Getting Started with BitLocker on the QuickStart Blog

This month, I was asked to write a guest post for the folks at QuickStart Intelligence training center. I was excited that they remembered me fondly from their Windows training event this past April and was happy to help them out.

If you are looking to use BitLocker with a USB flash drive as your key storage, head over to their blog and check out what I've shared in Getting Started with BitLocker.

TechNet Events Presents: Deploying Windows 7

This week's "TechNet Events Presents" event in downtown San Francisco was on deploying Windows 7.  I've attended sessions, blogged and presented on some of these topics in the past year and it's still a hot topic.  There is clearly still a need to talk about the benefits and challenges of moving to Windows 7 and the tools available to overcome those challenges.

With the job market and the economy in its current questionable state, many businesses are truly doing as much as they can with less.  Sometimes that means delaying projects - if Windows XP is still doing it's job, the deployment of Windows 7 might be waiting in the wings.

If you are just beginning to think about rolling out Windows 7 you'll want to know about some of the tools like ACT and MDT.  Also, don't forget about App-V, MED-V or XP Mode which may help you keep some legacy applications in play while taking advantage of the new features in Windows 7.

Here are some links to tools and resources you might like to check out:

• Application Compatibilty Toolkit (ACT)
• Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT)
• Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP) - Includes App-V, MED-V and other tools for SA customers.
• Springboard Series on TechNet - The portal for Windows Client OSes! Find videos, documentation and other great tips.
• Chris Henley's Blog - Chris was the presenter at this TechNet Events Presents event.  He blogs about all things Microsoft and he also posts his slide presentations from the events.  Chris also co-authored a great guide for Windows Server 2008 R2 Administration.

The Springboard Series Tour takes on Europe!

Just wanted to share some information I regarding the Springboard Series Tour, scheduled to begin in late October in Europe.  If you happen to be in any of the cities listed below, don't miss out.

Microsoft Windows, Office and MDOP Deployment Workshops 

www.springboardseriestour.com

• Amsterdam - 25 Oct
• Stockholm – 27 Oct
• Helsinki – 29 Oct
• Reading – 1 Nov
• Rome – 3 Nov
• Vienna – 4 Nov

The Microsoft Get On the Bus Tour is taking a winter hiatus to bring you a new tour – the Springboard Series Tour: Microsoft Windows, Office and MDOP Deployment Workshops!  Amsterdam marks our first stop on a 6-city European tour, en route to TechEd Europe, in Berlin, Germany. Are you looking to plan, pilot or deploy Windows and Office? Our workshops will cover the Office 2010, key deployment strategies for Windows 7, the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack, as well as show you the value of getting trained and certified in these key products. 

Learn why Windows 7 has received rave reviews from IT organizations and is setting records as the fastest selling operating system in history, and find out why so many IT Pros are ready to deploy Office 2010. Give us five hours, and you will have a clear understanding of the tools, tips and tricks you need now to jumpstart the successful deployment and management of your Windows desktop environment today. Come join members of the Windows and Office US Product Teams, as well as local Microsoft Technology Evangelists for technical training, professional networking, and real world guidance. Don’t miss your chance to attend a workshop in the 2010 Springboard Series Tour, register today at www.springboardseriestour.com.

Get your Tour updates first! Follow us on Twitter, @MSSpringboard

Goodbye Live Communications Server 2005

If you happen to be a regular reader of Techbunny.com, you probably know that while I'm a big user of Microsoft products, I'm still happy to remove a MS product when something from a 3rd party will meet my needs. 

In this case, it was Live Communications Server 2005 that took the hit.  We have very few users that regularly "instant message" within the office and with our recent Shoretel upgrade, the conference bridge included basic IM services that could be integrated within our VoIP desktop software.  This would reduce the need for us to manage another server VM and free up those resources for other purposes.

I was concerned that removing LCS would be a chore, but it turns out it was quite easy with less than a dozen steps.  Find them here in TechNet.  I also love the great post-removal report that was generated, as I was able to add that to my change control documentation.

While the upcoming version of Microsoft Unified Communications looks like it will have some great collaboration features, sometimes it's easier to just go with something you might already have handy through a third-party, especially if you don't need a lot of bells and whistles.

BlackBerry BES Small Business Edition – Where to Go Next

We hadn’t planned for 16 users. Several years ago when given the task to provide BlackBerry and other mobile device support, it was only planned for executive and IT users.  I cycled through several products over the years, including ones that supported Palm devices, but spent the last couple years managing a single BlackBerry BES SBE server.  This version has a 15 user license limit, which was a non-issue up until recently. However, the broader adoption of mobile devices smart phones has lead to our office being more willing to supply those devices to other staffers and recently I’ve gotten the request that has put me over the mark for our existing server.

BlackBerry offers two options for those in my situation – A) Upgrade to the full BES edition (Enterprise) or B) Switch to BES Express.  (There is also a hosted service available, but I'm only considering in-house services at this time.) Some pros and cons are as follows:

BES Enterprise Edition

• PROS: Easier upgrade path from SBE, no need to wipe and reactivate devices. 

• CONS: There is a cost of about $2600 depending on where you get your server license; only supports devices with enterprise data plans.

BES Express

• PROS: Free; supports up to 75 users when installed on the mail server, supports more users when installed on separate server; supports devices with enterprise or personal data plans.

• CONS: No migration or upgrade path from SBE or PRO editions of BES, but can be run in conjunction with an existing server; devices will need to be wiped and reconfigured for the new server.

For my scenario, I can’t justify the additional expense of a server OS to run Express separately to support extra users, even if my goal is to eventually migrate my SBE users over time.  Keeping two Blackberry servers is simply overkill for 16 users.  Wiping devices is painful for end users and a headache I don’t plan to go looking for.

While there are upgrade costs associated with going to the Enterprise version, its a one time change that will likely be cheaper in the long run once the costs of my time and the extra management that comes with an additional server is taken into consideration.  Guess it's time for me to place that software order...