* Define Implementing
* Business Process Analysis
* Infrastructure Assessment
* Installation
* Configuration
* Data Migration
* Training

Quick and Easy Setup/Configuration

* Quick Setup
* Signup Wizard
* User Invitations

* Easily Configurable
* Import customizations and workflow
* Quick Deployment
* Easily Adopted

Once you get confirmation email, setup

* Login with Live ID
* Quick profile information
* Select Default Currency
* Live CRM environment

Session Conducted by Jon Jonasson & Pam Misialek

1. Excel Reports
* Access from Outlook
* Connect a Reports Library within MOSS by going to Actions -> Connect to Outlook.
* Requires MOSS for this connectivity functionality.

2. Dundas Dashboards
* Graphical display
* Dundas graphics are available for download (“Gadgets”).
* Embed them in WebPart placeholders for “dashboard-y”/KPI interfaces.
* Dundas was purchased by Microsoft and the components are available as a separate download.

3. Analysis Cubes
* Easy access from SharePoint
* Use Analysis Cubes that are being rendered by Excel Server 2007.

4. Forecaster
* Budget versus actual
* ???

5. Document Management and Workflow
* Document Controls
* “Document Libraries are a Network Share on steroids”
* Dynamics Business Portal is the branded version of a MOSS Enterprise CAL

6. SharePoint Blog
* Sharing information and ideas

7. My Sites
* Time-saving collaboration

8. InfoPath form integrating to GP
* Easy data entry
* Create form-based/web-based applications that can integrate directly with GP
* Example: Employee Expense Form

9. Adding Web Parts
* Ad hoc data access

10. Importing Data from Excel
* Automating Integrations

Editorial Comment: Where were the “cool things” that were done between these products? This was not the session I was hoping for by any means. It was just an overview of SharePoint and “what’s cool” in the product. Nothing about the integration, etc.

I really need to look into how to get onto the presenters list… :)

They say that going with this type of program is saving over 30,000 water bottles from being thrown out over the course of this week (and I believe it). Smart idea and a nice way to reduce how much trash an event of this size produces.

Some other Green Initiatives (from an “inside” Conference page):

* All attendees will be given a reusable water bottle to fill at water cooler stations throughout the Convention Center. Biodegradable cups will also be available at each water cooler station.
* The majority of conference-created collateral will be printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper (processed chlorine-free) and printed with vegetable-based ink.
* All CommNet stations will be stocked with recycled paper.
* The fabric of the conference bag is made with 51% post-consumer recycled materials including water bottles and yogurt containers.
* The conference pen is manufactured with corn starch instead of petroleum and is 81% biodegradable.
* The conference badge lanyard is manufactured from 100% recycled soda and water bottles.
* Badge holders will be collected at the end of the event to be reused at future Microsoft Dynamics and Convergence events.
* The journal within the conference bag is made with 100% recycled chipboard cover, 100% post-consumer recycled writing paper, and printed with soy-based ink. The wire binding is made of 97% scrap metal with only 3% new steel.
* Evaluation prizes include t-shirts made with organic cotton and other solar-powered gadgets.
* The Conference Store will be stocking a variety of environmentally friendly merchandise.
* Air-conditioning/heating and lighting will be minimized during off-hours to minimize power consumption.
* The disposable plates and bowls used during certain meals are made of a biodegradable sugarcane by-product. Napkins, cups and other boxed containers are also made of biodegradable and recycled materials.
* Menus will incorporate a variety of locally-grown and organic ingredients. Left-over food will also be donated to Second Harvest, a local food bank.
* Convergence Sponsors & Exhibitors have been encouraged to help reduce waste by minimizing giveaways and collateral, using recycled materials where possible, and minimizing shipping and packaging needs.

### The Dashboard Top 3
* Page viewer Web Part is your friend
* Send as a short-cut
* Folder Home Page

### Other Ideas
* Link specific dashboard webpages (coming from SharePoint) directly from Outlook
* Right-Click on a folder within Outlook and go to Properties -> Home Page to set URL
* Marketing Activities (Marketing Campaigns, Responses, etc)
* Customer Service (Activities, Goals, etc)
* Sales Manager (Team Quota, Roll-Ups, Drill-Thrus)
* 300 – 450 pixels wide is a good start for “wide” webparts in SharePoint
* “Connect to Outlook” Action Item in Outlook is a good way of taking documents offline

For those not sure, Dynamics is Microsoft’s ERP Suite that is comprised of the following products:
* Dynamics GP (previously known as Great Plains)
* Dynamics SL (previously known as Solomon)
* Dynamics NAV (previously known as Navision)
* Dynamics AX (previously known as Axapta)
* Dynamics CRM (previously known as Microsoft CRM) :)

It’s an interesting opportunity for me as I haven’t completely embedded (or should I say “dabbled”) with the whole Microsoft Dynamics side of things other than CRM & a little GP.

I’m going to try and post a bit around here just to help share with my co-workers and/or anyone else that stumbles upon my site/these posts.

Sorry to those not interested in this kind of stuff. I’ll be going back to my regular non-blogging self at the end of the week… :)

###MOSSCamp – 2007.11.09

####SharePoint Group Discussion
* Hybrid authentication for client access. using SQL and AD authentication (SQL for clients)
* No one is using RSS within SharePoint :)
* Social Networking (Likes/Dislikes)

####SharePoint Team Development
#####Session led by Christopher Kadel
* SharePoint Development Assets
* Assembly Based
* Artifact Based
* “Some items are artifact and some are assembly based – the tool you’re choosing defines which is which”
* Building a Development Scheme
* Don’t Develop on Production
* Develop with Version Control
* Integrate code before Production
* Sample Dev Environment
* Developer WorkStation (Windows Server 2003, WSS/MOSS, VS2005, Team Explorer, WSS Extensions for VS)
* Integration (Windows Server 2003, MOSS)
* Production (Windows Server 2003, MOSS)
* Sample Development Environment
* Leverages Content Management Features
* Shared Content Development Environment
* Push to Production

####Branding SharePoint
#####Session led by Anthony Handley
* Site Customization
* Two Types of building blocks
* Site Definitions – XML and ASPX files stored on front-end web server
* Custom Site Templates – Stored in the db and are created by using an existing site as a model
* Custom Templates: Pros and Cons
* Pros
* Custom templates are easy to create
* Almost anything that can be done in the UI can be preserved by the template
* Custom templates can be modified without affecting existing sites that have been created from the templates
* Custom templates are easy to deploy
* Cons
* Custom templates are not created in a dev env (?)
* Custom templates are less efficient in large-scale environments
* If the site definition is based upon does not exist on the front-end server(s), the custom template does not work

####Extending MOSS Using Event Handlers
#####Session led by George Duran
* Capture events raised by:
* Items in a list
* Lists in a web
* Webs in a site collection
* Events ending in “ed” are Ansynchronous and “ing” are Synchronous

####Custom Authentication Providers
#####Session led by Matt Morse
* Went out to get a cookie so didnt’ catch the first part of the presentation :)
* Central Administrator – Application Management – Authentication Providers to change provider

####Delivering Customizations Into SharePoint Sites
#####Marc Gusmano
* “Simply by installing a feature, you can pretty much make a SharePoint site do anything”
* Scope = Site means Site Collection Feature
* Scope = SPWeb means Site Feature
* STSADM to install Features

Send me an email and let’s talk. Please feel free to pass this along to anyone that may be interested…

You see, you’ve jacked up my computer TWICE today by completely hosing all of my network connections. Looking back, I didn’t need you then and I still don’t need you. You made it seem like you were going to solve all of my problems, but after a quick reboot you turned on me and took my network connectivity with you.

I’ve never had good luck with VPN software and you kept my streak going by bringing that down with you as well.

This is just a warning to anyone thinking about installing ActiveSync on their computer so they can sync a Windows Mobile device with it. If you have 5+ hours to kill troubleshooting or don’t use your computer on any sort of network, then go ahead. Otherwise, I’m sure you can figure out a better way to sync your device.