December 2008 - Posts

Partner Action Plan for Software-as-a-Service
30 December 08 11:37 AM | ronaldg

I wanted to highlight a special pull-out section from Redmond Channel Partner magazine by Scott Bekker. I’m guessing most of you are already familiar (and probably subscribe to) this magazine, but for those who don’t here’s a link to this article Partner Action Plan for Software-as-a-Service about it (see screen shot below).  To download the PDF, you’ll need to login/register.  But if you’re still wondering if Software+Services is where you want to go, hopefully this will be a helpful resource.

They also have another special (pull-out) section on Virtualization: The Next Real Thing that you might appreciate as well.

New online, user-friendly Vista help site!
30 December 08 11:05 AM | ronaldg

In keeping with my current focus of trying to help you help your customers with Windows Vista questions and answers, I’ve found out that Microsoft has launched a new site that offers answers to common Windows Vista questions and problems. Although the site is labeled Microsoft Answers.beta, vs Vista answers, at this point it seems to provide only Vista information.  Targeted to a general audience, the Microsoft Answers beta is probably a bit more user-friendly than the existing Microsoft Support page. But making the best use of it will still require a little more than the average level of technical knowledge; e.g. to get UAC help you need to know that it’s called User Account Control, simply searching for a generic term like pop-up will not get you to where you want to be.  And, you’ll need a Live ID to get to the forums, although they have simplified this process with the “Ask the Community” option.  Here’s a couple of screen shots, the first is the “home” page and the second is the Find Answers tab where you can “Browse”.

BTW, you don’t have to send someone the link, just tell them to type in “Microsoft Answers” in the IE Search bar and it should show up at the top of the list in both Live Search (and others).

WSS 3.0 simplified template installation process
29 December 08 05:17 PM | ronaldg

Here’s and excerpt from an email sent to me by one of my Cincy SBS User Group members and an old friend of TS2, Dale Unroe (see link to his blog below).  Hope this helps you (my reader), and thanks for sharing, Dale.   

In his BTW section, Dale references the System Health Report, which I’ve been showing in my SB2 events, so I left the path for that in there (but I think it’s also in my tips post), and sorry, Dale, to the best of my knowledge there is no “shortcut” for how to get to the report, nor quicker way to generate it.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To: Ron
Subject: SharePoint - WSS 3.0 simplified template installation process

Hi Ron,

A while ago a colleague here in Cincinnati lamented to our user group email list that he was having a time getting the Microsoft Fantastic Forty Template pack to install into a WSS 3.0 installation…After much research online I discovered that there were a lot of people who were struggling with installing these templates and the correct usage and syntax of the STSADM commands needed.  What resulted was that I created a scripted process that can be done fairly easily, installs all the templates, and takes about 6 minutes to run.  Furthermore, additional templates can be dropped into the install directory and they too will get installed.  I thought you might find this worthy of passing on to help other Partners with SBS 2008 now that WSS 3.0 is integrated.

Blog post:

http://duitwithsbs.wordpress.com/2008/12/07/sharepoint-application-template-ez-installation-via-script/

Resource Distribution Point:

http://duitsmart.com/sharepoint.aspx

BTW – I was struggling with finding the Vista Reliability and Monitor Report generator UI you had showed us in your last month SB2TS2 visit to Cincinnati.  This morning I found it!  Have you ever found a quicker way to run this report?

Control Panel -> System and Maintenance -> Performance Information and Tools -> Advanced Tools -> Generate a system health report

couple of quick follow up notes around the recent IE exploit
29 December 08 05:04 PM | ronaldg

The recent IE exploit and “out-of-band” patch have received plenty of press (also see my post on 12/17).  Hopefully, all of you have installed this and worked with your customers to insure they have as well.  I did find one article that gave Microsoft credit for getting this patch out the door in such a timely manner.  Microsoft’s incredible IE patch turnaround  The article author states: “Researching, fixing, testing, and releasing a security patch within an eight day window is an incredible feat — especially given the need to support all versions of IE across all platforms and languages.“  As you’ve heard me say in live events and in the blog, Microsoft has a world-class security response system and this would be an example of our capability. 

 

In a related note, since there was a significant amount of talk around folks using an alternative browser during the above situation, I thought I’d share this with you.  I saw at least one “pundit” recommend using alternate browsers like Opera, so if you’re inclined to heed the advice of these presumed experts, then I should point out that you will not have eliminated, or perhaps even reduced your exposure to malware.  ‘Extremely severe’ vulnerabilities in Opera browser  The article states: “Two of the bugs are rated “extremely severe” while three others are rated “highly severe.””  and “Opera users are strongly encouraged to download and apply the newest version.”  so if you’re using it I’m guessing you probably aren’t (and haven’t been) covered by automatic updates.

 

I’ve lost track of some data and research comparing IE and Firefox that I had wanted to share, so I won’t make any explicit statements here that I can’t back up with hard data, but in general, I’ve found that IE stacks up well in comparison to other browsers’ security, especially if you factor in that it’s by far the most lucrative target (based on market size).

Oh well, my main intent here was to give you some “ammo” for your customer conversations that might have come up because of the amount of press the IE exploit got.   Thanks to the Microsoft security response system AND the ability of IE to leverage Windows Update, even though this was a serious situation, it didn’t rise (or hasn’t yet risen) to the level of a Code Red or some of the more infamous situations in our past.

Here’s the links to my 2-part on Solution Selling Windows Vista
18 December 08 11:43 PM | ronaldg

Back in early November, I mentioned we were going to make the popular Vista portion of my SB2 events available thru webcasts.  Well those have now been completed and they are available for on demand viewing.

These are on the Partner Learning Center so you’ll need to login for access, here’s the direct links…

https://training.partner.microsoft.com/plc/details.aspx?publisher=12&delivery=259897 and

https://training.partner.microsoft.com/plc/details.aspx?publisher=12&delivery=260423

Below is an excerpt from my 11/6 post as a refresher…

[In our SB2 events] a major piece of that content is around helping our OEM/SB partners have the Vista “customer conversation” (with a solution selling perspective).  Well, we are going to make that piece of the content available to much broader audience thru a couple of live webcasts.  So, if you didn’t have the opportunity to join me for one of the SB2 events (or you’d like a refresher), then I hope you’ll make plans to join me for these webcasts…  In these webcasts you can learn how to apply a more “solution” oriented approach around selling Windows Vista, as well as handle objections regarding Vista adoption…IF you can only make one, I want to let you know that the second webcast will be mainly demo (including a show of the Application Compatibility Toolkit and my patented [not really] “productivity” demo); and if my experience in the SB2 events holds true, I can almost guarantee that you will pick up a couple of productivity enhancers or at least some cool tips n that one.

Critical IE vulnerability
17 December 08 08:33 PM | ronaldg

As I related in my previous post, even though IE may not be the most (or even one of the top 10) vulnerable apps running on the Microsoft OS, for sure it is one of the most lucrative targets around given it’s huge user base.  In fact, just this morning Microsoft released an “out-of-band” (read that as emergency) security update MS08-078 to address a new vulnerability allowing remote code execution in affected versions of Internet Explorer. MS08-078 has a maximum severity rating of Critical for all versions of Internet Explorer. OF course, we do these OOB releases in an effort to protect customers as much (and as quickly) as we can.  IF you have not already heard about this, I encourage you to get the details from the full bulletin which is posted to: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS08-078.mspx.   

Due to the nature and timing of this vulnerability (there’ll be lots of new PCs coming online around Christmas), I wanted to do my part to try and communicate this to my readers, many, if not most of whom are Microsoft partners, and have not only their own systems to look out for, but those of their customers as well.  I want to encourage you to to assess and secure your systems and networks by applying this patch.   I recommend using the http://technet.microsoft.com/security site as a main source of Microsoft security information and would note that you can sign up for comprehensive alerts at http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/notify.mspx in the future if you have not already done so.

Most of you already know that Microsoft has made security a #1 priority since we started the Secure Windows Initiative back in 2002, hence we now have a world-class malware response system as well as many tools such as WSUS and Automatic Updating* to help mitigate these situations as much as possible.  And that’s also why you don’t see more Microsoft apps in the lists such as the one in my previous post.  Unfortunately, it’s likely to be a never-ending battle against the perpetrators of exploits such as this one; and as long as IE and the Microsoft platform continue to lead the market, we’ll of course need to stay diligent in our efforts to help you maintain the security of yours and your customers infrastructures.   Thanks for your support!

* BTW, If you have turned on Automatic Updates, your computer will install the security update automatically. If you don't use Automatic Updates, go to http://update.microsoft.com. (Note: this update might require a restart.)

Wow, here’s an interesting security article – what do you think is the most vulnerable app running on your Microsoft OS-based computer?
17 December 08 08:06 PM | ronaldg

Read “The Most Vulnerable Applications—2008 Report” at: http://www.bit9.com/files/Vulnerable_Apps_DEC_08.pdf

or if you prefer, you can read another blog about it at: http://blogs.zdnet.com/security/?p=2304&tag=nl.e539

Like the Microsoft Security blogger Jeff Jones’ reports, this report lays out its methodology and criteria clearly and I believe realistically.  For instance, one of the criterion is “Relies on the end user, rather than a  central administrator, to manually patch or upgrade the software to eliminate the vulnerability”.  You may disagree, but I believe this takes a more holistic view than simply counting vulnerabilities – if an app has a vulnerability that is systematically patched vs one that relies on end-user patching, I would consider it “less vulnerable” from a real-world perspective, certainly the “window” of vulnerability would presumably be less.  

 

Some folks would wonder that IE wasn’t in the top 12.  Well, here’s a link to a Jeff Jones report (http://blogs.csoonline.com/internet_explorer_and_firefox_vulnerability_analysis_report) that reveals that in it’s first year, Firefox 2 had more than 2x the number of vulnerabilities of IE7 in it’s first year.  Jones’ report states: “In the 12 months of support [since release], Mozilla has fixed 56 vulnerabilities in Firefox 2.0 – 13 High / 42 Medium / 1 Low – or an average of about 3.75 vulnerabilities per month.” vs “In the nearly one year since release, Microsoft has fixed a total of 17 vulnerabilities in IE7 – 14 High / 3 Medium – or an average of about 1.4 per month.  Only 14 of the vulnerabilities have affected the Vista release, so that rate is slightly lower.”  As always, I encourage for you to do your own research and “You Make the Call”.  Unfortunately, IE is still one of the most attacked targets and, in fact, we (Microsoft) are having to release an emergency security bulletin (fix) as I write this to try and protect our users from an exploit.  Here’s a link to another blog with more details on that: http://blogs.zdnet.com/security/?p=2317

Also, for more information about security updates, visit http://www.microsoft.com/protect

Microsoft Press Online – Server/Client resources
12 December 08 12:02 AM | ronaldg

Here’s an interesting resource I ran across that I’m betting many of you weren’t aware of.

http://microsoftpresssrv.libredigital.com/serverclient/

This link is to the Windows Server and Client site, but once you get there you can navigate around and see all the other resources and links available there.  Including links to Webcasts, Learning Newsgroups, other subjects like Networking, as well as many useful articles like Configuring Networking for laptops and Improving desktop performance from the Vista Resource Kit and the Vista Administrator’s Pocket Consultant.  Enjoy,

Windows Vista Business Assurance Program extended!!
11 December 08 11:50 PM | ronaldg

I did an earlier post on this back in July (7/9 to be exact) but I’ll hit some of the highlights again here for your convenience.   As the title states this great program has been extended.

Here’s the link to the main site on Microsoft.com: Move to Windows Vista with Confidence.  I highly encourage you go the this site and read the FAQs.  They will tell you which small businesses qualify and explain other details of the program.

Mike Marshall’s blog also has more detailed info including links to To-Partner and Through-Partner marketing materials, see Mike Marshall’s blog at:
Windows Vista Business Assurance—Extended Until June 30, 2009!

And here’s the link to info on the MSPP (partner) portal: Windows Vista Small Business Assurance Program  

Below is a quick redux of the Vista Small Business Assurance program…

Basic concept: When a small-business customer purchases a new PC pre-installed with a qualified version of genuine Windows Vista Ultimate or Windows Vista Business [from July 1, 2008] through May 31, 2009 (note the support itself will last thru June 30, 2009), Microsoft will offer FREE customer support designed to complement a partners’ service offerings. It’s also developed to drive additional sales and service opportunities for partners by giving their small-business customers, as well as them, the extra assurance they might need to purchase and deploy new PCs preinstalled with genuine Vista. The goal of Windows Vista Small Business Assurance is to help small businesses make a smooth transition to Windows Vista and experience the superior value it can deliver over its predecessors. The additional support and one-on-one coaching we're offering will help our small business customers overcome issues that may be blocking their adoption.

Here’s a little more detail on how the program works…

When a small business customer purchases a PC pre-installed with qualifying Windows Vista, they will receive free phone support directly from Microsoft. If the customer faces any technical issues around features, compatibility, or configuration, they can be confident that Microsoft will support them.

FYI, Partners are still expected to handle issues such as hardware upgrades, downgrades, assistance with XP and Vista Home Editions, and support for the software or devices that came with the PC.  However, they can refer inquiries around Vista features, compatibility, and configuration to Microsoft.

 

ONline version of GearUP launches
07 December 08 06:13 PM | ronaldg

The Online Gear Up Sales ToolKit (eToolkit) officially launched in the last week or so!  I’m hoping that many of you already use the Gear Up Sales Tookit, and for those that do, this online version should just make life a little easier. 

Moving to an online version, the eToolkit, should provide most of you with a more efficient experience than the printed version.  The eToolkit has some cool new functionality and should serve to help you spend less time than before getting all the focused sales information you need.  And, in addition to that, it will have a reduced impact on the environment.  

Here’s some of the features included in this initial release of the eToolkit:

• Keyword search - Easily find information

• Cut & Paste  - Simply cut and paste into presentations or emails

• Live Links - Embedded links clickable directly to content

• Zoom - Lock zoom to desired level

• Print - Create customized mini-booklets to XPS file or simply print selected  pages

• Index - Easily navigate to information through alphabetical index

Naturally I believe eToolkit is incredible, but don’t just take my word for it, go check it out yourself. 

You can access the eToolkit through the Gear Up website at  www.ms-gearup.com/etoolkit.

Response Point webcasts
01 December 08 06:26 PM | ronaldg

I’ve blogged about Response Point before, this is an opportunity every partner should at least investigate.   Here’s some upcoming webcasts to help you get ramped up on what you need to know about Telephony/VOIP as well as our Response Point solution. 

The first one is on:

Date: Tue, Dec 9, 2008  / Time: 11:00 AM MST (see below for overview and link to register)

and the second one is a week later on:

Date: Tue, Dec 16, 2008  / Time: 11:00 AM MST (see below for overview and link to register)

Plan to join my teammates Charles and Larry and the folks at NGT to learn more.

12/9 Introduction to Telephony, VOIP and Response Point

Join us for this special webinar for our partner 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 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!

FYI, 3 copies of Windows Vista Ultimate will be raffled off at each webinar!

For more information about NGT’s Response Point offerings, check out www.NGT.com/TS2