The new Microsoft Office

August 22, 2012 By admin

Just a few weeks ago Microsoft sent out a press release announcing the preview available for the new Microsoft Office.

Microsoft has put ideas into practice that will cross boundaries by integrating social aspects and enabling your data to be accessible from any device.

Social Integration: The People Card is an integrated view of your contacts everywhere in Office, which includes contact information and activity feeds from Facebook and LinkedIn accounts. It also comes with Skype so you can integrate Skype contacts into Lync and call or message anyone on Skype.

Office in the Cloud: This technology makes the new Office accessible and keeps your data up to date. SkyDrive saves documents automatically so your data is available from any device.

Stylus and Touch Screen with Windows 8: Windows 8 will have a touch screen responds naturally, like a mouse or keyboard so your applications will be accessible literally at your fingertips. The stylus also enables the user to handwrite emails and convert to text (some of us still like being able to write things).

Not only does the release have a sleek new look, but it also has an intuitive design that works with touch, stylus, mouse or keyboard across new Windows devices. Whether for personal or business use, it truly serves as a one stop shop for reading, note-taking, meetings and communication.

View the customer preview here.

-Carissa Cotner, Marketing Coordinator

Filed Under: Microsoft Tagged With: , , ,

Gearing up for Microsoft updates and product launches

August 15, 2012 By admin

Microsoft has a lot of exciting initiatives coming up this fall. We’ve downloaded the beta versions and previews in order to become familiar with the new products so we can deliver our expertise. We’ve been talking about these upcoming products, but here is just an overview of what’s to come this fall.

Windows 8

The new Windows 8 will offer a multi-touch user interface and more traditional keyboard and mouse support. Windows 8 will reach general availability by the end of October.

Windows Server 2012

It will launch in September 2012 and will have Hyper-V upgrades to position strongly against VMware. The Switch to Hyper-V program includes: best practices for partners based on intellectual property that Microsoft has collected; practice accelerator guidance and related resources; and a Virtual Machine Migration Toolkit, which allows trained partners to perform end-to-end V2V migrations, Microsoft claims.

Windows Surface tablets

Microsoft wants to get into the competition with its new tablets. Can it compete with the iPad? For one thing, with the tablet users will be able to access Microsoft Office. The iPad doesn’t offer this, which might appeal more to business users. It could be a laptop replacement for people that are constantly on-the-go.

Office 2013

With Windows 8 just months away, the software is due for an upgrade. The latest edition will have cloud integration with SkyDrive, which saves documents to SkyDrive by default so user content is always available across your tablet, PC and phone. Overall, it will have a sleek look and feel. It will be used best with Windows 8 on PCs and tablets.

-Carissa Cotner, Marketing Coordinator

Filed Under: Hyper-V, Microsoft, Tablet Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

An overview of Windows 8

August 8, 2012 By admin

You may remember our first impressions of the Windows 8 beta version. Now that we have tested the waters, we decided to go through each edition of Windows 8 to get a feel for which is right for you. The three editions are Windows 8, Windows 8 Pro and Windows RT.

For many users, Windows 8 will be the right choice. Its features include an updated Windows Explorer, Task Manager, better multi-monitor support and the ability to switch languages on the fly.

Windows 8 Pro includes all the features in Windows 8 plus features for encryption, virtualization, PC management and domain connectivity. Windows 8 Pro is well suited for the business environment.

Windows RT will include touch-optimized desktop versions of the new Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. It will also include a new app, Windows runtime, or WinRT, which will lead to a new generation of cloud-enabled, touch-enabled and web-connected apps.

Here is an extended overview of the key features with each version:

Feature name Windows 8 Windows 8 Pro Windows RT
Upgrades from Windows 7 Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium x x
Upgrades from Windows 7 Professional, Ultimate x
Start screen, Semantic Zoom, Live Tiles x x x
Windows Store x x x
Apps (Mail, Calendar, People, Messaging, Photos, SkyDrive, Reader, Music, Video) x x x
Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote) x
Internet Explorer 10 x x x
Device encryption x
Connected standby x x x
Microsoft account x x x
Desktop x x x
Installation of x86/64 and desktop software x x
Updated Windows Explorer x x x
Windows Defender x x x
SmartScreen x x x
Windows Update x x x
Enhanced Task Manager x x x
Switch languages on the fly (Language Packs) x x x
Better multiple monitor support x x x
Storage Spaces x x
Windows Media Player x x
Exchange ActiveSync x x x
File history x x x
ISO / VHD mount x x x
Mobile broadband features x x x
Picture password x x x
Play To x x x
Remote Desktop (client) x x x
Reset and refresh your PC x x x
Snap x x x
Touch and Thumb keyboard x x x
Trusted boot x x x
VPN client x x x
BitLocker and BitLocker To Go x
Boot from VHD x
Client Hyper-V x
Domain Join x
Encrypting File System x
Group Policy x
Remote Desktop (host) x

Stay tuned for more information about Windows 8, including pricing, promotions and launch date. In the meantime, check out a preview of Windows 8.

Filed Under: Microsoft Tagged With: , , ,

Rock your meetings

August 1, 2012 By admin

Meetings are a necessary evil to any work environment. And sometimes when people feel like they are stuck behind closed doors, they can’t stop thinking about their overflowing inbox or who commented on their latest Facebook picture. So what can you do to rock your next meeting and ensure that everyone involved leaves refreshed and informed?

Inc. dove into what makes a great meeting great and why some meetings just plain flat suck.

Here are a few note-worthy stats:

  • Engagement is 20% higher when the guests do most of the talking, rather than the presenter.
  • 15-minute meetings are 50% more successful than 45-plus-minute meetings
  • The longer the slide deck, the less likely it will be read when it is forwarded after the meeting. (If your deck is 40 or more slides, forget getting it read.)
  • Attendees may promise to forward the materials, but only do it 1 out of 7 times.

Interesting to see that longer doesn’t always mean more productive! So what can you do the next time you are leading (or attending) a meeting?

  1. Think Short
  2. Go Light on Handouts
  3. Collaborate
  4. Use the Ensemble Cast
  5. Follow Up

This article got us thinking about our meetings and if we are following these guidelines. We deployed Microsoft Lync internally earlier this year, and it really has made our meetings more collaborative and interactive. Because of the screen sharing capabilities, all meeting participants can view, edit and make changes to the presentation. This allows everyone to participate rather than just the presenter. Collaborate: CHECK!  Use the Ensemble Cast: CHECK!

Also with Lync you can eliminate the step of having the presenter forward you the materials after the meeting; they can share them during the presentation so everyone has an electronic version (also saves on paper!). Light on Handouts: CHECK! Follow Up: CHECK!

We definitely agree that there is a time and place for face-to-face meetings, especially when dealing with clients, potential clients, vendors and serious issues. But for certain internal purposes, Lync has changed the way we meet, especially if you need to schedule a quick impromptu meeting. Think Short: CHECK!

No matter what technology you use, just remember to keep your meetings short and to the point!

Check out this infographic for more statistics and interesting facts about meetings and participants.

Filed Under: Development, Microsoft Tagged With: , , , , ,