May 2009 - Posts
As many of you know I tend to post quite a bit on Microsoft Online Services, specifically the Business Productivity Online Suite (aka BPOS).
When ever I speak with partners about software plus services, our online services specifically, or cloud computing in general I often hear security concerns voiced. They are usually overt in nature and are typified by the customer expressing concern about the integrity or security of an hosted service, versus on premise. Sometimes the concerns are found hidden in the psychological melodrama of the concept of housing “my” data in the cloud! There is something about ownership that benefits directly from tangibility.
IF I CAN SEE IT, TOUCH IT, AND IT IS IN MY POSSESSION, IT MUST BE SAFE!!!
It is tough to get over. Ask that customer if they keep all their cash and stock certificates (if you can actually still get them) under their mattress at home, and they will look at you funny and fail to see the connection. It is different, but people use bank accounts and safety deposit boxes because they are MORE secure than the other options they have at home.
Is it really any different with services?? Yes and No.
Their are many issues to consider when considering hosting YOUR (read customer’s) data in the cloud. You should investigate options and feel comfortable before diving in.
Don’t recreate the wheel however. Many organizations have asked the tough questions and done a lot of ground work for you!
Case and point is this article from networkworld entitled
City of Carlsbad connects to the cloud
California city entrusts email to Microsoft cloud-based service
By Neal Weinberg , Network World , 05/18/2009
http://www.networkworld.com/supp/2009/ndc3/051809-cloud-carlsbad.html
If a government entity can put its faith in Microsoft Online Services, perhaps it is worth reading about. This articles represents a great case study for you to share with prospective online services customers.
I’ll leave you with a few quotes.
In pure dollars and cents, over a four-year period, the Microsoft deal will cost $330,000, a managed solution would have cost $390,000 and doing it all in-house was a $500,000 proposition, according to Peterson. "That's a 30% or more savings to not do it ourselves."
"Security was a big part of the RFP," Peterson says. "We asked a lot of questions on how you do security, on their hire-fire process."
Please take a moment to scan this over, it could be the ammo you need to get a fence sitting customer moving!!
Thanks,
Woody
I had mentioned in my last TS2 event last week in Boise, ID that the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 and the American recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 benefited businesses greatly, specifically small and medium businesses by allowing for larger deductions /upfront depreciation of capital expenditures. READ your customers may be able to write off most of the solution you implement for them. This is a great tool to have in your tool bag when discussing costs with your customer. I am not a tax expert, I only know many partners have mentioned this to me and banks that furnish SBA loans are very keen on it as well. Please do thorough research though.
I have provided a few resources below.
The IRS Site concerning Section 179
Section179.org
Thanks and regards,
Woody Walton
Okay, if you have attended a TS2 event recently, you may have heard about the THRIVE site. It is fairly new and has a nice marriage of Technical & Business Career info and how to better manage your career in the IT field. A lot on Technology and Business Alignment stuff too.
As Example of the value THRIVE offers see this SWEET Promotion below!
Get access to five 2-hr courses to brush up on your Virtualization skills. For a limited time, access this eLearning collection for FREE! ($159 value)
These eLearnings will prepare you for Windows Server Virtualization Certification. Use promo code 9350-Y2W6-3676 and register now!
This offer includes the following:
Course 6320: Introducing the Hyper-V Technology
Course 6321: Configuring a Virtual Environment
Course 6322: Deploying Systems in a Virtual Environment
Course 6323: Optimizing a Virtual Environment
Course 6324: Managing a Virtual Environment by using SCVMM
HURRY: Offer expires June 30th, 2009
I will likely follow-up on this screaming deal!! ;-)
TTFN,
Woody
I just recently posted on Windows 7 Resources on the Partner Portal, but I would be remiss if I neglected other Microsoft and external resources. TechNet is an obvious landing page as is the Windows 7 Landing page on Microsoft.com.
Also, I should note that most of the resources I mentioned in my earlier post were either sales or technical in focus (IT Admin type), not developer focused.
On that end I wanted to share with you a recent find that has merits for the developer of course, but also the IT generalist.
Check out http://www.msdev.com/Directory/SeriesDescription.aspx?CourseId=104
A Developer's First Look at Windows 7
This series introduces Windows 7 with an emphasis on those new features that will be of most interest and use to developers. It consists of: two introductory sessions, one focusing on the new user interface, and one on behind-the-scenes features, two hour-long sessions that cover compatibility and security issues, six shorter sessions which focus on coding for a single new feature.
This site has 10 web presentations on many aspects of Windows 7 pertinent to code jockies, but useful to us less intelligent types:
Summary Below:
Windows 7 Introduction - The New User Interface
Windows 7 Introduction – New Features for Developers
Windows 7 Compatibility
Internet Explorer 8 Compatibility
Windows 7 Feature: Taskbar and Jump Lists
Windows 7 Feature: Federated Search
Windows 7 Feature: The Windows 7 Ribbon
Windows 7 Feature: Instrumentation and Performance
Windows 7 Feature: Background Service and Tasks
Windows 7 Feature: Energy Efficiency
A pretty neat series of web trainings. They very in time from 15 minutes to 1.5 hours. Very thorough, but a little dry at times. Credit to Nancy Strickland of IT Mentors, who presented the series.
Presenter:
Nancy Strickland Job Title: Trainer, IT Mentors
As always, Thanks for listening.
-Woody
I was perusing the partner portal looking for anything I might have missed for my last post on Windows 7 and I found these Labs, or workshops for that matter. Seems like a nice way to see if your apps are going to work if you are and ISV or savvy partner.
REMEMBER, Windows 7 is not a panacea! It is built on Windows Vista. App compat can still be an issue.
Below is a summary of the intention of the workshops:
Windows Readiness Application Compatibility for Partners
Microsoft has launched an exciting program called the WINDOWS READINESS WORKSHOPS to assist our valued ISV Partners with ensuring application quality on Windows 7. Participants will have the opportunity to test their application for compatibility with the most recent publicly available version of Windows 7. You will also receive valuable guidance on how to address compatibility issues discovered during testing. This is a great opportunity to test your applications on Windows 7, but there is limited availability so be sure to register early to get your preferred time slot.
Who should participate in an AppCompat Lab?
Partners may send 1-2 individuals to participate in the one-day lab. These individuals should be intimately familiar with the design of the application being tested and should be prepared to work with the lab staff to execute the technical aspects of the testing process. Software developers, database administrators and testers are all good candidates to represent your company at the lab. Only one primary contact should register for your company, regardless if only 1 or 2 representatives will be present. Please note:
- You will need to bring your application(s) to be loaded on our secure Windows test platform in a private developer lab environment for testing and debugging application issues.
- Prior to participating in the lab, it would be advisable to go through the Windows 7 Application Compatibility Cookbook
Dedicated consultants will be on hand to support participants in investigating application compatibility, and give architectural guidance.
They are not everywhere, but some of the major markets have multiple workshops. See Dates and locations here.
The Workshops go from May 20 through June 26th and are being put on in NEW YORK, NY; MOUNTAINVIEW, CA; WALTHAM, MA; RESTON, VA; ALPHARETTA, GA.
Sign up now before they are full!
Thanks,
Woody
Windows 7 is definitely a buzz word around here at MS and out in the partner space. I have the benefit of getting information before the channel and public most of the time, but not always. Recently, I was surprised to learn just how much Windows 7 training content is already out on the Partner Portal, with more to come as we near RTM. This is an exciting time and I want make sure you are up to speed when this bad boy hits the channel later this year (sooner rather than later)!
Understanding that it is no easy task to browse the portal for content I thought I would summarize a few of the resources for getting up to speed on Windows 7.
Everything you need to know about Windows 7 Deployment for SI Partners
PARTNER ACADEMY LIVE SERIES:
Windows 7 - Application Compatibility
Windows 7 - Security Overview
Windows 7 BranchCache – Next Generation Branch Office Optimizations
Windows 7 – Networking
Windows 7 Professional and Windows XP Mode for Partners
AppLocker in Windows 7
WINDOWS 7 LEARNING SNACKS! -COOL SilverLight Click through Training!!!
Using the Deployment Image Servicing and Management Tool for Servicing Windows 7 Images
Introducing the Troubleshooting Platform in Windows 7
Setting Up a Home Network in Windows 7
Desktop Experience in Windows 7
Introducing BitLocker and AppLocker in Windows 7
Implementing User Account Control in Windows 7
Windows 7 Learning Snack: Introducing Windows 7
RELATED to Windows 7, but not exclusive content…
Plan Now or Pay Later – Why You Should Reconsider Deploying Windows Vista
Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization (MED-V) - Get Ready to Product Release
As I find more I’ll post. These are some great nuggets thus far and I want to keep you all informed. Make certain to checkout the learning snacks for a quick overview of new capabilities!
Cheers,
Woody
I just saw some marketing slicks that were hot off the press. I always look at these with a keen eye as I am not a fan of a lot of the marketing we at Microsoft push out. I recall the Vista launch and how hard it was to squeeze partner focused Business Value content on Vista for SMBs from the folks the product and marketing groups. I’ll be the first one to state Vista had its issues, but it also has some great strengths as well! I am hoping this is the first in a tide of decent marketing publications on Windows 7. …I realize that it is receiving great press thus far and I also hope that trend continues too. ;-) I think this is a good start anyway. Not perfect, but a far cry better than last go round.
I think one of the biggest helps will be how the SKU lineup plays out (Number 2 below). Basically only two products will be sold at retail, Professional and Home Premium. Ultimate will be an upgrade process and it adds the same functionality as Enterprise for Licensing customers. Media Center is on all key versions (those above Home Basic) and when you move “up” you lose nothing as you go. Simple. Not perfect, but again a far cry better.
Everything listed down to XP Mode is in Professional. To see the complete chart on the MSPP try the Windows 7 SKU Editions and Feature Sets Chart.
back on track. I promised you the Top Ten.
SO here they are… SNIP!
Regardless of what type of partner you are, the new Windows® 7 Professional
operating system delivers a solid foundation to sell new PCs and provide value-added
services to your small- and midsize-business customers. Some of the key benefits for your
business include:
01. An operating system that works the way your customers want.
Customers have asked for value and innovation. Windows 7 Professional
improves on the fundamentals, while delivering the latest in mobility and user
experience. It’s fast, stable, and compatible—with both third-party applications
and third-party devices. Customers get an operating system that meets the
advanced needs of their businesses and they get to keep working with the
applications and devices they use today.
02. A SKU lineup that’s easy to understand and sell.
The simplified SKU lineup of Windows 7 is easy for customers to understand—
and easier for you to sell. With no more complex choices between editions,
you can easily make recommendations to your customers. If they need a PC
for work, they should select Windows 7 Professional. If the PC is only for home
use, Home Premium is the option. And because all Windows 7 editions simply
offer a more complete set of features than the edition before, there’s no need
to know all of the features.
03. A cost-effective, simple installation process.
In response to original equipment manufacturer (OEM) feedback, Windows
7 Professional will be delivered as a single image;* separate images are not
needed for each edition or SKU. This simplifies your installation process and
can help speed up customer order fulfillment. In addition, new deployment
tools have been designed to increase flexibility, speed, and efficiency in
product development, helping to reduce costs. The result: OEMs will need to
service fewer edition-based images.
04. Partner opportunities for offering Windows XP Mode.
Windows XP Mode provides the flexibility to run many older Windows XP
productivity applications in a virtual Windows XP environment. Customers
benefit by being able to use the productivity applications they’ve already
invested in, while not having to worry about potential operational downtime as
they switch systems. A great feature, Windows XP Mode is only in Windows 7
Professional and above, and is only available either through OEM preinstallation
or postpurchase installation.** This provides you with potential new service
opportunities when customers move from their old PCs to new ones.
05. An opportunity to offer high-value recurring services.
The release of Windows 7 Professional provides an opportunity to both upgrade your customers’ software or hardware and deliver IT-related services such as setting up data backup, configuring hardware and accessories, and optimizing network settings. Based on your customers’ unique needs as well as your service offerings, partner opportunities exist
to help customers with deployment, mobility solutions, and more.
06. The increased potential to offer a broad set of PCs.
Windows 7 Professional has been optimized to work well on many different hardware specifications. This gives you the opportunity to offer customers a range of PCs targeted toward what makes the most sense for their businesses. It also provides flexibility for you to recommend different options that are based on the budgetary needs of your customers.
07. Increased flexibility in meeting your customers’ needs.
Windows 7 Professional offers broad customization capabilities. You have the flexibility to customize your customers’ PC experiences with prominent placement for your value-added software and hardware—a great feature not available in Windows XP.
08. A modern operating system for today’s businesses.
How people buy, use, and experience technology has changed dramatically since Windows XP shipped in 2001. While Windows XP was a great operating system almost a decade ago, you can now provide a better option for business customers who need PCs that reflect today’s business environment. This includes delivering the fundamentals of performance and improved battery life; fast startup, shutdown, and resume from Standby; advanced search and indexing; and sophisticated networking capabilities. For businesses that have been running Windows XP, Windows 7 Professional presents a great partner opportunity to help them update their systems.
09. Customer demand for Windows 7.
Starting with the initial Beta release onward, Windows 7 has received high praise from industry experts, top-name bloggers, and everyday users—which means early market demand you can capitalize on.
10. Microsoft marketing investment around the launch of Windows 7.
Extend the reach of your own marketing dollars by leveraging the campaigns, marketing resources, sales tools, and trainings that are being rolled out for the Windows 7 launch.
I wanted to remind every one who attended the TS2 Event on Downer’s Grove on 5/15/2009 (and the one in downtown Chicago last Friday) There are two local resources to help you in your Microsoft endeavors.
Here is Andrew’s Information in Summary:
Andrew McNulty – Partner Community Manager
Work with Microsoft Partners in Midwest Area – IL, WI, IN
1:many Partner Sessions
Partner Licensing Boot Camps
Partner Briefings
TPAM – Tele-Partner Account Manager Engagement
Contact me if you need help on specific deals
Andy McNulty – mwapc@microsoft.com
I can help you with Solution Selling
I can help connect deal to correct licensing program and Microsoft Incentives available
I can connect you to right MS or Disti resource needed
https://Partner.microsoft.com/us/midwest
Here is Tracye’s Information:
Tracye Foy - Local Business Development Manager, Mid West Area
tfoy@microsoft.com
Tracye’s marketing resource Web site for MWA partners
http://localengagementmwa.com
The Local Engagement Program empowers partners targeting the SMB space to extend their reach and grow their businesses, through local marketing campaigns and partnerships.
She mostly works from the Downtown Office in the AON Center.
Please leverage both Tracye and Andrew as your needs require, but please realize that are very busy!
Thanks for attending my events in the Chicagoland area last week!
-Woody
I don’t usually speak much about personal stuff, but this bears mentioning.
I was on what turned out to be a VERY Lengthy flight from Minneapolis to Kansas City last Friday night that was plagued by weather issues.
First we couldn’t take off because of weather in Kansas City, then when airborne, the flight was turbulent.
Once we started our descent we were told we could not land due to the runway/taxiway being too full at KCI!! That never happens! …The Pilot stated it hadn’t happened since he had been flying. I would guess if hasn’t happened since Braniff had a hub in Kansas City! Upon landing we sat on the tarmac for 20 minutes before we rolled up to the jetway.
A trip down memory lane would remind you Braniff had some stellar fashion sense.
See some choice shots I found online. Braniff, now that makes me laugh!!!
I really dig the stewardess apparel from both the early and late 70’s. Fine Fashion!!! …of course we cannot use the term stewardess or steward now as it is found offensive. “flight attendant” is the proper term. Never ceases to amaze me how it will ruffle feathers if you throw out the much more elegant and meaningful term of stewardess or steward now!
Let us look at the roots of these two monikers and see which is better shall we.
So dictionary.com defines attendant as “a person who attends another, as to perform a service.”
whereas a steward is defined as “a person who manages another's property or financial affairs; one who administers anything as the agent of another or others”. Of course this is a much more trusting position and carries with it great responsibility. I guess since flight attendants just serve drinks now (no food anymore), the term is appropriate. I for one would rather be a steward though. The history of the word alone exudes importance!
Okay, so enough about Braniff and the merits of the term “steward”. The more important aspect of this post involves who I sat next to on the plane.
His name was Dwayne (could be Duane) and he is 64 years old. I asked where he was headed and he stated Topeka, Kansas. I live in the Kansas City area and I love the state of Kansas, but Topeka is not a tourist destination, so I asked what the nature of Dwayne's travel was.
What I heard next was amazing. You see Dwayne, his brother and parents, were named plaintiffs on one of the cases that was rolled up into Brown vs Topeka Board of Education, one of the landmark cases of the 20th century and a cornerstone of the civil rights movement in this country. Wow! Separate is NOT equal said the supreme court in 1954. The case had a long journey from its start in 1951 and Dwayne was and is still a part of that history!
You see, Dwayne was going to the 55th reunion of the persons involved in the case. It occurred this last Sunday in Topeka (May 17th). Not much press or media attention. It happened quietly. I could not help but think of our current President (although I wholeheartedly disagree with almost all of his policies) and the journey he made that was paved by Dwayne.
I spoke with Dwayne for several hours and found that his journey, although improved by Brown v Board, was not an easy one. He was trained by the Air Force as a jet mechanic and worked on B-47 bombers in the early 60’s. He left the service in 1965 with training certificates and hundreds of thousands of dollars in training and experience under his belt.
Here is a B-47
NO ONE WOULD HIRE HIM BECAUSE OF HIS SKIN COLOR! He needed no training. He had been trusted to work on Nuclear Bomber Aircraft that kept us safe (READ more about STRATEGC AIR COMMAND if you need a primer) during the cold war, but he wasn’t good enough to work for private airlines. Simply amazing! From a pure business standpoint I would rather hire a trained and qualified mechanic rather than have to invest time and money to train another.
Dwayne stated he really regretted that all that training got wasted because of stupidity.
He never used those skills but turned out alright it seemed anyway! I feel lucky to have sat by Dwayne and heard his story.
Just thought you all could benefit from hearing it too.
Thanks,
Woody
Many of you are familiar with Microsoft’s virtualization strategy, but some may just be getting up to speed. If you are a partner in need of a ramp up on all the offerings, here is some info on the 10 part series I have been contributing to on the PLC (partner learning center).
Thus far we have concluded 7 of 10 parts. Below is a link to the landing page for the series. You can watch the ones already completed on demand and we will be concluding the series in early June.
Virtualization 360 webcast Series
My peer, Rob Waggoner, has been the chief effort behind the series, although many of my team have contributed. I have presented two sessions on different aspects of desktop virtualization including MED-V(Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization), APP-V (application virtualization, formerly Softgrid), and VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure). Also licensing from Virtualization perspective was discussed. Of special note on licensing front was a brief discussion on VECD, or Vista Enterprise Corporate Desktop, which is the licensing mechanism fro VDI and our client OS like Microsoft Windows Vista and Windows 7.
I received a lot of questions related to VECD and I will compile and post very soon.
Here is the complete list …I have bolded the ones I did also, as I know they worth your while! ;-)
Completed and available on demand:
Virtualization 360: Virtualization Made Simple - What will it do for your customer's business (Part 1/10)
Virtualization 360: Selling Virtualization - How to Discover Virtualization opportunities and make a successful sale (Part 2/10) Virtualization 360: Understanding Virtualization - Windows Server 2008 and Hyper-V Server’s Virtualization Capabilities (Part 3/10)
Core IO University – Integrated Virtualization Online Training (Part 4 of 10)
Virtualization 360: Virtualization Technologies Deep Dive - Profile, Application and Med-V Virtualization (Part 5/10)
Virtualization 360: Reduce costs with Virtualization - Server Consolidation & Green IT (Part 6/10)
Virtualization 360: Virtualization Technologies Deep Dive - Presentation and Desktop Virtualization (including VDI) (Part 7/10)
Yet to be Completed and Live:
On May 13th…
Virtualization 360: Reduce costs with Virtualization - High Availability & Data Recovery Solutions (Part 8/10)
On May 20th…
Virtualization 360: Understanding the Competition - Value and capability comparison of Microsoft’s Virtualization solutions (Part 9/10)
On June 3rd…
Virtualization 360: Advanced Management Capabilities for Hyper-V with Citrix Essentials (Part 10/10)
I know your time is valuable, but I do feel thee webcasts are a good resource. Please take the time to look at them if you are a little behind or need a refresher on Microsoft Virtualization.
As always, thanks very much for taking the time to read my posts.
Regards,
Woody
If you are well connected you may already have seen this but I wanted to make certain that all you partners out there have what you need in the way of resource related information. We put out a lot of communication, too much sometimes, so please choose the best way to chew up and digest this information. If you prefer a webcast, please register for (and attend ;-)) our webcast review of the May sales offers on May 8th at 12PM Central here.
The content I have presented below is massaged for SMB partners, so if you need explicit information on incentives for enterprise customers, please shoot me an email at woodyw@microsoft.com and I’ll be happy to oblige you. Of course many overlap so YMMV.
As always, questions, details and the latest information on any Microsoft Sales offers can be found at:
www.MicrosoftIncentives.com
You can also follow Microsoft Incentives on Twitter!
There are of course many more offers than the ones listed below
These are the New and updated offers only!
Cheat Sheet for New and Updated offers:
| Offer | Description | End Date |
| NEW! Microsoft Office Open L 20% Discount | 20% off Open L for Office Pro Plus in Commercial, Government and Academic · 20% off Open L for Office Small Business for Commercial and Government Resellers – contact your Microsoft specialist or Microsoft Authorized Distributor for pricing and availability. | 7/3/2009 |
| UPDATE! The Big Easy Offer 3.0 | When customers make a qualifying purchase, they can earn partner subsidy funds that can be used with a Microsoft Partner of their choice to help with the implementation of their Microsoft solution including software, hardware and services. · See details for products and volume license options. Visit www.microsoftincentives.com/BigEasy for more information. | 7/3/2009 [revised, was 6/26/2009] |
| UPDATE! The Simplify and Save Offer | 15% off the entire duration (all 3 years) of an Open Value agreement, for all products & Open Value benefits on the order (Software Assurance as well as any new License and Software Assurance) when a customer consolidates two or more expiring agreements into a new Open Value agreement · Change #1 - New! Single agreement renewals from Open with SA or Open Value are now eligible for this promotion’s 15% discount Resellers – contact your Microsoft specialist or Microsoft Authorized Distributor for pricing and availability. | 7/3/2009 [change #2 revised, was 6/26/2009] |
| UPDATE! Open Value Level C 10% Discount | 10% off new Open Value Level C agreements, available exclusively through Microsoft Value-Added Resellers, for customers with 250 or more PC’s Resellers – contact your Microsoft specialist or Microsoft Authorized Distributor for pricing and availability. | 7/3/2009 [revised, was 6/30/2009] |
| UPDATE! Exchange Server Standard Discount | 20% off License only (Exchange Standard Server and Exchange Standard CAL) or 35% off License with Software Assurance (Exchange Standard Server and Exchange Standard CAL) in Open and Open Value · Promo part numbers until 6/30/2009 · Standard part numbers 7/1/2009 – 7/3/2009 (SKU list to follow soon) Resellers – contact your Microsoft specialist or Microsoft Authorized Distributor for pricing and availability. | 7/3/2009 [revised, was 6/30/2009] |
Cheers,
Woody
All you partners out there have most likely heard that the only supported client for Exchange Online and BPOS (Business Productivity Online Suite), both offerings under Microsoft Online Service, is Outlook 2007.
This is still true, but is about to change, at least temporarily.
In digesting the contents of our Microsoft Online Services Field Communication Blog I noticed the following that I have partially snipped and pasted below. This may help you in situations where you are at a road block with a customer who otherwise might move to BPOS, but still wants to leverage Outlook 2003.
In the June 2009 timeframe, Exchange Online WILL support Outlook 2003 as a client with a few very important caveats. They are:
No Free-Busy: While Exchange Online Standard will support Outlook 2003, the Free-Busy functionality in Outlook 2003 will be completely disabled when connected to Exchange Online. In other words, there will be NO Free-Busy support or capability in Outlook 2003 when used with Exchange Online.
Possible Workaround: Free-Busy WILL work in OWA. So an end-user could switch to OWA to schedule a meeting when they need to see Free-Busy info for another Online user (note that Exchange Online still will NOT expose Free-Busy information in a co-existence scenario to on-premises users -- this limitation still exists and will not be fixed until Wave 14
Outlook 2003 Not Supported By Exchange Online 2010 Version (Wave 14): Be aware that Outlook 2003 support for Exchange Online will end at Wave 14 when Exchange Online moves onto Exchange Server 2010.
Possible Mitigation: Customers have 12 months to opt into platform upgrade of BPOS. So a customer who is on BPOS Standard who needs Outlook 2003 support could have it for up to 12 months after Wave 14 platform upgrade if customer chooses to stay on the current platform. But it does mean they will not get the benefits of Wave 14 capabilities. So customer will have to weigh Outlook 2003 support against Wave 14 benefits.
It should be pointed out that Outlook 2003 Mainstream Support Ended 4/14/2009: So Outlook 2003 is now in Extended Support phase. Customers currently running Outlook 2003 should be reminded of this when considering to stay with Outlook 2003 versus moving to Office 2007.
This is only a temporary tonic to cure what ails you, but may be a way remove a roadblock. To me the value of moving to Outlook 2007/Office 2007 far out weighs any cost, as I see remarkable gains as a result of the new feature sets client side only, not to mention coupling with Exchange and SharePoint.
Thanks for listening,
Woody
When I first posted this year stating that I was back in the saddle here at Woody’s Roundup I mentioned some of the life changes I have had recently. I got married, I mentioned that a had a kid on the way, etc. Well, I have been gone for a month for one tremendous reason: MY DAUGHTER!!!!!
Here she is… Audrey Nicole Walton
Of course I think she is gorgeous, but I am biased (and supremely truthful)!! Ha!!!
Another one of Audrey and me at the beginning of my sleep deprivation…
[Notice the same eye brow line. This was pointed out to me by relatives.]
She is now almost 5 weeks old and is putting on the weight.
when she was born weighing 6 lbs 15 oz, 18 1/2 inches long. She dropped to 6 lbs 4 oz and is well past her birth weight. I would guess around 7 lbs 8 oz.
She is a doll!
My purpose in life is renewed and my vigor has grown as well (not withstanding sleep deprivation).
Cheers,
Woody
Dunja Bounds in the Partner Group just communicated with my team that a great new Virtualization Online Tutorial has landed on the Partner Learning Center.
In her words
It introduces and explains the four types of virtualization and why virtualization is important to our customers, partners, and Microsoft. Two new products, Hyper-V and System Center Virtual Machine Manager, are introduced, along with their customer benefits.
As usual you will have to log in with your credentials to view the tutorial, but it may be worth you while as it is interactive in nature.
The Tutorial is located here:
https://training.partner.microsoft.com/plc/search_adv.aspx?ssid=231B7C43D69B44E1888B66418ED136BE
The format is similar to some of our own internal training and is interactive to a degree.
Here is a screenshot from Module 2 “A deeper look at Server Virtualization”to give you the general idea of the format of the tutorial:
Please keep in mind that this is level 100 and is designed to provide familiarization, not a technical deep dive. I would recommend this tutorial for new sales reps and those just starting their virtualization journey.
Thanks and have a great day.
Woody