for Office.
By building customer solutions on familiar programs, you can help your customers better manage, prioritize, and collaborate on increasing volumes of information. Employing this strategy can help you increase your service revenues, create new market opportunities, and renew your focus on high-value customer engagements.
When you attain the Microsoft Information Worker Solutions competency, you’ll gain access to special learning opportunities, including early access to software betas, guidance on deploying information worker solutions, access to relevant online partner resources, and invitations to solution-focused webcasts. Take advantage of our latest technologies and partner-exclusive training opportunities. And increase customer visibility through the numerous Web presence and marketing opportunities associated with membership.
Microsoft is committed to information worker productivity and to helping you expand your business. Apply for the Information Worker Solutions competency and gain access to the most current and valuable resources available for your industry.
*Microsoft Partner Capacity Research
Here is the the link for more info!
https://partner.microsoft.com/US/program/competenc...
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