Microsoft Malta Ltd has just launched a host of new software. Attended by hundreds of local industry executives and business decision-makers, senior Microsoft representatives and experts gave the first details on the new Windows Server 2008 operating system, SQL Server 2008 and Visual Studio 2008.
"The purpose of the event was to explain to business decision-makers, IT professionals and developers how critical it is for the people to be empowered with the right tools to drive the business forward," explained Pierre Mallia, country manager, Microsoft Malta Ltd. "We are very pleased with the event's turnout and with the positive feedback we received from those who attended."
Through the event, Microsoft sought to explain in detail how the combination of Windows Server 2008 operating system, Microsoft SQL Server 2008 and the Visual Studio 2008 development system provide a solid foundation for next-generation web applications, broad support for virtualisation technology and the ability to deliver relevant information to the users.
"Our goal in creating the launch theme, Heroes Happen Here, was to highlight the great work that is done by IT professionals and developers, often behind the scenes, where they get little credit, but have an incredible impact on their organisations and communities," explained Karen Carter, Microsoft's director of marketing for the US and keynote speaker at the conference.
"If you think about the things you do every day, getting money at a cash machine, turning on the lights in your home, taking a train or a bus or buying gasoline, all of these require people who keep the infrastructure running or create applications to make this easier. With the launch of Windows Server 2008, Visual Studio 2008 and SQL Server 2008 there are now new products that can make the work that IT and developer heroes create even easier."
Gunther Beersaerts, enterprise tech strategist at Microsoft, explained that SQL Server 2008 delivers on Microsoft's Data Platform vision by helping customers manage any data, any place, anytime. SQL Server 2008 delivers new innovations and enhancements across three core pillars by delivering a trusted, productive, and intelligent data platform for all data needed.
"Our Microsoft business intelligence vision and strategy, i.e. Improving organisations by providing business insights to (all) employees, leading to better, faster and more relevant decisions hasn't changed with the advent of SQL Server 2008," he said.
Michael Leworthy, Microsoft's product marketing manager for the US, spoke about the virtualisation strategy which spans the desktop computer to the datacentre. "We see a number of main benefits being provided, from server consolidation to increase organisational agility, to reducing the overall costs in deploying, managing and maintaining systems. Ultimately virtualisation will save organisations time and money, and help make their IT more dynamic."
He said Windows Server 2008 and the dynamic IT strategy is focused on four key areas: Managing complexity in the IT environment to drive down operating costs and achieve agility; ensuring information is protected and access is controlled; providing solutions that advance the business and prepare it for growth and change; and amplifying the impact of people with the best software and tools for their role.
"Windows Server 2008 is the most secure server OS we have released to date, and has a number of new roles and features to support this," he insisted.
The launch of the new software for the corporate sector coincided with the release of the first service pack for the operating system Windows Vista.
Rane Johnson, a Microsoft executive for technical infrastructure planning and development explained that Windows Vista Service Pack 1 now supports almost twice the devices and components supported initially, 10 times the number of consumer applications, 96 per cent of the most popular consumer and small business applications and 98 per cent of the top retail applications. Furthermore Microsoft internal test labs have been showing a median improvement in battery life of between seven and 10 per cent.
"When you compare the first year of Vista to the first year of other leading OS's, Vista had nearly half the number of vulnerabilities. When compared to XP, you are far less likely to get infected by spyware or malware. Reliability, as measured by average time between disruptions, has more than doubled since release to manufacturing. Laptops resuming from sleep is now much faster on many types of hardware," she said. However she confirmed there are some updates that will not be part of Service Pack 1.
Microsoft also announced that it has a new version of its Small Business Server (Windows Small Business Server 2008) and a new product for medium-sized businesses called Windows Essential Business Server 2008 coming on the market in the second half of this year.
"The purpose of the event was to explain to business decision-makers, IT professionals and developers how critical it is for the people to be empowered with the right tools to drive the business forward," explained Pierre Mallia, country manager, Microsoft Malta Ltd. "We are very pleased with the event's turnout and with the positive feedback we received from those who attended."
Through the event, Microsoft sought to explain in detail how the combination of Windows Server 2008 operating system, Microsoft SQL Server 2008 and the Visual Studio 2008 development system provide a solid foundation for next-generation web applications, broad support for virtualisation technology and the ability to deliver relevant information to the users.
"Our goal in creating the launch theme, Heroes Happen Here, was to highlight the great work that is done by IT professionals and developers, often behind the scenes, where they get little credit, but have an incredible impact on their organisations and communities," explained Karen Carter, Microsoft's director of marketing for the US and keynote speaker at the conference.
"If you think about the things you do every day, getting money at a cash machine, turning on the lights in your home, taking a train or a bus or buying gasoline, all of these require people who keep the infrastructure running or create applications to make this easier. With the launch of Windows Server 2008, Visual Studio 2008 and SQL Server 2008 there are now new products that can make the work that IT and developer heroes create even easier."
Gunther Beersaerts, enterprise tech strategist at Microsoft, explained that SQL Server 2008 delivers on Microsoft's Data Platform vision by helping customers manage any data, any place, anytime. SQL Server 2008 delivers new innovations and enhancements across three core pillars by delivering a trusted, productive, and intelligent data platform for all data needed.
"Our Microsoft business intelligence vision and strategy, i.e. Improving organisations by providing business insights to (all) employees, leading to better, faster and more relevant decisions hasn't changed with the advent of SQL Server 2008," he said.
Michael Leworthy, Microsoft's product marketing manager for the US, spoke about the virtualisation strategy which spans the desktop computer to the datacentre. "We see a number of main benefits being provided, from server consolidation to increase organisational agility, to reducing the overall costs in deploying, managing and maintaining systems. Ultimately virtualisation will save organisations time and money, and help make their IT more dynamic."
He said Windows Server 2008 and the dynamic IT strategy is focused on four key areas: Managing complexity in the IT environment to drive down operating costs and achieve agility; ensuring information is protected and access is controlled; providing solutions that advance the business and prepare it for growth and change; and amplifying the impact of people with the best software and tools for their role.
"Windows Server 2008 is the most secure server OS we have released to date, and has a number of new roles and features to support this," he insisted.
The launch of the new software for the corporate sector coincided with the release of the first service pack for the operating system Windows Vista.
Rane Johnson, a Microsoft executive for technical infrastructure planning and development explained that Windows Vista Service Pack 1 now supports almost twice the devices and components supported initially, 10 times the number of consumer applications, 96 per cent of the most popular consumer and small business applications and 98 per cent of the top retail applications. Furthermore Microsoft internal test labs have been showing a median improvement in battery life of between seven and 10 per cent.
"When you compare the first year of Vista to the first year of other leading OS's, Vista had nearly half the number of vulnerabilities. When compared to XP, you are far less likely to get infected by spyware or malware. Reliability, as measured by average time between disruptions, has more than doubled since release to manufacturing. Laptops resuming from sleep is now much faster on many types of hardware," she said. However she confirmed there are some updates that will not be part of Service Pack 1.
Microsoft also announced that it has a new version of its Small Business Server (Windows Small Business Server 2008) and a new product for medium-sized businesses called Windows Essential Business Server 2008 coming on the market in the second half of this year.