Monthly Archives: August 2011

Microsoft, Tech, Windows 7, Windows 8

Microsoft: We make more money on cloud-based Exchange than legacy email

Per-user income greater in cloud, or so Microsoft claims

microsoft Claims it earns more money per user from cloud-based Exchange email accounts than it does selling the legacy version of Exchange Server most businesses deploy today.

 


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That’s what Microsoft investor relations GM Bill Koefoed said at the Oppenheimer Annual Technology, Media & Telecommunications Conference Tuesday, according to a transcript on Microsoft’s website. Customers who purchase Exchange as part of the Office 365 cloud service pay roughly $10 per month, less than they would in the back-end costs of running their own Exchange servers, but nearly all of of it goes directly to Microsoft, he said.

Hosted productivity suites: Google Apps or Microsoft Office 365?

That doesn’t mean Microsoft actually makes more money in the cloud than it does with its traditional business of selling software licenses. For one thing, Microsoft’s cloud customer base is mostly small businesses. To gain the kind of per-user profits Koefoed is talking about, Microsoft needs Office 365 to lure in big enterprises.

“Within an enterprise, let’s say it costs $15 per user per month today to run Exchange, and that’s about $2 for Microsoft, and that’s $13 in rent, power, the data base administrator that’s running the thing, the hardware and all the kind of services that are associated with kind of running Exchange in your premise,” Koefoed said.

“With Office 365, or with Exchange Online, the Exchange part of that, we charge $10 per user per month,” he continued. “So, that ends up being a savings to the CIO of roughly 33%, and we make 5X more revenue and our profit ends up being somewhere, $3 or $4 per user per month. So, we make more revenue and we make more profit and we save our customers money.”

The profit ends up being $3 or $4 per user per month because it costs Microsoft $6 or $7 per user to run the data centers powering the cloud service. “We can do that at scale,” Koefoed noted. “Interestingly, one of the things that we’ve learned in our search business is how to run data centers at scale.”

Koefoed gave the example in response to investors’ questions about how Microsoft’s revenue in the cloud compares to its traditional business model of selling software licenses. The popularity of Google Apps with small businesses is among the factors that forced Microsoft to expand its Web-based offerings, but investors are likely concerned these offerings will cannibalize Microsoft’s existing revenue streams.

Koefoed’s example leaves out the fact that Office 365 is appealing mostly to smaller businesses with few users. The small business version of Office 365, which includes Exchange, SharePoint, Lync and Office Web Apps, costs only $6 per user per month. An actual Exchange Server license, meanwhile, costs $700 for a standard edition and $4,000 for an enterprise edition, plus extra charges for client access licenses.

Enterprises can lessen the financial hit because of their scale, making the economics of running their own servers worthwhile for the customer, which is why Koefoed can say enterprises pay Microsoft only $2 per user per month to run Exchange. For small customers, the per-user cost of running Exchange Server without a cloud subscription would be higher, and therefore more profitable for Microsoft. Whether Microsoft actually makes more per-user profit from cloud services than packaged software is therefore questionable.

Apple, Tech

China stops fake Apple stores from using trademarks

The Chinese city of Kunming has been in spotlight for counterfeit Apple stores

The Chinese city of Kunming has stopped 22 fake Apple stores from illegally using the company’s iconic trademarks after Apple lodged a complaint with authorities.

 

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Kunming authorities found 20 unauthorized Apple resellers, according to a Friday posting made on the city government’s website. Currently, 11 of those resellers are being investigated. Two other stores were discovered for related violations.

IN PICTURES: Fake apple stores?

The city ordered all unauthorized Apple vendors to cease using the Apple trademarks by August 10, this past Wednesday. This included any decorative logos found on door entrances and clothes. All 22 stores complied with the demand.

Kunming authorities launched the investigation after Apple’s Shanghai office sent a complaint about the fake stores on August 2, according to the government posting.

Apple did not respond to comment. Kunming’s industry and commerce bureau could also not be reached.

News of Kunming’s fake Apple stores appeared last month when a blogger posted photos from one of the vendors. The stores were built to closely match the decor of Apple’s own official retail outlets, with employees even dressing similarly. The products sold, however, were said to be real.

Since the blog posting, the fake Apple stores have received unwanted attention from both the media and authorities. Kunming officials had launched an earlier investigation, in which they had found five unauthorized stores illegally using the Apple logo. Two stores were ordered to be shutdown.

Apple has become one of the most popular brands in China, according to analysts, with the company’s products proving to be a hit among consumers. Last month, Apple COO Tim Cook said the company’s revenue from China for this past quarter increased by more than six times from the same period last year.

But while Apple uses its own network of resellers in the country, the company only has four stores on mainland China, two located in Shanghai, the other two in Beijing. Long lines have formed at those retail outlets in the past when Apple launched its iPhone 4 and iPad 2 products, creating shortages for the products.

MCITP, mcitp certification, MCITP Training, MCSE, MCSE Certification, MCSE Training, MCTS, MCTS Certification, MCTS Training, Microsoft, Oracle

Microsoft Certification Video

Here is a great video from Tim Warner were he provides – in plain english – an overview of the new Microsoft Certification exam programs.  The video is especially helpfull if you are used to the old exam categorization that Microsoft offered (MCSE, MCAD, MCSD etc..)  and you now want to learn more about the new exam types:  MCA, MCTS, MCITP & MCPD.  Let me know what you think about the video and if it answered all your questions.

In the video Tim covers the following topics:
The changes to the Microsoft Certifcation in general and the reason behind it.
An overview of the latest Microsoft Exam Types
A quick guide to the Microsoft Learning website and how to make the best out of it


Watch New Vistas in Microsoft Certification in Tech & Gaming | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

 

 

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MCITP, mcitp certification, MCITP Training, Windows 7, Windows 8

Some Requirements For MCITP Certification

Before you take one exam, you should know what kind of questions it will be, which part of the knowledge of this exam that you should pay more attention to. In a word, you should know the requirements of the exam. So, today, I will tell you some requirements for MCITP Certification, just to those who still have no idea of what MCITP Certification requires.

 


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MCITP certification validates the comprehensive skills that are necessary for performing a particular job specialization role which includes enterprise messaging administration or database administration. MCITP certification also builds up technical proficient that are measured in the Microsoft certification informational technology professional. Hence, candidate can obtain more MCITP certifications to earn credentials in this certifications.

Successful candidates who are holding their MCITP certification will be capable of designing, deploying, building, optimizing as well as operating technologies of a particular specialized job role. Successful candidates will also design and make decisions regarding the technology in an effective way to bring successful technology implementation of projects.

MCITP Certification Examination:

In order to obtain the this certificate, candidate has to take up the examination and score a minimum scaled points. The following are the examinations for the MCITP certification.

Windows client:

1) 70-680 or enterprise desktop administration 7
2) 70-686 or enterprise desktop administration 7
3) 70-620 or consumer support technician
4) 70-623 or consumer support technician
5) 70-620 or enterprise support technician
6) 70-622 or enterprise support technician

Windows server:

1) 70-640 MCITP or enterprise administration
2) 70-642
3) 70-643
4) 70-624 or exam 70-620 and exam 70-647
5) 70-640 MCITP or server administrator
6) 70-642
7) 70-646

Microsoft Office Project Server:

1) 70-632 or enterprise project management with MS office server 2007
2) 70-633
3) 70-634

Microsoft exchange server:

1) 70-236 or enterprise messaging administration
2) 70-237
3) 238

All these above examinations are required to take part by the candidates to obtain the certification and they can be taken part in any order.

MCITP, mcitp certification, MCITP Training, MCTS Training, Microsoft, Tech, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Azure

Get Ahead With the MCITP Certification

The MCITP will grant you a professional qualification, which reinforces your I.T skills to your employer and other future employers. It validates your knowledge as a trained and experienced professional. Furthermore, it allows to get to grips, out of the work place, with the ever advancing Microsoft technologies that are available – enabling you to advance your skills in the work place, and hopefully get that much needed promotion.

 

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The Lowdown – Database Administration (SQL Server 2005):

What is being tested?

A variety of skills will be tested in the following modules:

1. Designing a Database Server Infrastructure:
The central aim of this second module is to teach you how to optimise the performance of database servers and databases. It focuses mainly on design elements, which will enhance your databases’ efficiency and security. You will be taught how to design a database server infrastructure, design security solutions – enabling you to make the best choice of security; design the database so that you can improve performance, efficiency and choose the most appropriate view. Further testing includes: designing a database solution for high availability, data recovery and a structure for data archiving. As before, this is tested by an exam.

2. Database implementation and maintenance:
This module focuses on your ability to install and configure Microsoft’s very own SQL server 2005, implement high availability and disaster recovery so as to protect your database, support data consumers, maintain databases, create and implement database objects, as well as assessing monitoring and troubleshooting SQL server performance. This will all be tested by an exam.

After completing this module, you will gain a certificate known as the Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist: SQL Server 2005. This acts as one credit towards the MCITP database administrator certification – you must complete the other two modules before you can gain this certificate.

3. Optimising and maintaining a database
This module continues to study database performance optimisation and maintenance using SQL Server 2005. It will analyse the performance of the database, the server and queries. One of the main focuses of this module will be – the implementation of a database recovery plan, so as to protect the database from any disasters. This module will then continue to analyse in depth strategies to maintain and monitor a database solution, which includes content management; will cultivate the ability to design a strategy to manage data, as well as security.

The MCITP certification will enable you to utilise the skills you need to optimise the database’s performance and security, which will in turn improve your company’s performance and effectiveness.

MCITP, mcitp certification, MCITP Training, MCSE, MCSE Certification, MCSE Training, MCTS, MCTS Certification, MCTS Training, Tech

Certkingdom 70-620 Passed, Quick Tips Here

Make use of the Virtual Labs that Microsoft provides, as well as the free Webcasts. Practice test material is just for that… PRACTICE. It may help you pass the test but believe me you will only last one day in a job if you don’t know what you are doing, so if you use practice material, read the question and if you don’t know the answer, research it and learn it, don’t just memorize the answer….I will tell you right now that their answers are not always right.

 

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Also make sure when you test that you read the questions carefully, they many times put extra information, that you don’t need, to see if you know what you are doing (not to throw you off as some think) or they are asking for a specific answer, not how to resolve all the problems in the scenario.. Be aware of the type of exam you are taking. For example, if you are taking a basic operating system exam, a networking problem is USUALLY resolved by using the TOOLS the operating system comes with and may not be the advanced administrator troubleshooting found in Server exams. Also in networking there is the Microsoft answer and there is the Cisco answer and they will both be right but only for THEIR type of test.

I hope to continue this thread with review mini-lessons using the above books,Microsoft websites and various forums as references. Any one that wants to share their studies, please join in…lets use the “open-source” concept and contribute so that we all LEARN and pass. I need help too, I am still learning this and there is a lot of experience in this wonderful forum, use those guys, they are willing to help. We are a community, we keep business productive, we are the last line of defense,we are Techies.

MCITP, mcitp certification, MCITP Training, MCSE, MCSE Certification, MCSE Training, MCTS, MCTS Certification, MCTS Training, Microsoft, Tech

IT Management: Leaving Microsoft: Software Giant’s Key Employee Losses

As with any big company, Microsoft has seen its share of departures. Turnaround is an issue in every business and in every industry. However, if many of those who left Microsoft banded together to form a single entity, it would be enough to scare the living daylights out of many a startup or even some established companies.

 

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Microsoft has seen key people abandoning positions across the board—from high, C-level executives to middle managers to evangelists and strategic engineers and architects. Throughout 2010, there were several key departures, and the brain drain spilled over into this year, with some big names leaving in January. Perhaps the biggest fish to jump the net was Ray Ozzie, chief software architect of the company. Ozzie primarily made his mark at Microsoft in the cloud computing arena, but in the end he opted to exit. Ozzie leads what has been a virtual all-star team of technical, managerial and business talent to leave Microsoft over the last year or two. From Web development standard bearers to search folks, open source liaisons to database gurus, tools leaders to language geeks and consumer tech specialists, Microsoft has seen talent hit the door. However, Microsoft has a deep bench and, as in sports, when one player goes down, there is always someone else to step in and take that position. How well that replacement plays is another matter. Moreover, as veterans hit the door, significant new hires find their way in. In any event, the list in this slide show is by no means exhaustive; there have been several others to leave Microsoft’s ranks. But we thought this was at least representative of the talent to leave the software giant in recent

MCITP, mcitp certification, MCITP Training, MCSE, MCSE Certification, MCSE Training, MCTS, MCTS Certification, MCTS Training, Microsoft, Uncategorized

Defcon: The security penetration testing quagmire

How corporate security flaws are handled raises lots of questions

LAS VEGAS — The relationship between CISOs and security penetration testers is anything but clear-cut and raises ethical issues for both parties, a Defcon crowd heard from a former CISO.

Whether penetration testers should come in looking for the place where they can spectacularly break into the network or instead assess it clinically and point out potential vulnerabilities is the big decision CISOs have to make, says a CISO-turned penetration tester identified only as Shrdlu.

SELF TESTING: Metasploit 4.0 sets the stage for mass penetration testing

And the choice is the CISO’s, she says, because the CISO is paying the bills. “It’s not about your satisfaction,” she told a crowd that included many penetration testers.

She says that often penetration tests are mandated by regulations, and the network must pass in order to comply. In that case, she prefers a light touch by the tester, telling her informally about technical security shortcomings but not including them in the formal report that goes to the compliance auditor. “Tell me verbally what’s wrong and don’t write it down,” she says.

For example, if the help desk prompts users that they can’t login because they’ve gotten their username wrong, that’s a violation. But, she says, doing so saves a lot of help desk and employee time and is a good risk-business tradeoff. She doesn’t consider the practice a major breach of good practice.

“There are things I do on purpose and are not high-impact,” she says.

That drew protests from audience members, one of whom said it was unethical not to include security problems he finds and is possibly illegal because it is essentially lying to compliance auditors. “It sounds like avoiding regulatory scrutiny,” he said.

“That’s very fair,” Shrdlu responded. But she says most compliance regulations are vague enough that reports can be vague as well, indicating an unspecified problem without detailing it. She says penetration testers can prepare two reports, one for her use and a second for the auditor.

She says these dual reports are useful for public organizations where the reports may become public record. The vague one that doesn’t detail specific problems can be the public version and the detailed one can be called a working document and so avoid public scrutiny.

Another audience member said her approach could cause problems for penetration testers if a problem found but not mentioned is exploited. The tester would have no documentation that he’d done his job properly. Again, she fell back on the dual report, where the vague reference to the problem would provide cover for the penetration tester.

She says she’s found frustration with penetration testers who haven’t worked in corporate security and had to shore up problems testers have found. Often the problems present less of a risk to the organization than the time it would take to fix them is worth, she says. “I’m impatient with penetration testers that have never been on the fixing side,” she says. They need to be more aware of the big impact and the business impact of remedies. “There are things that just plain aren’t going to be fixed.”

Tech

Defcon: The security penetration testing quagmire

How corporate security flaws are handled raises lots of questions

LAS VEGAS — The relationship between CISOs and security penetration testers is anything but clear-cut and raises ethical issues for both parties, a Defcon crowd heard from a former CISO.

 

Best Microsoft MCTS Training – Microsoft MCITP Training at Certkingdom.com

Whether penetration testers should come in looking for the place where they can spectacularly break into the network or instead assess it clinically and point out potential vulnerabilities is the big decision CISOs have to make, says a CISO-turned penetration tester identified only as Shrdlu.

SELF TESTING: Metasploit 4.0 sets the stage for mass penetration testing

And the choice is the CISO’s, she says, because the CISO is paying the bills. “It’s not about your satisfaction,” she told a crowd that included many penetration testers.

She says that often penetration tests are mandated by regulations, and the network must pass in order to comply. In that case, she prefers a light touch by the tester, telling her informally about technical security shortcomings but not including them in the formal report that goes to the compliance auditor. “Tell me verbally what’s wrong and don’t write it down,” she says.

For example, if the help desk prompts users that they can’t login because they’ve gotten their username wrong, that’s a violation. But, she says, doing so saves a lot of help desk and employee time and is a good risk-business tradeoff. She doesn’t consider the practice a major breach of good practice.

“There are things I do on purpose and are not high-impact,” she says.

That drew protests from audience members, one of whom said it was unethical not to include security problems he finds and is possibly illegal because it is essentially lying to compliance auditors. “It sounds like avoiding regulatory scrutiny,” he said.

“That’s very fair,” Shrdlu responded. But she says most compliance regulations are vague enough that reports can be vague as well, indicating an unspecified problem without detailing it. She says penetration testers can prepare two reports, one for her use and a second for the auditor.

She says these dual reports are useful for public organizations where the reports may become public record. The vague one that doesn’t detail specific problems can be the public version and the detailed one can be called a working document and so avoid public scrutiny.

Another audience member said her approach could cause problems for penetration testers if a problem found but not mentioned is exploited. The tester would have no documentation that he’d done his job properly. Again, she fell back on the dual report, where the vague reference to the problem would provide cover for the penetration tester.

She says she’s found frustration with penetration testers who haven’t worked in corporate security and had to shore up problems testers have found. Often the problems present less of a risk to the organization than the time it would take to fix them is worth, she says. “I’m impatient with penetration testers that have never been on the fixing side,” she says. They need to be more aware of the big impact and the business impact of remedies. “There are things that just plain aren’t going to be fixed.”

a+ certification, a+ certification exam, a+ certification training, a+ certifications, CCNA, CCNA Certification, ccna exam, ccna training, Cisco, comptia a+ certification, MCITP, mcitp certification, MCITP Training, MCSE, MCSE Certification, MCSE Training, MCTS, MCTS Certification, MCTS Training, Microsoft, Tech, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Azure

Tips for printing digital photos at home

It’s easy to capture and preserve memories as digital snapshots with Windows 7 and Windows Vista, and so is turning them into stunning scrapbooks or photo albums.

If you’d like to create professional-looking photo prints using a home PC, here are a few hints and tips that will help you produce sharper, more eye-catching results.
Photograph of red poppies in bloom

A little care is all it takes to turn photos into gorgeous prints.
Maximize image quality


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The best prints come from the finest images. Help improve picture quality by following these suggestions:
1. Increase photo resolution

As a rule, the higher the resolution, the better the picture. Most digital cameras offer a choice of settings. Check your camera’s instructions to figure out how to change the resolutions you’re using. For premium printing results, always select the maximum offered photo size and quality.

Here are some good resolution guidelines to consider:

2 megapixels: Appropriate for an attractive wallet-sized (2.5-by-3.5-inch) or album-sized (4-by-6-inch) print

3 megapixels: Minimum resolution required for projects like calendars and greeting cards or 5-by-7-inch reproductions

5 or 6 megapixels: A resolution that offers better image quality for use with craft projects. Also suitable for printing and framing an 11-by-14-inch photo for use around the home

8 megapixels: A resolution that’s capable of providing attractive 16-by-20-inch prints

10 megapixels or more: Optimal for printing larger (20-by-30-inch) projects, including posters and panoramas

The more you increase photo resolution, the more you’ll improve image clarity and detail.
Higher image resolutions (left) produce sharper snapshots.

Higher image resolutions (left) produce sharper snapshots.
2. Choose the correct file format

The JPEG file format, which compresses image data, is suitable for emailing pictures or posting them to the web. For photo-printing purposes though, it generally pays to stick with larger TIFF files. Despite consuming more space on a memory card, TIFF images are smoother, crisper, and vastly superior to their JPEG counterparts.
3. Edit and enhance images

Use programs such as Windows Live Photo Gallery (Windows 7) and Windows Photo Gallery (Windows Vista) to soften edges, experiment with lighting and color, remove blemishes from pictures, and touch up your photos. It’s a simple way to add special effects, get rid of red eye, and otherwise improve your snapshots. Read more articles about how to make simple fixes to your digital photos, take better pictures, capture the perfect moment, and create online photo albums.

Enterprising shutterbugs can even use Microsoft Photosynth to transform their images into three-dimensional scenes.
Add special effects to spice up any photo.

Add special effects to spice up any photo.
Prepare your printer

Enhance print quality by configuring your printer for optimum results.
1. Use current drivers

Drivers are software interpreters that let your computer and printer communicate. But printer manufacturers are constantly revising these drivers. Always use the most current drivers to help ensure peak performance and picture quality. Check your printer manufacturer’s website regularly for downloadable updates, or see this tutorial for advice on locating and installing them.
2. Don’t skimp on dots per inch

The higher your printer’s dots per inch (dpi) specifications, the better the prints it will produce. Avoid images which suffer from frayed and jagged edges by using a printer with 600 x 600 dpi or better printing capabilities when producing hard copies of color digital photos. You can find photo printers for sale at Microsoft Store and advice on picking the right model here.
3. Configure print quality settings

After installing your printer, check your owner’s manual for instructions on how to change print quality settings, or read this article, which covers the basics of printer selection, page orientation, and color management. Remember that it’s always important to choose the right print options and preferences before printing. Detailed instructions on how to print pictures are also available that can help you get the most from your images, as are answers to frequently asked questions.
4. Managing paper

Different types of paper, such as high gloss or card stock, require varying amounts of ink and touch-ups. When setting printing preferences, be sure to tell your printer which type you’re using to help ensure first-rate results and to avoid wasting expensive stock.
5. Ongoing maintenance

It’s a good idea to run printer alignment, color calibration, and print cartridge cleaning functions every 90 days. These practices help prevent blurring, streaking, and off-center photo prints. See your printer’s owner’s manual for instructions on how to perform this maintenance.
Pick the right paper and ink

Help improve photo prints by selecting the right choice of paper and ink to perfectly complement your images.
1. Go with photo paper

Standard printer paper isn’t suitable for creating pleasing photo prints. Unless you’re printing documents, choose a glossy or matte finish photo paper instead. Black and white prints generally look best on matte finish papers, and color tends to look best on glossy paper.
2. Creativity counts

Multiple varieties of paper stock are available, designed for a wide range of specialty uses. These special-purpose materials can enhance any photo printing project. Whether incorporating your photos into decals, business cards, or T-shirts, before starting a new project, browse the selection at your local office supply or electronics retailer.
3. Choose the right size

Photos come in many shapes and forms, from wallet-sized (2.5-by-3.5-inch) to album/scrapbook-ready (4-by-6-inch or 5-by-7-inch) prints. Match the paper to fit.

Alternately, choose a standard letter-sized (8.5-by-11-inch) paper and use Windows Photo Gallery or Windows Live Photo Gallery to squeeze several smaller images onto one sheet.
Windows Photo Viewer makes printing multiple photos a breeze.

Windows Photo Viewer makes printing multiple photos a breeze.
4. Get inked

The safest way to pick an ink is to choose a brand from the same company that manufactured your printer. Various types of ink provide differing degrees of resistance to water, smudges, age, and fading. Which one you should pick depends entirely on how much you’re willing to spend for various image-enhancing qualities.
Additional advice

Always align new print cartridges.

Experiment with free or commercial photo-editing software to eliminate image imperfections and to improve your subjects’ already stunning good looks.

Practice by making test prints. Try reducing image size and creating multiple prints on a single sheet of paper to cut down on wasted materials.

Before placing photos in an album or framing them, give the ink approximately 12 hours to dry.

Remember that Windows Photo Gallery and Windows Live Photo Gallery also make it possible to order prints online or print files at a local printer kiosk, for your convenience.