UK ISV Developer Evangelism Team

Build Your Apps for Office and SharePoint on Windows Azure; Win Cool Prizes!

Clare Burgess — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 07:56:00 GMT

Have an awesome idea for an app on SharePoint or Office? If you live in the US, UK, Canada, Australia or India, build and submit your app and you could win big prizes in the Apps for Office and SharePoint Developer Contest just announced on the Apps for Office and SharePoint Blog. Grand prize winner will receive $10,000 plus other great prizes; first prize winners will receive Xbox + Kinect bundles and more!

Why not build your killer Office or SharePoint Apps in the cloud with Windows Azure? Visit the Windows Azure Developer Centre to find out how you can build your apps using any language, tool or framework.

If you want to build your app using the new Microsoft Office Developer Tools for Visual Studio 2012 Preview, be sure to read Jay Schmelzer’s new post, “Building Apps With Visual Studio and Windows Azure”. In the post, he walks through how to get started building apps in the cloud using Visual Studio that will be hosted in Office 365 and Windows Azure Web Sites.

Register now for Windows Azure Developer Camps - Edinburgh and Bristol

Clare Burgess — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 11:42:00 GMT

Want to get up to speed quickly with Windows Azure? The Windows Azure Developer Camp will take you from knowing nothing about the Cloud to actually having deployed a simple application to the Cloud and made it available on the public Internet. During this day event, there'll be experienced people available to guide you through each exercise. Once you have the basics in place, you'll be up and running.

Edinburgh – 30^th August - https://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032522070&Culture=en-GB&community=0

Bristol – 13^th September - https://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032522318&Culture=en-GB&community=0

Hope to see you there

If you want any more information, please email us on ukmsdn@microsoft.com

Sign up to a Windows 8 Camp today – Places are limited

AnitahC — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 11:21:04 GMT

Sign up to a Windows 8 Camp to make sure your app is in the Windows Store by the time Windows 8 hits the market. The upcoming Camps are designed to show you how to build a Windows 8 app and get it published in the Windows Store.

These events are hands-on and flexible so you can tailor the day to suit what you need; from working on your own project with assistance from our Windows 8 experts to networking with others and attending short tutorial sessions.

The tutorial sessions will include topics such as the ‘Basics of the OS and interaction with the OS’, ‘Metro style UX’, ‘The Windows Store’, ‘Opportunities for developers’ and ‘The role of Visual Studio and Expression Blend’.

Find out more and book your place at the next Windows 8 Camp:

· Thursday 19^th July, London: Windows 8 DevCamp

· Friday 20^th July, London: Windows 8 DevCamp

· Saturday 21^st July, London: Windows 8 DevCamp

· Tuesday 24^th July, London: Windows 8 DevCamp

· Wednesday 25^th July, London: Windows 8 DevCamp

· Thursday 26^th July, London: Windows 8 DevCamp

Release Candidate of Visual Studio 2012 has launched. Find out more and download it!

AnitahC — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 15:39:29 GMT

Release Candidate (RC) of Visual Studio 2012 was announced on 31^st May, 2012. The RC of Visual Studio 2012, Team Foundation Server 2012 and .NET Framework 4.5 and are now available for download Visual Studio product website.

As part of RC we’ve made numerous improvements to Visual Studio, including performance improvements across the board, updates to the UI based on customer feedback, and enhancements to existing features. We’ve also streamlined the set-up for RC so you can start using Visual Studio 2012 more easily. RC will install over your like-edition of Visual Studio 11. So you don’t need to uninstall the beta first.

For more information

· Learn more about Visual Studio 2012 by joining the Tech.Days: Visual Studio 11 Online Event, 28th June 2012, 1pm - 3pm - This event will cover the key new features and capabilities that Visual Studio 11 offers software development teams and the opportunity to ask questions to the UK Developer Tools team and partners. There will be something for almost anyone involved in software development, from Project Managers & Scrum Masters to developers and testers. (Visual Studio 11 was renamed Visual Studio 2012 after the Release Candidate launch on the 31^st May.)

· Check out the Visual Studio Blog and get Download the Visual Studio 2012 (RC)!

· Follow Jason Zander's blog for up to date information

New Services and Enhancements on Windows Azure

AnitahC — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 10:45:20 GMT

Last week Windows Azure announced some exciting changes bringing together the best of on-premises and cloud computing. Virtual Machines, Virtual Network, and Web Sites are now available as new preview services for Windows Azure. SQL Reporting is now Generally Available to customers, a locally redundant storage option has been added to provide additional customer choice, and several enhancements to existing Windows Azure services are now live. These updates help customers build and bring their applications to the cloud in their own unique way.

There are also a number of pricing and metering updates have been made to increase overall value. These changes include graduated pricing for Network, CDN and Storage; preview pricing for Windows Server and Non-Windows VMs; and a 90% reduction in Storage and CDN transaction prices.

The updates offer customers greater flexibility for spanning on-premises and cloud servers, deliver powerful enhancements for cloud applications, and continue our commitment to make Windows Azure an open platform.

· To read the full announcement visit the Windows Azure blog.

· Watch the Meet Windows Azure Keynote: Scott Guthrie, CVP Windows Azure, Application Platform

· Visit www.windowsazure.com for more information

· Information about the launch will be shared at the UK Windows Azure conference on the 22^nd of June. This event has very few tickets left and you may be put onto the waitlist if it is at fully booked. Find out more and register for the conference here: http://azureconference2012.eventbrite.com/

Great reasons to build or migrate your application onto Windows 8

AnitahC — Wed, 30 May 2012 08:13:03 GMT

Windows 8 gives your customers plenty of reasons to upgrade including enhanced performance, security, and versatility. Here are some of the reasons you should make sure you application is there when your customers move to Windows 8.

Improved speed and performance - Windows 8 boasts vast performance improvements over its predecessors. A smaller memory footprint and faster boot time means less disk space and more productivity for businesses. Your app will get an immediate productivity boost too.

Enhanced end-to-end security features - From power-on to power-off, Windows 8 offers built-in malware resistance, strong authentication, and data encryption to improve security and reliability. And this provides a safer, more secure environment for your application.

Works on laptops, desktops, and tablets - Windows 8 allows workers to use the OS in a way that suits their evolving needs. It works on laptops, desktops, and tablets, with keyboards or touchscreens, and on Intel, AMD, or ARM processors. This allows your customers to take your app with them as they switch between form factors.

Resources to help you build or migrate your apps:

- There are a number of events and camps in the UK that will help you develop or migrate your applications on to Windows 8. To find upcoming events visit Tech.Days UK.

- Microsoft Platform Ready – Get ready for Windows 8 (select Windows 8)

- Partner Learning Centre – Windows 8

Don’t Miss the UK Windows Azure Conference – 22nd June

AnitahC — Thu, 24 May 2012 10:24:13 GMT

If you building or considering building applications for the cloud, then the 22^nd June is a date for the diary. It’s a big day for Windows Azure as the first full day, multi-track conference supported by Microsoft and London Windows Azure User Group, featuring content for .NET, PHP, Java and node.js developers as well as device support in Windows 8, iOS, Windows Phone and Android.

The day will start promptly at 9 AM, with a keynote address from Scott Guthrie, Microsoft Corporate Vice President in charge of the development platform for Windows Azure. In the afternoon there will be 4 tracks, with some great speakers covering a lot of ground, from core concepts though to support for different languages and frameworks through to building client apps backed by the cloud... along with real world expertise.

Find out more and register for the conference here: http://azureconference2012.eventbrite.com/

Tech.Days: Visual Studio 11 Online Event, 28th June 2012, 1pm to 3pm

AnitahC — Mon, 21 May 2012 08:56:54 GMT

Join an online Q&A session with the UK Visual Studio team and industry experts on what’s new in Visual Studio 11. This event is aimed at those in software development; from Project Managers and Scrum Masters to developers and testers. The discussion will focus on the latest features and capabilities presented in the videos on the Microsoft Visual Studio blog . Register here: https://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032513917&Culture=en-GB

Microsoft Supports Partner Innovation

AnitahC — Fri, 11 May 2012 08:45:34 GMT

Innovation is key to both business growth as well as economic growth. It is therefore important that business growth strategy include innovation. Adrian Clarke, Technology Strategist at Microsoft has created a program to help our partners create and deliver new products to be more successful in the market. The program is about inspiring and working with partners to help them create a planned window for innovation. It is essentially a trade-off – we train developers on our latest software tools, they create proof of concepts for new product ideas or efficiencies into existing products. Visit the MSDN blog post to find out more about the Microsoft Innovation Program.

We recently ran this program with Pitney Bowes, who are very passionate about innovation. An amazing 300 developers took part, forming 81 teams that created 79 proof of concepts over 3.5 days on Azure, Phone, SQL 2012, Kinect, .NET and Dynamics. The Innovation Program delivered new product ideas and possible new ways of monetising existing products – out of the 79 proof of concepts, 2-3 potential new products are being considered by Pitney Bowes to add to their portfolio. Watch the video case study.

· If you’d like to find out more about the program then email Adrian Clarke.

· To find out more about the importance of innovation to the UK economy and some simple steps towards kick starting innovation in your business - visit the following blog post - Innovation as a Strategy for Growth.

Real World Windows Azure: LinkFresh Cloud QA – An application that helps businesses deliver safe, fresh, high quality food

AnitahC — Tue, 01 May 2012 10:45:08 GMT

Consumerisation of IT, multiple devices and the ability to use the cloud to scale and grow your business in new ways has created new challenges and opportunities for all of us. Cloud applications and SaaS have changed the way our ISVs think about their businesses and we have seen a number of interesting and innovative uses of the cloud to extend or build new applications. Over the next couple of months we would like share some of the interesting applications and uses of Windows Azure. Take a look at our first Real World Windows Azure App – LINKFresh Cloud QA by Anglia Business Solutions.

Fresh food producers are subject to stringent food safety and quality standards, so managing and monitoring this requires a flexible and powerful mobile solution. LINKFresh Cloud Quality Assurance, part of the Anglia Business Solutions' LINKFresh Cloud platform, delivers a mobile device application which offers a complete Business Management solution for the food supply chain industry. The application runs on Windows Azure and captures produce information, including photo capture, signatures and geo location and stores it safely and securely in the cloud for processing.

Richard Jones, Anglia’s Director of Technology, shared thier reasoning for building this application on the cloud and the benefits that it brings to their customers “Reaching a large volume of mobile users stretching across the globe always presents challenges for support, infrastructure and rollout. Using cloud technology simply made sense for us; we didn’t want the expense of building a backend server environment for each territory we wish to deploy in. The cloud means that we can switch on and off IT infrastructure as and when we require. This makes a great customer experience as the end user is always presented with a fast and useable App. That works reliably all the time. Being able to provide a unparalleled level of service to mobile users; makes our solution scale and keeps customers enthusiastic and loyal to our product offering.”

He has also commented on how the company made some if its key technical decisions “Windows Azure takes the pain out of deploying large scale systems. The ability to use familiar development tools such as Visual Studio to manage and deploy a cloud solution is truly remarkable. Microsoft's ability to ramp up the number of instances and servers we deploy on makes reaching a large geography of users very straight-forward; we are deploying to a large mobile workforce and Azure fits perfectly with our requirement”

David Gristwood, Windows Azure architect with Microsoft, noted that “This is a really innovative use of Windows Azure. The peak loads that there system has to deal with during busy periods is a perfect match for Windows Azure’s elasticity, which can scale up to cope with high throughout and traffic, then scale back down in quiet periods to reduce the running costs, which make for a really compelling story. Wrapping up their programming logic in Windows Azure web roles reduces the amount of programming effort required to manage this elasticity. Mobile scenarios are very common with Windows Azure, because they enable a wide range of devices to connect to Windows Azure through REST based webs service calls, to upload data and get the very latest information, whilst on the move, or in this case, working in the middle of a field”

Fast Facts

The LINKFresh Cloud Quality Assurance runs on Windows Azure and uses SQL Azure and Windows Azure storage. The mobile client runs on Windows Phone, Android and iOS
To cope with peak time demands, the system has been designed to handle hundreds of GB per day from thousands of workers in fields, farms and warehouses
The single code base used for this solution has simplified the development and deployment, and Windows Azure gives Anglia resilience, high availability and international reach without the up-front capital expenditure.
Anglia Business Solutions was founded in 1981 and is a gold certified partner based in Cambridge, UK, and was Dynamics partner of the year 2010

For more information

Read more about LINKFresh Quality Assurance
Get help exploring Windows Azure from Microsoft UK
Learn more about Windows Azure by watching the Six Weeks of Windows Azure sessions
Check out the Windows Azure Marketplace
Connect with us on our ISV Dev LinkedIn group

Register and join a Windows Azure Online Bootcamp in May

AnitahC — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:48:49 GMT

Due to popular demand we will be running 2 versions of the Windows Azure Bootcamps online! This is a great opportunity for those of you who were interested but unable to attend the live Windows Azure Bootcamps or anyone else who is interested in learning more about building applications on the cloud.

The Windows Azure Online Bootcamp will take you from knowing nothing about the cloud to actually having written some code, deployed it to the cloud service and made a simple application available on the public Internet.

There are 2 options for you to choose from:

One day session on the 21^st May 2012 – Register now at http://aka.ms/azureonedayonline

Lunch time multi-day session from the 22^nd – 25^th May 2012 – Register now at http://aka.ms/azureonlinemultiday

During the Online Bootcamp there'll be experienced people available online to guide you through each exercise. Once you have the basics in place, you'll be up and running.

Find out more about what you can expect from the day: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/plankytronixx/archive/2012/04/27/event-free-uk-windows-azure-bootcamp-online.aspx

Windows Azure Video: How Retail Manager Solutions changed their business

AnitahC — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 09:32:00 GMT

Find out how ISVs are using Azure to grow their businesses. Watch this great video where Jim Chapman, CEO of Retail Manager Solutions, talks about their move from on-premises software to the cloud and then tells us how Windows Azure has changed their business. Sales cycle times have been dramatically reduced, customers save money and there is less work to do to get a solution up and running for one of their customers.

Last chance to have your say on the Government’s Open Standards Public Consultation

AnitahC — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 13:13:22 GMT

Your business could be impacted by the Government Consultation on Open Standard. The consultation finishes on 3^rd May but there are still opportunities to find out more and make sure your voice is heard. Microsoft will be running roundtables on the 24^th April at 11.30 in London and 26^th April at 14.00 in Reading to explain our view on the current proposals and how you can get involved and the Cabinet Office are holding a special event for SME’s on 24^th April at 15.30 in London, click here to register. To find out more please contact Charles Eales in our Government Relations team on 07802 881861 or ceales@microsoft.com. Please do take the time to get involved in the consultation before it closes.

For more information take a look at - Government’s Open Standards Public Consultation

SQL Server 2012 Update for Developers

AnitahC — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 14:00:40 GMT

Join us on the 9^th & 10^th of May for a 2 day session in London. The session is designed for Solution Developers and Database Developers with experience of SQL Server environments.) - Register Now

The SQL Server 2012 Update for Developers Training Course will help you understand how to build enterprise grade solutions which exploit key improvements in SQL Server 2012.Participation in this training course offers the following benefits:

Learn all the essential elements of SQL Server 2012 development in an interactive instructor-led format
Learn how to exploit the unique features of SQL Server 2012 in your solutions
Intermediate 200 level technical training designed for developers and IT Professionals
Content developed by technical experts from Microsoft, solidq.com, sqlskills.com and southworks.net.
Get hands-on experience with SQL Server 2012 improvements.

Learn more about SQL Server 2012

Take a look at our latest case study - Ascribe NHS Case Study

5 reasons ISVs should join us at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference in Toronto

AnitahC — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 14:44:20 GMT

WPC provides ISV partners with high value opportunities to help grow your business and provide the insights you need for future success:

Understand the direction of the Microsoft business, including the product roadmap along with innovations such as Windows 8, Windows Phone, Windows Azure and other cloud offerings.
Explore the Microsoft Partner Network, including dedicated ISV partner resources and benefits. Learn more about obtaining the ISV competency, or how to maximise the value of your membership, through 1:1 or group discussions with our experts.
Learn more about the Microsoft ISV Royalty Programme and how it can help you as an ISV partner integrate Microsoft products with your own solutions, enabling you to deliver a complete licensed solution to your customers, and plan your business effectively.
Our UK regional session is designed to equip you with insight into our priorities for the next 12 months as well as practical advice and support on how to capitalise on our local activity throughout the year.
Network with others. Many partners look for potential collaboration opportunities at WPC, and according to our Partner Research Panel results ISV Partners are some of our top partner collaborators. Start leveraging the WPC connection tools to plan your meetings before you even get on the plane.

The WPC professional development tracks are also particularly useful for ISV partners looking to sharpen up on industry trends and business planning for the future.

Find out more and register for WPC2012.

Resources to help you learn about building applications for Windows 8

AnitahC — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 14:54:00 GMT

Take a look at the events, content and toolkits to help you build applications for Windows 8:

Join the Windows 8 Camp

This is a hands-on day of activity where you bring your laptop and write your first Windows 8 code. You can see all of these events on the UK Tech.Days home page.

§ London, Wednesday 9^th May 2012 – Register here

§ London, Thursday 10^th May 2012 – Register here

§ London, Thursday 17^th May 2012 – Register here

§ Birmingham, Monday 21^st May 2012 – Register here

Take a look at the new Partner Learning Path featuring early readiness content for Windows 8.

You can find training resources available for Business Decision Makers, Developers and IT Professionals, including guidance on developing Metro Applications.

Windows Azure Toolkit for Windows 8 .

Create Windows 8 Metro Style applications that can harness the power of Windows Azure. The idea is to connect your Windows application to data in the cloud. The toolkit makes it easy to send Push Notifications to your Windows 8 client apps from Windows Azure via the Windows Push Notification Service. Find out more.

Register for the Windows Azure Bootcamps – Limited places available

AnitahC — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 11:41:18 GMT

Join the Windows Azure Bootcamp! During the day our Windows Azure & Cloud Computing evangelists will take you from knowing nothing about the cloud to actually writing some code, deployed on to a cloud service and make a simple application available on the public internet. You will get all the information you need to get up to speed.

Click here to register for the London Bootcamp, Friday 11 May 2012

Click here to register for the Liverpool Bootcamp, Friday 18 May 2012

If you are unable to attend these sessions but would like to learn more about Windows Azure I would encourage you to watch some of the sessions from Six Weeks of Windows Azure. These sessions can be done in your own time and cover both the commercial and technical aspects of building an application on the cloud with Windows Azure. View the list of sessions available.

Join us at the MPN Partner Business Briefings in April

AnitahC — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 10:17:06 GMT

Register for the Partner Business Briefings taking place in Birmingham, London, Manchester and Edinburgh during April. View the full details of the day, locations and the full agenda.

There are a couple of great track sessions available to you. Here are two of the sessions and descriptions that we would recommend:

Partner opportunities around SQL Server 2012: Why should you consider Application Platform? What’s new in SQL Server 2012? What’s the data platform opportunity? What’s the BI opportunity? What’s the Cloud opportunity…? Attend this session to get answers to these crucial questions!

The Cloud, SaaS Opportunities & Windows Azure: With the increasing customer interest in cloud based solutions it is important to consider how your own intellectual property could be developed on the cloud and made available as a revenue generating service. During the session we will discuss how the cloud is changing the technology landscape, the opportunity it presents for partners and commercial considerations when thinking about building and selling applications on the cloud. Find out more about the Windows Azure platform and resources available to help you take advantage of the cloud opportunity.

View all other track sessions here.

Find out more about the Visual Studio 11 Beta and take advantage of the great offers available to you.

AnitahC — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 09:51:17 GMT

The release of Visual Studio 11 Beta brings the best experiences to developers for Windows 8 as well as building on the great work we started with Visual 2010 building towards a mature ALM Solution unparalleled in the market.

Its goal is to helps developers build stunning Metro style apps for Windows 8. When you install Visual Studio 11 Beta with the Windows 8 Consumer Preview, you’ll have an opportunity to try out the new tools, which are designed to help you, each step of the way. Try the Visual Studio 11 Beta.

Visual Studio 11 beta provides a depth and breadth of capability across multiple platforms, and through Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) process maturity. You can find out more about how your organisation approaches ALM, and how you can make real improvements, by taking the ALM Assessment.

To coincide with the launch of Visual Studio 11 Beta we have a number of great offers to help you get prepared for one of the most exciting launches from Microsoft. Whether you want to take up MSDN to ensure you get the latest version when it is released or you are interested in adding Test tools to your Visual Studio investment we have an offer to help. To find out more about our great offers go to - www.microsoft.com/visualstudio/save/en-gb

For more information on what’s new in Visual Studio 11, check out these blogs:

Visual Studio Team Blog: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/visualstudio/archive/tags/visual+studio+vnext/

Jason Zander’s Blog http://blogs.msdn.com/b/jasonz/

Worldwide Partner Conference in July – I will be there, will you?

Eric Nelson UK — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 14:18:20 GMT

I’ve just had confirmation that I will be off to Toronto in July to spend a weak immersing myself in our latest musings to our fantastic partners on Windows 8, Windows Azure, Private Cloud and more… whilst also having the opportunity to meet and chat with UK partners who are attending – and in theory we all get to stay in the same hotel! Surprisingly this is my first time at WPC even though I am soon entering my 16th year and I am really looking forward to seeing so many partners in one venue – and seeing first hand which announcements, technologies and products excite them and which puzzle them.

If you are a UK software product author attending and are interested in Windows 8 and/or Windows Azure then lets connect up via https://connect.digitalwpc.com

If you are a UK software product author and haven’t yet decided whether you should attend, then take a look at 10 Great Reasons to Attend WPC on the UK WPC Hub and… act soon as there is an early bird discount as well as the potential impact of the Olympics on flight prices to consider.

July 8th to July 12th

P.S. and this is who you are looking out for … or trying your best to avoid :-)

Watch the Six Weeks of Windows Azure Sessions

AnitahC — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 14:23:22 GMT

We have had some great feedback on the Six Weeks of Windows Azure sessions. If you missed out on the opportunity to join us you can watch the recordings that are of interest to you. The below sessions cover both the technical and commercial aspects when thinking about SaaS and the Windows Azure Platform.

Kick off View	This opening session will look ahead at what you can expect from the six weeks and will offer advice on how best to make use of the time. It will also share tips, tools and resources to help you get going from day one. This is a great time to ask us questions about Six Weeks of Windows Azure and should not be missed.
Getting started with the Windows Azure Platform View	This session will at a high level summarise what makes up the Windows Azure Platform - from where it actually is through to the key components such as Windows Azure Roles, SQL Azure Databases, Windows Azure SDK and more.
Designing for the Cloud View	An overview of what it means to design for the cloud with the Windows Azure Platform. It will look briefly at the differences between greenfield and brownfield solutions as well as how costs can potentially impact design.
Surgery View	One hour surgery where attendees asked questions about the Windows Azure Platform and areas discussed during the week.
What/Why/When of SaaS, Cloud and the Windows Azure Platform View	This session will attempt to answer the most common questions we hear - from "What is cloud?" to "Why should I embrace the cloud?" to "How do I make money from the cloud?". This is a fantastic session to really understand why your company should (or should not) be investing in cloud technologies such as the Windows Azure Platform.
Weekly Check-In View	During this session we will look back at the previous week - highlighting answers to the best/most common questions that came up which we think would be worthwhile to share more broadly. This week’s check in included Windows Azure User Group, Traffic Manager and CDN revisited, Tools and Resources Overview.
Working with Code View	At the heart of the Windows Azure Platform is the ability to run code and store data in Microsoft’s cloud. This session will focus on running code which we refer to as "hosted services". It will cover off Web Roles, Worker Roles, Role communication, Startup Tasks, Configuring and Deploying and more.
Working with Data View	At the heart of the Windows Azure Platform is the ability to run code and store data in Microsoft's cloud. This session will focus on storing data. There are several options for storing data which can be used independently or together. It will cover off Windows Azure Storage (Queues, Blobs, Tables) and SQL Azure Databases.
Surgery View	One hour surgery where attendees asked questions about the Windows Azure Platform and areas discussed during the week.
Licensing for the Cloud - understanding Microsoft and yours! View the slides	There are two aspects to licensing in the cloud - Microsoft's licensing of the Windows Azure Platform and how you sell on your services built using the Windows Azure Platform. This session will examine the options around both and share guidance based on the experiences of early adopters of the Windows Azure Platform.
Weekly Check-In View	Each week we will start with a check-in. During this session we will look back at the previous week - highlighting answers to the best/most common questions that came up which we think would be worthwhile to share more broadly.
Answers to common questions on using the Windows Azure Platform View	This session will explore answers to the most common questions we get on using the Windows Azure Platform. An eclectic but informative mix! Expect answers to questions such as "How do I send email?" through to "What is the biggest thing I can build on the Windows Azure Platform?"
Controlling Access to the Windows Azure Platform View	This session will explore the options and mechanics for securing a solution on the Windows Azure Platform - from Authentication to Authorization whilst looking at the many subtle difference across the technologies and services that make up the Windows Azure Platform.
Surgery View	One hour surgery where attendees asked questions about the Windows Azure Platform and areas discussed during the week.
Planning for Success View	This session will share recommendations for how to approach a move to the Windows Azure Platform to ensure a successful outcome.
Weekly Check-In View	During this session we will look back at the previous week - highlighting answers to the best/most common questions that came up which we think would be worthwhile to share more broadly. We will also summarise what you can expect from the current week plus any changes or additions to the agenda .
Instrumentation and debugging View	Diagnosing g problems for applications deployed on the Windows Azure Platform can be tricky. This session will look at what you should do upfront to add diagnostics into your solution and also share recommendations for how to debug issues when they arise.
Application lifecycle management with the Windows Azure Platform View	This session will share recommendations for how successfully employ full Application Lifecycle Management when your solution incorporates the Windows Azure Platform.
Surgery View	One hour surgery where attendees asked questions about the Windows Azure Platform and areas discussed during the week.
Market Reality and Getting Ahead of the Game with ISV Panel View	This session will explore what is really happening in the market. It will look at who is adopting the cloud and why. This is a great session to hear market insights as well as the experiences of some of the early adopters of the Windows Azure Platform.
Weekly Check-In View	Each week we will start with a check-in. During this session we will look back at the previous week - highlighting answers to the best/most common questions that came up which we think would be worthwhile to share more broadly. We will also summarise what you can expect from the current week plus any changes or additions to the agenda .
Understanding the Windows Azure Marketplace View	App Stores or Application Marketplaces have become hugely successful in the consumer space over recent years - and our expectation is that we will see similar success in the business space. This session will look at why you should consider integrating into the Windows Azure Marketplace and the steps needed to achieve that goal. Related is the concept of a data market and this session will also explore publishing and consuming data through the Marketplace.
Connecting cloud and on-premises View	Many early adopters of the Windows Azure Platform are using it as a part of a hybrid solution where only part of the functionality or data resides in the cloud. This session will explore the technologies and approaches to connect cloud hosted code and data to on-premise.
Surgery View	One hour surgery where attendees asked questions about the Windows Azure Platform and areas discussed during the week.
Commercial Design View	This session will drill into what it means to design your application to be a commercially successful business proposition on a cloud platform. This will include how Azure pricing translates to costs for running your application to support business case planning, designing in pricing model and operational support, and issues of compliance with a variety of international and UK data compliance standards. This session will be of interest to both commercial and technical audiences.
Weekly Check-In View	During this session we will look back at the previous week - highlighting answers to the best/most common questions that came up which we think would be worthwhile to share more broadly. We will also summarise what you can expect from the current week plus any changes or additions to the agenda.
Advanced Windows Azure Platform View	During the first few weeks you will help shape the content of this session. It will be looking at more advanced or "edge cases" topics. Great candidates include using the Windows Azure Platform with HPC, Social Gaming, Mobile Devices and more.
Advanced SQL Azure View	SQL Azure includes SQL Azure Database, SQL Azure Data Sync and SQL Azure Reporting. This session will explore in more detail all the components of SQL Azure and will look at advanced features such as SQL Azure Federations.
Surgery View	One hour surgery where attendees asked questions about the Windows Azure Platform and areas discussed during the week.
Realizing Value for your Business through SaaS View	This session will drill down into what it takes to successfully make money long term from any move to adopting cloud technologies.

If you are unable to access these sessions from the blog visit www.sixweeksofazure.co.uk. The sessions can be found under each week.

Windows Azure Security Best Practices

AnitahC — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 14:13:58 GMT

Bruce Kyle, Architect Evangelist in the US has pulled together a great series of blog posts which provide a look into how you can secure your application in Windows Azure. The series describes the threats, how you can respond, what processes you can put into place for the lifecycle of your application, and prescribes a way for you to implement best practices around the requirements of your application.

Take a look at the below posts:

· The Challenges, Defense in Depth. This post describes the threat landscape and introduces the plan for your application to employ defense in depth in partnership with Windows Azure.

· What Azure Provides Out-of-the-Box. This is an overview that security with Windows Azure is a shared responsibility, and Windows Azure provides your application with important security features and other vulnerabilities that you should consider.

· Identifying Your Security Frame. This post explores how you can examine your application and identify attack surfaces. The idea of a Security Frame is a way for you to look at your application to determine treats and your responses, before you even begin coding.

· What Else You Need to Do. In addition to protecting your application from threats, there are additional steps you should take when you deploy your application. We provide a list of mitigations that you should employ in your application development and deployment.

· Claims-Based Identity, Single Sign On. User identification represents the keys to accessing data and business processes in your application. In this section, describes how you can separate user identity and the roles of your user out of your application and make it easier to create single sign on applications.

· How Azure Services Extends Your App Security. This section suggests how you can use Windows Azure Active Directory, Windows Azure Connect, and Service Bus for your cloud applications, on premises applications, and hybrid applications.

· Tips, Tools, Coding Best Practices. Here are a few more items you should consider in securing your Windows Azure application. Here are some tools, coding tips, and best practices: running on the operating system, error handling, and how to access to Azure Storage.

Series of Windows Azure Online Conferences

AnitahC — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 08:34:49 GMT

Join this series of UK Tech.Days Online Conferences focused on helping you understand Windows Azure from the ground up. For more information visit the MSDN Blog post.

Sessions include:

Tuesday, 20 March - A Newcomer’s Introduction to Windows Azure.

This free online event runs from 12.00 – 2.00pm and is suitable for a developer who is either new to Windows Azure or has not yet had any exposure to it. Find out more.

Wednesday, 21 March - An Experienced Developer’s guide to Windows Azure.

This free online event runs from 12.00 – 2.00pm and is suitable for a developer who is experienced with Windows Azure. You have written and deployed some code but you’d like to now get a feel for what it’s like to actually deliver projects on this platform. Find out more.

Thursday, 22nd March - An Architect & Business Decision-Maker’s guide to Windows Azure.

This free online event runs from 12.00 – 2.00pm and is a “warts and all” event where there are 2 case studies of organisations who have made the move to a Windows Azure Platform. Find out more.

For all other Tech. Days Events visit - http://uktechdays.cloudapp.net/upcoming-events.aspx

Guest Post: How to make more profit on the Microsoft Platform

Eric Nelson UK — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 13:50:38 GMT

Something I am keen to see more of on this blog is guest posts by “people in the know” on topics relevant to UK software companies. One such “person in the know” is Nicci Cox of Grey Matter.

Eric

How to make more profit on the Microsoft Platform

by Nicci Cox, ISV Manager, Grey Matter Limited.

Many ISV’s are looking at ways to work smarter with their solution and their customers, and a common question asked of me is “How can I make more profit from the Microsoft Platform?” There are a few responses I can give, but I’ll start with the simplest and most obvious – Microsoft Licensing! On most occasions when providing a solution to an end customer, you will need to understand if your solution will work in the environment that it is intended for, how many servers there are, and sometimes how many users will be accessing the server. These questions can outline the need for additional Microsoft licensing with the addition of one more question to your customer…. Do you have the underlying Microsoft licenses in place?

By understanding if there is an opportunity to provide Microsoft Licensing, you are already one step closer to increasing your profitability with the Microsoft platform. Selling Microsoft licensing may not be your first or even your second or third priority for increasing your profitability within your business, however… if your solution is influencing the sale of new Microsoft licenses, why not supply them rather than passing the profits on to someone else to yield?

By working with Grey Matter, we can assist you identifying licensing opportunities within your customers, advise on the correct and compliant licenses required and the best fit licensing model to fulfil your customer’s needs. To simplify this even further Grey Matter can even talk directly to your customer to assist in speeding up the sales process.

Grey Matter has a dedicated team that focuses on helping ISVs, and any company that creates a unified solution for resale. The team can help you maximise the commercial benefits from building applications on the Microsoft platform – whether it be on premise, in an appliance, hosted or on Windows Azure. We will also able to help you to source all your internal software needs, whether this is software for your development team or to run your business.

Related Links:

Check out other Guest Posts
Also, please do contact me if you have a proposal for a guest post that you would like to contribute to this blog

FREE events covering Windows 8 for Application Developers start 30th March

Eric Nelson UK — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 12:49:46 GMT

My group is laying on a a three city (London, Manchester and Edinburgh) tour which focuses on the Windows 8 opportunities for developers. These are one day events providing accelerated learning on Windows 8 application development.

More details on the UK Tech.Days home page.

London, Friday, 30th March 2012 – Register
Manchester, Friday, 27th April 2012 – Register
Edinburgh, Tuesday, 1st May 2012 – Register