peterdehaas.net

New blogging milestone : > 3000 posts

I've reached a new milestone, This week I passed the 3000 blogposts milestone :

I still like blogging very much ... up to the 5000 and 10.000 milestone :-D

Eén miljoen Vista-licenties voor Nederlandse markt

1 miljoen licenties toont aan dat de adoptie aanzienlijk is. Dat plaatst ook eerdere discussies rondom klachten over Vista in een goed perspectief. Natuurlijk kunnen er klachten ontstaan rondom nieuwe produkten en zeker als ze zo'n grote impact hebben op het eco systeem van hard- en softwareleveranciers.

Het is een jaar geleden dat Microsoft de zakelijke versie van Windows Vista introduceerde. Volgens Microsoft is het gebruik van Vista volgens verwachting.

Een jaar na de introductie van de zakelijke versie van Windows Vista zijn er in Nederland ongeveer 1 miljoen licenties van het besturingssysteem verkocht. Volgens Olivier van Noort, product solution manager Business Market bij Microsoft Nederland, is dit aantal conform de verwachtingen.

Theo Rinsema, algemeen directeur Nederland, zei eerder al dat hij verwacht dat aan het einde van dit jaar vijf procent van de zakelijke markt Vista gebruikt.

Van Noort verwacht dat het gebruik van Vista in de zakelijke markt in 2008 zal verlopen volgens de cijfers van Gartner en IDC. Gartner verwacht dat 35 procent van de bedrijven Vista zal gebruiken. Volgens Van Noort worden de tools voor het maken van een inventarisatie voor de implementatie van Vista al veelvuldig gedownload.

Source: Eén miljoen Vista-licenties voor Nederlandse markt
Date Published: Thu, 29 Nov 2007

Trendmatcher: Office Live Workspace Preview

Willem Karssenberg gaf verleden week op zijn blog een korte review van Windows Live Workspace.

... "Je mag zeker over Office Live Workspaces praten :)"
staat in de reacties op mijn bericht van gisteren, waarin ik zei dat ik uitdrukkelijk gewezen was op de disclaimer. Nou, in dat geval plaats ik ook maar een screenshot dacht ik, zodat ook mijn bezoekers een beeld kunnen krijgen van hoe deze omgeving eruit kan gaan zien ...

Het is nog geen volledig publieke beta, dat komt binnenkort. Eerder vandaag heb ik al een blogje gepost met de nieuwe add-in voor Office; dit geeft je dus een naadloze integratie tussen de offline en de online wereld, wat wil je nog meer.

... Overigens lijken de mensen bij Microsoft zich te ontpoppen als echte webloggers! Niet alleen Remco Ploeg heeft een weblog, waar hij gelijk gisterenavond al de presentatie had staan (in 2 varianten). Ook Peter de Haas die gisteren een onderdeel verzorgde houdt meerdere weblogs bij waarin hij over z'n werk en interesses blogt, en met een keurige disclaimer (moet ik ook nog eens doen)!
Ik weet niet of Microsoft dit actief promoot, maar het geeft zo'n bedrijf wel een gezicht. Van de mensen van Google die er gisteren waren is veel moeilijker wat te vinden...
 

Leuk trouwens dat Willem onze blogging effort erkend :-). Ja Willem Microsoft promoot dit actief. Wat op zich een goede resource is als je op de hoogte wilt blijven van Microsoft gerelateerde ontwikkelingen (naast het blog van Remco en mijn blog ;-) zijn :

1. Blogs van de Microsoft Product teams

2. Blog van Bart Wessels (Alles mbt Microsoft algemeen en Microsoft Office in het bijzonder

3. Andere collega's die op blogs.microsoft.nl bloggen

Source: Office Live Workspace Preview
Author: Willem Karssenberg
Date Published: Wed, 21 Nov 2007

Office Live Add-in for Microsoft Office: Open and save documents directly from Microsoft Office Word, Office Excel, and Office PowerPoint to Microsoft Office Live Workspace

Linking the offline to the online world. Microsoft Office Live Workspace is not an open beta yet. I will try and find out if there's dates available for this because this is worthwhile evaluating ...

The Office Live Add-in will install new menu options allowing you to open and save documents directly from Microsoft Office Word, Office Excel, and Office PowerPoint to Microsoft Office Live Workspace beta.

Source: Office Live Add-in for Microsoft Office: Open and save documents directly from Microsoft Office Word, Office Excel, and Office PowerPoint to Microsoft Office Live Workspace
Date Published: Thu, 29 Nov 2007

Microsoft wil Siberisch datacenter

Minder probleem met de koeling denk ik :-)

Softwaregigant Microsoft overweegt een groot datacenter te bouwen in het Siberische Irkoetsk. Met de geplande tienduizend servers zou het wel een kleiner complex zijn dan die het bedrijf kortgeleden aankondigde in Dublin en Chicago.

Microsoft wil Siberisch datacenter
Tue, 27 Nov 2007

ConsortiumInfo.org - ODF vs. OOXML: War of the Words (an eBook in Process)

Peter O'Kelly of Burton Group indicates that he is creating a document on document standards :

... I'm wrapping up a Burton Group document on ODF, Open XML, and related topics this week.  A preview of one of my conclusions: at current course and speed, ODF is probably going to turn out to be more like VIM, IDAPI, and OpenDoc (earlier everybody-but-Microsoft standards endeavors) than a strategic threat to Microsoft's Office franchise. ...

Source: ConsortiumInfo.org - ODF vs. OOXML: War of the Words (an eBook in Process)
Date Published: Mon, 26 Nov 2007

Windows Live Translator

As I regularly post Dutch blogposts as well I thought I'd implement the new Windows Live Translator on my blog. You can find it at the bottom of the Information Links section.

The translation is not perfect, but it enable you to understand the post  ...

Winnaars aan het woord: Microsoft

Onlangs won Microsoft 3 Computable awards, nog een kleine reactie vanuit Microsoft :

Microsoft won drie Computable-100 Awards voor: 'Imago beste werkgever', 'Imago beste zakenpartner' en 'Krachtigste ict-bedrijf van het jaar'. Eric Thijssen, director Small & Midmarket Solutions & Partners nam de Awards in ontvangst ...

Source: Winnaars aan het woord: Microsoft
Date Published: Fri, 23 Nov 2007

HomeServer - Backups in progress

"Filling" the HomeServer this weekend. I've backed up all the home PC's and the MediaCenter already.

I also offloaded some of the content on my Tablet PC such as PPT's and Videos.

I've still got "some" storage left :-)

HomeServer installation

Yesterday my HomeServer kit finally arrived (order was waiting for the systemboard). The housing is somewhat bigger than I anticipated, but on the other hand it can store up to 11 disks ...

Installation of the software is just a breeze ...

Today I will 'centralise' the media content and move the majority of files off of our MediaCenter.

Also I will set up 'all' of the Home PC's up so that automatic backups will be made.

During the weekend I will dive into the remote access scenario's.

So ... enough to play with :-)

Nice video on the Media Revolution

I'm sure you've seen the EPIC 2015 video (there are 2 versions). This video has a similar message (it actually looks very like the EPC video's in many ways. Nevertheless fun to watch :

 

Microsoft Live @ EDU presentatie

Vandaag een presentatie verzorgt op ROC Aventus voor een grote groep vertegenwoordigers van ROC's. Deze dag is georganiseerd door SLB diensten en ROC-i-partners. Willem Karssenberg, TrendMatcher en actief blogger heeft een leuk verslag gemaakt van wat hij 'de strijd der titanen' noemt. Bedankt voor de leuke recentie Willem ...

... De middag was voor Microsoft. Na een korte inleiding van Michael Kleine gaf hij het woord aan Peter de Haas, Online Strategy Manager, die de grote lijnen schetste van waar Microsoft mee bezig is en hoe Microsoft de toekomst ziet. Ook hier een duidelijk verhaal.

Op de vraag aan de zaal wie nu al web2.0 toepassingen inzet in het onderwijs bleef het angstvallig stil. Daarna was het de beurt aan Remco Ploeg die dieper inging op de mogelijkheden van Live @ EDU.

Heel sterk aan deze presentatie vond ik zelf dat Remco het niet schuwde om echt live te gaan en dingen uit de praktijk te laten zien via een testaccount bij het Graafschap College, die deze omgeving al geïmplementeerd heeft. Zittend op de voorste rij zag ik het e-mail adres dat hij gebruikte dus kon ik het niet laten daar direct een mailtje naartoe te sturen en seconden later stond mijn bericht dus levensgroot op het scherm. Vervolgens nodigde hij me uit om documenten te bekijken in de volledig nieuwe Office Live Workspace (beta) onder uitdrukkelijke verwijzing naar het grote kader in de zijlijn: Please do not share information about Microsoft Office Live Workspace outside Microsoft. Ik mag hier dus niets over zeggen, maar misschien vind Remco het niet erg als ik zeg dat ik behoorlijk onder de indruk ben van wat ik vanavond allemaal heb zitten te doen in die omgeving! ...

Bron : TrendMatcher tussen ICT en Onderwijs

Forrester-analist: bedrijven omarmen VoIP massaal

Zoveelste bevestiging dat VOIP "hot" is. GOed dat de discussie inmiddels om productiviteitsverbetering draait en niet om simpelweg 'goedkkoper bellen'...

VoIP is definitief doorgebroken in Europa en het gebruik ervan doet inmiddels niet meer onder voor dat in Amerika. De overtuiging dat VoIP werkprocessen kan verbeteren is belangrijker geworden dan het idee dat je met VoIP kosten kunt besparen. Dat zegt Forrester-analist Phil Sayer. Sayer: "VoIP is een rijdende trein geworden waar iedereen op wil springen, uit angst om achter te blijven en niet te profiteren van de productiviteitsvoordelen die het oplevert."

Forrester-analist: bedrijven omarmen VoIP massaal
Tue, 20 Nov 2007 13:05:23 GMT

Consumers to drive enterprise mobility

Interesting, a consumerisation push ahead ? I can relate to the article that the gap between (old) technology used in companies today vs what is really the latest and greatest is becoming bigger and bigger ...

... Enterprises hoping to maintain tight control over future adoption of mobile technologies should open their minds and embrace the notion that consumer devices will continue to filter their way into the workplace, whether they like it or not, according to some wireless market experts.

Presenters at the Mobile Internet World conference in Boston said Thursday said that the "ship has sailed" when it comes to the continued encroachment of mobile systems designed for consumers in the workplace.

As workers get their hands on new mobile tools that offer them greater ability to integrate their jobs and personal lives, said the industry watchers, they will inevitably employ the systems they find most useful in both settings -- regardless of any corporate efforts to slow or block adoption -- said Zeus Kerravala, a Yankee Group analyst who oversees the firm's infrastructure research and consulting business.

Just as enterprise efforts to stop users from bringing consumer messaging and voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) applications into the office have failed, and many firms have capitulated and allowed people to utilize the tools under certain guidelines, companies will have to allow mass-market mobile technologies to come in the door and try to dictate their use with strong policies, Kerravala said. ...

Consumers to drive enterprise mobility
Fri, 16 Nov 2007

Windows Home Server Technical Brief for Home Networking

I will be building mine in the coming week or so, just waiting for the parts to arrive. More on that later :-) . Meanwhile this is good background information :

This technical brief provides an in-depth look at home networking and how it applies to Windows® Home Server.

Source: Windows Home Server Technical Brief for Home Networking
Date Published: Sat, 17 Nov 2007

Featured on Slideshare.net

Cool, one of my presentations got featured on Slideshare.net today. Okay, I know this is not a jury selection or anything of that kind, but nevertheless nice that they picked my presentation :-). Thanks Slideshare ...

Forrester: OSI License Approval Gives Microsoft More Open Source Credibility

Anothor step in Microsoft's Open Source activities :

The Open Source Initiative (OSI), the recognized guardian of open source license fidelity, accepted two of Microsoft's Shared Source licenses, the Microsoft Public License and the Microsoft Reciprocal License, thereby signaling that the licenses complied with the organization's criteria for meeting open source principles. While Microsoft is not about to release any significant revenue-generating technologies under either of these licenses, having OSI's blessing will break down some barriers that exist between the company and the open source community.

Source: OSI License Approval Gives Microsoft More Open Source Credibility
Author: "Michael Goulde"
Date Published: Tue, 13 Nov 2007

Gouden Gids duikt op in Live Messenger

Leuk, weer een nieuwe bot ... Goudengids in Windows Live Messenger

En mooie plattegronden van Microsoft Virtual Earth :

Truvo, het bedrijf achter de Gouden Gids en de Nationale Telefoongids, lanceert een chatbot in Live Messenger. Hiermee kunt u in het populaire programma meteen zoeken naar bedrijven en personen.

De chatbot is te installeren via : http://www.mier3000.nl/

Source: Gouden Gids duikt op in Live Messenger
Author: redactie@zdnet.be
Date Published: Wed, 14 Nov 2007

Irwin Lazar: Building the SharePoint Ecosystem

Irwin Lazar posted a very positive view on MOSS 2007 on Collaboration Loop. The core attributes Microsoft addresses : platform and ecosystem ... I couldn't agree more:

... Over the past few months I’ve struggled to get my arms around Microsoft Office SharePoint, Microsoft’s “über” platform for asynchronous collaboration.

Is SharePoint a Web 2.0 platform? Is SharePoint a content management system? Is SharePoint a workflow manager? Is SharePoint a social computing platform? Or is SharePoint a portal to other applications?

Well…the answer to all of these questions is a conditional “yes.” SharePoint does have the capabilities to function in all these roles. SharePoint supports Web 2.0 capabilities such as blogs and wikis, as well as user customizable data to enable searches based on meta tags. ...

... As enterprises create their SharePoint strategy it makes sense to look beyond the core capabilities of SharePoint when those capabilities don’t meet your needs. Microsoft’s ecosystem for bringing best-of-breed services into the SharePoint ecosystem continues to grow, meaning that rather than viewing SharePoint as the be-all-end-all of enterprise collaboration, it is instead wiser to view SharePoint as the platform that can support both internal capabilities as well as leverage external best-of-breed products to fully meet enterprise requirements. ...

Source: Building the SharePoint Ecosystem
Date Published: Thu, 15 Nov 2007

Bedankt Groningen !

Wow wat een superleuke dag gisteren.

Gisteren was ik aanwezig op het Media Innovations event in Groningen, waar ik ook een presentatie mocht geven over Microsoft's visie op Media en Innovatie. De tijd was beperkt, maar ik heb het publiek in elk geval wat leuke nieuwe ontwikkelingen van Microsoft laten zien.

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Remco Kouwenhoven heeft hier als een van de bezoekers nog een blogpost aan gewijd:

Het Business Acceleration Seminar was cool. Een aantal interessante presentaties en twee presentaties die er echt uitsprongen. Peter de Haas van Microsoft NL liet een aantal interessante nieuwe projecten van Microsoft zien: Photosynth en Seadragon.

De lokatie was trouwens ook vrij uniek, de MustSee bisoscoop in Groningen, onder het FC Groningen stadion. Eldert van Wijngaarden van Kalooga, de organisator van het event stuurt me nog foto's, ik zal er zeker een op mijn blog zetten.

Het middagprogramma verschoof naar de Media Centrale naast het stadion waar een aantal van de deelenemende bedrijven aan het ochtendprogramma gevestigd zijn, waaronder Kalooga, Knowlogy en Lancodix. Zij gaven korte demonstraties van hun innovatieve produkten. Heel gaaf om te zien dat op gebieden waarvan je op het eerste gezicht zou aannemen dat dit toch allemaal allang bedacht was er nieuwe deuren worden geopend en goede nieuwe inititatieven en oplossingen zijn.

Aan het einde van de middag organiseerde het ICT Platform Noord Nederland nog een afterparty met bedrijvenpresentatie en een discussie rondom Closed/Open Source en de relatie naar Innovatie

Vanaf 16.00 uur organiseert Knowlogy samen met het ICT Platform in de Mediacentrale de Afterparty. Hier ben je ook van harte bij uitgenodigd. Daar worden de net gelanceerde initiatieven nogmaals kort gepresenteerd en er is uitgebreid de gelegenheid in debat te gaan met onder andere Microsoft rond het thema "is Closed Source goed voor innovatie?" Daarnaast zijn er ook andere vernieuwende concepten te zien via tafelpresentaties.

Remco Kouwenhoven was door het ICT platform gevraagd als facilitator op te treden en ik heb Microsoft vertegenwoordt in de discussie. Ik heb een korte toelichting gegeven op Microsoft's visie op Open Source en duidelijk proberen te maken dat het geen zwart/wit discussie is en Microsoft zelf s op diverse fronten verschillende licentiestructuren en businessmodellen toepast. Het was een leuke constructieve discussie en hij smaakte naar meer: namens de recent opgerichte verening Noord Nederland Open heeft Remco Microsoft uitgenodigd om de discussie nog een keer over te doen / voort te zetten op een van hun bijeenkomsten. Ik neem dan versterking mee :-).

Na afloop nog een gezellige borrel met de deelnemers. Dit gaf nog even gelegenheid om even bij te praten en kennis te maken met o.a. Duco Dokter, de voorzitten van NNOpen.

Speciale dank gaat uit naar Eldert van Wijngaarden van Kalooga voor de organisatie en Koen Delveaux van City Life voor het delen van het presentatieslot.

I love Groningen :-)

Linked-In, Facebook, Plaxo Pulse, .. What to do ?

Yes, what to do ? I'm linked to Linked-In, my face is on Facebook, I've Plaxo-ed in the past and I keep getting invites from all three networks. I have come to a point that I questing the relevance for myself to maintain my network in 3 different area's. For now I've decided no to "opt-in" for Plaxo Pulse, so apologies for people who have invited me in there. You're welcome to add me via Linked-In or Facebook.

Zune software update

Yesterday the update for the Zune was released. This means my "old" Zune and the newly lauched ones run one and the same software version.

UI has improved and a number of new features have been added under which wireless sync, evry cool.

What I like especialy is the new Zune desktop software :

(Yes I have a very "broad" taste in music :-) )

Exchange Server 2007 Design and Architecture at Microsoft

Microsoft's IT Showcase  is Microsoft's way to inform you about the often large scale implementations of our own technology. Check out the latest update on Exchange 2007 :

Ever wondered how a large enterprise plans and implements design and architecture of its next generation of messaging system? View this content to find out how the Microsoft IT messaging team will uncover these details.

Source: Exchange Server 2007 Design and Architecture at Microsoft
Date Published: Tue, 13 Nov 2007

Microsoft Unified Communications stunt

Jeroen van DutchCowboys blogt over een van de aandachttrekkers rondom de Microsoft Unified Communications Launch in Nederland van afgelopen vrijdag :

Afgelopen vrijdagochtend stond er een glazen kantoor in de file. De vrouw in het kantoor kon door middel van de nieuwste technologie van Microsoft ook op een hele andere plaats dan op haar echte kantoor gewoon doorwerken.

Met deze stunt wil Microsoft ook op haar eigen manier de strijd aan gaan met de fileproblematiek. Met de slogan 'U kunt toch ook thuis werken?' worden werknemers, werkgevers en Minister van VWS Camiel Eurlings uitgedaagd om na te denken over een technologisch alternatief van de fileproblematiek...

Source: Microsoft Unified Communications stunt
Author: Jeroen
Date Published: Tue, 13 Nov 2007

Forrester: 'Overname Cognos is defensieve zet'

Computable haalt een interessante analyse van Forrester Reseach aan. Zowel IBM als SAP zijn reactief ten opzichte van de beweging die ondermeer Oracle en MIcrosoft hebben ingezet. Microsoft´s visie om BI een integraal onderdeel van haar platform te maken ("BI for the masses") slaat enorm aan ...

... De overnames van SAP en IBM, die respectievelijk de bi-leveranciers Business Objects en Cognos kochten, zijn defensieve zetten. Beide bedrijven roepen al jaren dat ze hun bi-portfolios organisch willen laten groeien. Dat zegt Forrester-analist Boris Evelson.

Aangezien SAP en IBM hun business intelligence portfolio's niet snel genoeg organisch kunnen laten groeien, moesten ze toegeven aan de druk van Oracle (met twee top bi-producten van Siebel en Hyperion op zak) en Microsoft (dat na de overname van Proclarity aardig aan kracht heeft gewonnen). De overnames van respectievelijk Business Objects en Cognos zijn hiervan het resultaat. ...

Source: Forrester: 'Overname Cognos is defensieve zet'
Date Published: Tue, 13 Nov 2007

Microsoft Shakes Up The Enterprise Search Market – With FREE Search Server Express 2008

Ken Poore of Forrester highlighted the Microsoft Search Server Express 2008 introduction (yes I am behind on blogging for a week or so :-) ). I especially highlight his conclusion at the end of the post :

... Microsoft today put itself squarely into the enterprise search market by introducing Microsoft Search Server Express 2008. You can download the release candidate from its website and give it a try if you have a Windows 2003 Server with some free space on it. It's free today, and it will be free when it goes to general release in the first quarter of 2008. Don't be fooled by its cost; this is a capable product that will get the attention of anyone considering or in the midst of a search deployment. Search Server will disrupt the strategies of clients and vendors within the already confusing search landscape. It is better than 'good enough' on many fronts, including its connectivity into Documentum and FileNet content repositories — also free — and its unified administration interface. For more insights, take a look at Forrester’s view on the release. ...

... Microsoft is flooding the market with a tool that will fit well within many businesses, and it will cast a threatening shadow over vendors that make specialized SharePoint search solutions. Google should take note, too; the market that they claimed with their search appliances just got very crowded.  ...

Source: Microsoft Shakes Up The Enterprise Search Market – With FREE Search Server Express 2008
Author: Ken Poore
Date Published: Tue, 06 Nov 2007

Forrester: Microsoft Ranks Among The Strong Performers In ECM Suites

Forrester has ranked the ECM vendors. Research is very favorable for Microsoft:

Microsoft dove into the enterprise content management (ECM) pool headfirst with Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007. And the product shows promise, thanks to strong Microsoft Office integration, proven Web content management (WCM), and market leading collaboration support. However, SharePoint Server 2007 lacks ECM breadth and depth outside of its good — but not great — document management, records management, and WCM technology. And Microsoft's begun to address its shortcomings by partnering with other ECM vendors such as Hyland for document imaging support and Open Text for content archival help. Focusing its resources on making ECM — such as document management — available to all Office users, and making sure application developers using Visual Studio .NET have easy access to SharePoint help make Microsoft a Strong Performer and a strong choice for Microsoft-centric IT organizations.

Source: Microsoft Ranks Among The Strong Performers In ECM Suites
Author: "Kyle McNabb"
Date Published: Fri, 09 Nov 2007

Forrester: Microsoft: The Latest Disruptor In Enterprise Search

MOre recognition for Microsoft's effort and persistance in Enterprise Search ...

Microsoft makes a very aggressive move into the enterprise search market by introducing the free download of Microsoft Search Server Express 2008 (MSSE), which is sure to disrupt the already confusing search space. Though free, MSSE has a substantial set of capabilities, most notably its connectivity to many intranet- and Internet-based resources, including Microsoft Exchange, IBM's Lotus Notes, Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007, and even EMC's Documentum and IBM's FileNet enterprise content management systems. MSSE trumps Google's search appliances by offering a stronger set of administration, reporting, and connectivity features, and it can be upgraded to the Microsoft Search Server 2008 (MSS) licensed version that enables multiserver scalability and high availability. Businesses looking at any enterprise or workgroup search deployment should take note: Microsoft has dealt itself in to the search game and with MSSE is placing good-sized bets that it will build even more momentum in its SharePoint workplace strategy.

Source: Microsoft: The Latest Disruptor In Enterprise Search
Author: "Ken Poore"
Date Published: Tue, 06 Nov 2007

Search Server 2008 Express (x86) - RC

This is the release candidate version available for download now ....

Microsoft Search Server 2008 Express helps you bring search to your organization quickly, easily, and for free.

Source: Search Server 2008 Express (x86) - RC
Date Published: Tue, 06 Nov 2007

Planning, Deploying, and Managing Unified Messaging

 

The purpose of this document is to help you plan, deploy, and manage Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Unified Messaging servers.

Source: Planning, Deploying, and Managing Unified Messaging
Date Published: Wed, 07 Nov 2007

Microsoft’s Windows Live Free Online Services Available Now

Updates, new releases, etc. CHeck out the new Windows Live website :

... Today Microsoft Corp. launched the next generation of Windows Live, providing consumers worldwide with a compelling new set of tools and services that help make it easier than ever to communicate and share with the important people in their lives, from anywhere they have Web access across multiple devices. And, with built- in security features, consumers can use Windows Live services with confidence.

A free and fun upgrade for the online and Windows experiences, the new Windows Live was launched today at http://www.windowslive.com and at events in New York and Los Angeles. To celebrate the launch, Microsoft is partnering with the children’s nonprofit Operation Smile (http://www.operationsmile.org) to encourage people to share smiles through Windows Live to help Operation Smile make a difference in the lives of children around the world.

Today’s Internet-savvy consumers are relying more and more on the Web to communicate and share with their friends and family, but they are also becoming increasingly frustrated with how difficult it is to keep track of all their e-mail accounts, photos, address books and other online information. In fact, visiting multiple Web sites to access the online information they need frustrates 61 percent of online consumers, according to a Harris Interactive Inc. study commissioned by Microsoft.^* And more than two out of three online consumers (67 percent) agree that they would use an all-in-one service with a single username and password for organizing and managing everything they do online. ...

... Windows Live is designed to enhance the online and Windows experiences with a set of online tools that bring the power of the Web right to the PC or mobile device, letting consumers communicate and share with the people they care about. The Windows Live set of services is composed of several free PC applications connected to services delivered over the Internet. Windows Live is available in one simple download experience that enables consumers to choose any or all of the Windows Live applications they want, and keep their software and services up to date as Microsoft and the rest of the industry continue to deliver new innovations over time.

Communicate. Stay close and connected how you want, wherever you are.

• Windows Live Mail. This desktop mail application provides users with easy access to their Hotmail account, the ability to aggregate multiple inboxes from other accounts such as AOL and Gmail and combine multiple contact lists into one, and simple access using a mobile phone. With the new @live.com e-mail address space, consumers have an opportunity for a new, cool e-mail address.

• Windows Live Messenger. Next-generation instant messaging with sharing, video calling and voice over Internet protocol capabilities makes communication easier, more personal and more fun.**

• Windows Live Spaces. Users can make memories with family and friends by creating photo albums, blogs, lists of favorites and links to personal videos.

Share. A simpler way to share your photos and express yourself online.

• Windows Live Photo Gallery. This is a complete solution for finding, fixing, organizing and sharing your photos and videos, as well as uploading them to Windows Live Spaces, Flickr or Soapbox on MSN Video with just a few clicks.

• Windows Live Events. This free event-planning, invitation and community-building application enables Windows Live customers to conveniently plan all the events in their lives, and to share photos and stories before, during and after those events.

• Windows Live Writer. This powerful software plus services application allows users to create and publish rich content to Windows Live Spaces and other blogging services, with a “what-you-see-is-what-you-get” (WYSIWYG) editor that makes it simple to add photos, maps, tags and more.

Access Anywhere. Connect easily and share information you want.

• Windows Live for Windows Mobile. This provides rich client-based or browser-based access to Windows Live from a Windows Mobile-based device, including Windows Live Hotmail, Windows Live Messenger, Windows Live Spaces and more.

Safety. Enjoy a worry-free computing experience with built-in safety features.

• Windows Live OneCare Family Safety. This provides tools to help parents protect children from inappropriate online content and contacts.

Source: Microsoft’s Windows Live Free Online Services Available Now
Author: Date Published: Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:00:00 GMT

Microsoft Expands Enterprise Search Offering, Introduces Search Server 2008 Express

Microsoft Search Server 2008 Express is another milstone in Microsoft's Enterprise search portfolio. The release candidate is available now for download

... Today at Enterprise Search Summit West in San Jose, Calif., Microsoft Corp. unveiled Microsoft Search Server 2008 Express, a new addition to its enterprise search lineup. Search Server 2008 Express, which will be available as a free download, combines simplicity of installation and ease of use with a powerful set of search features, including new security-enhanced capabilities that help businesses connect to a wide range of information. A release candidate of Search Server 2008 Express is available today at http://www.microsoft.com/enterprisesearch for download and evaluation.

“Information workers waste as much as 9.5 hours each week on searches that don’t turn up the right information, which can add up to millions of dollars in lost productivity every year*,” said Kirk Koenigsbauer, general manager of the SharePoint Business Group at Microsoft. “We believe there is a core set of enterprise search features that every business should have, and we’re delivering them for free in Search Server 2008 Express.”

In delivering Search Server Express, Microsoft has taken the enterprise class search capabilities of Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 and made them available as a stand-alone server for free. Search Server Express is designed to be easy to configure and administer, allowing IT professionals to go from download to search in as little as 30 minutes. In addition, Search Server Express has no preset document limits, so it will scale to meet a company’s evolving needs. For users, Search Server Express provides advanced security and easy access to relevant, action-oriented results using a familiar Web search experience.

“Our research shows that time wasted searching equals money lost for businesses that haven’t provided effective search,” said Sue Feldman, vice president for Search and Digital Marketplace Technologies, IDC. “This year, with products like Search Server Express, cost is no longer an issue for companies that may have thought such a solution was either too complex, or too expensive.” ...

... Microsoft’s Enterprise Search Portfolio

Search Server 2008 Express is the newest addition to Microsoft’s enterprise search lineup, which includes the new Microsoft Search Server 2008, and Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007.

The addition of Search Server 2008 Express allows IT departments to scale their search investment as organizational needs grow. Because products are based on the same core search technology, customers can have enterprise-class capabilities no matter which solution they choose. For example, the new connectors and federation model will work across Search Server 2008 Express and the broader Office SharePoint Server offerings. By using a common platform, Microsoft can offer a range of products that meet the needs of small, medium-sized and large businesses.

More information about Microsoft enterprise search is available at http://www.microsoft.com/enterprisesearch. ...

Source: Microsoft Expands Enterprise Search Offering, Introduces Search Server 2008 Express
Date Published: Tue, 06 Nov 2007

The end of Snapshots on my blogs

I have decided to remove Snapshots from my blogs because they are turning from a free, very cool feature to a very cool feature with an advertising model. I completely understand Snapshots motivations and drive to earn some cash, but I don't want to be a part of this money making game ..

 

... Today at ad:tech and Thursday at BlogWorld, Snap Shots is making two big announcements:

1. We're adding advertising to Snap Shots.
2. We're sharing with the sites that make Snap Shots possible.

For the last year, we've been giving it away.
Starting today, it's time to share.

We launched Snap Shots a year ago on November 14, 2006, and have been giving your website users better web experiences by the billion. And millions of sites around the world agree--a better user experience made them better websites.

As it turns out, a better user experience also makes for a better advertising experience. Which makes sites like yours, with Snap Shots on them, very attractive to advertisers, particularly when you're part of the new Snap Shots Advertising Network. ...

... With Snap Shares, we share a portion of the advertising inventory within the Snap Shots with you so that you can:

• Have Google serve ads via your Adsense account
• Display your own ads
• Give to a non-profit

We've decided to partner with Google (and soon others) to handle your share for a very simple reason: we don't have the resources to properly administer this type of program and they do. It also means that you won't have to deal with a new team and a new set of rules and regulations regarding your advertising payments. ...

Forrester: The Content Management Market Goes Mini-Vertical

One one hand the ECM market is rapidly commitising. In the recent years  affordable ECM platforms which can (and will) be deployed organsiation-wide have changed the landscape. Many acquisitions followed. Some of the 'ECM incumbants' (and maybe some new entrants) (re) focus on niches ...

... Fragmentation and blurry boundaries among offerings create big challenges for enterprise content management (ECM) tech marketers to distinguish their products. How are enterprising ECM vendors standing out?

Forrester did some digging and learned that a number of ECM tech marketers are focusing on much smaller pieces of big industries like financial services, big segments like retail banking, and niche industries like real estate and construction that are ignored by the rest of the market. By making ECM easy for small businesses to buy, vendors can capture market share in these overlooked industries. ...

Source: The Content Management Market Goes Mini-Vertical
Author: "Ellen Carney, Barry Murphy"
Date Published: Mon, 05 Nov 2007 05:00:00 GMT

AG: Yahoo! Messenger, Quicktime en Firefox zijn het meest lek

Automatiseringgids publiceerde een overzicht van Bit9 vwb de applicaties met de meeste lekken. Opvallend toch wel Firefox op 3. Wat men hiermee ook duidelijk wil maken zijn de potentiële beveiligingslekken met ongecontroleerde Web 2.0 toepassingen in het bedrijf.

 

Beveiliger Bit9 heeft na onderzoek een top 10 samengesteld van de meest lekke applicaties. De software wordt vaak door gebruikers zelf geïnstalleerd op bedrijfscomputers. 

Om de systeembeheerders tegemoet te komen heeft Bit9 een top 10 van software gepubliceerd van de meest lekke, door werknemers zelf geïnstalleerde programma’s die het afgelopen jaar problemen bleken te hebben. De meeste producten van Microsoft werden niet meegenomen omdat de veiligheid hiervan meestal wel centraal wordt geregeld:

1 Yahoo! Messenger
2 Apple Quicktime
3 Mozilla Firefox
4 Microsoft Windows Live Messenger (Voorheen MSN)
5 EMC VMware Player (en andere producten)
6 Apple iTunes
7 Intuit QuickBooks Patch
8 Sun Java Runtime Evironment (JRE)
9 Yahoo! Widgets
10 Ask.com Toolbar 

Source: Yahoo! Messenger, Quicktime en Firefox zijn het meest lek
Author: Automatisering Gids
Date Published: Mon, 05 Nov 2007

Forrester: Microsoft Is A Leader In Enterprise Instant Messaging

Next to Gartner Group (focussing on Unified Communications rather than 'just" Enterprise IM), Forrester Research recognises Microsoft as a leader in the field of Enterprise IM :

In the fall of 2007, Microsoft released Office Communication Server (OCS) as a major upgrade to its existing Live Communication Server offering. New to OCS are on-premise Web conferencing, videoconferencing, improved presence capabilities, and a host of partnerships to extend the value of the underlying platform. With excellent integration into Office 2007 and SharePoint and a strong unified communications strategy, the value of OCS extends well beyond basic chat.

Source: Microsoft Is A Leader In Enterprise Instant Messaging
Author: "Rob Koplowitz"
Date Published: Tue, 30 Oct 2007

Comparing Office Groove Enterprise Services with Office Groove Server 2007

Two approaches for managing Office Groove 2007 in an enterprise are available: subscribing to Microsoft-hosted Groove Enterprise Services and installing onsite Groove Servers. This paper compares these options.

This white paper describes and compares two options for managing Office Groove 2007 in an enterprise: Microsoft-hosted Groove Enterprise Services and onsite Groove Servers.

Source: Comparing Office Groove Enterprise Services with Office Groove Server 2007
Date Published: Fri, 02 Nov 2007 01:38:03 GMT

InfoWorld: IBM taps Alcatel for unified communications strategy

... Deal brings together Alcatel-Lucent's OmniTouch Unified Communication software and IBM's Lotus Sametime to take on Microsoft's Office Communications Server package

IBM and networking provider Alcatel-Lucent are teaming up to take Microsoft head-on in the unified communications market. ...

IBM and Alcatel against Microsoft ... but doesn't that also mean against Cisco and Avaya and other IP PBX vendors ? 

Microsoft by the way announced partnerships and support for Office Communications Server 2007 by a list of IP PBX vensdors back in May of this year.

Yes its a difficult and very fast converging market and also IBM can not be friends with everybody can they ?

... IBM is positioning itself as an open-standards alternative to unified communications offerings from Microsoft, which made a big splash earlier this month in San Francisco when it launched Office Communications Server, the linchpin of its unified communications strategy. Microsoft also has cozied up to telecommunications companies, as well as networking and wireless handset providers to push its products in this market. ....

... Other companies that have built unified communications plug-ins for Sametime include Cisco and Avaya, which have both built click-to-call features for Sametime, and Polycom and Radvision, which also offer audio- and videoconferencing add-ons to Sametime.

Microsoft also has tapped some of these same companies to support its Office Communications Server. However, Saeedi said that Microsoft also has built audio and video features into its platform that compete with offerings from its partners. Taking a different tack, IBM wants partners to add value to Sametime and does not plan to build features that compete with plug-ins they provide, she said. ...

More open ?, not competing only complementing ? I doubt it. Look at what IP PBX vendors such as Cisco are doing. They buy software / services companies. Where is the fruit of the IBM SameTime / Cisco partnership ?

Thinking of IBM's strategy / approach with regards to SameTime and the UC market this picture popped in my mind (I couldn't find a picuture of a blue labrador):