VolkerW's WebLog

Guide to Office 365–via Cloud hypermarket

Volker Will MSFT — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 21:34:25 GMT

Infographic by: Cloud Hypermarket

Office 365 Launch

Volker Will MSFT — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 15:32:10 GMT

Great news today in Office 365. Office 365 is out of beta. Learn more about Office365 at

http://office365.com.

MIX Keynotes–Behind the Scenes

Volker Will MSFT — Tue, 24 May 2011 15:48:27 GMT

The MIX team just published a great little document describing the efforts it takes to pull off a great keynote. Certainly worth your time.

The hidden city backstage. The craft of demos. The many months of work coming to fruition. Lights, camera, action! It's showtime.

Read “Behind the Scenes of the MIX Keynotes”.

Microsoft Virtualization for VMware Professionals

Volker Will MSFT — Fri, 13 May 2011 15:59:12 GMT

Following the recent success of a well attended online training, my team has started enhancing the content and publishing it to the Microsoft Virtual Academy. The first course, Microsoft Virtualization for VMware Professionals - The Platform, is now available for online learning.

Pinned Sites in IE9

Volker Will MSFT — Thu, 12 May 2011 18:38:00 GMT

Wow. Awesome series of 10 episodes/post on the how and what of pinned sites with IE9:

Cloud Computing – Bring Your Own Skills

Volker Will MSFT — Fri, 06 May 2011 22:39:11 GMT

IT professionals, we know the drill. Every now and then a new technology or a new paradigm comes our way. Cloud being one of them. They all want to alter all our lives for good. Some enforce adoption, other allow for a smooth transition. But often enough these shift are disruptive in nature. Sometime they are evolutionary. Cloud computing is both. The good news, we IT pros can look behind the curtain and … more …

Free Office 365 JumpStart Training

Volker Will MSFT — Mon, 02 May 2011 23:21:38 GMT

On May 24-26 Microsoft Learning is hosting a free 3-day Jump Start tailored for IT Pros interested in learning more about preparing for and deploying Office 365. This is the first public training for IT Pros on Office 365.

Find out more about this great free training opportunity on dascloud.net or register HERE.

MMS Day 1 Keynote Recording

Volker Will MSFT — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 00:39:18 GMT

Go watch the MMS 2011 keynote recording from day 1 on TechNet Edge.

Less is More

Volker Will MSFT — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 19:00:35 GMT

We need less information and more wisdom. Find out what else might be out of balance at HBR.ORG “30 Things We Need — and 30 We Don't”

Microsoft Virtualization for VMWare Professionals – Free Online Classes - March 29-31

Volker Will MSFT — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 16:18:15 GMT

Just one week after Microsoft Management Summit 2011 (MMS), Microsoft Learning will be hosting an exclusive three-day Jump Start class specially tailored for VMWare and Microsoft virtualization technology pros. Registration for “Microsoft Virtualization for VMWare Professionals” is open now and will be delivered as a FREE online class on March 29-31, 2010 from 10:00am-4:00pm PDT.

What’s the high-level overview?

This cutting edge course will feature expert instruction and real-world demonstrations of Hyper-V and brand new releases from System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012 Beta (many of which will be announced just one week earlier at MMS).
Day 1 will focus on “Platform” (Hyper-V, virtualization architecture, high availability & clustering)
Day 2 will focus on “Management” (System Center Suite, SCVMM 2012 Beta, Opalis, Private Cloud solutions)
Day 3 will focus on “VDI” (VDI Infrastructure/architecture, v-Alliance, application delivery via VDI)
A full outline is available on the Registration page
Every section will be team-taught by two of the most respected authorities on virtualization technologies: Microsoft Technical Evangelist Symon Perriman and leading Hyper-V, VMWare, and XEN infrastructure consultant, Corey Hynes

Who should attend training?
Suggested prerequisite skills include real-world experience with Windows Server 2008 R2, virtualization and datacenter management. The course is tailored to these types of roles:

IT Professional
IT Decision Maker
Network Administrators & Architects
Storage/Infrastructure Administrators & Architects

How do I to register and learn more about this great training opportunity?

Register: Visit the Registration page and sign up for all three sessions
Blog: Learn more from the Microsoft Learning Blog

What is a “Jump Start” course?
A “Jump Start” course is “team-taught” by two expert instructors in an engaging radio talk show style format. The idea is to deliver readiness training on strategic and emerging technologies that drive awareness at scale before Microsoft Learning develops mainstream Microsoft Official Courses (MOC) that map to certifications. All sessions are professionally recorded and distributed through MS Showcase, Channel 9, Zune Marketplace and iTunes for broader reach.

Please join us for this fantastic event!

Python Tools for Visual Studio - Beta

Volker Will MSFT — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 16:03:03 GMT

A new plugin for Visual Studio 2010 is available on Codeplex. From the project website:

Python Tools for Visual Studio is a free & open source plug-in for Visual Studio 2010 from Microsoft's Technical Computing Group. PTVS enables developers to use all the major productivity features of Visual Studio to build Python code using either CPython or IronPython and adds new features such as using High Performance Computing clusters to scale your code. Together with one of the standard distros, you can turn Visual Studio into a powerful Technical Computing IDE...

Note: PTVS is not a Python distribution; it works with your existing Python/IronPython installation to provide you an integrated editing and debugging experience.

The feature overview looks quite impressive, even hints support for Windows Azure in a later version:

Advanced editing, Intellisense, browsing, “Find all”, REPL, …
Supports CPython and IronPython
Local & Cluster/remote debugging
Profiling with multiple views
Interactive parallel computing via integrated IPython REPL
Support for HPC clusters and MPI, including debugging support
NumPy & SciPy for .Net
Support for Cloud Computing (soon)
Support for Dryad (large scale, data-intensive parallel programming) (soon)
Free & Open Source (Apache 2.0)

The 72 Hour Conversation on the Future of the Web Starts with Dean, Joe, and Scott

Volker Will MSFT — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 23:44:43 GMT

and Scott

At last year's MIX10 event, Windows Internet Explorer Corporate Vice President, Dean Hachamovitch, announced the Internet Explorer 9 Platform Preview 1 with hardware accelerated HTML5. This year, Dean will be back on the MIX stage as he returns as the day 1 keynoter at MIX11.

Eight platform previews, one beta, one release candidate, and one final version of Internet Explorer 9 later - it’s a keynote you won’t want to miss.

But that’s not all! For the second year in a row, Joe Belfiore, who oversees Windows Phone Program Management, and is responsible for the design and software product definition of forthcoming generations of Windows phones and Zune devices will keynote MIX. By his side will be Scott Guthrie, who heads Microsoft's .NET Developer Platform, where he runs the development teams responsible for delivering Silverlight, Visual Studio and the .NET Framework technologies for building client and Web applications.

MIX is the entrée to the most thought-provoking experts and pioneering technologists discussing and debating the Internet nation today. More than 150 top thinkers in the web community will give sessions and panels all designed to prepare you for the innovations of the next web now. Topics at MIX run the gamut from RIA to web standards, media, video, cloud services, tooling, devices, games, plus the breakthroughs coming out of research. There’s no better place for a UX expert or a web architect to hear about the future of technologies like HTML5 and CSS3, Silverlight, Internet Explorer, Windows Phone, and ASP.NET.

Dean, Joe and Scott will set the stage for this exciting content and discussion that will be had at MIX this year, and YOU need to be part of that conversation.

Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7 SP1 Releases to Manufacturing Today

Volker Will MSFT — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 19:50:59 GMT

Check out the details at the Windows Server Division blog.

Server and Cloud Developer Evangelist Wanted

Volker Will MSFT — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 23:01:45 GMT

We are hiring – again. If you have followed PDC last week you have probably heard and seen a lot about Windows Azure. In order for us to cope with the demand from our partners and developers worldwide I am looking to hire a senior developer evangelist. The official job posting and description is here.

If you follow the latest developments in virtualization and private and public cloud computing Microsoft has an opportunity for a senior developer evangelist to drive early adoption of the next generation Windows Server, virtualization and cloud computing.
Your core mission will be leading Microsoft partners and customers to understand how to take advantage of existing and new server and virtualization capabilities.

The role includes but is not limited to

Driving Adoption - Drive strategic adoption for Microsoft server technologies from datacenter to cloud through early access programs with accounts
Community Excitement - Build a community approach in driving developer excitement via Channel 9, presenting at large developer events like PDC or TechEd
Leadership - Lead virtual teams to build and execute key elements of partner enablement programs - driving requirements for technical content, building content, value proposition and processes to implement the program
Field Execution – Enable and support Microsoft subsidiaries worldwide to successfully execute programmatic offerings for ISVs and developers.
Product Team Engagement - Drive structured feedback to the product teams to improve products and support adoption goals

This is a highly technical role and we expect any candidate to have a strong developer background including solid knowledge of the .NET framework, Visual Studio, .NET, and the Windows Server platform.

Drop me a note if you’re interested. Or if you want to know more check out the job posting for details and how to apply.

Tech∙Ed Europe 2010 - Sessions and Speakers Announced

Volker Will MSFT — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 22:01:04 GMT

What a great lineup.
Over 200 Tech∙Ed sessions are now posted on the website, along with an amazing line-up of speakers for this year’s event. Many more sessions will be posted in coming weeks. Don’t forget about the Pre-Conference Seminars on 8 November. Registration is still open for the event – join your colleagues and learn more about the newest technology from Microsoft.

Recently I’ve been on C9 at the Countdown to TechEd Europe Show. See what else I have to say.

Windows HPC Server 2008 R2 Cmdlet Reference

Volker Will MSFT — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:50:46 GMT

Available for download from the Microsoft website.

The help file contains cmdlet descriptions, syntax, examples, and additional information for all HPC cluster-specific cmdlets that are available in Windows® HPC Server 2008 R2.

The HPC cmdlets provide an alternative to most actions that users and administrators of HPC clusters would otherwise perform with command-line commands, HPC Cluster Manager, or HPC Job Manager.

Download this item to have this reference documentation available even when you are not connected to the Internet.

You may have to unblock the file after downloading. To unblock the CHM file, first save the file to your computer, right-click the file, click Properties, and then click Unblock.

Download the reference file here.

Want to become an Evangelist at Microsoft?

Volker Will MSFT — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 16:09:00 GMT

Here’s your opportunity to be technical evangelist at Microsoft. A peer of mine, Drew, has an open position in his team. In his post he outlines the details of the role. Don’t be scared by the first few paragraphs of his post :). It is a cool job. Drew’s team focuses on the core technologies developer care about on the Windows platform: Visual Studio and .Net Framework 4. Well, there’s more they care about but those are the most relevant IMO.

I suggest you go and check out his post to see for yourself. Did I mention, he’s a real nice guy to work with/for and we’re a great team in Platform Evangelism.

TechEd Berlin Coming in November

Volker Will MSFT — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 23:14:39 GMT

Latest info about the upcoming technical event for developers and IT professionals at Berlin Messe in Berlin, Germany.

Brad Anderson to Keynote Tech∙Ed Europe 2010

Microsoft CVP, Brad Anderson, will be a keynoter at this year’s Tech∙Ed Europe event. More announcements on keynoters and sessions to come in September. Join the TechEd Europe email newsletter, or visit the website for the latest news.

Register by 31^st August and Save

Don’t miss this chance to save on Tech∙Ed Europe – register by 31 August and save €200 off the full conference price (a €400 savings over last year’s full price). If you book your hotel through the Tech∙Ed Europe accommodation booking service by 31 August, you’ll also receive a FREE, 6-day public transit (BVG) pass. The BVG pass entitles you to full use of public transportation (metro/city train/tram/bus) in Berlin. Visit the registration page for details on both offers.

Attendees Receive a Free TechNet Subscription

Tech·Ed Europe attendees will receive a free, one-year Microsoft TechNet Subscription, specifically selected for IT Professionals that support enterprise-wide environments. The subscription includes access to the complete stack of full-version Microsoft infrastructure and business solution software for evaluation and testing purposes, as well as access to upcoming beta releases, E-Learning courses and priority support on TechNet Forums. The subscription benefit for attendees excludes the two (2) free support calls included in the Professional subscription level; all other benefits are the same. > View benefits.

Go Behind-the-Scenes of the TechEd Europe event, Win a Free Pass!

Jennifer Ritzinger (event owner) and Mike Swanson (keynote owner) host a weekly video show to share the latest news and ‘behind-the-scenes’ details about the Tech∙Ed Europe event. On the most recent episode, they talk to content owner, Steven Salazar, about the results of the session preference voting and the upcoming release of sessions. Also, they announce how you can win a FREE pass to the event! In case you’ve missed any, you can still view all the episodes.

Future Proof Your IT Skills

Volker Will MSFT — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 20:29:32 GMT

CIO.com lists 5 of what they consider “Indispensable IT Skills of the Future”.

Analyzing Data
Understanding Risk
Mastering Robotics
Securing Information
Running the Network

The article lists those five skills. Looking at it, they look pretty obvious to me (except maybe for the Robotics thing) and not only applicable in the not so far future. Regardless, nice read.

Read at CIO.com

TechNet Edge is moving to a new platform

Volker Will MSFT — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 18:58:20 GMT

There’s always room for improvement. We’ve been very lucky to be part of a web portal platform that hosts so successful websites as Channel9. In our quest to become better and serve our subscribers and visitors better we decided to take the plunge and to move to a new platform. In migrating TechNet Edge onto the proven TechNet platform we will be able to work closer with the overall TechNet teams and provide a more integrated experience for visitors to TechNet and to Edge.

From the Edge homepage:

TechNet Edge is moving to a new website location on September 1st, 2010. We feel this is a great change for everyone and a long-term strategy for the continued growth of Edge. All of the content which exists on Edge will be migrated over to the new site. You can expect the features you enjoy today such as:

Home page river of news with RSS/Zune/IPod feeds

Subscribing to content by tag

Downloading various media types (WMV, Zune, IPod)

Sharing the content via Facebook, Twitter, etc.

Your own user profile page and being able to comment on posts

Language-specific content and River-of-News

Topic Areas

Please note: to ensure a smooth transition from today until September 1st we have to disable the creation of new user accounts and comments on Edge so we can migrate everything over. After we migrate, all of the Edge URLS (including the RSS feeds) will automatically redirect to the new site, so you shouldn’t have to do anything. Enjoy the sample screenshot of what the new site will look like and stay tuned into Edge!

So things might become a bit bumpy over the coming week but we’re convinced it is well worth it. Please be patient with us and continue to support TechNet Edge on the new portal platform. We love to serve you better in the future!

Current 64-bit Insider Newsletter

Volker Will MSFT — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 21:29:40 GMT

Folks have been asking for a location to download the 64-bit Insider Newsletter I once put together.

Well, it had been in several locations over the years. While still considering to review the existing documents, here’s a link to the current documents.

Please be aware that things, especially Visual Studio, have changed since the time of publication. Regardless, the key concepts are still valid.

Leave a comment if you think it is worth updating the documents.

Building Windows Phone Applications with Silverlight

Volker Will MSFT — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 16:21:32 GMT

Watch this 2 part video series from the recent MIX10 event. It provides you with an overview of the unique functionality for Silverlight applications on the Windows Phone application platform. Learn about new input paradigms, APIs for phone applications, new Windows Phone web services and much more! Also, check out the keynotes and other sessions available on the MIX10 website.

Download the Windows Phone and Silverlight Training Kits Channel 9 is offering these training kits include several hands on labs, whitepapers and tools to help you starting building applications.

Gaming and Windows Phone at MIX10

Volker Will MSFT — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:36:18 GMT

Just when you didn’t think it could get any better, we took it to the next level. At MIX10, learn about developing applications and games for the next generation of Windows phone. We were serious when we said you’d be learning the “future” of development—you really don’t want to miss this. MIX10 favorites Scott Guthrie and Bill Buxton have been announced as keynote speakers at this year’s conference—don’t miss the opportunity to hear from these experts and others on UX, design, Windows phone, and much more. Register by February 7^th to take advantage of the $400 discount on your pass. Register now!

Windows HPC Server 2008 R2 Videos

Volker Will MSFT — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:04:59 GMT

If you want to learn about what’s new in HPC Server 2008 R2 or want to see who’s behind the product, go to the HPC Show on Channel9. Wen-ming just posted a larger number of new videos and screencasts. The product is currently in beta and scheduled for RTM sometime in 2010.

New videos:

Other useful resources:

HPC Server 2008 R2 Beta download
HPC TechCenter on TechNet
HPC Forums and Blogs
Developer Resources
Wen-ming’s Blog

MIX10 Registration is Live

Volker Will MSFT — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 19:03:21 GMT

Microsoft just opened the registration for next year’s MIX10 event. Look like a Love Fest to me :). I wish I could go.

Buxton and Guthrie return to keynote at MIX10
Bill Buxton and Scott Guthrie headline MIX10 delivering key messaging on the future of web design, development and user experience.

Open Call for Content thru December 31^st
Designers and developers interested in presenting a session at this year’s MIX are encouraged to submit session proposals this year. The top 10 session proposals that are voted on by the community will be selected to present at this year’s event.

Want insight into this year’s event site?
Thomas Lewis provides insight to how this year’s site came about in his latest blog posting.

Connect with MIX10 the way you want:

MIX10 Site
Twitter
Facebook
RSSFeed
Mailing List
Flickr