I recently attended a TechNet presentation entitled Technologies to Change Your Business.This was the Microsoft Launch Event for IT Managers and Executives with Steve Ballmer, CEO, Microsoft; and Chris Ingle, Consulting & Research Director, IDC . They introduced the latest in the line up of Serv

I recently attended a TechNet presentation entitled Technologies to Change Your Business.

This was the Microsoft Launch Event for IT Managers and Executives with Steve Ballmer, CEO, Microsoft; and Chris Ingle, Consulting & Research Director, IDC . They introduced the latest in the line up of Server technologies: Windows 2008 Hyper-V and SQL Server 2008 and showcased customers who are using them. They also interspersed demonstrations of some new client technologies. 

I have only just discovered the video and slide presentations that allow you to join in the fun; they are worth a look if only for Steve pumping out "IT guys, IT guys ..." in an echo of his now familiar Developers, Developers, Developers cheer-leading.  On a more serious note some of the key messages I took away were:

Microsoft is getting very serious about "Cloud Services" or Software + Services as they have it - see slide 7 Choice and Flexibility. 

They believe they are closing the gap on VMware with Hyper-V - slide 9 "Microsoft Virtualisation" - with these benefits:

• integrated management - System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 - released Oct 21
• "1/3 cost of VMware"
• Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 (launched that day) available as a no-cost download but of limited use
• Live Migration coming in the next version of Microsoft Hyper-V Server

Videos

Introduction - Martin Veitch, CIO Magazine | Steve Ballmer Part 1 - Microsoft's Vision for Software Delivered as a Service | Steve Ballmer Part 2 - Microsoft's Vision for Software Delivered as a Service | Taking Virtualisation to the Next Level - Bruce Lynn | Planning for the next wave of Technologies - Chris Ingle | Andrew Bennett Part 1 | Andrew Bennett Part 2 | Marc Holmes | Matthew Woodruff | Dotnet Solutions | Chris Page (Local Authority) | World Wide Telescope | National Rail Enquiries | Fujitsu Siemens Conclusion

Presentation slides

• Technologies to Change Your Business (10.75MB PDF slide-deck)