Kurt Shintaku's Blog

The latest release from the Microsoft Assessment and Planning (MAP) team provides organizations with tools to accelerate their migration to the cloud.

Download the beta materials on Connect:
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=219165

Thanks for your ongoing interest and participation in the MAP beta review program. We hope you’ll take the time to preview and provide feedback on MAP 8.0 Beta.

Accelerate your Windows Server 2012 migration with Microsoft Assessment and Planning (MAP) Toolkit 8.0 Beta. This latest version of MAP adds new scenarios to help plan your environment with agility and focus while lowering the cost of delivering IT. Included in MAP 8.0 Beta are hardware and infrastructure readiness assessments to assist you in planning the deployment of Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012, preparing your migration to Windows Azure Virtual Machines, readying your environment for Office 2013 and Office 365, and tracking your usage of Lync.

Determine your Windows Server 2012 readiness
MAP 8.0 Beta assesses the readiness of your IT infrastructure for a Windows Server 2012 deployment. This feature includes detailed and actionable recommendations indicating which machines meet Windows Server 2012 system requirements and which may need hardware updates. A comprehensive inventory of servers, operating systems, workloads, devices, and server roles is included to help in your planning efforts.

Determine your Windows 8 readiness
MAP 8.0 Beta assesses the readiness of your IT environment for a Windows 8 deployment. This feature evaluates your existing hardware against the recommended system requirements for Windows 8. It provides recommendations detailing which machines meet the requirements and which may need hardware upgrades. 

Key benefits include:

• Assessment report and summary proposal to help you understand the scope and benefits of a Windows 8 deployment
• Inventory of desktop computers, deployed operating systems, and
  applications

Assess your environment for Office 2013 and Office365
MAP 8.0 Beta assesses readiness for Office 2013 and Office 365 and provides an in-depth assessment of client desktops for upgrading or migration. This feature also offers support for Office 365 features such as web apps, Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, or full Office 365 client support.

Migrate to Windows Azure Virtual Machines
MAP 8.0 Beta performs a comprehensive assessment of Windows Server and Linux machines to determine feasibility of a migration to Windows Azure Virtual Machines. MAP then provides suggested changes to prepare targeted machines for migration. This feature helps you reduce the operating costs of hosting on-premise servers, as well as estimating the required size and monthly network and storage usage required to migrate on-premise Windows and Linux servers to Windows Azure Virtual Machines using actual data from the targeted environment.

For a comprehensive list of features and benefits, visit the Connect site: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=219168

Tell us what you think!
We value your input. Download the beta on Connect and tell us what you think! Send your comments to the MAP team: MAPfdbk at microsoft dot com

Availability
This program is now open. The beta review period will run through December 14, 2012.

Tell your friends
To join the beta review program for Microsoft Assessment and Planning (MAP) Toolkit 8.0 Beta, visit Microsoft Connect at: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=217916.

Learn more
Visit the MAP home page: www.microsoft.com/map

Get the latest news straight from the MAP team: http://blogs.technet.com/mapblog

MAP works with the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit and Security Compliance Manager to help you plan, securely deploy, and manage new Microsoft technologies—easier, faster, and at less cost. Learn more at www.microsoft.com/solutionaccelerators.

Follow Solution Accelerators on Twitter to get the latest tips and updates: @MSSolutionAccel

One of the neat features of Windows Phone 8 is “Kid’s Corner” which essentially switches your phone into a children’s playground, presenting a custom START page of apps for your kid that you control.  I for example, only have Sesame Street, First Start, and Angry Birds apps on mine.  To switch out of this, you unlock the phone with your unlock PIN.

But how do you do that on Surface or Windows 8/RT device?

CREATING A ‘KID’S DESKTOP’
It’s quite simple really.  You create a new Microsoft Account for your kid, a new profile for your kid on your tablet using that new account, and switch to it when he/she wants to play.  This will allow you to:

• Customize his/her START screen with it’s own background/colors
• Present ONLY the apps you want him/her to use
• Arrange the apps in an order that is easy for them use
• Monitor their use using Windows 8/RT Family Safety

This is what my kid’s profile looks like on my Surface.

The way you do this is:

1. Create a Microsoft Account for your kid at https://signup.live.com/. (Review the account at http://account.microsoft.com)  Follow the instructions and verify that you have the correct user name and password.
2. Go to Charms Bar –> Settings –> Change PC Settings
3. Click “Users”
4. Click “Add New User”
5. Enter the login ID of the Microsoft Account you created for your kid.
6. Switch user accounts by going to the START page, clicking your name in the upper right, and selecting your kid’s account.
7. Reconfigure the new profile to your heart’s content via Charms Bar –> Settings –> Change PC Settings.

ADDING YOUR PURCHASED GAMES/APPS TO YOUR KID’S PROFILE
Now, by default, your kid won’t see any of the apps you’ve purchased & installed on the device you’re using, so the trick is making your Microsoft Account purchased apps available to this NEW profile.  Remember that games (like Angry Birds Space) are present in YOUR profile on the machine using YOUR Microsoft Account, not other profiles like your kid’s – even if you’re both logging into the same machine.

Don’t worry – the process is simple.  All you have to do to make your purchased games from YOUR Microsoft Account appear on your kid’s profile is:

1. Login to your kid’s profile then go to the Store.
2. Open Settings by swiping from the right. 
3. Click “Your Account”.  Your kid’s Microsoft Account should be listed as the currently logged in Microsoft Account.
4. Click “Change User” & enter in your Microsoft account details.
5. Click the ‘back button at the top.  (<—)
6. Swipe down on the screen to reveal the “Your Apps” link.  Click “Your Apps”.  You should be presented with an list of all the Apps you own.
7. Select the Apps you wish to have available in this profile & click “Install”.  Don’t worry – it won’t download & reinstall the apps.  It’ll only make them available in this profile so it’ll be really quick if they’ve already been installed in another profile.
8. Pop out to the START screen and walla:  You now have your selected apps available in your kid’s profile.

UPDATE – AUGUST 5, 2013:
Well, my wife added to the Surface brutality.  She dropped it on concrete from about 4 feet and it landed on it’s corner.  This is the result.  Thanks honey.

And yes, it still works perfectly fine.

——————
UPDATE – AUGUST 1, 2013:
Looks like approaching a year later, my mishap continues to serve Microsoft as a testament to the Surface’s durability. 🙂

• NEXT AT MICROSOFT:  Drop Testing a Surface from a Moving Vehicle
  http://blogs.technet.com/b/next/archive/2012/11/05/drop-testing-a-surface-from-a-moving-vehicle.aspx#.UftEakvn8eM
• ON THE WHITEBOARD:  Kill your PC (VIDEO)
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jprmTQyPwmA&feature=player_embedded

———————-
ORIGINAL POST – NOVEMEBER 4, 2012:
I wrote this up seeing as I’m sure many others have done something similar with their tablets:

‎30 min ago, I left a pizza joint, freshly loaded w/ $37 in lunch for my family… and I left my Surface/64GB on the roof of my car.

I guess it stayed there for several blocks as I sped down a main thruway before I made a lane change on Westwood Blvd & it lost its grip, slid off the top, & careened off the side of my car into the middle turn lane. (sob)  Several onlookers watched in horror as the device toppled corner-over-corner finally resting a lane over from where I was.

Then a car going the opposite direction drove over it while making a left turn. (!!!)

Now as a pre-sales tech, I freaked.  The Surface was my personal unit & this was no “hey-let’s-test-drop-the-unit-from-4-feet-and-see-what-happens” on-stage demonstration:  This was a hardcore, real-life, on-asphalt, gutcheck test of the unit’s durability.  In a geekpanic, I stopped my car in the middle of the road and ran out to find it.  A pedestrian shouted its location having watched the whole thing happen, then asking, "Damn dude – is it okay?"

1. While it was ‘run over’, I don’t think the other car’s tires ever actually hit the unit since I didn’t see tread marks. (Thank goodness)
2. Besides 6-7 hard nicks on the magnesium casing & lots of scratches to the backside paint (click photo to the right to see the detail of the damage) … THE GLASS IS FULLY INTACT & DEVICE COMPLETELY FUNCTIONAL.
3. BTW: I’m an idiot.  And Surface rules.

EPILOGUE:
As I typed this post, Xbox Music SmartDJ in the background started playing this & I started lol-ing.  Man, that SmartDJ’s smarter than I gave it credit for.

For you Halo fanatics out there, there’s a midnight launch party at the Microsoft Store in Century City. 

Microsoft Store Los Angeles
(Westfield Century City)
10250 Santa Monica Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90067
Phone: (310) 228-3550

Show up before 12:00Midnight, pre-order your copy of Halo 4 at the store when you get there (or beforehand), & get a $25 giftcard.

While you wait, get free energy drinks, free pizza, a Halo 4 tournament with prizes to the victors, the chance to game against other Halo fanatics, a DJ mixing up some great music, & all kinds of raffle swag & surprises…? 

Come get the “the most expensive game Microsoft has made”, according to Phil Spencer, Microsoft Game Studios director:

• CVG: Halo 4 is Microsoft’s most expensive game ever: ‘Nothing else is even close’
  http://www.computerandvideogames.com/374957/halo-4-is-microsofts-most-expensive-game-ever-nothing-else-is-even-close/

OH, BTW:  LIMITED EDITION AVAILABLE
Oops, did I forget to mention the availability of the Limited Edition?  Better pre-order it while it’s in stock.

Limited Edition includes: 

• War Games Map Packs:  Access to nine maps—three future competitive multiplayer map packs, each including three locations, available for download post-launch on Xbox LIVE.
• Specializations: Receive early access to six Specializations, available at launch on Xbox LIVE, and use them, one at a time, to achieve higher ranks in your Spartan career. In addition to gaining access to new ranks, Specializations unlock new customization options.
• The Special Edition of Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn, a 90-minute extended version of the live-action digital series which will take fans back to the terrifying beginning of the Human/Covenant war, when the Master Chief inspired a young cadet who would eventually become a leader aboard the UNSC’s greatest vessel ever: the UNSC Infinity.

See you there!

If you’ve been living in a cave, you may not know about the live action mini-series that sets up the launch of Halo 4 (coming this November 6th) called “Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn”. 

These episodes were released on a weekly basis until the launch.  Here is episode 1:

Here are all 5 episodes of the series – each are roughly 20 minutes long, making the series in its entirety, the equivalent of a full length motion picture:

• EPISODE 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfJVgXBfSH8
  Hastati Squad, the newest batch of freshman cadets at the UNSC’s Corbulo Academy of Military Science, pays the price for cadet Thomas Lasky’s tactics.
• EPISODE 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K56gSEJ6IGc
  Cadet Michael "Sully" Sullivan continues to decode the hidden ONI combat video as Lasky’s struggle with his place in the UNSC ignites with fellow cadet Walter Vickers. After a classroom confrontation with Captain Mehaffey and a challenge from Chyler, Lasky pulls Hastati Squad back from the brink…at a terrible physical cost to himself.
• EPISODE 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbBYG77VeCE
  Just as Hastati Squad is confronted by a video of secret ONI super-soldiers, their war and their whole universe are changed forever by a much more deadly surprise.
• EPISODE 4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZ_xn889cSk
  While Corbulo Academy is being destroyed by the Covenant invasion, the surviving cadets fight bravely alongside their only hope: The Master Chief.
• EPISODE 5: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gULQ5GFIkcA
  After a terrifying night of combat and loss, Lasky makes a life-or-death decision to help the Master Chief… but will it be enough to save them all from the Covenant?

PRE-ORDER NOW.  SERIOUSLY.
If you haven’t already preordered, I’d encourage you to visit your local Microsoft Store to pre-order NOW – not just because I’m a homer but – because if you do, you receive a $25 GIFT CARD with your final purchase.

The pre-order is $10 which goes to your final purchase of Halo 4.  When you pick it up, you’ll get the $10 as credit toward the purchase of the game PLUS, you’ll receive the $25 gift card, good on anything else in the store.  It’s one of the best deals you’ll find.

Here’s the Microsoft Press Announcement about Halo 4:
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/features/2012/nov12/11-01HaloLiechtenstein.aspx

“MIDNIGHT MADNESS” LAUNCH FOR HALO 4 – NOV 5th, 10:00PM
Also, there’s a midnight launch party at the Microsoft Store in Century City. 

Microsoft Store Los Angeles
(Westfield Century City)
10250 Santa Monica Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90067
Phone: (310) 228-3550

Want free drinks, free pizza, a Halo 4 tournament with prizes to the victors, the chance to game against other Halo fanatics, a DJ mixing up some great music, & all kinds of swag & surprises…?  Come to the midnight launch!  See you there!

The Microsoft Lync 2010 Adoption and Training Kit provides a one-stop shop for resources for IT pros, project managers, help desk agents, and trainers.

The kit provides:

• A workbook that provides step-by-step guidance for each phase of the rollout and adoption process

• Adoption and training resources, such as primers, email templates, and templates for a custom Lync 2010 intranet site to help organizations successfully roll out Lync
• Modular, reusable, rebrandable, and in most cases, customizable user education and training materials, including frequently asked questions, Quick Start guides, how-to videos, Work Smart guides, and training videos
• Buzzworthy applications such as IM an Expert and learning tools such as the Lync How-to that you can use to generate user excitement and drive the adoption of Lync

LINK: Microsoft Lync 2010 Adoption and Training Kit
http://lync.microsoft.com/adoption-and-training-kit/Pages/default.aspx

Need something to help you with Planning, Operations, Communications, & Training/Readiness around your upcoming Microsoft Lync rollout?

Introducing the the Lync Pilot Success Kit.

The key to a successful Lync rollout and on-going user-adoption is a well planned and executed pilot. The importance of the pilot phase cannot be overlooked. The Lync Pilot Success Kit is a collection of tools, documentation, and templates that helps project teams plan, deploy, monitor, and evaluate the success of their pilot. The Lync Pilot Success Kit assists with project planning, staffing needs and expectations, user communications, defining success criteria, and proactive monitoring, troubleshooting, and support.

Author: Nick Smith, Microsoft Senior Program Manager and Laurie Pottmeyer, Microsoft Program Manager

Publication date: October 22, 2012

Product version: Lync Server 2010

We are excited to announce the release of the Lync Pilot Success Kit (PSK).

Experience with organizations deploying Lync has shown significant higher user-satisfaction when a successful pilot has been run. In order to know if an organization is prepared for a broad roll-out, success criteria must be defined, measured and evaluated. The PSK will help organizations to not only do this, but will provide the tools, documentation and templates to help plan and complete the pilot. All resources were created to be customized by organizations based on workloads deployed and organizational culture.

• DOWNLOAD: Lync Pilot Success Kit
  http://lync.microsoft.com/Adoption-and-Training-Kit/rollout-and-adoption/Pages/IT-Pro-Project-Manager/Pilot.aspx

[taken from the Next Hop blog]

This is a newly released FREE Microsoft eBook: “Deployment Guide for Microsoft Office 2013”

This eBook comes to you from the Microsoft Office System and Servers Team and is available in Microsoft Word (.doc), .epub, .mobi, and .pdf file formats. You can download it through the links below:

• .DOC Format
• .EPUB Format
• .MOBI Format
• .PDF Format

To give you a quick view into the fantastic information inside this eBook, here is a rundown of the table of contents:

• Getting help
• Volume activation of Office 2013
• Plan volume activation of Office 2013
• Volume activation methods in Office 2013
• Deploy volume activation of Office 2013
• Use tools to configure client computers in Office 2013
• Customize installations of Office 2013
• Customize Setup before installing Office 2013
• Configure a silent installation of Office 2013
• Create custom configurations of Office 2013
• Office Customization Tool (OCT) in Office 2013
• Config.xml file in Office 2013
• Setup command-line options for Office 2013
• Setup properties in Office 2013
• Setup architecture overview for Office 2013
• Customize the Accessibility Checker for Office 2013
• Outlook 2013
• Planning overview for Outlook 2013
• Choose between Cached Exchange Mode and Online Mode for Outlook 2013
• Plan a Cached Exchange Mode deployment in Outlook 2013
• Plan feature customizations in Outlook 2013
• Choose security and protection settings for Outlook 2013
• Configure multiple Exchange accounts for Outlook 2013
• Configure Cached Exchange Mode in Outlook 2013
• Configure Outlook Anywhere in Outlook 2013
• Configure junk email settings in Outlook 2013
• Roll out Office 2013
• Install Office 2013 from the local installation source
• Deploy Office 2013 from a network installation point
• Deploy Office 2013 by using Group Policy computer startup scripts
• Language in Office 2013
• Plan for multi-language deployment of Office 2013
• Customize language setup and settings for Office 2013
• Add or remove language packs after deployment of Office 2013
• Mixed language versions of Office 2013
• Companion proofing languages for Office 2013
• Language identifiers and OptionState Id values in Office 2013
• Security in Office 2013
• Security overview for Office 2013
• Authentication in Office 2013
• Plan for Information Rights Management in Office 2013
• Group Policy for Office 2013
• Planning for Group Policy in Office 2013

[taken from the Microsoft Small Biz Blog]

[taken from the SCSM Engineering blog]

Problem: The interest level in Service Manager is through the roof since we released System Center 2012.  I’ve had so many customers lately through various channels asking to speak with other customers that have deployed SCSM.  They want to understand if SCSM will meet their requirements.  They want to know how to do certain things.  They want to connect with other people that are deploying SCSM so they can learn best practices and what mistakes to avoid.

We produce case studies on how customers use System Center, but that’s not quite as good as talking directly with a customer that is trying to do what you are doing right?

I was thinking about how to solve this problem, but I didn’t really want to be in the business of customer connection brokering.  It’s just challenging to find a customer in a similar industry doing similar things that would be willing to take time out of their day to answer questions from another customer.  Trying to coordinate that for lots of different customers would be pretty time consuming.  Further – a 1:1 discussion is sort of limited – you only get one person’s perspective.  Ideally, you would get multiple because people have different ideas, experiences, skills, and ways of doing things.  There had to be a better way!

Solution: I was interviewing somebody today for a community PM position. I asked her to come up with some creative ways to engage with the community.  After a few suggestions, I asked her to dig deeper to see how creative she could be.  She came up with this idea to host Lync meet ups (a “LyncUp”, sort of like a TweetUp – you heard it hear first!) with the community and let people just have an open discussion about whatever they want.  Brilliant!

So – I’m going to start a regular LyncUp for SCSM customers to get together and just talk to each other about whatever they want.  It won’t be like a user group meeting or a web cast because there won’t be a predetermined speaker or agenda.  I’ll be there and I’m sure some of the MVPs and product team members will be there too.  It will be a way for customers to meet each other and potentially have side conversations following the LyncUps to go deeper on topics or potentially collaborate with each other.

We’ll start with 1/month, but I’m open to feedback on how often we should have them as well as what time of day etc.  Anybody that wants to is welcome to join.  All you need is a phone and/or Lync!

If you are going to use Lync remember to download and install the Lync Attendee client or Lync client ahead of time!

• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/lync/gg236589.aspx

Attached to this blog post is a .ics meeting invite you can add to your calendar. The meeting invite contains the hyperlink to click on if you are going to join the meeting using the installed Lync client, phone numbers if you are in the U.S., and a hyperlink to look up other regional phone numbers.

• CALENDAR .ICS: Service Manager Customer LyncUp
  http://blogs.technet.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-components-postattachments/00-03-52-85-78/Service-Manager-Customer-LyncUp.ics

The first meeting will be Nov. 6th at 9:00 AM Redmond time. See you then!

Wow.  If you’re at all interested in runbook automation or help desk systems leveraging the System Center family of products, you’re in serious luck.

Acceleres, a highly proficient solution provider, that focuses on Service Manager and Orchestrator are doing a long series of webcasts that explain a variety of topics to the audience:

• System Center Orchestrator 2012 Learning Resources
• Upgrading System Center Service Manager from 2010 to 2012
• System Center Service Manager and Orchestrator 2012 SP1: Features, Benefits
• Get data + value from System Center Service Manager 2012 with Cube Reports
• System Center Orchestrator 2012: Top Runbooks and Integration Packs
• System Center Service Manager 2012: Service Catalog and Self-Service
• System Center Service Manager 2012 Health Checks

IF YOU WANT TO PARTICIPATE:

• Register here http://www.eventbrite.com/org/2765564380?s=10428094
• Recorded sessions are posted at www.youtube.com/acceleres.