Introduction to the latest PC operating system from Microsoft Windows 7

Evolve Technologies will present an overview of the new Windows 7 operating system from Microsoft. For everyone that enjoyed the funny Mac commercials and avoided the Vista operating system you will want to attend this event. See all of the new features, learn how it will affect your business and what it will take to deploy in your organization. This session will also include: Windows 7 deployment strategies, demonstrations of Windows server 2008, solutions for remote and mobile users, and Server Virtualization.
As you’re one of our valued customers, we wanted to give you a personal demonstration of the new Windows® 7 Professional operating system. Attend this special event and discover how this powerful combination of innovation, improved performance, and productivity:

• Works the way you want. It’s fast, reliable, and compatible.
• Helps you get more done. It’s easy-to-use and navigate.
• Safeguards your work. It offers comprehensive recovery and security options.

Is your company ready for Windows 7? Attendees of the event will qualify for a Windows 7 & Virtualization Assessment at no cost (a $3,000.00 Value).

Register Now

I had the opportunity to present twice at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference, and one of the presentations is now available as a audio piece.

Enjoy!

http://duanwz.com/cdlg

The Power of Community in how we work with others to help our customers.

I was interviewed about the changes to the Microsoft Partner program.

If you’re interested, link here! (No embedded video, I’m afraid!

http://searchitchannel.techtarget.com/video/0,297151,sid96_gci1361749,00.html

Talking Partnerships at WPC

So I had the opportunity to work with Windows 7 more while at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference, and I have to say, I’m impressed. The buzz is good, and it’s a compelling product. The compatibility with applications is there, the ease of use is there, and some innovative new features are there.

For our customers, it’s something we’re going to actually start offering leading up to the launch. If you’re interested in getting Windows 7 in your office to try, let us know. We’re looking for a few customers interested in trying it out!!

If you’re going to the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference (and I am), you need to check out this session. Good friend, colleague, and fantastic speaker Jeremy Epstein. You need to be there — this is my endorsement. I’ll be checking out this session.

SM004 Marketing Survival Strategies for the Attention Economy
Presenter: Jeremy Epstein
Tue 7/14 | 2:00 PM-3:00 PM | 225-227

Curious about the impact Social Media Marketing can make on your business? Attend this session and understand the ‘Power of Permission’ where customers have more power than ever to decide who gets through and who doesn’t. Discover critical strategies for thriving in the ‘Attention Economy’ created by the Social Media phenomenon. Learn to leverage the ‘Ridiculous Reach of the Individual’ where with one click you or I can tell hundreds or thousands of people that we like or hate a product/service.

Session Type: Breakout Session
Track: Sales and Marketing
Level: Introductory

Jeremy Epstein
Marketing Navigator, Never Stop Marketing

A “Marketing Navigator for the Attention Economy,” Jeremy helps his clients turn their communities of “raving fans” into their best marketers.. Jeremy spent almost 6 years at Microsoft developing revenue-producing communities and authoring one of Microsoft’s most successful marketing blogs (over 110k views/month). A two-time entrepreneur, with international business experience in Germany and Japan, and a passionate technologist (don’t get him started), Jeremy’s current clients include Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft, Yes To Carrots, and NY Times best-selling author, Dan Pink . Jeremy specializes in building scalable Community Driven Marketing engines, a patent-pending process for identifying, cultivating, and activating an organization’s Raving Fans as a marketing asset.

Wireless access is the technology that makes us productive anywhere, but most small organizations just buy a wireless access point that’s deigned for a home and not for an office. Join Evolve Technologies CEO Dave Sobel and Bob Mayer, VP of Sales and Marketing from Bandspeed who will be talking about the right way to deliver wireless access to your business.

Title: WiFi: Can’t I just buy any thing? What you need to know

Date: Thursday, July 9, 2009

Time: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM EDT

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 2000, XP Home, XP Pro, 2003 Server, Vista

Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.4 (Tiger®) or newer

Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/769509035

It’s so cliche that we only have 24 hours in a day, and if only I could make more time. I often joke I’m working on adding the 25th hour to the day so I can get more done.

Each of our customers has different busy times. Some of them have annual conferences, which make them busy in the spring or the fall, others have seasonal work, making them more busy during the winter or summer. December is “slow”, August is “vacation time”. The “holidays are our busy season” or “we’re too busy during April”.

No one has the same schedule, and keeping it all in sync can be very difficult. So how do I handle it?

I remember something I was once told by a great networker. “Unless you specifically have something already booked, take the meeting. You never know what will come of it.”

It’s actually served me very well. Meetings I didn’t expect to go anywhere end up being the great matches, and meetings I thought were the most important end up not having anything come of them. I can never seem to predict which will be meeting that makes the connection, or makes something happen for the business.

That means I’m never too busy for a discussion. Planning and scheduling are required, but don’t wait for things to slow down. So rathe than say “I don’t have time”, I take it. It’s one of the reasons I love lunch meetings. I always have to eat.

I’m going to bare my embarrassment on the web.

The air conditioner at home stopped working on Friday night. A very uncomfortable night ensued, as the humidity in Washington is about 95% right now. Our trusty air conditioner and plumbing folks, the good people at Parrish Services were on it, and were out, onsite, with us to look at the problem on Saturday morning.

Turns out, the problem was a clogged air filter. And why was the air filter so clogged?

Because I had forgotten to clean it.

Now, the failure was a little more insidious than being forgetful. I don’t ever trust my own memory, because I’m far too easily distracted to remember anything. I have lists for everything. And I had a list for all my household tasks. It was a auto creation list that would come from my old… Palm. A device I haven’t had in a long time. Now, for those techies, it would seem that a number of the tasks had populated into Outlook, so while I had some, they had stopped generating a while ago. And I dutifully forgot about them, because I trusted my system to keep adding tasks.

And when it failed me, it caused a service call.

It reminded me that I should be testing those systems more. I test my backups monthly (and I test yours, if you’re a customer). I test my email flows, and I test all my business systems. I even check the generation of tickets on a regular basis.

But unless you test your systems, you’ll never know.

Of course, this service failure makes me think about a new air conditioner. I’d love a two zone one. Funny how the failure of something makes you take another look at the whole system.