Update & Stuff

TechEd – IT Forum

• TechEd IT Forum - 12-16 November 2007, Barcelona, Spain

• Register before September 28th and save €300 off your ticket price!– €1,945 + 16% vat

Timelines

• .. to let you know that Windows Server 2008, which we have been saying would Release to Manufacturing (RTM) by the end of the calendar year, is now slated to RTM in the first quarter of calendar year 2008.

Hands on Labshttp://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsserver/2008/bb512925.aspx

Managing Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista using Group PolicyManaging Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 Network Bandwidth with Policy-based

Quality of ServiceWindows Server 2008 Beta 3 Server CoreWindows Server 2008 Beta 3 Server ManagerCentralized Application Access with Windows Server 2008 Beta 3Deployment Services (WDS) in Windows Server 2008 Beta 3Fine Grained Password Settings in Windows Server 2008 Beta 3Managing Network Security Using Windows Firewall with Advanced Security Beta 3Windows Server 2008 Enterprise Failover ClusteringManaging TS Gateway and RemoteApps in Windows Server 2008 Beta 3Managing Windows Server 2008 Using New Management Technologies Beta 3Network Access Protection with IPSec EnforcementUsing APPCMD Command Line or UI with IIS 7 in Windows Server 2008 Beta 3Using PowerShell in Windows Server 2008 Beta 3

IT Pro Momentum• A Microsoft program focused on supporting “early adopters” – IT

professionals who bet on the newest technologies to drive business value for their companies and advance in their careers

• Is IT Pro Momentum right for you?– Interested in learning more about the newest Microsoft technologies?– Need help to evaluate different Microsoft products and features?– Willing to test and pilot in production Microsoft beta products?– Would like to have access to exclusive forums and Microsoft product

support?– Want to share your early adoption experience with the IT Pro

community world-wide?• If you answered ‘yes’ for all the questions above, IT Pro Momentum can

help!

Customer Benefits• Through the Momentum Portal, participants will have access to the following

benefits free of charge for one year:• In-Depth Technical Content• Managed Forums• TechNet+ Direct Subscription • PSS Support Requests• Webcasts & Architectural Reviews with Product Teams (Selected Projects)

– After one year, some benefits expire e.g. PSS Support and TechNet+ Subscription

Value Proposition for IT Pros• Reduce Risk of Failure

– Momentum benefits such as free TechNet subscription and PSS support requests reduce the risk and complexity of deploying new technologies.

• Competitive Advantage – Be the First to Use & Know– Program participants have access to the latest information and

cutting-edge technologies developed by Microsoft.• Exposure and Career Opportunities

– By sharing early adoption successes, IT Pros receive community recognition and increase their opportunities for networking and career growth.

• Customer Voice is Heard– Through Momentum, IT Pros establish a direct, two-way

communication channel with Microsoft which allows them to provide feedback and influence the future of our products and services.

Local TAP– Commitment to deploy in production under one of

the WS08 Scenarions, develop a case study and participate in local launch activities (ideally speaking in-person at the event, but video will do)

– Funds to cover some/all cost of technical deployment assistance through Microsoft Consulting Services (MCS)• Typical engagement will involve 4 MCS days/or equivalent

value of partner days

• Funding will be determined based on the scale of the deployment and the level of customer evidence you are willing to provide

Launch

• February 27th 2008 in Los Angeles.• March 2008 in Dublin & Belfast.• Online “noise”..

HEROES HAPPEN HERE• Dawn Getteau is no stranger to heroics. Her grandfather calls

her his “lifeguard” because she saved his life while snorkeling in Mexico a few years ago. Her neighbors call her house “the zoo” because of the abandoned animals she and her family adopt. But at Continental Airlines, she’s a hero because she knows how to get the right people talking to each other about the right technologies.

• As Systems Architect for Enterprise Engineering at Continental, Dawn recognized that the new management and extensibility features of IIS 7.0 in Windows Server 2008 were just the ticket for the Crew Communications System, the second largest web application at the airline (Continental.com is the largest). Bringing the solution architect and the development team from her previous role as Flight Operations Engineer, Dawn called together her new engineering team to propose a sweeping upgrade to the five-year-old system that would reduce hardware requirements, decrease troubleshooting time, and greatly improve performance and scalability through a number of enhancements made possible by the new .NET programming interfaces.

• Dawn also spearheaded an upgrade to the Employee Reservations System and her team is already looking at moving other applications to the Windows Server 2008 platform. Keeping communications running at Continental is critical, and Dawn knows communication is the key to that.

HEROES HAPPEN HERE 

What: As part of the 2008 Launch Wave Microsoft wants to collect the untold stories of unsung heroes and publish

them for the entire world to see.

Who: Developers, IT Professionals, DBAs, CIOs and CTOs

What Kind of Stories Are We Looking For?The theme of this campaign, “Heroes Happen Here” implies that these stories must be exceptional in some

way. The Microsoft messages around Windows Server 2008, SQL Server 2008, and/or Visual Studio 2008 should be supported by the submissions – stories around the web and scalability, efficiency and flexibility and security.

Sometimes the greatest form of heroism is shown when nothing happens—a story where people or computers were protected without it being completely apparent to the outside world may be worthy of telling.

Stories that show an ability to scale up, or down, quickly; stories about financial savings that will help an organization thrive or survive; stories that show a societal impact; stories that positively affect the environment; and stories that bring people together and enhance communication.

Stories can be serious, dramatic or humorous. They must be accurate and verifiable.

Call to ActionPlease email declanf@microsoft.com if you believe you, a colleague of yours, or your team has such a story