Conference Tracks

Software-plus-services is the next logical step in the evolution of computing. It represents an industry shift toward software design that is neither exclusively PC- nor browser-centric and blends traditional client-server architecture with cloud-based software delivery. The Cloud and Online Services track provides information about Microsoft technology and innovation in software-plus-services. Topics include coverage of the soon-to-be-released next version of the suite: Microsoft® Office 365. Learn about enterprise-ready software services from Microsoft Online Services, such as Microsoft® Exchange Online, Microsoft® SharePoint® Online, Microsoft® Lync™ Online, and Microsoft Dynamics® CRM Online. Gain in-depth information about the Windows Azure™ Platform, where developers can take advantage of an Internet-scale cloud services platform hosted in Microsoft data centers to build new applications in the cloud or extend existing applications.

The Database and Business Intelligence Track offers the knowledge and skills you need to maximise your investments in Microsoft® SQL Server®, SQL Azure™ and along Windows Azure™ Marketplace Datamarket.

The SQL Server Data platform sessions provide the technical and professional information required to maximise your knowledge and arm you with the tools to run a mission-critical environment that is secure, reliable, and scalable.

Business Intelligence platform sessions showcase experts on implementation, analysis, and reporting applications for your corporate data using Microsoft® SharePoint® and Microsoft® Excel® (including PowerPivot add-in). Learn how to empower end users, as well as how to manage the processes needed to implement your own custom solutions.

We will showcase the latest SQL Server and BI technology and share our insight on the upcoming release – SQL Server codenamed "Denali" – so you can rest assured knowing the investments you make today will continue to pay off in the future.

The Deployment track content is designed to improve your readiness to plan, asses, implement, support, and drive deployment of key Microsoft Technologies.

Key focus areas include a technical dive into deployment technologies for Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, Office 2010 and Windows® Internet Explorer® 9. The sessions focus on migration and upgrade scenarios providing guidance for Deployment tools/techniques and application compatibility.

Sessions in the Development Practices and Architecture track focus on three core streams of architecture: Enterprise Architecture, Infrastructure Architecture and Development Architecture.

This track will provide attendees with the tools and knowledge to use both widely accepted and newly emerging patterns and practices, and help you make better architecture choices—whether it's researching and evaluating new technology and platforms, choosing or creating patterns, guidelines and practices, or speaking the same language as the business team. Learn about processes you can use to translate business vision, intent, and strategy into effective technological change in the Enterprise. Of interest to aspiring architects, the Development Practices and Architecture track will also explore career development from technical consultant or code cutter roles to architecture roles; including the important soft skills that architects need to hone or develop to be successful in the role.

Build your toolkit as an architect by learning how to bring predictability and repeatable success to projects by employing frameworks, methodologies, patterns and best practices; and how to take a vendor-neutral approach when creating architectures.

The Developer Tools, Languages and Frameworks track is packed with deep technical training that covers the best of Microsoft® Visual Studio® 2005, Visual Studio 2008, Visual Studio 2010, the Microsoft® .NET Framework and Microsoft® Expression Blend®. Get in-depth information on building mission-critical software using native and managed Visual C++®, Visual Basic®, F#, and Visual C#®. Gain Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) best practices using Visual Studio, Visual Studio Test Professional, and Team Foundation Server. This track also features sessions on cutting-edge Web technologies and provides you with the latest in developing great user experiences from the Windows® desktop to mobile devices to cross-browser and cross-platform on the Web. Get the latest information on XAML, Microsoft® Expression® Studio, and Microsoft® Silverlight™, as well as in-depth coverage of Internet Information Services (IIS), Microsoft® ASP.NET, ASP.NET AJAX, Windows® Internet Explorer®, and Windows Live™ Platform. Sessions covering Windows Embedded tools and technologies offer developers, IT pros and designers insights into unique ways of integrating Windows technologies into a wide range of devices. Discover how Windows Embedded can help you meet the challenge of developing devices and applications for devices—and managing these devices onsite.

Microsoft’s goal in delivering leading CRM and ERP solutions is to help each customer become a dynamic business, one that is connected, agile, and efficient, a company that can win in any environment. The sessions in the Dynamics track will focus on AX solutions for ERP and the CRM 2011 products.

Microsoft Dynamics AX
The world economy is ever changing; how do you anticipate and embrace change? Is IT the enabler of your plans to grasp new opportunities? And what is the best way to leverage the innovations in Microsoft Dynamics AX to become more transparent, improve efficiency and agility? You’ll have the opportunity to learn more about functionality in Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 and to share experiences across our core themes: business and customer insight, upgrades, operational and IT efficiency, and implementation best practices.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM
Experience the excitement of the new Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 release – including key enhancements in business productivity, collaboration and insights. Whether you are deploying CRM for the first time – or you’re looking to extend your deployments with Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011, you will leave this event with a complete view of how this new release delivers the “Power of Productivity” for today’s businesses that want to take advantage of the cloud or keep their solution running from their own IT investments.

Microsoft Exchange and Microsoft Lync technologies use the power of software to deliver complete communications—email, IM/Presence, voice and conferencing that people use every day. The Exchange and Lync track strengthens your knowledge of the platform and technologies, including Microsoft® Exchange Server 2010, Microsoft® Lync™ Server 2010, Microsoft Exchange Online, and Microsoft Lync Online. Access your business anywhere at any time: at work, at home and on the road. Explore the value of streamlining your organisation's communications and collaboration system—whether on-premise, online, hosted or a combination thereof—we've got you covered!

Wondering what the $9 billion of R&D that Microsoft invests each year leads to? Want to get a glimpse of new technologies that could change the way you work, play, and interact? The innovation track may not provide all the answers, but it will highlight interesting, innovative, and outright cool Microsoft products and technologies available right now, and some that are being worked on. It’s also a chance to see how customers and partners are adapting Microsoft technologies in innovative ways.

Deepen your technical skills for designing, deploying, and managing solutions based on the Microsoft® Office and SharePoint® technologies. The Office and SharePoint track covers topics including: security, deployment, management, and end user adoption for IT professionals; and customisation, integration and testing for developers. Technologies covered include: Microsoft Office client, Office Web Apps, Office 365, Microsoft SharePoint Server, SharePoint Online, Microsoft® Project Server, and Microsoft® Visio®.

Protecting information and infrastructure assets is a critical element in driving business growth. At the same time, users are demanding applications and access to information be delivered to their increasing array of devices, wherever they are working; and application owners are demanding new levels of flexibility and control as they consume datacenter and cloud services. The Security, Identity & Management track offers technical detail on Microsoft® Forefront™ products, identity-based access technologies, Windows® security technologies, security trends and best practices, and more. It provides guidance on how these capabilities extend across on-premises and cloud services to enable greater productivity with enhanced security.

Management sessions cover Microsoft® System Center solutions that provide a unified and extensible management system for your physical, virtual and cloud infrastructure to help you lower costs; improve efficiency; and empower your customers. Dive deep into capabilities across such products as: System Center Virtual Machine Manager, Operations Manager, Configuration Manager, Data Protection Manager, Service Manager, Opalis and AVIcode.

The Virtualisation track covers all aspects of virtualisation to address the current demands on IT professionals looking to virtualise their environment. Learn how Microsoft is making it easier for you to deploy private clouds based on the Windows Server®, Hyper-V™, and System Center stack. Understand the overall Microsoft Virtualisation strategy and its connection to our end-to-end, desktop to datacenter to cloud capabilities. Experience Microsoft products in this space, including Windows Server 2008 R2, Microsoft Hyper-V Server, Windows Server 2008 R2 Remote Desktop Services, Microsoft VDI Suite, Microsoft Application Virtualisation (App-V), and Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualisation (MED-V) as well as the Microsoft® System Center family of products.

The Web and User Experience track brings you all the latest information on cutting-edge Web technologies and provides you with the latest in developing great user experiences, from the Windows® desktop to mobile devices to cross-browser and cross-platform on the Web. Get the latest information on Windows Presentation Foundation, XAML, Microsoft® Expression® Studio, and Microsoft® Silverlight™, as well as all the in-depth coverage of Internet Information Services (IIS), Microsoft® ASP.NET, ASP.NET AJAX, Windows Internet Explorer®, Windows Live™ Platform, and Commerce Server. Whether you are interested in taking your ASP.NET development to the next level, or finding out how you can use your .NET development skills to build rich experiences, the Web and User Experience track is for you.

Want to know how to tackle Windows 7 Deployment and Consumerisation of IT? The Windows Client track offers everything you need to know about adoption, deployment, virtualisation using the Optimised Desktop and Windows® 7 Platform. Key focus areas include Desktop Strategy, Consumerisation of IT as well as a technical dive into Windows 7 deployment, Microsoft® Desktop Optimisation Pack (MDOP), Windows Intune, Windows® Internet Explorer® 9 and Group Policy. Content is designed to improve your readiness to plan, assess, implement, support, and drive deployment of Windows and the Optimised Desktop technologies. The technical sessions focus on migration and upgrade scenarios and provide best practices and tools for application compatibility and guidance for choosing the right deployment tools. The non-technical sessions cover how you can approach Consumerisation of IT and Desktop Strategy.

Windows® Phone 7 is a different kind of phone designed to bring together what users care about most. It was designed to accommodate their needs for mobility and web 2.0 technologies. It can also tie in to your existing Windows infrastructure and take advantage of the rich functionality available in products such as Microsoft® Exchange Server and Microsoft® SharePoint® Server. There is a lot for IT Professionals and users alike to appreciate. Users are looking for rich experiences on Windows Phone, and like to personalise it with apps. The Windows Phone track gives you the knowledge to develop compelling apps. Presenters dive deep into the code for an under-the-hood look at cool mobile technologies and rich cloud-based services you can use with Windows Phone. Developers will not be disappointed. What will you do when your co-workers bring in Windows Phone 7 and ask you to make it work? The Windows Phone track can help you be successful in your organisation.

The Windows Server® family of products provides the best foundation on which to build your IT infrastructure. The Windows Server track shows you the solutions technologies, such as cloud enablement, which help ensure success and efficiency from small businesses to large enterprises. Each day we focus on a core Windows Server scenario including Networking technologies like Direct Access and BranchCache™, Server Management technologies such as Windows PowerShell™, File Services, Security, and Remote Desktop Services—making it easy to follow the sessions and activities which are important to you and your organisation.