ACT: improved your calendar load speed

Microsoft have a hotfix for Windows systems that will improve nearly any application that uses dates. Tests by Sage have found loading 16,000 Activities in ACT! by Sage contact manager reduced from 4 minutes to 9 seconds!!!

You can download and read more about the update here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/960417/en-us

Please post here to share experiences and verify improvements to your ACT! by Sage system (or other applications) speed.

Thanks.

BLOG: Bing - a new search engine from Microsoft

Microsoft launched a new search engine yesterday.

According to Microsoft: Bing offers richer, more organised results and an improved search experience, creating more satisfied users who use it more often. The benefit to you? Even more qualified leads to further grow your business online with the market’s highest-converting search engine.

We'll see how Bing fairs against Google's dominance of the search engine market.

For more information on our website design and development and search engine optimisation services, please give us a ring on +44(0) 1782 564252 or email info@hilltopsit.co.uk

DEVELOPMENT: Microsoft Visual Studio Team Studio 2010 beta released

Microsoft Visual Studio Team System 2010 Team Suite is the next generation of Microsoft development tools. It provides the ideal set of tools for every team disciple who is working on your project: architects, designers, developers, database experts, and testers. When a team is building skills and getting guidance at every step of the project life cycle, they will collaborate better than ever.

Overview
Visual Studio 2010 and the .NET Framework 4 mark the next generation of developer tools from Microsoft. Designed to satisfy the latest requirements of developers, Visual Studio delivers key innovations in the following areas:

Democratizing Application Lifecycle Management
Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) crosses many roles in a development organization. Traditionally, not every role has had an equal part in the process. Visual Studio Team System 2010 continues to empower an organization to build a platform for functional equality and shared commitment across its ALM process.

Enabling emerging trends
Every year the industry develops new technologies and new trends. With Visual Studio 2010, Microsoft delivers tooling and framework support for the latest innovations in application architecture, development, and deployment.

Inspiring developer delight
Ever since the first release of Visual Studio, Microsoft has set the bar for developer productivity and flexibility. Visual Studio 2010 continues the tradition by significantly improving the experience for all software development roles.

Riding the next generation platform wave
Microsoft continues to invest in the market-leading operating system, productivity applications, and server platforms to deliver increasing customer value. With Visual Studio 2010, customers will have the tooling support that is required to create amazing solutions around these technologies.

For more information about Visual Studio 2010 and the .NET Framework 4, visit the Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Web site.



Web installer download available here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=85520793-68fc-4361-a8b6-dc2cff49c8d2&displaylang=en

ISO download available here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=255fc5f1-15af-4fe7-be4d-263a2621144b&displaylang=en

.net framework 4.0 training kit download available here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=752cb725-969b-4732-a383-ed5740f02e93&displayLang=en

ReadMe here: http://download.microsoft.com/download/7/A/0/7A023209-096F-4F7D-B2BC-831ECC68FF5B/VS2010Beta1Readme.htm

Support and feedback forum here: http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/category/VSPreRelease,netdevelopmentprerelease,visualstudioprerelease,vstsprerelease



Is there anything that we have missed!? Please let us know if there are any other useful downloads or information that you've found. Please also share your thoughts and experiences in Visual Studio 2010 - the latest software development environment from Microsoft.

SUPPORT: Fortnightly digest - what's happening at Hilltops IT and in the world of computer software

Microsoft release guidance on Windows Deployments for Business Customers

http://windowsteamblog.com/blogs/business/archive/2009/02/11/guidance-on-windows-deployments-for-business-customers.aspx

Microsoft has issued detailed guidance for enterprises considering migration to Windows Vista and Windows 7. Essentially, the company is seeking to dispel confusion customers might have about when to migrate to Windows 7. Should users stick with Windows XP, move to Vista or go directly to Windows 7? Gavriella Schuster, Microsoft's senior director of product management for Windows Client, provides guidance.

Microsoft has issued detailed guidance for enterprises considering migration to Windows Vista and Windows 7.

In a new blog post on the company's "Windows for Your Business" blog, Gavriella Schuster, Microsoft's senior director of product management for Windows Client, issued guidance stating Microsoft’s views on what enterprises should do in terms of moving to Vista and Windows 7 depending on what platform they currently run and their overall migration goals. Essentially, the company is seeking to dispel confusion customers might have about when to migrate to Windows 7.

Microsoft release "Live" package to help small startup businesses

http://smallbusiness.officelive.com/

Microsoft's package includes a free website, hosting, email, plus the ability to manage sales opportunities, projects, documents, and more with free online business applications.

The Terms and Conditions do limit the amount of time and the number of users the features are available for, plus functionality of the website and application is not as complete as a full package, HOWEVER for a start-up business, it's a great way to get up and running!

If your'e looking for a more sustainable software package or website service, then for further information on our off the self software product solutions, plus website development, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us on +44(0) 844 357 7360 or +44(0) 1782 564252 or email support@hilltopsit.co.uk

We look forward to hearing from you!

DEVELOPMENT: Microsoft .NET Services SDK (Dec 2008 CTP) released

Microsoft .NET Services is part of the Azure Services Platform. .NET Services include three services: Access Control Service, Service Bus, and Workflow Service.

This SDK includes API libraries, samples, and documentation for building connected applications with the .NET platform. It spans the entire spectrum of today’s Internet applications – from rich connected applications with advanced connectivity requirements to Web-style applications that use simple protocols such as HTTP, Atom, and RSS to communicate with the broadest possible range of clients.

For more details and to download the SDK, then see the Microsoft site here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=83e1e30f-bd9a-4284-80a6-388ba2e768fd&displaylang=en