Architecture Innovation Cafe – Webcast Series (November)

Each month through June 2010, we’ll bring you a 90-minute Architect focused Webcast to educate on the latest trends/topics and how new technologies can align with your business needs.

 

November 24, 2009 at 11:00am – 12:30pm PST

Title:  An Architect’s perspective on Silverlight 3

Presenter: Tim Heuer

Abstract:  Many .NET developers are becoming more and more interested in the Rich Internet Application development space, and in particular Silverlight.  In this session we will step back from a detailed implementation technology and take a higher level look at Silverlight from the architect’s perspective.  We will discuss the types of applications where Silverlight makes sense and some scenarios where Silverlight may not be the appropriate technology.  We will also delve into some of the architectural decisions that the architect must consider when writing applications for this platform and where some of the tradeoffs may lie.

Event ID:  1032432980

Link to Register:  here

 

November 25, 2009, 11:00am – 12:30pm PST

Title: Cloud-computing architecture – designing multi-tenant applications on Windows Azure.

Speaker:  Joseph Hofstader

Abstract: Cloud computing is one of the hottest topics in information technology today.  With all the confusion surrounding acronyms ending in ‘aas’ like Platform as a Service (PaaS), Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Software as a Service (SaaS) it can be intimidating for even seasoned IT professionals.  This presentation will briefly discuss the different types of cloud platforms and then address one of the key business scenarios for the cloud: Software as a Service.

Software as a Service is a business model for making applications available over the Internet.  One of the key tenets of SaaS is multi-tenancy, or software designed to be used by multiple parties.  Designing SaaS applications touches on many of the technologies that comprise the Azure platform: Processing, Storage, Workflow, Database and most importantly security.   This presentation will discuss how each of technologies can be utilized to define a flexible architecture for multi-tenant solutions.

Event ID:  1032432981

Link to Register: here

SPEAKER BIOS

Tim Heuer

Tim Heuer is a program manager for Microsoft Silverlight, a web technology aimed at delivering rich internet experiences to users.  Before this current role, Tim was a developer evangelist for Microsoft serving the Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado, Montana and Utah areas aiming to strengthen and support communities and software developers in these geographies.

Josepher Hofstader

Joseph Hofstader is an architect/evangelist in Microsoft Communications Sector.  Joe has spent his career architecting, designing and developing solutions in the telecommunications industry.  Over the last 5 years, he has been involved in architecting solutions that provide telecommunications services in the cloud.  Joe presents regularly at industry events sponsored by organizations like the TMForum  and the National Association of Broadcasters.  In his spare time Joe is an adjunct professor in the department of Information Technology and Electronic Commerce at the University of Denver’s Daniels College of Business.

Architect Opening on our Team in the Bay Area

We are looking for a Sr. Architect Evangelist to join our West Region team in the Microsoft Developer and Platform Evangelism (DPE) group.  If you are passionate about new, bleeding edge technology, and helping companies envision how that technology solves business problems, this is a great role for you!  The role focuses on innovative new Microsoft platform technologies and works with both customers and partners.

If you are interested or know someone that might be interested, see the job posting here.

PHP On Windows Contest!

Have you tried to run PHP on Windows?  Maybe you should try it!

Try it and compete in the Great PHP on Windows® Contest!

Try your hand at PHP on Windows and win a complete 52″ HDTV home entertainment system and the opportunity to present your creation to the crowd at php|tek 2010 in Chicago with an all-expenses paid trip!

The basics of the contest are simple – Write a new application designed to run in PHP on Windows using IIS—or make a significant contribution to an existing open-source project along the same lines.

Find out more here!

Watch Windows 7 / Windows Server 2008 R2 Live – “The New Efficiency”

Experience The New Efficiency Microsoft Launch Event Live from San Diego October 26th Virtually!
www.thenewefficiency.com/live

Some of my Microsoft colleagues will be delivering the Windows 7 / Windows Server 2008 R2 launch live from San Diego starting at 9am PDT October 26th. Now, you can view and download these 18 IT Professional and Developer focused sessions without ever leaving the house.  Focusing on Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, and Exchange Server 2010, you can listen to Microsoft experts, download valuable resources and explore the live launch event “virtually”.

Mark your calendars

Infrastructure-as-a-Service Will Mature in 2010

My good friend and colleague, David Chou (Microsoft Architect Evangelist) was interviewed recently by Jeremy Geelan at Sys-Con Media on the topic of Cloud Computing. 

While acknowledging that lots of work is currently being done to differentiate and integrate private and public cloud solutions, David believes that Infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) is the area of Cloud Computing that will make its impact most noticeably in 2010 – especially for startups, and small-medium sized businesses.

You can find the interview here.

Architect Innovation Cafe – Webcast Series

Each month through June 2010, we’ll bring you a 90-minute Architect focused Webcast to educate on the latest trends/topics and how new technologies can align with your business needs.

 

October 27, 2009 at 11:00am – 12:30pm PST

Title:  An Architect’s perspective on Silverlight 3

Presenter: Tim Heuer

Abstract:  Many .NET developers are becoming more and more interested in the Rich Internet Application development space, and in particular Silverlight.  In this session we will step back from a detailed implementation technology and take a higher level look at Silverlight from the architect’s perspective.  We will discuss the types of applications where Silverlight makes sense and some scenarios where Silverlight may not be the appropriate technology.  We will also delve into some of the architectural decisions that the architect must consider when writing applications for this platform and where some of the tradeoffs may lie.

Event ID:  1032427862

Link to Register:  An Architect’s perspective on Silverlight 3

October 28, 2009 at 11:00am – 12:30pm PST

Title:  Deploying Windows 7 from an Infrastructure Architect’s Perspective

Presenter: Doug Klokow

Abstract:

We’ll discuss 5 key areas centered on deploying Windows 7:  Developing business justification – Evaluate the capabilities provided by Windows 7 and develop a plan for how to realize business value from these solutions; Where are you today – Explore the differences of preparing for Windows 7 based on your current desktop operating system; Application readiness – Explore the tools and resources available to gain insight into your readiness to deploy Windows 7, Internet Explorer 8, and/or Office 2007/2010; Deployment readiness – Explore the tools and resources available to create a design and deployment solution for your enterprise; Training your employees – Discuss available resources for training your IT Staff and End Users.

Event ID:  1032427863

Link to Register:  Deploying Windows 7 from an Infrastructure Architect’s Perspective

SPEAKER BIOS

Tim Heuer

I currently work for Microsoft as a program manager for Microsoft Silverlight, a web technology aimed at delivering rich internet experiences to users.  Before this current role, I was a developer evangelist for Microsoft serving the Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado, Montana and Utah areas aiming to strengthen and support communities and software developers in these geographies.

 

 

Doug Klokow

Part of Microsoft Consulting Services for 9 years focused on client desktop deployment solutions.  He is part of the Virtual Deployment Practice that is focused on driving early customer deployment on Microsoft client technologies and is also supporting Microsoft’s Desktop Virtualization capabilities and service offerings.

Windows Phone Launching tomorrow – October 6, 2009

Tomorrow, Microsoft is launching Windows Phone and announcing the availability of Windows phones at retail stores worldwide. The new phones will be the first to feature Windows Mobile 6.5, the latest version of our mobile phone software, and will deliver new customer experiences through an improved, easy-to-use user interface, better browsing capabilities and access to valuable services, including Windows Marketplace for Mobile and Microsoft My Phone.

Windows Mobile 6.5 includes some great enhancements in the UI, consumer oriented features, a new browser, and much more. 

For a great overview of the new features in Windows Mobile 6.5, as well as information about Windows Marketplace for Mobile and Microsoft My Phone, my colleague, Anand Iyer has a great post regarding the announcement at his blog artificial ignorance.

Netflix uses Silverlight & Smooth Streaming to stream the Wizard of Oz to America

Celebrating the 70th Anniversary of The Wizard of Oz, and the re-release by Warner Brothers of an HD version of the movie, Netflix has launched a website to stream the movie for FREE to anyone in America on October 3rd. 

Netflix also hosted a free, live concert and outdoor movie screening on Tuesday, September 29th, in New York City’s Central Park at Rumsey Playfield.  The concert featured songs from “The Wizard of Oz” performed by Jennifer Hudson, Julianne Hough and ?uestlove.

New renditions of “Wizard of Oz” songs from the concert are also posted on the site here.  

The site has been implemented with Smooth Streaming, an IIS Media Services extension, that enables adaptive streaming of media to Silverlight clients over HTTP. Smooth Streaming provides a high-quality viewing experience that scales massively on content distribution networks, making true HD media experiences (720p+) a reality.

Enjoy!!!

Microsoft WebsiteSpark Announced

Today, Microsoft announced the availability of a new program for Web Professionals called Microsoft WebsiteSpark. With WebsiteSpark and the Microsoft Web Platform, Microsoft is demonstrating an ongoing and unwavering commitment to fostering the success of Web professionals and SMBs around the world.

The WebsiteSpark Program provides Web professionals with Microsoft software and solutions, together with related tools, training and support, to help their businesses succeed. The WebsiteSpark Program also helps drive new business opportunities by connecting Web professionals and hosters with an ecosystem of customers, partners and other professionals with complementary technologies.

Web development and design companies with up to 10 employees and owners can participate in the WebsiteSpark Program for three years with no up-front cost. There is only a $100 program offering fee, payable at exit, with no other costs or obligations. Once approved, these companies can have access to:

• Microsoft Web design and development tools, including three licenses of Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Professional Edition, two licenses of Microsoft Expression Web 3, and one license of Microsoft Expression Studio 3.
• Four processor licenses for production usage of Microsoft Windows Web Server 2008 or R2 (when available) and four processor licenses for production usage of Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Web Edition.
• A third-party premium Website control panel (DotNetPanel).

Find out more or join at WebsiteSpark!

Architect Cafe | Webcasts

 

ARCHITECT CAFÉ | Webcasts

DAY 1 – September 28, 2009 at Noon PST

From the Trenches: Using Architectural Skills to Increase Solution Adoption Success Rates

Event ID: 1032424600 

Jim Wilt

Products, Solution Frameworks, and Development Tools are too often touted by vendors and development teams as solutions to customer business problems. Why do development teams, customers, and users seek products to fill this gap? When solutions fail is it too easy to blame a given platform than for those really responsible to take responsibility? It more often has to do with one’s level of problem solving skills, planning, and ability to align technology with business strategy. This session introduces proven field architectural practices in leadership, communication, and some strategy tools that will assist stakeholders in becoming owners of their solutions–taking responsibility for their outcomes. This results in greater customer satisfaction, as the focus is all about enabling problem solvers, not expecting products to deliver successful solutions.

Link to Register: Day 1 Registration

DAY 2 – September 29, 2009 at Noon PST

Software as a Service in the Cloud

Event ID: 1032424657

Michael Stiefel

Architecting and building a Software as a Service application requires solving a series of problems that are independent of a particular software platform. First, SaaS architecture follows directly from the fundamental principles of the business model. Second, a series of difficult technical problems must be solved in addition to providing the business functionality. These include certificate security, low-IT-capable clients, business continuity when connectivity is lost, provisioning of services, scalability as the number of clients increase, database design for clients, how to use virtualization, and how to integrate and release service functionality over several different client applications. Third, you have to effectively use the platform technology such as WCF and ASP.NET. If you approach building a SaaS application on these three levels, you can then leverage your work into new platforms such as Windows Azure.

Link to Register: Day 2 Registration

SPEAKER BIOS

Jim Wilt

Chief Software Architect for Metrics Reporting, Inc.

Michael Stiefel

Principal of Reliable Software, Inc. is a consultant on software architecture and development, and the alignment of information technology with business goals. He is also a Microsoft Solutions Architect MVP.
Education: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with a Interdisciplinary PhD degree in Nuclear Engineering, Political Science, and History of Technology; M.S. in Nuclear Engineering; and B.S. in Electrical Engineering. He is an active member of the IEEE Consultants Network.