Partner Blog Community

Hey goober have a Home Server

wattersbill72 — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 03:04:37 GMT

So, for those of you familiar with Fry's here in the US, they used to sell Basic PCs and what not with a hacked version of Linux. Wal-Mart may do this too, and for the most part a good hobbyist had a blast with them for a while, but after that while wore out, they'd download some pirated Windows XP from the usenet and go use it for normal PC'ing. I won't get into the pirating and whatnot, but this is not at all uncommon, and around these parts of Texas, I have walked into more than one small business, after "Joe's kid from down the street" had been into a network, only to find multiple of these things pawning around, trying to pass themselves off as Windows Desktops…but I digress.

So I here from a good friend through Twitter that HP is running another Fire Sale on their Windows Home Server line…

http://mswhs.com/2008/11/18/hp-mediasmart-server-ex470-for-31499/

And to look at it that's a great deal, but then read the reviews, and look at the maturity of Windows Home Server, and then dig further, and soon enough you will read about people buying these crapples and turning them into Linux Servers and whatnot. Some because they cannot get the RAM or processor upgraded properly without frying the system…

So now I look at this, and I think to myself, with all the power and resources behind them, HP and Microsoft, with all that market research they have available, what they came up with, for one of the best products in their quill is to try to appeal to the lowest common denominator, Price. Build it cheap, sell it cheap, cause that's what the OS is…cheap.

But wait a minute. Windows Home Server is built based on probably one of the best Products Microsoft has ever put out Small Business Server 2003 R2. Alright so they stripped out AD, and Exchange, and Companyweb, and pretty much all the goop that is SBS, but they replaced that magic goop with different goop. And the WHS goop is actually pretty kool. Image Backups of desktops. Shared/User based access to shares, files and folders…you know the common stuff: Software installers, Personal Directories, Music, Videos, Photos, etc. Plus it gives remote access through a Portal to that stuff. And if your desktop at home is XP Pro, Vista Business or Vista Ultimate, you can go all Ninja Remote Desktop on you, and let you work remotely on your Home PC (can you say GoToMyPC?). There's way more great stuff about WHS, not the least of which is media sharing to the XBOX 360 and Media Center.

So with all this great stuff, and a HUGE HOBBYIST COMMUNITY out there developing add-ons and more great goop, why is HP and, implicitly, Microsoft telling the world this ain't worth anything more than 512MB RAM and 500GB of storage (only about 400) in usable. Is your life worth more? After all, that's what they want you to put on it…all your desktop information, all your photos, home videos, movies, yes Vlad, you can store your Porn there, if you really NEED to, and music on there. Is all that great stuff only worth @$350-$400? It's pretty sad, and pretty indicative of what they (HP) thinks of this product. It's a real shame too, because if they keep putting it on crap, people are gonna think that WHS is CRAP, which it ain't. Given all that look for great stuff coming soon. It starts with WHS, and goes from there…

Volume Licensing 101

sdeming — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 21:25:47 GMT

Q: (from Kristy)

I'm looking for additional Licensing 101 sessions, similar to the one recently held as part of the Tech Days events in Arlington, VA. I'm having trouble finding a listing of other sessions.

Currently no other Licensing 101 sessions are scheduled for the DC area through the end of the calendar year. I know some additional DC events will be scheduled starting in January. If you want to participate over the web, we will have two web sessions Monday and Tuesday of next week (see the attached invite). They will also be recorded.

Virtual Licensing Bootcamp

Presented by Rachel Kistner Magee, Market Development Manager at Ingram Micro and Steve Deming, Partner Solution Advisor at Microsoft.

Licensing can be a very confusing topic that raises a lot of questions.

· What are the different licensing programs?

· What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

· Which one is the right one for my client?

· Is each product licensed differently?

· How do I know if I’m quoting my customer correctly for licensing?

· And, most importantly, how does licensing help me make money?

If you have ever asked one or more of these questions, then we can help.

Earn Additional Income. Build Continuing Revenue. Expand Your Services

Discover, learn and take advantage of the opportunities offered by Microsoft^® Licensing. This live webcast bootcamp will help build your capabilities in the areas of Open License, Open Value and Financing Options. The new pricing and licensing changes will be covered, and the entire session will also be infused by the most common licensing scenarios.

You should attend IF:

· You are a reseller or interested in learning more about Microsoft Licensing

· You are a Sales Manager, Sales or Tech Sales role in your organization

· You have attended a previous Microsoft licensing boot camp and are looking for a licensing “refresher”

Click here to register

Microsoft Online Services and the Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS) Overview

charlesv — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 20:53:51 GMT

Are you trying to figure out what the move to hosted solutions means for your practice? Take a gander at the screencast that Woody Walton recorded and see if this helps fill the gaps. Its a great opportunity to expand your services and create new revenue opportunties for your business while enabling your customers to get the most out of their IT expenditures during these difficult times.

Technorati Tags: BPOS,Microsoft Online Services,Woody Walton

More Vista information – summary of links to Vista info on Microsoft.com

ronaldg — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:34:01 GMT

Below are some more links to Vista information to go with the Vista Resource list I posted a couple of weeks back. These are more end-user focused and mainly link to various areas of the Vista section of Microsoft.com but I thought you might find something in the list useful or interesting. Also, I mention in my SB2 events how powerful a demo is, so use some of these to create demos or for instructional purposes (e.g. create some handouts for your customers).

Windows Vista Home Page on Microsoft.com

What's new in Windows Vista

Help & how-to

Explore the features

Discover Windows Vista

Document Recovery in Word 2007

sdeming — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:23:08 GMT

Q: (from Otto)

Sorry to bother you with this, but I need advice on where to turn.

As you know I've been writing a book. We upgraded to Office 2007 and I accidentally started saving the files in XML format. Now it won't open, and we get an error message of "expecting an = sign". I've exhausted most of the Internet solutions including "load the XML converted into a version of Office 2003. None work.

Sorry to hear about the failed file format. The good news is that the new format is just a ZIP of an XML structure. Change the extension to ZIP and you will be able to read the raw XLM structure. The content would be found under the folder “Word” and the file “Document.xml”

You will have to recreate all of the formatting, but at least you will have access to the content. There is also the possibility of "Frankensteining" the Document.xml file from one .DOCX to another. But that will probably take a lot of effort with very little payoff.

What is Microsoft Response Point?

charlesv — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 07:57:48 GMT

I was asked if I could record a basic presentation on Microsoft Response Point to provide a simple overview of it for Partners that were unable to attend a live TS2 event. This was my first shot at using the recording tools so, its a little choppy, but you'll get the jist of it. Now that I have the format down, I'll smooth out the delivery in my next set of recordings that I will publish in the next few days.

Technorati Tags: Microsoft Response Point,Screencast

Yes, you can upgrade to SBS 2008 at a discount!

josephan — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 19:23:00 GMT

But there are some caveats you need to be aware of from a licensing perspective.

Peter Gallagher posted a link to the offer in his blog: http://ts2blogs.com/blogs/petergal/archive/2008/11/12/save-money-with-solutions-pathway.aspx

I was reviewing some of the fine print, and just wanted to point it out for clarification purposes (http://www.microsoft.com/wess/en/us/solutions-pathway-TC-agreement.aspx)

Important Notices

The new software that is acquired through the Solutions Pathway program (“new software”) takes the place of the software that the customer originally licensed and used to gain eligibility to the Solutions Pathway program (“original software”). The customer cannot use the new software and the original software at the same time.
Volume Licensing Customers:
- Software Assurance Installments: Your perpetual right to use software under licenses acquired through Solutions Pathway is subject to your payment in full of all remaining installments of the price for the corresponding Volume Licensing Licenses and Software Assurance coverage.
- Forfeiture of Upgrade Rights and other Software Assurance Benefits: When you choose to license and use software acquired through Solutions Pathway in place of your Volume Licensing software, you forfeit your right under Software Assurance to use any later version of that Volume Licensing software. You may also forfeit other benefits directly related to that Volume Licensing software. You should contact your reseller or Microsoft account manager if you have questions about the impact of Solutions Pathway purchases upon the status of certain benefits.
- Acquiring Software Assurance Coverage on Licenses Acquired through Solutions Pathway: You may be eligible to acquire coverage on your new software licenses within 90 days of your Solutions Pathway purchase. See the Microsoft Volume Licensing Product List for details. Solution Pathway purchases are not Step Up offerings. Installments paid in connection with Software Assurance for your original Volume Licensing software will not apply toward your purchase of coverage for licenses acquired through Solutions Pathway.
OEM Customers: Your installation of this new software acquired through Solutions Pathway may void your support agreement for the original software provided as part of the server hardware by your OEM. Contact your server manufacturer for its support policy when installing this new software on server hardware. If you need software product support, Microsoft will provide support for the new software and not the server manufacturer. There may be fees associated with such support. Please see www.microsoft.com from more information on its support policies for Windows Essential Server Solution products before purchasing. NOTE: Your original software that was sold as part of the OEM hardware is not transferable. It should be removed from the server. The software, including any recovery media, is not licensed to be used or installed on another server.

And just a reminder that if the customer had already purchased SBS2003 with Software Assurance, he or she doesn't have to pay any additional monies to have that copy of SBS2008! Yay for SA!

Upcoming Response Point Webcasts

petergal — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 18:28:22 GMT

Get the lowdown on Response Point, Microsoft's unique IP PBX system that is designed for the SMALL business - 50 phones or less!

12/9 Introduction to Telephony, VOIP and Response Point

Join us for this special webinar for our TS2 community to learn about telephony, VOIP and Microsoft Response Point from the first certified Microsoft Response Point provider.

Come learn the basics of telephony, understand the business benefits of VOIP and cost savings associated with using Microsoft Response Point. Register now!

12/16 Why use Microsoft Response Point with Digital Voice?

Attend this webinar for the Microsoft TS2 partner community to learn the business benefits of VOIP to your customers. Learn why Microsoft SMB partners are flocking to VOIP to increase customer retention and grow their businesses. Register now!

Enjoy!

Petergal

0% Financing for new Microsoft Dynamics CRM and ERP Customers

DynamicsBlog — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 23:55:47 GMT

0% Financing? Can that be right?

Yes, the rumors are true!! Microsoft Financing is offering a fantastic promotion to aid new Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Microsoft Dynamics ERP customers.

Partners, how can this help you?

Drive new sales by introducing the 0% interest promotion to qualified customers and create a compelling reason for them to acquire the total solution they need from Microsoft Dynamics at the time their organization needs it to remain competitive and build for the future
Help increase revenue by focusing on new customers and utilizing this compelling promotional offer to further assist your customers in acquiring the Microsoft Dynamics ERP and Microsoft Dynamics CRM solutions their business needs rather than what they can afford today
Demonstrate commitment in the current climate to help your customers build a Microsoft Dynamics solution that will help them build a platform for growth while recognizing they may face challenges to budget which the 0% promotion could help overcome

Act quickly, this offer is valid between November 19, 2008 and March 20, 2009.

For more information go to this bulletin on PartnerSource

-Sara Colness
Dynamics Marketing Manager

Syncing Up While Mobile

LarryLentz — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 05:21:46 GMT

I am usually out of the office and depend on my web enabled PDA phone (HTC Mogul). In addition to ActiveSync with my Exchange server which provides me constant updates for e-mail, etc. in Pocket Outlook, I also have installed CWR Mobile CRM 4.0 which is a PDA mobile client for CRM 4.0. When I want to have a new appointment linked to my CRM, I can use CWR Mobile to enter it and it appears in my CRM. But then I'd like it to also show up in my Outlook calendar on my phone. However Pocket Outlook and CWR Mobile do not have a synchronization feature. But the solution is really pretty simple. I keep Outlook running on my Office workstation 24/7. It is set as the CRM/Outlook synchronization client. I used to have my notebook set as the synchronization client but I turn my notebook off when I'm not using it. The workstation (a desktop) I can leave running all the time. So now I can enter a new appointment in CWR Mobile CRM and a few minutes later have it appear on my phone's calendar. Data entry such as notes on what I'm doing for my client is much easier in Outlook on my phone so this is helpful.

This also works with Contacts. Should I enter a new Contact using CWR Mobile, it will appear on my phone a few minutes later. I don't do this often but it's nice to know I can.

But that's just me. I'm a one man shop and the only CRM user to speak of. In a bigger organization, an assistant could be entering appointments and or contacts into CRM and they would appear on the remote user's phone. The reverse is also true. Once linked via Outlook, any updates I do to my appointments or contact information on my phone is quickly reflected in CRM. If others are using that info, they will have quick updates as well.

Get Trained on Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009!

DynamicsBlog — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 17:01:48 GMT

To help prepare for this exciting advancement in the market, Microsoft is hosting partner events in cities across the US, sales and technical training via web seminars, and for implementers and consultants, what’s new training!

Coming Soon! Microsoft Dynamics™ NAV 2009 Pre-sales Workshop

Take this opportunity to learn about the enhanced functionality now and be ready to help your customers take advantage of this innovative Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 solution. This one-day event will provide Microsoft Dynamics NAV partners a deeper understanding about Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009. Partners will learn how to successfully position, market, and sell the value of the Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 solution to customers.

Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 What’s New Partner Academy
The course is designed to equip course participants with the product knowledge, both at conceptual and functional levels, required when implementing and supporting Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009.

Dates	City
November 17-19, 2008	San Francisco, CA
December 8-10, 2008	Chicago, IL
December 15-17, 2008	Orlando, FL

Microsoft Dynamics™ NAV 2009 Sales and Technical Web Seminars

Over the next few weeks, Microsoft will be deploying one hour sales and technical web seminars for partners to learn more about the enhanced functionality of Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 and be ready to help customers take advantage of this innovative product. Featured titles* are:

Sales Topics

· US Pricing & Licensing Changes for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009
· Are you ready for the release of Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009?
· Competing Against EPICOR
· Extend the Value With Microsoft Mobility & Mobile Sales

Technical Topics

· Visual Studio 101
· Development Tips and Tricks
· Advanced Inventory Costing
· FRx and Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009
· SQL Server Reporting Services
· Manufacturing

Stay ahead of the game with this NAV 2009 training!

-Sara
Dynamics Marketing Manager

Microsoft Dynamics Product Recertification and Tracking VOICE Certifications

DynamicsBlog — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 16:56:56 GMT

In accordance with the new product certification requirements coming January 1, 2009, partner organizations that need to recertify will receive a message letting them know what exams they are missing. If your organization doesn’t complete the exams on the product version listed below, your organization will lose discounts and the Microsoft Business Solutions Competency.

Product Line	Version
Microsoft Dynamics AX	Version 4.0 – Extended until July 1, 2009
Microsoft Dynamics CRM	Version 3.0
Microsoft Dynamics GP	Version 8.0
Microsoft Dynamics NAV	Version 4.0
Microsoft Dynamics SL	Version 5.5

In order for your organization to receive credit for the exams that individuals have passed, they must have the correct MCP ID in VOICE and then the exam details will be fully recognized. You must:

STEP 1: Go into VOICE – Professional Profile, select your professional name – and verify your MCP ID is correct.

STEP 2: If the MCP ID is missing or not correct, click the edit button and enter in the MCP ID and click SAVE.

Contact the Learning Regional Service Center at 1-800-636-7544 or mcphelp@microsoft.com, if:

· You do not know your MCP ID

· If the exams are not appearing in VOICE but the MCP ID is in VOICE

· If you have 2 MCP IDs and need to have them merged (not uncommon) – make sure to find out which one they are keeping and update VOICE and MSPP with that number.

To help prepare you for certification, we offer the following resources to help you prepare:

· Learning Plans*
· Partner Academies, which are linked in the left hand column of this email for your convenience. Click on the product to register or learn more.
· eLearning*
· Self Study Downloadable Materials*
*Available through your Microsoft Dynamics Partner Service Plan on PartnerSource

Be sure to stay certified to keep your business moving forward!

-Sara
Dynamics Marketing Manager

Accelerators for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 are now available

DynamicsBlog — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 16:48:26 GMT

What are Accelerators, you may ask?

CRM Accelerators are a range of add-on solutions developed for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 customers and partners. Each accelerator is available at no cost and will showcase how the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 platform can be configured and extended to broaden marketing, sales and service capabilities. Microsoft Dynamics CRM customers and partners are encouraged to further extend these accelerators to meet their specific business needs.

The list of accelerators is as follows:

Analytics

eService

Event Management

Enterprise Search

Sales Methodologies

Extended Sales Forecasting

CRM Notifications

Business Productivity

Where do I download the Accelerators? All the Accelerators will be available on CodePlex: http://www.codeplex.com/crmaccelerators

Additional details are also available on PartnerSource: https://mbs.microsoft.com/partnersource/newsevents/news/MD_CRM_Accelerators#3

Overview Presentation

Technical Deep Dive Presentation

-Todd Juchem
Dynamics Solutions Advisor

SharePoint on Home Server

wattersbill72 — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 15:45:48 GMT

For those that said it couldn't be done…it can.

Then there are those that asked if it should be done…for that you'll have to answer on your own…

For those interested, I was able to do this with relative ease. I would recommend doing so at the console or through LAN connected mstsc rather than through the web service known as remote access.

If you know your way around setting up Windows SharePoint Services then setting it up on Windows Home Server is rather easy, and a great add-in for users looking to get more out of their Home Server experience.

A quick look at some of the features of WSS that could be used in a home/connected family/network.

Shared Calendars…I see this requested a lot, and it is missing otherwise, but this offers a family a shared location for aggregating their lives, events, and calendars…
Blogs…these are really great for family members to keep a journal, and share what they want, when they want and with who they want while in a more secure manner than mySpace or Facebook or any of those…
Wikis…we discuss this feature a with tons of small businesses but it also makes sense for the connected family. A simple repository for unstructured data, wonderful!!!
Contacts…again a great way to share the contact list, and sync with outlook, oh, by the way calendars will do this as well…
Links…hyper links for all the places people will go to after here.
Custom built widgets and stuff like a twitter page, personalized for each person…
RSS aggregation, consumption, and regurgitation, can you say yummy!!!
Obviously shared files and folders, but that's starting to step on WHS…
Custom lists like shopping lists (oh and it's mobile accessable) from basically any WAP phone…
1. So look at that for a moment, create a shopping list that is fed by users, but could you extend that to a bar code scanner? Sure, and at a pretty low cost too.
2. It in turn feeds the budget for the family, comparing actual vs projected…in real time…
Asset tracking, mileage tracking, you name it, we can probably do it…

So I am sure there is way more we can do with WHS and WSS, but to get it started it's pretty darn simple. There are some draw backs. Setting it up, YOU REALLY DO NEED TO KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING, because by default, you are going to HOSE the default WHS site, so be careful! As a rule, for this, I'd recommend using a custom port number for sharepoint. You'll have to make a rule in your WHS firewall, and if you want it accessable from the intertubes, you'll want to poke a hole in your NAT router/firewall as well. If you're this far though, you should already know how to do that. And you should already know the risks and concerns of opening that hole…

So where else can you go from here? Well integrating with a Phone system might be a good place to start. If you are invested in ResponsePoint, there's plenty of opportunity here. I see this as a GREAT home phone system for the connected family. Simple to use and easy to manage. I have already done some 'integration' with RP and WHS, mostly in exposing the administrator in the advanced console add-in. I even added a script to pull the call logs and place a csv in a share so I can 'examine' the haters and spammers that call the house ALL DAY LONG!!! If you are not into RP, get into it!!! Or you could use a VM image of Trixbox, the open source derivative of Asterisk. I particularly like the nerd-vittles customizations, and therefore will point you to www.nerdvittles.com this guy is GR8, with a capital GR8!!! I have tested this out and may blog about it in the future. But it is a great way to get up and running quickly on a VoIP PBX without paying an arm and a leg. He gives you all the info you need and if you are a hobbyist, then this is right up your alley. They lay it all out, I have had to figure some stuff out, but they do really well at breaking it all down for you, check it out.

So this has gone on too far beyond the SharePoint on Windows Home Server, but hopefully, you got something out of it. Oh by the way, I had downloaded the xbox feeds add-in for WHS and am planning on adding feeds from my newly created WSS site to feed the xbox feeds news about the family and what not.

Future posts may be about Live Mesh integration, this is a core component that we use, and I have found it works perfectly. It is still limited in features, but promises to be great very soon…

Microsoft releases new Microsoft Dynamics Client for Office (DCO) licensing for existing Dynamics Customers as of 10.01.08*

DynamicsBlog — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 03:22:10 GMT

Microsoft releases new Microsoft Dynamics Client for Office (DCO) licensing for Existing Dynamics Customers as of October 1, 2008*

· Microsoft Dynamics™ Client for Microsoft® Office and SharePoint® Server, and
· Microsoft Dynamics™ Client for Microsoft® Office and Microsoft Windows® SharePoint® Services

Empower even more people to be productive

Microsoft Dynamics Client for Office is a package of self service applications built around the Microsoft Office system. These applications combine role-based access to information and processes with the business insights and collaboration capabilities of Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services and Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007.

Research shows that on average, 85 percent of employees within an organization don't have direct access to critical business data within business management solutions, such as Microsoft Dynamics. Microsoft Dynamics Client for Office provides a cost-effective solution for connecting employees to the processes and information within these systems.

What’s more, this licensing option provides an ideal solution for companies that need to give non-employees access to Microsoft Dynamics data and code – such as partners, ISVs or others who work with the system.

With Microsoft Dynamics Client for Office employees can:

· Access Microsoft Dynamics information via a browser working with a Microsoft SharePoint site or through Microsoft Office products such as Excel and Outlook

· Make faster, more informed decisions

· Work in familiar applications and with information that is specific to their role, and with appropriate access privileges.

More detailed information along with FAQ listed on PartnerSource.

*previously available for new customers under Business Ready Licensing.

Hope you find this information useful!

-Julie Herman
Dynamics Solutions Advisor

Check out these new Microsoft Dynamics ERP Webcasts!

DynamicsBlog — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 03:16:15 GMT

Microsoft announces a new way to extend vital financial management and business insight of Microsoft Dynamics’ ERP solutions to others within your customers organization through Microsoft Dynamics Client for Microsoft Office and SharePoint Server. Learn more on PartnerSource:

Better Together: Selling Microsoft Dynamics and Information Worker Solutions - Sales Workshop

Multiple Dates & Locations

This workshop will provide an introduction to Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 from a Microsoft Dynamics Sales Perspective. The course will focus on a hypothetical company, Fabrikam Inc., and how to approach a Dynamics ERP opportunity from a much broader perspective. Students will actively participate in discussions around discovery techniques with goals of a conversation towards actionable sales execution plans. This course will provide a resource library of sales presentations, case studies, video clips, VPC images, demo scripts, and a background case study that can be used in the preparation of a sales presentation, including goals, agenda, demo flow and several vignettes of an actual demo around a combined MOSS/ERP solution.

5W/50 Series - Learn About Building a Successful Microsoft-Based Information Worker Practice
October 24, 2008 9:00 AM Pacific
Attend this hour-long web cast co-hosted by one of our Partner Technology Specialists and a partner who has already set up an IW practice. Get the information you need to build your Microsoft based IW practice. Learn about the products and solutions and what it takes to get your business started. Build your understanding around the specifics of the Microsoft IW platform that can give you the ability to deliver comprehensive solutions to help your customers maximize their productivity with solutions based on the Microsoft Office 2007 system. In this session, we will illustrate how you can increase your knowledge on the products and the industry. We will also discuss how to approach, take and pass the exams resulting in helping you build the confidence and the evidence you can use with prospective clients in your mission to win new business.

Grow your Dynamics GP Service Revenue with Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007

This session will provide an introduction to Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 (MOSS) from a Microsoft Dynamics GP sales perspective. Agenda topics will include: • MOSS licensing and pricing clarification – both through volume licensing and the Dynamics Client for SharePoint• The MOSS value-add in Dynamics GP opportunities• Using MOSS for Business Process Automation• Consulting and service revenue opportunities for partners Presenter: Tom Higginbotham – PTS.

Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0: Selling the Business Value of Microsoft Dynamics GP and Microsoft Office SharePoint Server

Learn the customer profile, how to position, typical customer obstacles for Microsoft Dynamics GP and combined with Microsoft Office SharePoint Server. Also learn what’s new in Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0 as well as how to sell solutions with the product including licensing plans. Presenter: Pam Misialek

Microsoft Dynamics Client for Microsoft Office and SharePoint Server

Announced at Convergence 2007, the new package Microsoft Dynamics Client for Microsoft Office and SharePoint Server includes a collection of up to 12 self-service applications that are built to plug into Microsoft Office and SharePoint, as well as Standard and Enterprise additive CALs for Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007. These will provide customers with functionality for their employees to access their ERP information and connect more closely with their business processes via commonly-used Microsoft Office applications and web-based SharePoint sites. Also included in this new offering are licensing rights for customers or industry partners to build their own Office Business Applications, a new category of programs where Microsoft Office becomes the “front end” for accessing the “back end” ERP functionality of Microsoft Dynamics. The license enables the business productivity capabilities of Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 to be combined with the ERP functionality in Microsoft Dynamics, and opens up new possibilities for building Office Business Applications to meet industry or customer-specific needs.

Understanding the licensing options for Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 and Microsoft Dynamics

This webcast will cover the licensing options that are available to customers who are looking to integrate Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 with Microsoft Dynamics. Co-presented by product and pricing managers from Dynamics and SharePoint, the basic policies will be explained and some common customer scenarios discussed. Time will be available at the end for you to ask your own questions. Presenter: Anthony Cross

Microsoft Dynamics GP Technical Airlift Online: Best Practices for Implementing Microsoft Office SharePoint Server with Microsoft Dynamics GP

Microsoft Dynamics GP Technical Airlift Online: Best Practices for Implementing Microsoft Office SharePoint Server with Microsoft Dynamics GP Attend this information-packed session for detailed instruction on how you can use Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS) to extend Microsoft Dynamics GP. You will learn tips and tricks for installing and configuring MOSS and discover how to set up search capabilities across your network. You will learn the attributes of setting up Business Data Web Parts and Custom Lists. You will see how to use the MOSS SDK to easily connect the Business Data Catalog (BDO) to other data sources and Web Services. You will see examples of how to build MOSS Dashboards using the Analysis Cubes and learn the steps necessary to implement these technologies, including Trusted Source and configuring the Office Data Connection. Finally, you will find out how to use MOSS to configure and edit workflows for Microsoft Dynamics GP and discover best implementation practices.

Enjoy!

-Julie Herman
Dynamics Solutions Advisor

Save Money with Solutions Pathway

petergal — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 19:05:19 GMT

Get a Discount on Windows Essential Server Solutions (SBS2008 and EBS2008) Upgrades & Migrations with Solutions Pathway

Help your customers easily upgrade or migrate from their existing solutions to meet changing business needs. Solutions Pathway, exclusively for Windows Essential Server Solutions, provides tiered savings that enable you to develop new revenue streams when you help customers cost-effectively upgrade or migrate from existing solutions to the latest Windows Essential Server Solutions offerings. Leverage your customers’ existing investments—and help them make the transition to the latest Windows Essential Server Solutions offerings today. Small Business Specialists and Networking Infrastructure Solutions partners receive an additional 10% discount!

Enjoy!

Petergal

Windows Mobile Offers to Support your Windows Essential Server Solutions Deployments

charlesv — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 16:08:28 GMT

Get rewarded for working smarter

Buy Windows Essential Server Solutions with Treo Pro™ smartphones to better run your business and receive a free Treo Pro via mail in redemption.

Between November 12, 2008 and April 30, 2009, purchase Windows Small Business Server 2008 or Windows Essential Business Server 2008 with five Client Access Licenses and Four Treo Pro smartphones and receive a Free Treo Pro smartphone.

See the Palm Treo Pro Redemption form for more information.

Mobilize your e-Mail

For a limited time, with the purchase of a Windows Small Business Server 2008 or Windows Essential Business Server 2008 solutions block from HP (supporting either Standard or Premium), you can qualify for the purchase of HP iPAQ 910s at discounted prices:

Get 5 iPAQs 910s at US $1,975 (total)
Get 10 iPAQs 910s at US $3,500 (total)

See the HP Offer flyer for more information.
Take advantage of Microsoft Financing for your HP iPAQ 910 purchases.
Offer good in the United States only.

Technorati Tags: Treo Pro,HP iPAQ 910,Windows Mobile,Windows Essentials Server Solutions

Business & Technology Assessment Toolkit v3.5 update

ronaldg — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 05:48:49 GMT

In a related note to the MAP v3.2 announcement, the Business & Technology Assessment Toolkit (BTAT) has been updated to v3.5. The BTAT is a great tool that partners can use to assess the business and technology needs of their small and midsize business prospects. This is a great solution selling tool, which uses a step-by-step approach to help you gain business and technical insight into your customer’s business. By getting to know your customers' business needs, you can recommend targeted solutions to help them meet their objectives. You'll be on your way to closing deals faster and securing long-term customer relationships.

This latest version of the toolkit offers a range of new features such as:

New assessments to evaluate your customers' server, mobile, desktop, and Exchange needs and to help you identify solutions based on Windows Small Business Server 2008 , Windows Essential Business Server 2008, Windows Mobile 6 , the 2007 Microsoft Office system, Windows Vista, and Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 technologies.
A product-driven customizable question bank that enables you to better tailor assessments to your customers' specific needs, based on your product and solution expertise.
A Windows-based platform that's compatible with Microsoft Windows Vista the 2007 Microsoft Office system, and 64-bit processors.
New decision tree functionality to better guide a customer in choosing which solution –Windows Small Business Server 2008, Windows Essential Business Server 2008, or stand-alone Windows Server
New report generation for partners to customize and give to their partners

Note: you will not be able to update from your current version. In order to use the new 3.5 version please uninstall the existing version 3.0.0.7 (instructions below), install .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 (if not installed already) and then install the tool from https://partner.microsoft.com/global/salesmarketingsection/smsalessassessment/sabtat

MAP v3.2 Update (Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit)

ronaldg — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 05:28:33 GMT

Several months back, I told you about this great tool which was being updated at the time to v3.1, well, v3.2 is now available. This toolkit is one of Microsoft’s Solution Accelerators and makes it easier for you and your customers to quickly identify what servers, workstations, and network devices are in your IT environment, and most importantly, it can help you make a quicker and more accurate determination of how Vista-ready that environment is. MAP also provides specific and actionable IT proposals and reports to help you get the most value out of Microsoft products and infrastructure. In this version, MAP has expanded its assessment capabilities to include SQL Server 2008, Forefront/NAP, and Microsoft Online Services migration, as well as providing a Power Savings assessment to help you “go green.”

Check out the following resources:

Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit Team Blog and

FULL ANNOUNCEMENT OF MAP TOOLKIT 3.2 RTM RELEASE

Download Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit 3.2 (RTM Bits)

As an overview, note that the MAP assessment areas now include:

• SQL Server Database Instance Discovery (NEW!)

• Microsoft Online Services Needs Assessment and Survey (NEW!)

• Forefront Client Security/NAP Readiness Assessment (NEW!)

• Power Savings Calculator (NEW!)

• Virtualization Infrastructure Assessment (e.g. reporting the mapping of hosts by guests) (NEW!)

• Windows Server 2008 Hardware Assessment

• Server Consolidation Reports and Proposals (Hyper-V or Virtual Server 2005 R2)

• Windows Vista and Microsoft Office 2007 Hardware Assessment

• Desktop Security Assessment to determine if desktops have anti-virus and anti-malware programs installed and up-to-date, or if the Windows Firewall is turned on

Action Pack Quarterly Update webcast and Home Server PID issues update

ronaldg — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 05:04:33 GMT

Action Pack Quarterly Webcast: “Getting More Action Out of your Action Pack”

https://training.partner.microsoft.com/plc/details.aspx?publisher=12&delivery=256637

Kick off another exciting quarter with us by attending our Quarterly Webcast for Microsoft Action Pack Subscribers (MAPS) on Dec 3 2008. This webcast will center around the MAPS October Update. Highlights for this quarter include an update on the growing Vista momentum as well as a deeper dive into Small Business Server (SBS) 2008.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with this, I’m the host of this series, which is a recurring series covering the quarterly updates to your Action Pack. Join me if you can.

FYI, Essential Business Server (EBS) and Windows Home Server (WHS) are also being included in the OCT update. And speaking of Home Server, there was a problem with the Product ID on the MAPS Home Server, if you’re affected, see this link: Issue with Product ID keys for WHS in October Action Pack – Corrective steps

SB2 event Powerpoint deck

ronaldg — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 04:49:41 GMT

As promised (in the live events), we are publishing the content deck for the OEM SB2 events. You can download it from either of the OEM sites below, or from my SkyDrive (in case you want/need the PDF format, the OEM links have the XPS format, my site has PDF). BTW, on the links below, to find the deck, scroll down to the Presentations link below the Agenda and Resources sections.

www.microsoft.com/oem/sb2ts2 or http://oem.microsoft.com/sb2ts2

On my Sky Drive, you will see two files, one is the XPS version (same as on OEM link above) and the other is a PDF version, if you need or prefer that format for some reason.

http://cid-e357c245ff6ca618.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/Public

enjoy…

NOTE: This is intended for the use of those who attended the live events and wanted to review the content, and is also for the use of those who could not attend a live event for some reason. If you can make a live event, I certainly hope you will do so. At the event you’ll have a chance to give feedback direct to Microsoft (thru the presenter, in the Let’s Talk section), and you’ll be able to see the demo of the Application Compatibility Tools and the Vista productivity demo, and, of course, you’ll be able to learn from the commentary of the presenter and even from the other attendees.

Now THAT's a Workstation

petergal — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 03:57:40 GMT

I just invested in a new workstation. It's a Dell (no, not endorsing our friends down in Austin). Dual proc, quad core 2.0 Ghz Xeon's with 9 GB Ram and 1 TB of storage on a SATA drive. The 1 TB drive and 8 GB Ram were added "aftermarket". Here are the specs (stupid video card).

Enjoy!

Petergal

Action Pack, a Must-Have for Microsoft Partners

kclarke — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 03:49:54 GMT

Action Packed Quarterly Webcast

New to Action Pack? Microsoft Action Pack Subscription (MAPS) is a cost-effective yearly subscription that provides Registered Members of the Microsoft Partner Program internal-use, full-version software and sales resources to help you meet your sales goals, stay competitive, and grow your business. Visit http://partner.microsoft.com/US/actionpack for more details today.

Kick off another exciting quarter with us by attending our Quarterly Webcast for Microsoft Action Pack Subscribers on Dec 3 2008. Highlights for this quarter include an update on the growing Vista momentum as well as a deeper dive into Small Business Server (SBS).

Click here to register for the Action Packed Quarterly Webcast

WESS – Windows Essentials Server System update

ronaldg — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 16:51:36 GMT

As you should know, besides the Vista discussion, the other main pillar of our OEM content is around the WESS. So as we approach the WESS launch next Wed (11/12), here’s some updated info and links to the virtual launch event and more information and resources around WESS as well as the mobility component.

For starters, you should hit the Launch event link

» Attend this virtual Launch Event live on Wednesday, November 12, 2008.
Register online by clicking here.

The main website for WESS is www.multiplyyourpower.com

Here’s links to the individual server and mobility component websites: