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California Educational Data Processing Association
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The DataBus - Vol. 38, No. 1
December, 1997-January, 1998
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Microsoft Happenings
Glenn Osako, Microsoft Corporation
Skills 2000 Educator Training Initiative
January 1998 - June 1998
One of the most critical obstacles that many academic institutions face when attempting to provide cutting-edge technology training is finding qualified instructors. Microsoft plans to provide a jump-start to academic institutions through its recently launched Skills 2000 Educator Training Initiative. During FY98, Microsoft will sponsor workshops in 19 cities across the United States and prepare instructors to teach Microsoft Windows NT technology. The Educator Training Initiative will provide 8 days of instructor led training for the nominal cost of the course materials - $150. Typically students pay up to $2850 for the equivalent training through commercial training facilities.
Skills 2000 Initiative Benefits AATPs
The Skills 2000 Educator Training Initiative is one component of Microsoft's Skills 2000 (www.microsoft. com/skills2000/) multi-million dollar initiative to address the gap between the number of open jobs in the computing industry and the lack of skilled professionals to fill them. Skills 2000 involves a multi-tiered approach designed to reach out to individuals currently in the computing work force as well as those interested in developing a career in information technology.
Who should apply for the Skills 2000 Educator Training Initiative?
We strongly encourage instructors at community and vocational colleges, high schools, and four-year institutions to participate in the Educator Training Initiative. To qualify, instructors must apply for, or already be a member of, the Microsoft Authorized Academic Training Program. It's not too late. Apply today at http://www.microsoft.com/aatp/intro.htm.
How to Register for the Educator Training Initiative
Registration will begin December 1st. To register, visit our site in December. If you are unable to access the Internet, call (800) 973-1479 or e-mail [email protected] to request a Skills 2000 Educator Training Initiative registration form. Classes are limited in size. Registration will be on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Class Locations & Schedule
Workshops will be held in nineteen cities across the United States. Please see the schedule at http://www.microsoft.com/aatp/schedule.htm for a location near you.
For more information, please see the AATP web site: http://www.microsoft.com/aatp/.
Attend Technical Solutions Briefings
The Technical Solutions Briefing (TSB) is an in-depth, three-hour presentation that describes compelling features and benefits of Microsoft products and addresses the migration and deployment issues facing many corporate customers. Many customers who attend Corporate and Education Solutions Briefings want more in-depth information about specific product categories, as the Solutions Briefings are a high-level architecture overview that touches on all Microsoft products. The Technology Solutions Briefings are intended to provide the next level of in-depth technical information about a series of technologies. Topics include: Microsoft Desktop, Internet solutions, Data Warehousing with SQL Server, Messaging, Communication & Collaboration with Exchange.
For Southern California times & locations: http://www.microsoft.com/usa/socal/events/tsb.htm.
For Northern California times & locations: http://www.microsoft.com/usa/norcal/events/tsb.htm.
Microsoft releases Exchange 5.5 at Comdex
Las Vegas, NV-If ever there was a sure-fire winner in Las Vegas, Microsoft's latest offering is it. At the Comdex information technology conference, the company introduced Exchange 5.5, the latest edition of the Microsoft® BackOffice® family's messaging and collaboration server. This version of Exchange offers new features and extends the application's core strengths: messaging, interoperability, scalability and collaboration. Today's announcement also coincides with a surge in Exchange popularity. While Microsoft has sold more than 7.2 million Exchange seats in the product's first 18 months of availability, the last 12 months have shown even more explosive sales.
Because organizations rely on Exchange's messaging features to keep critical lines of communication open, version 5.5 offers several new features to help ensure that the server-and its data-remain available. While previous Exchange versions supported generous 16 GB-sized message storage areas, Exchange 5.5 now limits storage only by the size of the hardware that hosts it. And the application supports the clustering services of Microsoft Windows NT® Server, Enterprise Edition, the multipurpose server operating system of BackOffice. These clustering services greatly improve overall system reliability and availability. Exchange 5.5 also enables faster data backup than version 5.0-and if a user accidentally deletes an important message-a new Deleted Item Recovery feature can retrieve it.
But the innovations don't stop there.
Microsoft Exchange 5.5's interoperability allows companies to connect to legacy systems using several integrated components: Exchange Connector for Lotus Notes, IBM OfficeVision/VM Connector and SNADS Connector. Using these tools, administrators can maintain mixed environments while migrating to Exchange from client-server or legacy systems-without incurring communications down time, and with no extra gateways or switches. And as a multiprotocol server, Exchange offers customers a choice when choosing a protocol and client.
What's more, Microsoft Exchange has already proven that it can scale to handle even the largest implementations. Almost half of the Fortune 100 companies have standardized on Exchange Server, including General Electric, which recently deployed more than 92,000 units.
And while GE, like many companies, depends on the Microsoft server for reliable electronic messaging, Exchange 5.5 also offers a number of collaboration features that go beyond e-mail. The Exchange Chat Service lets intranet and Internet users work together in real time, and hold online discussions. The software's Internet Locator Server can track who is online and ready to attend a video conference via Microsoft NetMeeting. And scripting tools and design wizards allow administrators to create workflow-enabled applications and Web-based collaboration solutions.
But Exchange isn't just for super powers like GE. According to a recent International Data Corporation study entitled "The Pervasive Internet," Microsoft Exchange Server was the leading product selected by the majority of small, medium and large organizations polled.
For more information on Exchange 5.5, check the web site: http://www.microsoft.com/exchange/default.asp.
Glenn Osako is Education Marketing Manager for Microsoft Corporation's Southern California District. He may be reached at (714) 263-3019, by FAX at (714) 252-8618 or by e-mail at [email protected].
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