Kurt Shintaku's Blog

Interested in a help desk ticketing system?

Looking for something that integrates with Configuration Manager & Operations Manager?

Need a solution that slides right into environments leveraging Microsoft technologies like Sharepoint, Exchange, SQL Server, Active Directory, and Windows?

…you sound like a candidate for Microsoft System Center Service Manager!

A great place to recent information around Service Manager is the SCSM Blog at http://blogs.technet.com/servicemanager.

TRAINING MATERIALS
Here are some ramp up materials for people that want to get to learning this great new system:

• http://blogs.technet.com/servicemanager/archive/2010/04/30/service-manager-2010-hosted-test-drive-hands-on-labs-now-available-on-technet.aspx

The following link is to a series of recorded Live Meeting sessions covering different areas in Service Manager

• http://blogs.technet.com/servicemanager/archive/2010/05/03/service-manager-2010-ramp-up-materials-now-publicly-available.aspx

Additionally, all materials on the product can be found here:

• http://www.microsoft.com/systemcenter/en/us/service-manager.aspx

And any videos that we’ve produced around Service Manager are viewable here:

• http://edge.technet.com/Tags/Service+Manager/

The Windows Azure Platform is an internet-scale cloud computing and services platform hosted in Microsoft data centers. The platform provides a range of functionality to build applications from consumer web to enterprise scenarios.

MSDN subscribers can take advantage of this platform to build and deploy their applications.

What to Know Before You Sign Up

The first phase of this introductory offer will last for 8 months from the time you sign up, then you will renew once for another 8 months. After that, you’ll cancel this introductory account and sign up for the ongoing MSDN benefit (see below) based on your subscription level. Here’s how to manage your account settings after you’ve signed up:

1. Sign in to the Microsoft Online Services Customer Portal.
2. Click on the Subscriptions tab and find the subscription called “Windows Azure Platform MSDN Premium”.
3. Under the Actions section, make sure one of the options is “Opt out of auto renew”.  This ensures your benefits will extend automatically.  If you see “Opt in to auto renew” instead, select it and click Go to ensure your benefits continue for another 8 months.
4. After your first 8 months of benefits have elapsed (you can check your start date by hovering over the “More…” link under “Windows Azure Platform MSDN Premium” on this same page), you will need to come back to this page and choose “Opt out of auto renew” so that your account will close at the end of the 16-month introductory benefit period.  If you keep this account active after 16 months, all usage will be charged at the normal “consumption” rates.

You’ll need your credit card to sign up. If you use more than the amount of services included with your MSDN subscription, we’ll bill your card for these overages. You can visit the Microsoft Online Services Customer Portal to look up your usage at any time.

• LINK:  Windows Azure Platform Benefits for MSDN Subscribers
  NEW: the 8-month introductory MSDN benefits have been extended to 16 months!
  http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/subscriptions/ee461076.aspx

Wednesday, August 18^th
10:00 AM – 10:30 AM PST (30 minutes)

Is your organization looking to upgrade to Exchange 2010?
Microsoft® Exchange Server 2010 introduces integrated email archiving, retention, and discovery capabilities that can help you simplify the process of preserving your business communications. These build-in features help you reduce .PST file proliferation and ease meeting e-Discovery requests, while delivering a familiar experience for your users.  Exchange 2010 also adds retention policies that automate the deletion and archiving of email, and a new Web-based, multi-mailbox search that can be delegated to your specialist users, such as a compliance officer.
Attend this webcast to learn more about:

• Personal Archive
• Granular Retention Policies
• Litigation Hold
• Single Item Restore
• Web-Based Multi-Mailbox Search
• Role-based Access Control
• Case Studies

IT Directors, Telecom Managers/Directors, Directors of Infrastructure  
Attend this webcast to find out how to enter to win a Microsoft Webcam!
(Live Meeting and dial-in information will be sent via email a couple days prior to the webcast.)

Find out more about Compliance Capabilities with Exchange Server 2010 HERE. Also, check out the following Case Studies:

• Carnival Cruise Lines – eliminate PSTs, grow mailbox sizes, centralize email storage
• Global Crossing – grow mailbox sizes (500MB to 2GB), cheaper storage (DAS), eliminate need for PST and third-party archive solution
• Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP – Law firm taking advantage of improved retention policies
• Anonymous University – Using native Litigation Hold capabilities, rather than expensive third-party solution

Registration:
Please contact me, if you area a customer of mine, for details on registration.

This DVD5 ISO image file contains the security updates for Windows. The image does not contain security updates for other Microsoft products. This DVD5 ISO image is intended for administrators that need to download multiple individual language versions of each security update and that do not use an automated solution such as Windows Server Update Services (WSUS). You can use this ISO image to download multiple updates in all languages at the same time.

Important: Be sure to check the individual security bulletins at http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security prior to deployment of these updates to ensure that the files have not been updated at a later date.

This DVD5 image contains the following updates:

• KB2286198 / (MS10-046)
• KB981852 / (MS10-047)
• KB2160329 / (MS10-048)
• KB980436 / (MS10-049)
• KB981997 / (MS10-050)
• KB2079403 / (MS10-051)
• KB2115168 / (MS10-052)
• KB2183461 / (MS10-053)
• KB982214 / (MS10-054)
• KB982665 / (MS10-055)
• KB978886 / (MS10-058)
• KB982799 / (MS10-059)
• KB983582 / (MS10-060)
• KB983583 / (MS10-060)
• KB983587 / (MS10-060)
• KB983588 / (MS10-060)
• KB983589 / (MS10-060)
• KB983590 / (MS10-060)

Supported Operating Systems: Windows 7; Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2; Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 for Itanium-based Systems; Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 x64 Edition; Windows Server 2008; Windows Server 2008 R2; Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2; Windows Vista 64-bit Editions Service Pack 1; Windows Vista Service Pack 1; Windows Vista Service Pack 2; Windows XP Professional x64 Edition ; Windows XP Service Pack 3

• DOWNLOAD: August 2010 Security Release ISO Image
  http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=bffb7545-2df8-4121-8bbc-43717f19c644

Looks like both Gartner & Forrester have taken a liking to our offering in the customer relationship management market. 

Microsoft Dynamics CRM provides customers with a method of reducing cost and driving simplicity (Our CRM solution effectively becomes a part of Outlook) over solutions like Siebel or Salesforce.  By providing a strong integrated solution at a low cost, Dynamics becomes a natural choice for customers using Outlook today.)

August 4, 2010
Analysts Give Microsoft Dynamics CRM High Marks
By Stuart J. Johnston

Two leading analyst firms have rated Microsoft’s customer relationship management (CRM) software as a leader in that market.

Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) announced that Gartner has rated its Dynamics CRM package as a leader in its Magic Quadrant for Sales Force Automation in July.

Additionally, Forrester Research placed Dynamics CRM in a leadership position in its Forrester Wave: CRM Suites Customer Service Solutions (available as a PDF) for the third quarter of 2010.

The next version of the package — officially named Dynamics CRM 2011 but codenamed Dynamics CRM 5 — is out to testers in a third community technology preview (CTP) with the public beta test of the update slated to begin in September, Microsoft said last month.

"With the upcoming release of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011, customers will reach new levels of productivity and collaboration with a low total cost of ownership, and partners will unlock new opportunities with a single development environment for cloud-based and on-premises deployments," Brad Wilson, Microsoft general manager of Dynamics CRM, said in a statement.

…

[read more at http://www.ecrmguide.com/article.php/3896841]

Sarah from the Microsoft On10 blog wrote a post that I thought was worth stealing:

With Halo:Reach’s launch only weeks away (it arrives Sept. 14th), when I came across the How-To Geek’s latest regarding a complete desktop customization guide for Halo fans, I thought it was worth sharing.

Here, one of my favorite “how-to” bloggers offers up custom wallpapers, icon packs and Halo fonts, all of which can be used to create the perfect Halo-inspired desktop. The wallpapers feature Master Chief, of course, as well as other scenes from Halo games. Also, there are several different icon packs to choose from, which work on Windows 7, Vista or XP. And if you want to go all out, there are three different Halo fonts available for download as well.

Download the tools referred to above from Sarah’s original post at:
http://on10.net/blogs/sarahintampa/Get-Halo-Desktop-Customization-Tools/

I lifted the introduction to this article from Neowin.net:

Microsoft filed a patent for Xbox 360 Kinect that allows users to use pre-defined hand gestures (sign language) to be captured by the camera for use as a keyboard.

The patent, called “Gesture Keyboarding,” will be able to read American Sign Language (ASL) and translate it into keystrokes without the need for a keyboard. This confirms that Kinect will be able to detect small movements of your fingers, turning sign language into individual letters, words or even phrases.

…

[read the rest at http://www.neowin.net/news/kinect-will-interpret-sign-language]

NOT JUST A TOY
I think it’s important that people understand the power of Kinect as a technology.  This is NOT a toy, despite the configuration in which it’s currently used.  Kinect’s recognition technology FAR AND AWAY exceeds the state-of-the-art for visual recognition above and beyond even that which is available in professional circles – much less to consumers.

If you don’t believe me, read Carnegie Mellon PhD Researcher Johnny Lee’s comments, who was famous for producing interactive 3D head tracking technology using the Nintendo Wii: (Note:  Johnny is now a scientist in the Applied Sciences division of Microsoft Research.)

Speaking as someone who has been working in interface and sensing technology for nearly 10 years, this is an astonishing combination of hardware and software. The few times I’ve been able to show researchers the underlying components, their jaws drop with amazement… and with good reason.

The 3D sensor itself is a pretty incredible piece of equipment providing detailed 3D information about the environment similar to very expensive laser range finding systems but at a tiny fraction of the cost. Depth cameras provide you with a point cloud of the surface of objects that is fairly insensitive to various lighting conditions allowing you to do things that are simply impossible with a normal camera.

But once you have the 3D information, you then have to interpret that cloud of points as "people". This is where the researcher jaws stay dropped. The human tracking algorithms that the teams have developed are well ahead of the state of the art in computer vision in this domain. The sophistication and performance of the algorithms rival or exceed anything that I’ve seen in academic research, never mind a consumer product. At times, working on this project has felt like a miniature “Manhattan project” with developers and researchers from around the world coming together to make this happen.

Read more at:  http://procrastineering.blogspot.com/2009/06/project-natal.html

Learn how to assess the health of PCs and smoothly deploy updates using Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007. System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) 2007 comprehensively addresses, deploys, and updates servers, client computers, and devices—across physical, virtual, distributed, and mobile environments. Learn how to take advantage of the enhanced capabilities of SCCM 2007 R2.

During this Three-Part Series we will cover:

Part 1: August 26^th:

• Managing Microsoft Updates with Configuration Manager 2007
• Determining Client Health in Configuration Manager 2007 R2

Part 2: September 9^th:

• Implementing Desired Configuration Management in SCCM 2007
• Implementing Maintenance Windows in SCCM 2007

Part 3: September 16^th :

• Upgrading from SMS 2003 to Configuration Manager 2007

What is a virtual hands-on-lab:
This isn’t your typical IT class. A hands-on lab online is an invite only event that combines LiveMeeting with a virtual lab. Attendees and presenters login from anywhere. Attendees watch a brief LiveMeeting presentation, then spend most of the time getting hands-on experience working through all, or just self-selected modules of the entire lab – at their own pace, and receive real–time, personal, one-on-one attention from the presenter. In addition, there’s a proctor available for technical support and to answer more attendee questions.

Dates

• Part 1: August 26^th
• Part 2: September 9^th
• Part 3: September 16^th

Time

• 9:00am – 1:00pm Pacific Time

Location: Virtual Hands On Lab Classroom.

Target Audience: IT Pro, IT Manager

Before the Event:

• Check virtual lab for your computer http://test.vlabcenter.com/hv/default.aspx
• Install the ActiveX control. The Microsoft "Virtual Machine Remote Control" ActiveX control is required to start the virtual lab.
• Review system requirements.
• If you have any issues, please contact support.

Registration:
If you are a customer of mine, please contact me for registration information as this event has a limited capacity.  This special, no charge training series will fill quickly and space is limited, so be sure to register as soon as possible to reserve your seat.

This Windows 7 Deployment Series will give you the technical knowledge and skills to migrate and deploy Windows 7 in your environment. To get more information on the topics covered, or to register see the information below:

August 24^th, 2010

Learn to Deploy Microsoft Windows 7 in Your Enterprise

• Introduction to Deploying Windows 7 using the Windows Automatic Installation Kit
• Getting Started with Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010
• Zero Touch Installation using Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010 and System Center Configuration Manager

Addressing Application Compatibility in Windows 7

• Windows 7 Application Compatibility Toolkit 5.5
• Windows 7: Mitigating Windows 7 Application Issues Using Shims

What is a virtual hands-on-lab:
This isn’t your typical IT class. A hands-on lab online is an invite only event that combines LiveMeeting with a virtual lab. Attendees and presenters login from anywhere. Attendees watch a brief LiveMeeting presentation, then spend most of the time getting hands-on experience working through all, or just self-selected modules of the entire lab – at their own pace, and receive real–time, personal, one-on-one attention from the presenter. In addition, there’s a proctor available for technical support and to answer more attendee questions.

Dates

• August 24^th, 2010:  Learn to Deploy Microsoft Windows 7 in your Enterprise
• September 7^th, 2010:  Addressing Application Compatibility In Windows 7

Time for both Labs

• 9:00am – 1:00pm Pacific Time

Location: Virtual Hands On Lab Classroom.

Target Audience: IT Pro, IT Manager

Before the Event:

• Check virtual lab for your computer http://test.vlabcenter.com/hv/default.aspx
• Install the ActiveX control. The Microsoft "Virtual Machine Remote Control" ActiveX control is required to start the virtual lab.
• Review system requirements.
• If you have any issues, please contact support.

Registration:
If you are a customer of mine, please contact me for registration information as this event has a limited capacity.  This special, no charge training series will fill quickly and space is limited, so be sure to register as soon as possible to reserve your seat.

These resources are visual representations of recommended solutions. They include poster-sized documents available in formats including Microsoft Office Visio 2007 files (.vsd), PDF files, and XPS files. You might need extra software to view these files.

———————–

• Deployment Options for Microsoft Office 2010

  
  Download (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=168621)

  Describes and illustrates the client deployment methods for Office 2010. Deployment options include network share, Group Policy startup scripts, managed deployment, and virtualization. Use this model with the following article: Choose an option for deploying Office 2010.

• Deploy Multilanguage Packs for Microsoft Office 2010

  
  Download (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=168622)

  Describes and illustrates how to deploy multilanguage packs for Office 2010. Elements include evaluation criteria, planning considerations, and deployment tasks. Use this model with the following article: Plan for multilanguage deployment of Office 2010.

• 64-bit Client Installation of Microsoft Office 2010

  
  Download (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=168620)

  Describes and illustrates the 64-bit client installation of Office 2010. Elements include setup overview, processes, requirements, deployment considerations, and supported scenarios. Use this model with the following article: 64-bit editions of Office 2010.

• Virtualization Overview – Architecture

  
  Download (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=168624)

  Describes and illustrates the architectural overview of virtualization technology and the different models that are possible. Use this model with the following article: Plan for virtualization for Office 2010.

• Application Virtualization – Delivery Methods

  
  Download (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=168624)

  Describes and illustrates delivery methods of virtualization, focused on sequencing. Use this model with the following article: Plan for virtualization for Office 2010.

• Application Virtualization for the Mobile User
  
  
  Download (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=168624)

  Describes and illustrates stand-alone delivery method of virtualized applications for mobile users. Use this model with the following article: Plan for virtualization for Office 2010.

• Volume Activation of Microsoft Office 2010

  
  Download (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=188811)

  Describes the volume activation methods for Office 2010 and illustrates typical network scenarios. Use this model with the following article: Plan volume activation of Office 2010.