Microsoft Product Scout

 

Microsoft has launched a service that helps users find Windows 7-enabled products. Windows Product Scout is a new destination on Windows.com that showcases a selection of products scouted by our team for Windows 7.  Every week, Microsoft will feature a new set of products on the home page and will be updating the site every month with more selected products.

Windows Product Scout focuses on products that have earned the “Compatible with Windows 7 Logo”.

These products have passed Microsoft designed tests for compatibility and reliability with Windows 7 including testing for common issues to minimize the number of crashes, hangs and reboots. The team also vetted products based on their experience and focused on products that support key features and technologies in Windows 7 – products that make it easy for you to get the very most out of Windows 7 (features like Windows Touch, Play To, Device Stage). We are also working with software developers and device manufacturers to build a pipeline of the new and exciting products coming in the near future.

A great experience: Windows Product Scout features an engaging user experience that groups products into “clusters”. It is simple to navigate with a mouse and is also touch-friendly. Microsoft have also implemented IE9 support so the site can be a pinned app with jumplist support.

Access to the products: Windows Product Scout gives you easy access to information about the products and how to get them. For every app, Microsoft offer a direct download link from the 3rd party publisher. In one click, you are ready to start your free trial or access a free version of the application. For devices, Microsoft offer a link to purchase the product either directly from the manufacturer or the Microsoft Store. The site also features editorial content from the Windows Blog & CNET about the products.

Discovering what you can do with Windows: The site gives you an easy way to discover a sample of products that support Windows 7 features. You can also click on the category cubes to learn more about specific technologies like Windows Touch, Play To, and others.

For now, please take a look at Windows Product Scout and enjoy the choice.

P.S. Use IE9 Beta for best experience of the website

Source: http://windowsteamblog.com/windows/b/bloggingwindows/archive/2010/10/20/introducing-windows-product-scout.aspx

What is Office 365?

 

Microsoft Office 365 delivers the power of cloud productivity to businesses of all sizes, helping to save time, money and free up valued resources. Office 365 combines the familiar Office desktop suite with cloud-based versions of our next-generation communications and collaboration services: Exchange Online, SharePoint Online and Lync Online.

Office 365 is simple to use and easy to administer – all backed by the robust security and financially-backed, guaranteed reliability you expect from a world-class service provider

According to Microsoft’s announcement this week, Office 365 will replace Office Live Small Business, Live@edu, and the company’s subscription-based messaging and collaboration product known as Microsoft Business Productivity Online Suite or BPOS.

Office 365 is more than a new brand,” Microsoft Office Division president Kurt DelBene said in a statement. “It’s a progressive approach to cloud applications. We designed Office 365 to work for a business of one - or a business of one million and one.”

Office 365 will let companies scale their infrastructure quickly. If, for instance, a business makes an acquisition, opens a new store or holds a holiday promotion, it will be able to rapidly expand its infrastructure in days, not months - while only using and paying for what’s needed. Some individuals will only have basic email, while others will have mobile applications, and others full versions of Exchange and SharePoint, based on the requirements of their roles.

The proposed pricing for small businesses - with 1 to 25 employees is $6 (or €5.25 or ¥600) per user per month, and enterprises pay between $2 and $27 per month per user, depending on the business' needs.

Microsoft said Office 365 will be available worldwide next year, and will expand to provide new services to new audiences. Later next year Microsoft said it will introduce Office 365 for education for students, faculty and school staff, and Dynamics CRM Online will join the Office 365 family of services next year, giving customers a even more complete business productivity experience.

Microsoft announced a limited Office 365 beta program with enrolment starting on October 19 at noon Pacific Time.

The company also said that it would offer Office 365 as a service that its technology partners can resell, and use to customize and enhance existing applications and services. “Partners are central to our strategy with Office 365,” Microsoft Office division senior vice president Chris Capossela said in a statement. “A vibrant partner community is critical to ensure our customers get the most from Office 365, and that’s why we’re investing deeply to provide partners with a clear path to success in the cloud.”

 

Key benefits

Anywhere-access to email, documents, contacts, and calendars on nearly any device*
Work seamlessly with Microsoft Office and the other programs your users already count on everyday
Business-class features including IT-level phone support, guaranteed 99.9% uptime, geo-redundancy, and disaster recovery
Pay-as-you-go pricing options which give you predictability and flexibility for all or part of your organization
Latest version of Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS), which has millions of business users today