Time will tell whether the reshuffling of responsibilities between soon-to-be former Channel-chief Allison Watson and her successor, Jon Roskill was a chance to allow both execs to broaden their careers and put new blood into their respective organizations or whether there are more pronounced changes in the works to the way Microsoft goes to market with its partners.
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Posted by Jeffrey Schwartz on June 25, 20100 comments
Microsoft may be "all-in" the cloud. But if it can't convince the world that its services are secure, it could be all-out. That may explain why Microsoft is talking up cloud security these days.
Joel Sider, a senior product manager for identity and security for Microsoft's Forefront business, reiterated Microsoft's Trustworthy Computing initiatives in a blog posting this week. "We strive to be more transparent than anyone about how we help enable more secure cloud computing," Sider wrote.
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Posted by Jeffrey Schwartz on June 23, 20100 comments
Former president Bill Clinton will be making a keynote address at Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Conference in Washington, DC., Microsoft announced yesterday.
Clinton, who formed and runs the William J. Clinton Foundation, "with the mission to strengthen the capacity of people in the United States and throughout the world to meet the challenges of global interdependence," will be among several heavy hitters scheduled to speak at WPC.
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Posted by Jeffrey Schwartz on June 16, 20100 comments
Microsoft is talking up application virtualization and there are some new technology, partnering and licensing considerations on the horizon. Also in its battle against VMware, look for Citrix and Microsoft to act as true partners-in-crime to take on the cause for desktop application virtualization.
First, in case you haven't heard, effective July 1, those customers who don't qualify for Windows Client Software Assurance will require a new license called Windows Virtual Desktop Access, or Windows VDA. According to a posting on Microsoft's site, the company came up with Windows VDA to allow organizations to license virtual copies of Windows in virtual environments for devices that don't qualify for Windows client SA such as third-party contractor PCs and thin clients, among others.
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Posted by Jeffrey Schwartz on May 28, 20101 comments
Not feeling all that prepared for the forthcoming changes in the Microsoft Partner Network? You're not alone.
According to a poll of a small but very influential group of partners, only 29 percent said they feel very aware of the changes and requirements in the Microsoft Partner Network, while 58 percent are somewhat aware and 12 percent are either unsure or not aware. Meanwhile, 38 percent say they are not familiar what they have to do to prepare for the changes, while 46 percent said they were somewhat prepared. Only 15 percent feel very prepared.
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Posted by Jeffrey Schwartz on May 26, 20100 comments
The International Association of Microsoft Certified Partners held its first-ever national meeting yesterday where the forthcoming new Microsoft Partner Network (MPN), the Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC) and Microsoft's emphasis on the shift to cloud computing were front-and center.
Nearly 1,000 partner firms are members of IAMCP. The goal of yesterday's held event was to reinforce the IAMCP's mandate that partners should network with one another and create relationships by which they go to market together in areas where their skills are complimentary.
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Posted by Jeffrey Schwartz on May 20, 20102 comments
Active Directory Federation Services 2.0 is now shipping but Microsoft postponed the release of CardSpace 2.0, putting its future in doubt.
The current CardSpace is built into Windows 7 and Vista but it doesn't appear that it is widely used. Perhaps that's why Microsoft quietly announced that it was putting on hold the next version, CardSpace 2.0, which was to provide a common user-interface for managing multiple logins.
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Posted by Jeffrey Schwartz on May 06, 20100 comments
About 10 days ago, I broke down and bought a Palm Pre Plus for a mere $49. The few people I've told have given me blank stares. I love the gesture-based interface and the way the device works. An added bonus was the free mobile hotspot built into the device that I can use to connect my netbook while on the road. I've been reluctant to reveal my purchase because I have 20 days left to return it to Verizon should I conclude it's a dud.
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Posted by Jeffrey Schwartz on April 29, 20102 comments
The pending release of Microsoft's Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS) 2.0 is expected to play a key role in simplifying how organizations provide access control to systems and applications, including those running in the cloud.
Microsoft is expected to release ADFS 2.0, the free Windows 2008 Server add-in to Active Directory, this week, as reported. ADFS 2.0 provides claims-based authentication to applications developed with Microsoft's recently released Windows Identity Foundation (WIF).
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Posted by Jeffrey Schwartz on April 26, 20105 comments
I had the opportunity this week to see Microsoft's portable data centers, which the company showcased here in New York.
In honor of Earth Day, I thought it would be fitting to describe what Microsoft is showcasing because it does portend its vision for the next generation data centers that have self-cooling systems and servers that don't require fans.
Microsoft first demonstrated the portable data centers at its Professional Developers Conference back in November in concert with the launch of Windows Azure. It gained further prominence last month when Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer made his "we're all in the cloud" proclamation at the University of Washington with these huge units in tow. The one I saw in New York was 20-feet long by seven feet wide but Microsoft also has one that stretches 40 feet.
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Posted by Jeffrey Schwartz on April 22, 20100 comments
After declining to disclose the value of its outsourcing deal with Microsoft, Infosys CFO today reportedly revealed that it's worth a whopping $100 million.
Bangalore-based Infosys announced Tuesday that Microsoft is outsourcing its IT help desk, PC, infrastructure and application support to them in a three-year deal that involves 450 Microsoft locations in 104 countries.
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Posted by Jeffrey Schwartz on April 15, 20106 comments
If you're looking for VC money, don't presume no one else has considered your unique idea, be prepared to show you have a solid customer roster and don't expect to find the easy money of yesteryear.
Those were among the takeaways of a panel presentation I attended earlier this month with five VCs and a company that received venture funding. It was moderated by Bloomberg TV's Taking Stock anchor Pimm Fox.
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Posted by Jeffrey Schwartz on March 31, 20100 comments