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BPOS-Federal & FISMA

By: Eron Kelly I am pleased to share that BPOS-Federal has received FISMA ( Federal Information Security Management Act ) certification and accreditation. FISMA was passed in 2002 and created a process for federal agencies to certify and accredit the security of information management systems. FISMA certification and accreditation indicates that a federal agency has approved a particular solution for its use in line with the level of security established by that agency. The certification and accreditation has resulted in an official “Authorization to Operate” (ATO) issued on April 19 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for Microsoft’s Business Productivity Online Services-Federal, which includes Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, and Office Communications Online. It follows a similar authorization issued by the USDA in November for the Microsoft data centers that will deliver these services to the USDA. We plan to pursue FISMA certification and accreditation for Office 365, our next generation cloud productivity suite, after it launches. As a result of this action, the USDA is migrating 120,000 employees to Microsoft’s BPOS-Federal service. This means that the USDA can use BPOS-Federal to handle a variety of tasks. For example, the USDA’s Food Security programs can use BPOS-Federal to respond to food safety emergencies, the U.S. Forest Service can use BPOS-Federal to coordinate its efforts to fight forest fires, and the Foreign Agriculture Service can use BPOS-Federal to manage the distribution of food aid to millions of people around the world. We take our responsibility to protect customer data very seriously, and our cloud services already meet some of the industry’s most rigorous global security and privacy standards. FISMA for BPOS-Federal is just the latest example. We are very excited by this news and committed to serving the needs of our public sector customers. You can learn more about the specific elements of the latest BPOS-Federal solution here , and about Microsoft Online Services generally at www.microsoft.com/online . If you have questions about Microsoft’s cloud offerings for government, ask your Microsoft rep or your partner, or you can ask in the comments below. Thanks, Eron

I am speaking at SPTechCon in Boston June 1-3, register! @SPTechCon

I am happy to announce that I will be speaking at SPTechCon in Boston June 1-3, 2011, delivering the following session: 310 Implementing Team Foundation Server 2010 & Project Server Integration to Solve the Agile/PMO Dilemma Team Foundation Server 2010 and Project Server Integration Feature Pack further strengthen Microsoft’s Application Lifecycle Management Solution by bridging the gap between Project Portfolio Management and Application Development. By bringing the best of both worlds, it creates a win-win situation that enables development and project management teams to collaborate and communicate a project’s timeline and progress using familiar tools such as Microsoft Visual Studio, Project Server, and SharePoint 2010. This session will provide a product overview and demonstrations, as well as discuss customer successes. Lots of great SharePoint content at that event as well as plenty of renowned SharePoint experts. Registrants who use my last name (FIESSINGER) as a code during check out they will receive a $200 discount, so don’t wait and register !

Team Foundation Server 2010 and Project Server 2010 Demo Virtual Machine is ready for download!

As announced today on the main Project blog, I’m very very happy to announced this great asset you have been waiting for: Visual Studio Team Foundation Server 2010 and Project Server 2010 Demo Virtual Machine . I have been using this VM for a while and it’s a great asset we have put together to help you understand the value, the scenarios and the functionality enabled by the Visual Studio Team Foundation Server 2010 and Project Server Integration Feature Pack released last month. So don’t wait and start your downloads!

Visual Studio Team Foundation Server 2010 and Project Server 2010 Demo Virtual Machine

Following the recent release of the Visual Studio Team Foundation Server 2010 and Project Server Integration Feature Pack in March 2011 ( New Feature Pack from Visual Studio Improves Project Management and Software Development Team Collaboration ), we are announcing the release of a demo virtual machine (VM) today that showcases the integration between both products. This demo VM contains four hands-on labs, which also function as demo scripts. Each script contains a series of exercises showcasing the integration between Team Foundation Server 2010 and Project Server 2010. The Visual Studio Team Foundation Server 2010 and Project Server Integration Feature Pack, which further strengthens Microsoft’s Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) solution, was released in March 2011 to customers with a Visual Studio Ultimate MSDN Subscription. The integration between Project Server and Team Foundation Server is a considerable advancement for organizations that want to bridge the collaboration gap between the Project Management Office and software development teams. The demo VM contains the following hands-on labs, which also function as demo scripts: Top-Down Planning of Business Requirements within an Enterprise Project using Team Foundation Server and Project Server Managing Project Details in an Enterprise Project Plan Mapped to a Team Project in Team Foundation Server Making Agile Team Progress Visible to the Project Management Office Managing Field Mappings for Integration of Team Foundation Server and Project Server It’s a great asset to learn about the recently announced feature pack and showcase it to your customers and partners. Feature Pack Resources Demo VM download Solutions For Application Lifecycle Management : Customer Case Studies – Team Foundation Server 2010 and Project Server Integration Feature Pack MSDN Product documentation MSDN Public Forums – Team Foundation Server and Project Server Integration Christophe Fiessinger Senior Technical Product Manager, Microsoft Project https://blogs.msdn.com/chrisfie

PRINCE2® Foundation Course (3 days) – 13th to 15th June, 2011 – £695 + VAT

When: Monday, June 13, 2011 at 9:00 AM – Wednesday, June 15, 2011 at 5:00 PM (GMT) Where: Technology House Shottery Brook Office Park Timothy’s Bridge Road CV37 9NR Stratford Upon Avon United Kingdom Hosted By: Technology Associates International Ltd Technology Associates International ( www.techassoc.com ) is an Approved Training Organisation (ATO), accredited by the APM Group – the leading accreditation, certification and examination body – to deliver PRINCE2® courses.    As a Microsoft Gold Partner, we have over 18 years experience of delivering training solutions.   Our PRINCE2® trainers are skilled experts who take pride in guiding delegates through the PRINCE2® methodology and help them understand how the material applies to their specific personal and organisational circumstances. Register for this event now at: https://taiprince2f130611-rss.com:443 Event Details:       Payment is due on booking.   Cancellations and Transfers More than 20 working days notice before course commences – £50 cancellation fee is payable From 0 to 20 working days inclusive before course commences – 100 % of the course fee is payable   VERY IMPORTANT: If you are unable to complete a course due to illness or any other reason, you will have to pay the full course fee to attend a future course. No refund will be offered for failing to attend any part of the whole course.   A full copy of our terms and conditions of sale is available on request.                 PRINCE2® is a Registered Trade Mark of the Office of Government Commerce in the United Kingdom and other countries. The course provides a balance between a learning experience about structured project management and PRINCE2®, and maximising the delegate’s chances of passing the Foundation exam. This exam is the first of two required to achieve Registered PRINCE2® Practitioner status. The course starts with a period of directed self-study commencing approximately 2 weeks before the classroom event. This brings everyone up to a common standard of basic familiarity with the language and underlying principles of PRINCE2®, and ensures that the course gets off to a smooth start. Delegates should plan their time for this self-study to ensure that they gain maximum benefit from this essential element of the course. A minimum of 10 hours should be scheduled. The course covers the full PRINCE2® Foundation syllabus, following the lifecycle of a project, explaining the use and benefits of the PRINCE2® processes, themes and techniques, and how these can be adapted to suit a variety of project types and scenarios. Approximately 30% of the course is spent on practical work and discussion using a “continuous” case study as a basis for exercises that help to reinforce delegate learning. Evening work is provided (approximately one-hour) to enable revision and practice of what has been learnt each day. Terms & Conditions of Booking: