TechNet Live Events!!! Software Plus Services, System Center Configuration Manager and Virtual Machine Manager - Coming to a city near you!!

The TechNet Live Events of this quarter are just about to start. Our team of IT Pro Evangelists will be delivering these events to various IT Pro communities in cities throughout the U.S. starting late January:

Session 1: Where the Web meets local software: Cloud computing with Software-plus-Services

With the ever-growing power of devices and the increasing ubiquity of the Web, Software-plus-Services is an emerging computing model that combines the power of local software with the benefits of the Internet. Software-plus-Services represents an industry shift toward design that is neither exclusively software-centric, nor browser-focused. Microsoft envisions a world where rich, highly functional and elegant experiences extend from the PC to the Web to the devices people use every day.

This session will explore Microsoft’s vision of cloud computing, and take you on a quick tour of Microsoft Online Services and Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS). BPOS is a set of Microsoft-hosted messaging and collaboration solutions, including Microsoft Exchange Online, Microsoft SharePoint Online, Microsoft Office Live Meeting, and Microsoft Office Communications Online. A Software-plus-Services computing model such as BPOS is pertinent to businesses of various sizes, because it reduces the need for IT to maintain hardware and software, while offering high availability, comprehensive security, and simplified IT management on mission critical applications and platforms.

Session 2: Master your environment with System Center Configuration Manager 2007

As more clients and servers are added to your environment, the task of managing these resources becomes much more complex. Knowing the range of available hardware and software, while keeping the machines current with the latest applications and patch updates can become onerous. But don’t despair – there’s a solution to this problem. System Center Configuration Manager 2007 (SCCM 2007) is the ideal way to comprehensively assess, deploy, and update your servers, clients, and devices – across physical, virtual, distributed, and mobile environments. Not only can you take control of your infrastructure, but you can also leverage SCCM 2007’s integration with Network Access Protection (NAP) to quickly and easily remediate machines throughout the organization that don’t meet the network policy requirements. You’ll see how simple this remediation process can be, regardless of whether machines are communicating with your network through VPN, hardwired, or wireless connections.

Session 3: Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 – A Technical Overview

Did you know that Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 can manage ALL of your server virtualization? Not only does SCVMM 2008 manage your Windows Virtual Server virtualization, but this latest version also manages Hyper-V, and even VMWare-based virtualization. SCVMM 2008 is the solid foundation for all of your mission-critical virtualization management.

In this session, we’ll introduce you to the benefits and functionality of this powerful virtualization management platform and how it fits into the big picture of efficient and dynamic virtualized computing resource management. We’ll also demonstrate the solution’s key features and tools. You’ll leave with a better understanding of how System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 can help you to effectively and productively manage your virtualized workloads.

Come join us at a city near you. Click HERE for city listing and registration!!!!