Microsoft West Region Partner Community Area : Product Information

ASSISTANCE NEEDED ON MOVING OFF NOVELL!

Wed, 21 May 2008 20:22:39 GMT

Looking for partner who can talk to company in NorCal South Bay about Novell 5 to Server 2008. Email suzl@microsoft.com

SBS2008 Update

Wed, 14 May 2008 15:41:25 GMT

Join us for the Weekly Partner call to learn more!

May 16^th at 9:00 am PST we’ll cover SBS 2008 update first and then you can sign off or stay for Solution Selling.

Live Meeting Link: https://www.livemeeting.com/cc/microsoft/join?id=B5JWGM&role=attend&pw=NWPartner

Audio: 866 500 6738 ID 675400

Microsoft also today announced rebates of up to $200 for solution provider partners configuring Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2 for their clients who acquire the software and purchase Software Assurance within a certain time period. With Software Assurance, customers will receive the upgrade to Small Business Server 2008 at no additional cost when it is available, as well as access to support, tools and training. Terms and conditions of the rebates are available at http://www.SBSrebate.com.

More information about the products, pricing and beta customer feedback is available at http://www.microsoft.com/ess.

· Microsoft Says No Client Backup In SBS 2008

http://crn.com/software/207601736?cid=ChannelWebBreakingNews

Beta Versions of SBS and EBS Get VARs Excited

Mon, 12 May 2008 17:16:56 GMT

DATE: 2008-05-11

By Russ Munyan

http://www.channelinsider.com/c/a/Microsoft/Beta-Versions-of-SBS-and-EBS-Get-VARs-Excited/

VARs selected for the Microsoft Technology Adoption Program have Beta tested SBS and EBS and spoken out about what they think

VARs that have been specially selected to take part in the Beta testing of the Microsoft Small Business Server 2008 and Essential Business Server 2008 have given a resounding thumbs up to the new launches.

“I am really excited about all the things that SBS 08 has to offer,” said John Endter, President of E Squared C, a Nevada-based IT consulting firm.

Endter and a client were selected by the Microsoft Technology Adoption Program (TAP) to implement and use a Beta version of the SBS 08. Of all of the product’s new features, Endter identifies three that he believes will make it especially welcomed upon its release later this year.

First, he points to changes in licensing on the Premium Edition of SBS 2008. It will include a second license for Windows Server 2008 Standard Edition that will allow the SQL Server 2008 to be run on a second server. "That provides an ideal platform for critical business applications, which is great for the business owner," said Endter. "And it removes a real headache for the IT consultant."

The second feature Endter’s pointed out is SBS 08’s migration capability. “Previous versions of SBS did not have clearly defined migration processes. With this version, consultants won’t have to do the ‘fork lift’ migrations that we used to have to do with SBS 03,” he continued. “SBS 08 has moved the migration process from days to hours, which makes things easier for us and less expensive for our clients.”

Finally, Endter said SBS 08’s management and monitoring capabilities through its streamlined administration console are also noteworthy, because it allows for monitoring across both servers and client PCs. SBS 08 also offers customizable, remotely-accessible reports that make management and troubleshooting easier and more effective, he said.

Similar to the Windows Small Business Server, EBS 08 is an “all-in-one” server solution. It is designed to help midsize businesses save time and money, and to increase their productivity.

“The best feature of EBS 08 is its management console that pulls together all of the building blocks of the program,” said Michael Cocanower of itSynergy, a Phoenix-based IT consultant and Microsoft partner. “That is what makes EBS different from the other products out there.” Cocanower and two of his clients were also selected by the Microsoft TAP program to implement and use a Beta version of EBS 08.

He believes that the product’s ease-of-use features will be useful to midsized businesses and their IT consultants. “Infrastructure products like this typically fall more in the ‘must-have’ category for businesses and not in the ‘want-to-have’ category,” he explains. “And despite the U.S. economy’s current negative forecast, medium-size businesses will probably still put this purchase into their next year’s IT budget, if they have not done so already.”

Get a Hands-On JumpStart with Microsoft Server 2008 Event at Learn iT!

Mon, 05 May 2008 18:12:45 GMT

This is NOT a Sales or Marketing Event but an experienced IT professional demonstrating what is new and exciting about Window Server 2008.

May 14, 2008: Santa Clara

May 15, 2008: San Francisco

Topics:

§ Windows Server 2008 Installation & Configuration

§ Windows Server Core 2008 Configuration

§ Upgrading and Migrating Active Directory

§ Upgrading Branch Office Servers

Microsoft Windows Server 2008 is the most advanced Windows Server operating system yet, designed to power the next-generation of networks, applications, and Web services. With Windows Server 2008 you can develop, deliver, and manage rich user experiences and applications, provide a secure network infrastructure, and increase technological efficiency and value within your organization.

Windows Server 2008 builds on the success and strengths of its Windows Server predecessors while delivering valuable new functionality and powerful improvements to the base operating system. New Web tools, virtualization technologies, security enhancements, and management utilities help save time, reduce costs, and provide a solid foundation for your information technology (IT) infrastructure: Built for the Web, Virtualization Built In, Security & A Solid Foundation for Your Business Workloads. For more information on Microsoft Server 2008 go to: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/default.mspx

9am - 3pm each day

Who Should Attend

These events are for IT Professionals/Network Admin and/or IT Directors interested in Microsoft's Server 2008.

Presenter: Toby DeChant, MCT

Locations

Learn iT! San Francisco
33 New Montgomery Street
Suite 300
SF, CA 94105

415.639.0250

Learn iT! Santa Clara
Mission City Center
2350 Mission College Blvd.
Suite 250
Santa Clara, CA 95054
408.416.3665

Infuse your services business, expand your software offerings, and increase customer satisfaction with Microsoft Dynamics CRM!

Mon, 05 May 2008 17:46:46 GMT

Jack Grey, Dynamics PAM for the Northwest has provided the following information.

Microsoft is bringing customer relationship management (CRM) software into a new era with Microsoft Dynamics CRM. It is a flexible CRM solution that works the way your people do, works the way your business does, and works the way IT wants it to.

If we missed you at the Dynamics CRM Partnership Opportunity for Northwest Platform Partners

webcast on Wednesday, April 30^th (or if you would like additional information and/or to follow-up with our team members about taking your partnership to another level), please see below.

Great news, you can still learn how to start your CRM Practice today. To view the webcast recording on-demand or to download the PowerPoint presentation click here [http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8558918]

"The small and midsize business (SMB) segment for CRM is currently growing faster than any other segment. Forecast to grow at annual rate of 18.3% through 2010."

(Source: Gartner Dataquest, Forecast: SMB Applications 2005–2010, July 2006)

Next Steps to starting your CRM Practice:

Sign-up for the Microsoft CRM "Software Advisor Program" [https://partner.microsoft.com/US/productssolutions/dynamics/40012663]
Complete CRM Certifications- Applications Installation and Configuration Customization
Earn the "MBS Competency" for Microsoft CRM Specialization [https://partner.microsoft.com/US/program/competencies/40023763]

For more information: call 1-888-477-7989 (Option 2) or email mbsjoin@microsoft.com

Vista - A Year Later

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 22:40:32 GMT

Register Today for "Vista-A Year Later" Webcast: May 29th 9am PST LIVE!

Click this link to register [http://www.sqlsoft.com/VISTANOW]

Join us to discuss "Vista - A Year Later" and find out why Forrester and others think it's time to lock down a plan to deploy Vista to your client desktops. Learn more about the Vista SP1 update, tools, workarounds, and improvements; Vista’s 800 NEW Group Policy Objects (not in XP); Microsoft Application Virtualization; new training and certifications; and insider tips on licensing, software assurance, and current Vista promotions.

"Companies should think twice about skipping Windows Vista and should get started sooner rather than later on updating their client desktops to the latest Microsoft operating system" Forrester Research

Presenters: SQLSoft+ Steve Brugger, Danny Kim (MVP), and David Lieberman

SE Toolkit and Mobility

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 02:10:34 GMT

Our April SBSC SE Toolkit page update is now live at: https://partner.microsoft.com/global/40029529, along with graphic and text RZs on 8 MSPP pages.

Also live is the refresh of our Mobility Resources for Small Business page, linked from the SE Toolkit page and containing links to the Small Biz Guide animations: https://partner.microsoft.com/global/40033367.

VISTA - So What's Up?

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:55:42 GMT

At almost every large partner meeting I attend the question gets asked, "Who has installed Vista for their internal use?" Usually about 50% or less of the partners raise their hands. So my question is, how are you going to support your customer who has purchased a new PC with Vista installed if you haven't experienced it yourself. How are you going to respond to your customer's questions on how to best utilize the features of Vista. Personally, if you haven't experienced "Search", you are really missing out - I have a personal PC I haven't upgraded yet and I'm constantly swearing when I try to find something. Guess, it's time to take the time for me to upgrade all of my personal PC's too!!

Here are 5 reasons you should upgrade today:

Know what you know

It's now easier to organize your customer information and deliver targeted communications with new features in Microsoft Office Small Business 2007, such as Business Contact Manager and E-mail Merge in Microsoft Office Publisher 2007.

Stay better protected

The combination of Windows Vista Ultimate and Windows Live OneCare helps provide protection against identity theft, viruses, and spyware, while providing you with greater peace of mind.

There's a reason it's called Ultimate

When you upgrade to Windows Vista Ultimate, you'll experience new levels of security and expanded mobility that is not available with Windows XP, providing your workplace a boost in productivity.

Tons of options

Over 2,500 applications and over 17,000 devices are compatible with Windows Vista, including 98 of the top 100 selling applications.

Windows Vista Ultimate with Service Pack 1 – now available!

Making Windows Vista even stronger

Compatible with over 74,000 peripherals and devices
60% less likely to be infected with spyware and malware compared to Windows XP SP2
Up to 50% faster managing files on your PC or network
Compatible with 98 of the top 100 most popular applications

So make the move, get Vista loaded today!!
Your enlightened PCM,
Suzanne

Wondering When a Product Dies?

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 18:03:16 GMT

http://support.microsoft.com/gp/lifepolicy

SQL Server 2008 Notes on Benefits

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 21:49:07 GMT

I just completed a SQL Server 2008 training and thought the following key data points of SQL Server 2008 might be of interest to you. Feel free to leverage this (cut and paste) with your customer who may not be familiar with SQL Server 2008 or who may have questions around the features & benefits of this new product release.

Key new features of SQL Server 2008:

Resource Governor
Policy Based Management and Auditing
Spatial Data Capabilities
Data Visualization

Key sales scenarios for SQL Server 2008:

Upgrade
Data Warehousing
Mission Critical LOB Apps
GIS (Geographic Information Systems)

Points for winning against Oracle:

TCO Leadership
Security
Business Intelligence
Integration

File streams – manage data files not in DBMS, but managed by DBMS
Compression – row and column level (Oracle and DB2 do row level only)
Spatial Data (GIS, GPS, RFID)– competitors have this capability, now SQL does as well
Reporting – SSRS – dashboards and visualization
Integration – SSIS – additional capabilities and connectors
SSAS (SQL Server Analytics Services) - included with the Enterprise Edition of SQL Server 2008

An important note (and competitive point) is that many of these features and capabilities cost extra through our competitors.

Why is SQL Server relevant to you if you are selling or marketing Core Infrastructure products?

With more stringent regulations such as Sarbanes-Oxley and Basel II governing IT, organizations now need to store their data more securely and for longer periods of time. A wide range of independent analyst studies have shown that SQL Server has fewer vulnerabilities than any competitor and provides unparalleled security.

In addition, SQL Server provides organizations ease of manageability in large deployments with its new policy-based management capabilities that integrate with Microsoft System Center products.

Why is SQL Server relevant to you if you are selling or marketing Microsoft Office & SharePoint?

Business Intelligence is now the #1 priority for CIOs as more users are demanding these capabilities without having to learn new tools. SQL Server adds Business Intelligence capabilities to familiar tools such as Excel, Word and SharePoint to deliver pervasive Business Intelligence to customers.

Microsoft is now the fastest growing vendor in this space and is in a leadership position in Gartner's Magic Quadrant for Business Intelligence Platform.

How does SQL Server help in selling Windows and Office?

SQL Server now sells more units than Oracle and IBM combined. An increasing number of Windows and Office-based applications developed by ISVs, and by our customers in-house, rely on SQL Server as their de facto data platform. So SQL Server now runs in 75% of enterprises and helps customers maximize their investments in Windows and Office.

Why is SQL Server relevant in the small and medium business space?

Small and medium businesses have an increasing appetite for databases and applications that rely on databases. SQL Server Standard Edition, which will ship with Centro, provides small and medium businesses a complete data management and business intelligence platform. SQL Server Workgroup Edition already ships with Small Business Server.

SQL Server integration with Microsoft Dynamics and Microsoft Office applications has also helped make Microsoft the vendor of choice for applications in the small and medium business space.

Why is the 2008 Launch Wave important and what role does SQL Server 2008 play in it?

Windows Server 2008, Visual Studio 2008, SQL Server 2008, give our customers the three things they want most from their infrastructure:

Broad support for virtualization technology.
A platform for developing next-generation web applications.
Access to their data any place, any time.

NEW - MSS & MSS Express

Thu, 08 Nov 2007 05:11:17 GMT

The new MSS and MSS Express products are our offerings for the standalone search solution market, and were developed for customers looking only for search functionality. The MSS Express is a free, downloadable, standalone search server while MSS, which can scale to multiple boxes, has a VL SKU.

The offerings are designed to do two things:

1. Provide customers with a compelling alternative to the Google Mini

2. Drive overall awareness of Enterprise Search from Microsoft

CALLS TO ACTION:

· Go to the http://www.microsoft.com/enterprisesearch/ to learn about the products.

· Partners go to https://www.quickstartmicrosoftsearch.com/ to register and find out more!

Fun and Informational Ads

Tue, 06 Nov 2007 04:34:14 GMT

New ad campaign all partners should know about, plus they are fun to watch! www.everyonegetsit.com

Windows Compare Site

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 17:49:33 GMT

Nw Windows Compare site

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver/compare/default.mspx

This new web site represents a key improvement in our ability to articulate ‘why Windows Server is the best choice versus all other platforms.’

Get Genuine Kit for Windows® XP Professional

Wed, 14 Mar 2007 22:47:18 GMT

Help your customers get genuine Windows on their existing PCs

The best and most costeffective way for customers to acquire Windows software is preinstalled on a new PC. However, more customers are becoming aware that they are running non-genuine Windows on their PCs. The Get Genuine Kit gives you a cost-effective solution to help them get legal, deepen your customer relationship, and be there as a trusted advisor.

The Get Genuine Kit is only available for use on fully assembled PCs with a previously installed counterfeit, pirated, or otherwise illegal or unlicensed copy of Windows XP Professional software.

The Problem: How to provide genuine Windows on a PC when customers have acquired non-genuine Windows XP Professional.

The Solution: The new Get Genuine Kit for Windows XP Professional. This Get Genuine Kit is designed for use on fully assembled PCs with a previously installed counterfeit, pirated, or otherwise illegal or unlicensed copy of Windows XP Professional software.

How It Works:

Acquire the Get Genuine Kit from an authorized Microsoft® OEM distributor. Affi x, or instruct the end-user to affi x, the enclosed certifi cate of authenticity (COA) label to the PC. Microsoft recommends, but does not require, that on the end user’s computer system you either:

Run the Windows Product Key Update Tool

Perform a re-install of Windows XP

Perform a clean install of Windows XP

Either you or the end customer must do one of these things in order to receive updates, upgrades,

and support services.

Other Facts:

The Get Genuine Kit is available from an authorized Microsoft OEM Distributor in packs of 1 or 10.

License Pack contains

1 1 COA label, 1 media, and 1 end user license agreement (EULA)

10 10 COA labels, 1 media, and 1 EULA

10-packs must be used for a single customer and must not be divided among multiple customers.

Bits are similar to full packaged product bits in that they will not wipe clean the hard drive upon installation. Microsoft provides product support for the Get Genuine Kit. This differs from OEM system builder software which the PC Manufacturer supports. The license is NOT transferable to another PC.

Helpful Resources:

Get Genuine information – http://oem.microsoft.com/getgenuine

Authorized OEM Distributors – http://oem.microsoft.com/authorized_distributor

System Builder Website – http://oem.microsoft.com

Microsoft Genuine Software – http://oem.microsoft.com/genuine

Product Key Upgrade Tool –

http://catalog.microsoft.com/genuine/purchase/updateinstructions.aspx

© 2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Windows and the Windows logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

Microsoft Releases SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2

Mon, 19 Feb 2007 20:05:00 GMT

Update is fully compatible with Windows Vista and the 2007 Microsoft Office system; new licensing updates enhance opportunities for virtualization.

NEW Virtural PC 2007

Mon, 19 Feb 2007 19:45:41 GMT

The new Virtual PC 2007 with support for Windows Vista as a guest and a host, improved performance, hardware virtualization, 64-bit host support and PXE boot is available now. In addition the Virtual PC web-site has been completely redesigned at www.microsoft.com/virtualpc.

Key new collateral on the web-site includes:

1) “See the demo”: A new autorun demonstration that explains the key application compatibility tools for Virtual PC 2007.

2) “Virtual PC 2007 Application Compatibility Whitepaper” describing how Virtual PC 2007 assists users with their application compatibility issues.

3) “Virtual PC 2007 Technical overview” updated from 2004.

Direct download of Virtual PC 2007 can be accessed here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=04D26402-3199-48A3-AFA2-2DC0B40A73B6&displaylang=en

If you are running a pre-release (beta) version of Virtual PC 2007, you may be prompted to uninstall that version before installing the released version.

Microsoft NEW Business & Tech Assessment Toolkit

Thu, 08 Feb 2007 05:02:17 GMT

We’re very proud to announce the launch of the latest and greatest Microsoft Business & Technology Assessment Toolkit (previously known as the Small Business Technology Assessment Toolkit). Since the previous version, originally conceptualized and spearheaded by Elyn Yao, became a hugely popular tool (it has been downloaded by 30K+ partners plus another 30K+ CDs distributed & a reported deal close rate of almost 90% by 750 survey respondents in the past 10 months approx.), the primary goal was to build upon this initial success to make further enhancements to this extremely valuable sales tool.

This new toolkit is a web-based tool (built using InfoPath 2007 and the .NET Framework) is currently available in English only. Some of the key feature highlights are:

§ Assess not just server, but also desktop and mobile needs of small and midsize customers to enable partners to discover opportunities for their solutions based on not just Windows SBS, but also 2007 Microsoft Office system, Windows Mobile & Windows Vista

§ An extensive Assessment Question Bank (QB) created with the help of 2 partners (both QB & UI of the toolkit was reviewed by a total of 18 partners)

§ 11 Standard Templates out of the box to enable partners to easily get jump started with using the toolkit and doing assessments. These standard templates include the ability for partners to assess :

o Business & Technology needs (for both they can pick from basic, standard or advanced based on customer size and partner expertise with assessments)

o Scenario-based templates for Messaging and Collaboration, Desktop Deployment, Mobility and an advanced SWOT Analysis

§ Customization & Personalization of assessments, based on a huge ask from partners using the Small Business Technology Assessment Toolkit. This includes:

o Partners can create their own custom templates from scratch, to tailor the discussion based on customer scenario and/or their business model

o They can add their own questions e.g. specific to an industry or vertical

o They can add their contact information and company logo

§ Self-updating feature (thanks to ClickOnce Technology in .NET Framework), so partners will receive automatic updates, if available, every time they launch the toolkit

§ Robust platform based on our own technology & compatible with both Windows Vista & 2007 Microsoft Office system that will enable us to:

o Make future enhancements such as include additional products or make further user experience improvements more easily

o Drive partner adoption/use of our products*

*Internal use license for InfoPath 2007 as part of the Office Enterprise Edition will be available for Gold Certified/Certified partners and Action Pack subscribers as part of their January monthly/quarterly boxes respectively.

Windows for SBS

Thu, 07 Dec 2006 20:18:53 GMT

Windows for Small Business Server is the version of the Windows Server OS we use to build Windows Small Business Server 2003. We are making it available separately for customers who want to build a small business suite without Exchange.

It is $479US with 5 CALs. Incremental CALs are $79US each and are enforced, using the same technology as SBS. CALs are capped at 15, after which point it is cheaper to simply use Windows Server Standard Edition to build a small business suite.

It is not intended for general purpose use, rather to be used as the foundation for a small business suite solution. As such, there are limited management configuration tools since administration tasks would be solution-wide, not OS specific.

Like SBS, Windows for Small Business Server, is licensed and deployed as a domain controller at the root of the directory forest, trusts to other domains is disabled.

•	Data Mining Add-ins for the 2007 Microsoft Office system enable data mining functionality from SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) to be used directly within Excel^® 2007 and Visio^® 2007.
•	SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) compatibility with Microsoft Office SharePoint^® Server 2007 provides integration with the Report Center in SharePoint, enabling the seamless consumption and management of SSRS reports within SharePoint.
•	SQL Server Analysis Services improvements for Excel 2007 and Excel Services relate to performance and functionality.
•	Data compression (varDecimal) is an important feature for data warehousing scenarios, requiring less disk storage of decimal data and increasing overall performance.
•	Manageability enhancements, based on customer feedback, provide management capabilities for database administrators such as improvements in database maintenance plans, enhanced management reports and a new copy database wizard.
•	Management reports added to SQL Server Express Edition enable customers to get insights into the performance of their Express Edition and SQL Server Compact Edition databases.
•	Interoperability improvements including Oracle support in the Report Builder feature enable customers to use its functionality on top of Oracle data sources. Customers also have access to SQL Server Reporting Services to build reports on top of Hyperion’s Essbase cubes.