Windows 8 Information

Today the Springboard site went live with content about windows 8 !!!!!

This is the go to site for Information about windows 8. The site has content  about the following subjects

To learn more  go http://technet.microsoft.com/windows/windows-8.

Essential Downloads

 

Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit

The Microsoft Assessment and Planning (MAP) Toolkit is an agentless, automated, multi-product planning and assessment tool for quicker and easier desktop and server migrations. MAP provides detailed readiness assessment reports and executive proposals with extensive hardware and software information, and actionable recommendations to help organizations accelerate their IT infrastructure planning process, and gather more detail on assets that reside within their current environment. MAP also provides private and public cloud planning assessments, and server utilization data for Hyper-V server virtualization planning; identifying server placements, and performing virtualization candidate assessments, including ROI analysis for server consolidation with Hyper-V. Other significant new features in MAP 6.5 include the discovery of active Windows devices, Software Usage Tracking for Forefront Endpoint Protection (FEP), and the discovery of Oracle instances on Itanium-based servers with HP-UX to assist in the planning of migration to SQL Server. Learn more.
MAP is one of the tools provided by the Microsoft Solution Accelerators team. The Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit, Microsoft Deployment Toolkit, and Security Compliance Manager provide tested guidance and automated tools to help organizations plan, securely deploy, and manage new Microsoft technologies—easier, faster, and at less cost. All are freely available, and fully-supported by Microsoft. Learn more.
For home users and users with a few computers to migrate, use the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor to understand the readiness of your computer for Windows 7.
The MAP Toolkit includes the following components:

  • Microsoft_Assessment_and_Planning_Toolkit_Setup.exe. Installation package containing the tool, release notes, Getting Started Guide and toolkit help (chm file).
  • readme_en.htm. Available as a separate download. Provides information to read before installing the MAP Toolkit, including installation prerequisites and known issues.
  • Getting_Started_Guide.en.doc. Provides information about toolkit installation, environment preparation, and assessment scenarios supported by toolkit wizards and the UI.
  • MAP_Training_Kit.zip. Available as a separate download. Contains sample databases and training materials.
  • MAP_Sample_Documents.zip. Available as a separate download. Contains sample reports and proposals.

To learn more go here.

This is a Microsoft article copied and posted here.

Join the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2012 Beta 2

Join the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2012 Beta 2
New features and enhancements make large-scale desktop and server deployments smoother than ever. For System Center Configuration Manager customers, MDT 2012 Beta 2 provides an improved, extensible wizard and designer for customizing deployment questions. Existing MDT users will find more reliability and flexibility with the many small enhancements and bug fixes, and a smooth and simple upgrade process.

 

To find out more click here

 

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Windows XP End of Support: April 8, 2014

On April 8, 2014, security patches and hotfixes for all versions of Windows XP will no longer be available. This means that, after this date, PCs running Windows XP will be vulnerable to security threats. In addition, many third party software providers are not planning to extend support for their applications running on Windows XP, which translates to even more complexity, risk, and ultimately, added management cost for your IT department if you are still managing Windows XP environments. Explore your options with this blog post from the Springboard Series and download the Windows XP End Of Support Countdown Gadget to help remind you about this important milestone.

Cross post from Microsoft

Microsoft Certified Career Conference

Microsoft Certified Career Conference

Day 1, March 14, 2012
Start 6:00AM – End 6:00PM Pacific Time
(What time is that in my time zone?)
Day 2, March 15, 2012
Start 6:00AM – End 6:00PM Pacific Time
(What time is that in my time zone?)

This event is free of charge!

CONFERENCE SESSIONS include:

Microsoft Official Courses
Technical sessions for IT professionals, developers, and Office power users, excerpted from Microsoft Official courses, delivered by Microsoft Certified Trainers.
Super Cert Me!
Ready for your certification exam? Find out in these exam preparation sessions.
Career Essentials
Learn how to find and land the right job. Sessions include interviewing skills, resume writing, and more.
People and Technology
Discover how cloud computing, unified communications, and other new technologies can change the way your team works
Opportunity Knocks
New technologies bring new business opportunities. Explore what’s coming next and learn how to get in on the ground floor.
The 60 Minute Rock Star
Learn Office tips and tricks to boost your productivity and impress your colleagues.
A Day in the Life
Thinking about a new role in IT? Real IT professionals, developers and managers tell you what their jobs are really like.

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