This week in BPOS news is a recurring segment on the Microsoft Online Services Team Blog that covers news from all sectors of Cloud Computing and the Microsoft Online Services business suite known as the Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS). You can read all past This Week in BPOS News segments here. For this week in BPOS news we take a look at six ways Microsoft Online Services can increase your business’ productivity, and we examine the new support lifecycle policy for Microsoft Online Services. 1. 6 Ways Microsoft Online Services Can Increase your Business’ Productivity This week’s first BPOS story identifies six ways that Microsoft Online Services can increase your business productivity. Michael Bayon breaks down Microsoft Online Services in six categories that he believes sums up increased productivity for businesses and business users. The six ways that Microsoft Online Services can increase your Business Productivity are listed below with a brief summary: You Don’t Need to Subscribe to All Services Subscribe to the services you need and you can upgrade your services as needed in the future. You Won’t Be Strapped for Cash No start-up costs and pay per user. Predictable Costs Fixed pricing makes it easy to anticipate costs. Software Uptime 99.9% SLA commitment with independent third party auditing. Employee Productivity Software that integrates easily with pre-existed tools and new collaboration software. Instant Upgrades Instant deployment of new versions. Additionally, Michael writes that Microsoft Online Services comes with Community Support. Once you join Online Services, you are joining a large existing community. The community is active and encourages participation and support. You can read the entire article with lengthier productivity descriptions here . Are there other ways Microsoft Online Services can increase your business’ productivity? Leave your comments below. 2. Microsoft Announces a New Support Lifecycle Policy for Online Services Microsoft Online Services is excited to welcome the next generation of BPOS , otherwise known as Office 365 . With this new product comes a new transition, and the Microsoft Support Lifecycle team is “focused on bringing the proven principles of predictable and consistent Support Lifecycle policies to Online Services provided via the cloud.” In our second BPOS news piece, we take a look at how the Microsoft Support Lifecycle team is planning on supporting Microsoft Online Services users. Their blog post entitled “Microsoft Announces a New Support Lifecycle Policy for Online Services” outlines how the transition plan will support users while creating a simple and undisruptive change. This is an essential read for anyone concerned about the Online Services Support Lifecycle policy. You can grab more information about transitioning here – http://www.microsoft.com/online/transition-center.aspx . To learn more about support timelines, they are available on the MSL website: http://support.microsoft.com/gp/OSSLpolicy . How do you feel about the next generation of BPOS? Are you ready? Leave your comments below. What are your thoughts about the stories we shared with you this week? Did you see a story you want to share with us? Let us know what other topics you’d like to see. You can comment on this blog post or send an email to our community mailbox . Follow us on Twitter and like our Facebook page.

This week in BPOS news is a recurring segment on the Microsoft Online Services Team Blog that covers news from all sectors of Cloud Computing and the Microsoft Online Services business suite known as the Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS). You can read all past This Week in BPOS News segments here. For this week in BPOS news we are going global. We take a look at how cloud computing is “an unrivalled opportunity” for Ireland and how Microsoft is growing its Cloud in Malaysia. 1. Cloud computing, “an unrivalled opportunity” for Ireland *image from lonelyplanet.com We tweeted this story earlier this week from our @MSOnline account. Sociable.co writes that there are “swift efforts by Ireland” to fund cloud computing in belief that it will benefit the competitiveness of the country. Cloud computing is forecasted to bring Ireland an economic return on its investment. Microsoft has helped Ireland realize their cloud computing potential with The Goodbody Economic Consultants report, commissioned by Microsoft . The report suggests that “targeted investment by the government now, while cloud computing is in its infancy, could be economically and socially beneficial to the country.” You can Download the full report here (PDF | 1.7MB) . The article dives deeper into Ireand’s “unrivalled opportunity” and quotes Microsoft Ireland’s Managing Director Paul Rellis, “Cloud Computing will change how the world consumes technology.” The article also identifies the dollar figures behind Cloud computing in Ireland, “In financial terms the cloud could be worth €9.5 billion to the country by 2014 and create over 8,600 jobs. It says that the cloud computing market is estimated to be worth anywhere between €40 and €110 billion by 2014.” Be sure to read the entire article here and find out why the Cloud is exciting for Ireland. 2. Microsoft eyes growing local cloud market In our second BPOS story we take a look at a very promising cloud market in Malaysia. Malaysia is a growing market that is eager to take many of its local businesses to the cloud . The Malaysian Insider takes a look at Microsoft’s local Malaysian opportunity for the cloud in this article . “Microsoft Malaysia’s chief marketing and operations officer Danny Ong said uptake of Microsoft’s cloud services by local companies has been ‘very good’ since its introduction here in May last year.” The article frequently mentions the analyst firm Gartner and their supported reports of Malaysia becoming a booming economy for Cloud Computing. North America is currently leading the way in Cloud Computing adoption, but Malaysia and Ireland are two shining examples of the global need for Cloud Computing. Do you think more countries will be adopting the cloud? Leave your thoughts below. What are your thoughts about the stories we shared with you this week? Did you see a story you want to share with us? Let us know what other topics you’d like to see. You can comment on this blog post or send an email to our community mailbox . Follow us on Twitter and like our Facebook page.

Do you feel the need to tweet? Are your Facebook and Linkedin profiles up to date? Do you consider yourself a social media expert or do you have no idea what “At Reply” means? No matter your experience level, social media provides an unprecedented way to be heard. Social media serves as a great resource for setting up online profiles for individuals to connect with friends and family and network with new people. Social media can also be used as a great resource to be heard and get problems resolved. Businesses use social media to answer questions from consumers where they pop up online and also provide exclusive access to content and news. Social media is quickly becoming the main line of communication between companies and fans. Twitter provides a great place to talk with companies once thought untouchable through a quick message. YouTube gives users the ability to share exclusive content, while subscribing to a Facebook page gives you up to date news and information. You can find Microsoft Online Services in several social media channels (see list below) so that you get the latest news, exclusive insights and your questions answered. So no matter if you’re an expert or a novice, use social media to interact with us online. We want to hear from you. Post something on our Facebook Wall , send us an “At Reply” or message on Twitter , comment on a new video on our YouTube Page and share some thoughts below this blog post. Don’t just sign up for an account on a social media channel, go and be a part of the conversation. Hope to hear from you soon! Get answers in our forums – http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/category/microsoftonlineservices Read our blog – http://blogs.technet.com/msonline/default.aspx . You can subscribe via RSS too. Follow us on Twitter – @msonline – http://www.twitter.com/msonline Become a fan in Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/MicrosoftOnlineServices Subscribe to our YouTube channel – http://www.youtube.com/user/msonlineservices Join our LinkedIn group – Microsoft Online Services Find a local users group in MeetUp – http://www.meetup.com/Microsoft-Online-Services Remember to follow Office 365 on their channels: Read the Office 365 Blog Check out the Office 365 Community – http://community.office365.com/ Follow @Office365 on Twitter – http://twitter.com/office365 Become a fan in Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/office365 Watch the latest Office 365 Videos Join the Office 365 LinkedIn group

When:
Thursday, February 10, 2011 at 9:30 AM - Friday, February 11, 2011 at 5:00 PM (GMT)

Where:
Technology House
Shottery Brook Office Park
Timothy's Bridge Road
CV37 9NR Stratford Upon Avon
United Kingdom

For more details, course content and to register for this event please go to:
http://taipsadmin2010100211-rss.

This week in BPOS news is a recurring segment on the Microsoft Online Services Team Blog that covers news from all sectors of Cloud Computing and the Microsoft Online Services business suite known as the Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS). You can read all past This Week in BPOS News segments here. For this week in BPOS news we take a look at the new Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 announcement, and we get a 99.9 percent guarantee from BPOS. 1. Microsoft’s Dynamics CRM 2011 hits the cloud In our first BPOS News story we announce a new cloud offering from Microsoft, Microsoft’s Dynamics CRM 2011. CNET covers the launch story here . The announcement comes with a price drop of the service from 44 dollars to 33 dollars per user. There is also a “Cloud CRM for Less” program which CNET explains as Microsoft “ offering cash rebates on a per-user basis for companies that switch over from competing Salesforce or Oracle CRM tools.” Dynamics General Manager Brad Wilson told CNET why he was excited about this announcement. “What’s kind of cool about this right now is that this kind of price point and this type of technology lets smaller business take advantage of technology that was before only available to larger organizations,” Wilson said. “So to be able to offer it up as an on-demand service at a very affordable price really expands the access of the technology to smaller companies, and I think that’s very exciting.” What do you think of the new Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 announcement? We want to hear from you! Leave your thoughts below in the comments section. 2. Microsoft: BPOS components average 99.9-plus percent uptime In our final BPOS News story for this week , we look into the average up time for Microsoft BPOS over the past year. Microsoft offers a 99.9 percent uptime guarantee as their service level agreement or SLA. SLA’s are taken very seriously and if the 99.9% SLA cannot be met, Microsoft offers cash reimbursements. In this NetworkWorld article it claims that Microsoft has held a 99.9 uptime SLA over the past year. What do you think of the service level agreement from Microsoft BPOS? Leave your thoughts below. What are your thoughts about the stories we shared with you this week? Did you see a story you want to share with us? Let us know what other topics you’d like to see. You can comment on this blog post or send an email to our community mailbox . Follow us on Twitter and like our Facebook page.

This week in BPOS news is a recurring segment on the Microsoft Online Services Team Blog that covers news from all sectors of Cloud Computing and the Microsoft Online Services business suite known as the Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS). You can read all past This Week in BPOS News segments here. For this week in BPOS news we take a look at the new Office 365 for Education announcement, and we get a fresh look at the USDA’s move to Microsoft’s Cloud. Live@Edu grows, evolves into Office 365 for Education, leapfrogs Google Apps for Education In our first story, ZDNET Education writer Christopher Dawson takes a look at the new Office 365 offer for education that will take the cloud to the next level. Currently, Microsoft offers Live@Edu which is a set of collaboration tools aimed towards academia. Earlier this week the Office 365 blog announced that an education offering will be available. Be sure to check out the video below if you are interested in the recent Office 365 education announcement. The ZDNET article turns its focus from the Office 365 announcement to comparing the two main cloud for education solutions with Office 365 and Google Apps. The post makes a lot of interesting points that and outlines how the Office 365 education solution is the next step for Live@Edu and how it takes a competitive leap against Google Apps for education. Do you agree with the author that Office 365 for Education “leapfrogs” Google Apps for Education? Leave your comment below. US Department of Agriculture Deploys Massive Cloud Solution In our second story, we get an update on the US Department of Agriculture’s move to the Cloud. We previously discussed the start of the USDA moving 120,000 users to Microsoft’s cloud on our blog. This most recent article asks an important question, “Is cloud computing truly scalable and can a solution be rolled out quickly?” Author Ian McKenzie suggests that due to the USDA moving to Microsoft’s Cloud, the answer to both questions is yes. The article touches on other large government transformations to the cloud including “the State of California , the State of Minnesota , and New York City embracing cloud computing.” Ian also dives into the complexity of moving a governmental organization as big and dense as the USDA to the Cloud. He points out that Microsoft’s Cloud solution should help the 120,000 federal workers collaborate and engage on a greater level, while the government sector saves money through lowering costs with the Cloud. Do you think that the USDA moving to the cloud proves that cloud computing is a scalable solution that can be rolled out quickly? Leave your comments below. What are your thoughts about the stories we shared with you this week? Did you see a story you want to share with us? Let us know what other topics you’d like to see. You can comment on this blog post or send an email to our community mailbox . Follow us on Twitter and like our Facebook page.

This week in BPOS news is a recurring segment on the Microsoft Online Services Team Blog that covers news from all sectors of Cloud Computing and the Microsoft Online Services business suite known as the Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS). You can read all past This Week in BPOS News segments here. Happy New Year! We are back with not only the New Year, but two new BPOS stories. For this week in BPOS news we take a look at how the largest education institution in the world is increasing their productivity, and we view a chat with Microsoft’s CIO about how employees are testing the Cloud. 1. SUNY to get Microsoft’s Live@edu program SUNY stands for the State University of New York. SUNY universities across New York State feature the largest system of education institutions including universities, colleges and community colleges in the world. SUNY has 64 campuses that are a part of the Live@edu program and will allow more than 465,000 SUNY students to use Microsoft Online’s Live@edu productivity suite. In our first story, CNET discusses the new agreement between SUNY and Microsoft that brings more collaboration and productivity to students. Microsoft’s U.S. Education CTO, Cameron Evans, says that Live@edu will also help save SUNY colleges money. CNET reports that Monroe Community College, one of colleges in the SUNY system, will save $600,000 over five years. Students will also benefit from Microsoft Live@edu through new collaboration tools that will increase productivity campus wide. Is your school on Live@edu? Have you seen an increase in productivity? Leave your thoughts below. Related Stories: Kentucky Department of Education Chooses Microsoft’s Live@edu New York announces deal with Microsoft’s cloud 2. Microsoft CIO: We’re dog-fooding the cloud Infoworld.com features a discussion with Microsoft CIO Tony Scott, as they converse about Microsoft’s cloud and how employees are beta testing, or as we call it, dog-fooding. This article is a transcript of an intriguing conversation that covers topics ranging from what it’s like being a CIO of Microsoft, to how the internal beta testing, or dog-fooding, of the cloud is conducted at Microsoft. There is also some great information from Tony Scott about Office 365 and how Microsoft is beginning the internal dog-food process. Tony also discusses other cloud initiatives at Microsoft like Windows and SQL Azure. The entire transcript is 5 pages and provides some great insights and information into the mind of Microsoft’s CIO. I would recommend this piece from Infoworld.com to anyone interested in the cloud or interesting in learning more about Microsoft’s CIO. What questions would you ask Microsoft’s CIO? Are you testing Microsoft’s Cloud? Leave any of your thoughts and comments below. What are your thoughts about the stories we shared with you this week? Did you see a story you want to share with us? Let us know what other topics you’d like to see. You can comment on this blog post or send an email to our community mailbox . Follow us on Twitter and like our Facebook page.

This week in BPOS news is a recurring segment on the Microsoft Online Services Team Blog that covers news from all sectors of Cloud Computing and the Microsoft Online Services business suite known as the Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS). You can read all past This Week in BPOS News segments here. For this week in BPOS news we take a look at what opportunities SMBs are seeing in the cloud, and we learn about a new medical innovation that is utilizing cloud computing. 1. SMBs See Opportunity in the Cloud SMBs stand for Small and Midsize Businesses, and SMBs are seeing the benefits of cloud computing. A Microsoft-sponsored survey entitled, “Cloud Computing as an Engine of Growth” questioned SMBs about the cloud. The survey is highlighted in this InformationWeek post . The numbers from the survey reflect about one third of SMBs polled see the cloud as an opportunity for their IT department to be “more strategic” and SMBs view embracers of the cloud as “innovative.” About 12% of SMBs are “Born in the cloud” which means “the primary capability for their business is through cloud technology as the leading thing that enables them to do it.” There are many other interesting stats about SMBs and

I wanted to echo Brian Smith’s latest post over on the Project Admin Blog about the release of the Project Server 2010 and 2007 CUs being live: Microsoft Project Server and SharePoint 2007 and 2010 December CU 2010 are (mostly) Live! Brian Smith 15 Dec 2010 12:23 PM Great News!

This week in BPOS news is a recurring segment on the Microsoft Online Services Team Blog that covers news from all sectors of Cloud Computing and the Microsoft Online Services business suite known as the Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS). You can read all past This Week in BPOS News segments here. For this week in BPOS news we welcome 120,000 users to the cloud and find out how Office Web Apps is expanding. USDA Moves 120,000 Users to Microsoft’s Cloud The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is moving 120,000 users to Microsoft’s cloud in one of the largest deployments ever. The Microsoft News Center focuses on the USDA’s migration in this week’s featured story . The USDA plans on moving users within the next month. There are some great quotes from Chris Smith, CIO for the USDA and pictured top right, that pinpoint the business and costs advantages for moving to Microsoft’s cloud. “This is really about increasing collaboration and communications across the breadth of 120,000 users in 5,000 offices across the country and 100 countries around the globe to better deliver on the USDA’s mission,” he said. “For us a move to the cloud was a question of performance, service, and cost, and this solution will help us streamline our efforts and use taxpayer dollars efficiently.” The USDA will use the breadth of Microsoft online cloud tools that include Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Office Communications Online and Office Live Meeting, to increase collaboration between its many employees. The article also touches on how the USDA will use a security optimized version of the cloud that meets the needs and compliance regulations for U.S. Federal Government agencies. Curt Kolcun, VP of U.S. public sector at Microsoft and pictured below right, is excited about the USDA joining Microsoft in the cloud and believes more government institutions will follow. “Nearly every federal agency trusts their productivity needs to Microsoft Office, Exchange, and SharePoint today,” he said. “From a momentum perspective, I think this announcement is going to be a phenomenal catalyst to drive more interest from the federal CIO community to think about moving their full messaging suite applications to the cloud with Microsoft.” Read the complete story about the USDA’s deployment to Microsoft’s cloud here . What are your thoughts? How does this change the landscape of the cloud? Leave your comments below. Office Web Apps Released in 15 More Countries Office Web Apps is the online suite of Microsoft Office tools that allow you to share and collaborate online in the cloud. With the recent cloud announcement of Office 365, Office Web Apps has also announced that it is now available in the following 15 additional countries : China Japan Italy New Zealand Finland Hong Kong Denmark Netherlands Norway Portugal Turkey South Korea Spain Sweden Taiwan That brings the total number of countries that have access to Web Apps to 26. Office Web Apps is free and more than 20 million people use it. Have you tried Office Web Apps? What are your thoughts? Leave a comment below. What are your thoughts about the stories we shared with you this week? Did you see a story you want to share with us? Let us know what other topics you’d like to see. You can comment on this blog post or send an email to our community mailbox . Follow us on Twitter and like our Facebook page.