Of mice and product managers

Guess it’s time for my monthly blog post. I could have sworn that my New Years resolution called for a post a week. Well best laid plans of mice and product managers and all that…

Tech Ed US has come and gone. I’ve heard some unofficial feedback and even got a late night cell phone call from some of the guys doing extra-curricular, after hours, ahhhh…. work. I didn’t attend the show this year (which I really regretted – I’ll certainly be back next year) so I’m not going to post any details myself but Kris and Steve were there. I expect some scoop from them soon (Right Kris? Steve? Bueller?).

We’ve got a lot more details on the October BPM & I conference though:

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Business Process Management and Integration Conference

Microsoft’s Business Process Management and Integration Conference, hosted by the BizTalk Server product group, is the event for our partners, customers and Microsoft personnel to learn about new and updated solutions for Business Process Management (BPM), SOA and Workflow. Over 4 days, attendees will hear about the strategies and technologies that Microsoft is delivering over the next year, such as BizTalk Server 2006 R2, the .NET Framework 3.0, and 2007 Microsoft Office system. Three technical tracks will provide depth and detail into best practices for building BPM solutions, SOA guidance, and implementing BizTalk Server. A business development track will focus on the business value of BPM for both customers looking for way to optimize their processes and for partners looking to expand their practices. Whether you need to get up to speed, or are ready to dive deep, this is the event for technical training, networking, and business development for Microsoft’s partners and customers interested in BPM, SOA, and Workflow.

Registration: (https://www.impactevents.com/biztalkconference/)

Join Microsoft staff, valued partners, customers and industry thought leaders at the Microsoft Conference Center from October 3-6, 2005. Registration is $199.00, with an early bird discount price of $149.00 if you register by July 21st.

Agenda & Sessions

Each session, meeting, and program event at the Microsoft Business Process Management and Integration Conference is designed to expand your knowledge of key emerging technologies, demonstrate proven strategies for implementing solutions, explain Microsoft’s long-term strategy and roadmap, and add value to your organization’s integration and workflow solution portfolio.

Sponsors & Exhibitors

Over 20 Microsoft partners are expected to showcase their latest solutions and technologies demonstrating their newest innovations- allowing attendees to test-drive key technologies and receive one-on-one, informed answers to questions.

If you are interested in sponsorship, please contact Robert Bannerman at robann@microsoft.com.

Community & Networking

Beyond the structured sessions, the Microsoft Business Process Management and Integration Conference will also provide many networking opportunities with people who share your professional interests. We will be hosting several evening events to help encourage and foster community-building activities between partners, customers, and Microsoft employees.

Instructor-Lead Training

Conference sponsor and BizTalk Server training partner, Quicklearn, is offering a series of classes before and after the conference for the convenience of attendees. Furthermore Quicklearn is providing a 35% price discount for conference attendees

9/25-9/29 (5-days) – BizTalk Server 2006 Deep Dive

9/30-10/2 (3-days) – BizTalk Server 2006 - Service Oriented Architectures (SOA)

10/9-10/13 (5-days) – Double Header - Windows Workflow Foundation (WF) & Windows Communication Foundation (WCF)

Quicklearn contact:

Greg Bulette gregb@quicklearn.com
Quicklearn "Technology Training Solutions"
www.QuickLearn.com 425-256-2573

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I think the blurb for the conference above says it all but I will unequivocally state that planning and holding the show is a huge bit of work for us on the BizTalk team and we're excited about the opportunity to create and deliver all of the new content. The only thing better than that will be hanging out with all of you for the run of the show.

Finally if you're interested in presenting a session please send us a short session abstract with your contact info and we’ll get in touch with you as soon as you do.

Regards,

mike