leedesmond’s blog

With the official announcement of Communications Server 14 at Tech.Ed North America 2010 (New Orleans), attendees are learning first hand from product group experts, partners, vendors and the community (MCT, MVP) the many CS 14 feature detail sets in breakout-, interactive-, TLC- sessions and Hands-on-Labs.

As part of the celebration, the all new Communications Server 14 website has also been launched. From news and reviews, business highlights, customer stories, partner contacts to technology coverage, do not miss out on the Community section. This leads to additional technical resources covering Events and Webcasts, Forums, Microsoft and CS team member blogs, and MVP Highlights with even more community resources.

Together with MVP peers Jeff Schertz, Mike Stacy and Keith Kabza, I am very honored to be recognized as one of the top (English) online contributors for the most recent quarter! Come by and check it out here today!

See also:
Microsoft Communications Server Technical Reference Hub (DrRez)
Twitter DrRez
Unified Communications Group Team Blog

Technorati tags: LCS/OCS/CS14, TechEd, Community/User Groups, Communications Server 14

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Live from TechEd 2010 North America (New Orleans) keynote session. The full feature set of Communications Server “14″ is officially disclosed with an interative live demo by Gurdeep SinghPall (Corp Vice President). Some of the key new feature highlights of Communicator “14″:

• Communication Server (Wave 14) tightly integrated with corporate Active Directory, SharePoint and Exchange infrastructure
• display picture for personal Contacts pulled from SharePoint, AD or user-specified URL
• powerful aggregated search feature by name or skill against SharePoint backend (by expertise for instance sales)
• hover over name/picture to expose the Contact card with corporate information from AD, org chart (reporting structure)
• playback voice mail directly in Communicator (or Outlook for more)
• High Definition video playback directly in Communicator (HD cameras from Microsoft and partners controllable by policy)
• direct data collaboration à la Live Meeting right in Communicator client (powerpoint, desktop sharing, whiteboarding)

If you are attending TechEd this week, make sure that you check out the exciting line-up of UNC breakout sesions (more here). Take this opportunity to visit us on site at the Technical Learning Center (TLC) and experience Communications Server 14 live! Stop by and say hi

Stay tune for more on CS 14 … By the way, do not forget to check out the Exchange Server 2010 SP1 Public Beta - download available here.

Technorati tags: LCS/OCS, OCS 2007 R2, TechEd, Events

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Tech Ed North America 2010 will take place in New Orleans in less than 3 weeks. From 7 to 10 June, 2010, I shall be contributing as an Ask the Expert staff in the Technical Learning Center - UNC Track Area. Working closely together with the Microsoft product teams, ATE will station at the Unified Communications (UNC) product demo booth areas.

This year, there are 3 IT Pro demos each dedicated to Exchange 2010 and Communications Server “14″ plus one developer track encompassing these two products. You can find me covering all the CS 14 product demos (UNC-5, 6 and 7) at TLC/Yellow/UNC throughout the week.

I look forward to meeting you in person and share the excitement around CS 14 and more! More information and registration can be found here.

UNC-7 Microsoft Communications Server “14″: Communicate from Microsoft Office
Microsoft Communications Server “14” works consistently with Microsoft Office, enriching the experience of familiar applications like Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Word, Microsoft SharePoint, and more. Come see how this can help with broad user adoption in your environment!

UNC-6 Microsoft Communications Server “14″: Connect in new ways
Microsoft Communications Server “14” ushers in a new connected experience, transforming every communication into an interaction that is more collaborative, engaging, and accessible from anywhere. Come see how this captivating experience can engage your users!

UNC-5 Microsoft Communications Server “14″: Reduce costs, integrate communications
Microsoft Communications Server “14” provides a single experience and solution that unites voice, IM, audio-, video-, and web-conferencing into a richer, more simplified offering. Come see how this can help reduce costs in your organization!

UNC-3 Microsoft Exchange Server 2010: Anywhere Access
Giving your users anywhere access to email, calendar, contacts, and tasks from all their devices is essential in today’s business environment. See demonstrations of how Exchange Server 2010 helps users manage their communications more effectively across the PC, Web browser, and mobile device. Also, learn how you can improve productivity and save your organization money by replacing your legacy voicemail system with Exchange Server Unified Messaging.

UNC-2 Microsoft Exchange Server 2010: Protection and Compliance
Worried about employees accidentally leaking valuable corporate email? Stop by to learn about new methods of information protection and control powered by Exchange Server 2010. While you’re here, see how Exchange enables organizations of all sizes to cost-effectively address email archiving and compliance requirements.

UNC-1 Microsoft Exchange Server 2010: Flexible and Reliable
Wouldn’t it be great if you could give giant mailboxes to all your users, without spending a bundle on storage hardware or sacrificing system uptime? Drop by to see how it’s done with the improvements we’ve made to high availability and storage flexibility in Exchange Server 2010.

UNC-4 Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 and Communications Server “14″: Developer Demos
Come and experience the new Wave ‘14’ Developer Platform of Communications Server “14″ and Exchange 2010. Lean how you can build capabilities like voice-over IP telephony, conferencing, data collaboration, Presence and IM, email, calendaring and contact management right into your application. Demos and experts are provided!

Technorati tags: LCS/OCS, OCS 2007 R2, TechEd, Events

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Tech Days is the largest and most important Swiss Microsoft Technology conference in the country. For the 6th time now, the event will place take in Basel (6 to 7 Apr) and Geneva (14 to 15 Apr) this year.

With over 50 breakout sessions based on the theme “Explore new horizons” delivered by global and local speakers covering IT Pro and developer tracks, TechDays is a not-to-be-missed annual event to interact, network, share and  exchange ideas and technical information on latest technologies from Exchange 2010, Windows Server 2008 R2/Hyper-V V2, SharePoint 2010, System Center Service Manager 2010, ForeFront UAG 2010, Silverlight 4, Visual Studio 2010 to Azure and Online Services.

I shall be supporting the event as part of the Ask-The-Experts (ATE) team covering Unified Communications and Collaboration. It will certainly be great to meet-and-greet you personally at this event.

With less than 3 weeks away, do not hesitate to register at www.techdays.ch today (agenda in German and French now live). Registered delegates will stand a chance to win a copy of Windows 7 Ultimate.

Technorati tags: Events, TechDays

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News Flash - I shall be covering an additional Instructor Led Lab on Wed 3 Mar 2010. You can find details of the session here. I hope to see you there!

ILL017 - Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 Setup and Deployment

Track: Unified Communications
Timeslot: Wed, Mar 03, 2010 (13:30 - 14:30)
Session Type: Instructor-Led Lab
Room: Abu Dhabi B

In this lab you learn the setup pre-requisites and requirements of Exchange 2010, use the Exchange Setup Wizard, and the commands used in the new Windows PowerShell v2. You also learn Server Role Configuration.

Technorati tags: TechEd, Events

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Last minute - I shall be covering the following session that will take place today Mon 1 Mar 2010 at 1430 hrs local time GMT + 4 (Room: Abu Dhabi B). Please come on-time to ensure securing of your preferred seat. Thanks for your understanding and support!

(ILL016) Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 High Availability and Storage Scenarios

Track: Unified Communications
Timeslot: Mon, Mar 01, 2010 (14:30 - 15:30)
Session Type: Instructor-Led Lab

After completing this lab you will be able to design and implement a DAG solution that will include a simplified Mailbox with High Availability and Disaster Recovery on a unified platform, that is server and storage group independent, can replicate data for High Availability and Disaster Recovery, and has Data Center resiliency. Other topics addressed are server availability, full redundancy, and no single point of failure.

Technorati tags: TechEd, Events

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The very first TechEd Middle East 2010 will take place from 1 to 3 March in Dubai, UAE. It is with great excitement to announce that I shall be contributing as a speaker and trainer to conduct the Instructor-Led Labs (ILL). With top notch speakers, great technical content and networking opportunities, it is a not-to-be-missed, excellent value for money event at an unbeatable conference rate. Details and registration information can be found here. See you there!

(ILL021)  Windows Server 2008 R2: Server Management and Windows PowerShell V2
Track: Windows Server
Mon, Mar 01, 2010 (12:00 - 13:00) / Instructor-Led Lab / Instructor-Led Lab 1

This lab is intended for Administrators who need to manage and automate multiple computers. In this lab, use the new management tools in Windows Server 2008 to work with multiple computers in your network. First, use Server Manager to remotely review the configuration of a server. Next, use the new background job, remoting, and transaction features of Windows PowerShell V2. Finally, install and manage a ServerCore installation using Windows PowerShell V2 locally.

(UNC302)  Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 Unified Messaging
Track: Unified Communications
Tue, Mar 02, 2010 (14:30 - 15:30) / Breakout Session / Sheikh Rashid Hall F / Level: 300 - Advanced
Audience: Infrastructure Architect, IT Manager, Network Administrator, Messaging Administrator

By connecting Exchange with the telephone system, Unified Messaging puts voice mail in the Inbox. This session demonstrates how deeper use of speech recognition in Exchange 2010 Unified Messaging makes “anywhere access” to information even easier. Other new features, product architecture, and upgrading from Exchange 2007 are also discussed.

(ILL022)  Windows Server 2008 R2: What’s New in Microsoft Active Directory
Track: Windows Server
Wed, Mar 03, 2010 (09:30 - 10:30) / Instructor-Led Lab / Instructor-Led Lab 2

Windows Server 2008 R2 delivers some highly anticipated features for Active Directory administrators. This session provides a guided tour of the new Active Directory Administrative Center and the new capabilities provided by Active Directory PowerShell. We also cover the Active Directory Recycle Bin for recovering deleted objects, the Best Practice Analyzer for verifying your Active Directory configuration, and improvements to service account management and authentication assurance. This session provides you with the information you need to understand and evaluate the Active Directory features that Windows Server 2008 R2 delivers.

Technorati tags: TechEd, Events

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 Si vous avez intéressé pour la nouvelle système d’exploitation Windows 7 et comprendre les finesses de ce nouvel OS des spécialistes en la matière, n’hésitez pas de vous inscrire pour cet ‘événement en 1. octobre 2009 (jeudi) à Genève. Je suis invité à faire une presentation technique avec le thème “La Raison d’être pour Windows 7” et j’aimerais de faire votre connaissance!

If you are interested to learn about Windows 7 from your IT Pro peers in the industry, come join us in Geneva on 1 Oct 2009 (Thu) for an half-day event on “Windows 7 - Are You Ready” to experience first-hand on what it means to you at work and at home. I am invited to speak on the topic “Raison d’être pour Windows 7” in English and am looking forward to meet you in person. Detail event information and registration can be found here.

” From netbooks to notebooks and desktops from the home office to the enterprise, Windows 7 is faster, more secure, reliable and loaded with productivity features that appeal to techies and the not so-savvy users. With productivity enhancements like PowerShell v2.0 and Windows XP mode, Windows 7 is unmistakably the platform of choice to harness new features from Branch Office Cache to DirectAccess in your Windows Server 2008 R2 infrastructure while maintaining your investments to support critical line-of-business applications. This technical session will walk through the highlights of the whys and hows to help get you started in the planning for Windows 7 deployment. ”

Technorati tags: Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows 7, Events

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Say hello to Berlin, Germany for the annual Microsoft TechEd 2009 event in the EMEA region. From 9 to 13 Nov 2009, both IT Pros and developers will once again come together, this time round at Messe Berlin. You can look forward to the best event in the industry with great technical content plus opportunities to network with your peers, and make old and new contacts.

Click here for more information and registration.

Technorati tags: Community/User Group, Events

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More than 350 delegates attended the annual Microsoft TechDays 2009 event in Geneva which came to a successful close today. Participants were immersed in content-rich, in-depth technical sessions and discussions with local and international speakers, partners, sponsors, MCTs, MVPs and Microsoft staff over a course of two full days.

The party-cum-reception on the first evening revolved around the Las Vegas Casino theme. All were treated to a wonderful live-band performance, an excellent Magic Pierre (close-up magician) on wheels, Black-Jack and roulette game tables plus non-stop refreshments and drinks.

After countless hours and long sleepless nights in preparing for the presentation, I am glad that my specialized Level 300+ session on OCS 2007 Direct SIP* was very well received. It even overran the allocated one-hour time slot! This was despite the fact that I was one of the very few speakers that delivered a session in English rather than français (même que je parle et comprends bien :-). Most importantly, a big thank you to you, the audience, who kept asking challenging questions and shared your positive feedback, support and encouragement (on- and off- stage).

I really enjoyed being part of this most important Swiss Microsoft technology event of the year. Hope to see you again at TechDays 2010 at the same venue (CICG) à Genève!

( All delegates walked away with a goodie bag at the end of the event. In it, you find a potential use of the Microsoft LifeCam NX-3000 with OCS 2007 R2 Communicator client to make high-definition peer-to-peer calls up to 1270 x 720 at 16:9 on supported hardware and network. Have fun! )

* search for “Speaker at TechDays 2009 (Switzerland)”

Technorati tags: Events, LCS/OCS, OCS 2007 R2

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