News from Microsoft Ireland: Blog

Microsoft Debuts Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 Release 2

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 14:23:13 GMT

Amsterdam: October 14th, 2008 - Microsoft today debuted Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 Release 2 (R2), an update to the award-winning Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007, at the VoiceCon event in Amsterdam. Office Communications Server 2007 R2 delivers important new functionality that extends software-powered voice communications, particularly for remote and mobile workers; provides on-premise audio conferencing to help reduce operational costs; and introduces new developer advances, including the ability to build communications-enabled business processes. These enhancements will improve business communications through a unified infrastructure and user experience.

eircom is using Office Communications Server 2007 to help drive its New World of Work initiative which aims to improve working lives and productivity. Staff quickly identified the connectivity benefits of features such as presence and IM while working away from the office and the advantages of simple videoconferencing offered by Office Communicator 2007, the client application for Office Communications Server 2007. eircom estimates that a conservative time saving of 30 minutes per week for just 1,500 eircom employees would amount to approximately €950,000 in productivity gains.

“Office Communicator 2007 will be a ubiquitous tool at eircom,” said Stephen Mulligan, Web and Mobility Technology manager at eircom. “Microsoft technologies are agile and intuitive enough to automate business processes without forcing us to change; that’s the New World of Work.”

“Microsoft’s Unified Communications software is providing Irish companies with new choices in how they communicate, bringing a unified approach to voice, video conferencing, instant messaging and presence, which delivers improved productivity and a proven reduction in cost,” said Richard Moore, Business Manager, Information Worker, Microsoft Ireland. “With Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2 we have taken a significant step towards a fully software-based PBX, which improves customer communications and delivers an even greater level of flexibility and control.”

Software-Powered Voice for Today and Tomorrow

Since the solution became available in 2007, businesses have begun migrating their workers off their PBXs to Office Communications Server for all their telephony needs. Customers such as Royal Dutch Shell plc are already taking a load off their PBXs by using Office Communications Server and Microsoft Office Communicator 2007 for mobile and remote workers in place of PBX phones to provide global employees with innovative communications solutions to quickly and efficiently reach their colleagues and help reduce operational costs.

“As a global company with employees dispersed in various time zones and geographic locations, Royal Dutch Shell has benefitted from Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 with improved communications and more flexibility for our employees,” said Johan Krebbers, group IT architect, Royal Dutch Shell. “Today Royal Dutch Shell has over 5,000 employees who frequently travel and use Office Communications Server 2007 as their primary voice solution.”

Customers are leapfrogging an entire generation of Internet protocol (IP) PBX technology to move straight to unified communications and software-powered voice over Internet protocol (VoIP). Office Communications Server interoperates with legacy PBX and IP PBX investments, allowing customers to transition to the new platform without undergoing an expensive rip-and-replace upgrade of their network. Office Communications Server 2007 R2 allows customers to take the next step toward replacing their PBX with Microsoft’s unified communications software and managing voice in the same way as other applications such as e-mail and instant messaging.

New Capabilities on a Strong, Unified Foundation

Through deep integration with Microsoft Office, Microsoft Exchange Server and Office SharePoint Server, Office Communications Server delivers organizations the power of one: one infrastructure for enterprise communications and one cohesive user experience. Customers do not need to deploy and adopt dozens of different applications to make unified communications a reality. Office Communications Server 2007 R2 builds on that foundation with new capabilities that provide flexible business communications solutions for end users and gives IT pros the tools needed to control and manage their organization’s communications needs.

Key new features of Office Communications Server 2007 R2 include the following:

Next-Generation Collaboration

Dial-in audio conferencing. Office Communications Server 2007 R2 enables businesses to eliminate costly audio conferencing services with an on-premise audio conferencing bridge that is managed by IT as part of the overall communications infrastructure.
Desktop sharing. This feature enables users to seamlessly share their desktop, initiate audio communications and collaborate with others outside the organization on PC, Macintosh or Linux platforms through a Web-based interface.
Persistent group chat. This enables geographically dispersed teams to collaborate with each other by participating in topic-based discussions that persist over time. This application provides users with a list of all available chat rooms and topics, periodically archives discussions in an XML file format that meets compliance regulations, provides tools to search the entire history of discussion on a given topic, and offers filters and alerts to notify someone of new posts or topics on a particular topic.

Enhanced Voice and Mobility

Attendant console and delegation. This allows receptionists, team secretaries and others to manage calls and conferences on behalf of other users, set up workflows to route calls, and manage higher volumes of incoming communications through a software-based interface.
Session Initiation Protocol trunking. This feature enables businesses to reduce costs by setting up a direct VoIP connection between an Internet telephony service provider and Office Communicator 2007 without requiring on-premise gateways.
Response group. A workflow design application manages incoming calls based on user-configured rules (e.g., round-robin, longest idle, simultaneous), providing a simple-to-use basic engine for call treatment, routing and queuing.
Mobility and single-number reach. This extends Microsoft Office Communicator Mobile functionality to Nokia S40, Motorola RAZR, Blackberry and Windows Mobile platforms, allowing users to communicate using presence, IM and voice as an extension of their PBX from a unified client.^*

New Developer Tools for Business Applications

APIs and Visual Studio integration. This improves the efficiency of everyday business processes by enabling businesses to build communications-enabled applications and embed communications into business applications.

More information about Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2 is available at http://www.microsoft.com/uc/products/ocs2007.mspx

Microsoft Ireland Wins Repak Recycling Award

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 09:02:29 GMT

At the 7th Repak Recycling Awards last week, Microsoft Ireland won the Best Prevention Initiative Award for the re-design of the Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac packaging. The Awards serve to recognise and commend both businesses and schools that are exemplars in packaging minimisation, prevention and recycling and that are actively seeking to make a difference to recycling and to the environment in Ireland.

The award, which was presented by Minister for the Environment John Gormley, recognised the project to re-design the packaging for Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac which resulted in the use of less material and the reduction in the weight of the packaging by 70% and the volume by 69%.

The production of these units led to a reduction of 210 tonnes of packaging in 2007, a 320% increase in pallet utilization, resulting in 30% less trucks being needed to deliver the same product.

Other winners at the awards were:

Symantec Ireland who won Repak Member of the Year 2008, Sponsored by Arthur Cox
Glenisk Organic Dairies who won Repak Best Practice Award sponsored by the EPA
Musgrave Group won the Repak Excellence Award 2008,
Glenlo Abbey Hotel who won the Repak Best practice Award 2008 – Hospitality Sector, sponsored by Rehab Recycling
Thornton’s Recycling, 2008 Recovery Operator of the Year Award – Large, sponsored by Tetra Pak
Clean Ireland Recycling, 2008 Recovery Operator of the Year Award Small to Medium Company, Sponsored by Manvik
Fingal County Council won 2008 Local Authority of the Year Award, Sponsored by REHAB Recycling
Murphy’s SuperValu Supermarket, Castletownbere, Co. Cork who won Best Practice – Independent Retailer Sector 2008
Tashinny National School, Ballymahon, Co. Longford, Repak in association with An Taisce, Recycling School of the Year
Tashinny National School also had one particular interesting reuse initiative in their school when they put old election posters to good use by creating a hen run out of the posters.

Three Teachers to Represent Northern Ireland at Global Innovative Teachers Competition in Hong Kong

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 15:36:01 GMT

Belfast: October 7th 2008 – Northern Ireland teachers, Tom Fitzsimmons and Ciaran McLaren from Crumlin Integrated College, and Eileen McStocker of St. Pius X College, will be travelling to Hong Kong to represent Northern Ireland at the 2008 Microsoft Worldwide Innovative Teacher’s Forum in November. The teachers were chosen from competitors all over Northern Ireland who entered the Microsoft competition to find Northern Ireland’s most Innovative teacher.

Tom Fitzsimmons and Ciaran McLaren were chosen to showcase their innovative pilot course which was initiated as a foundation for year 10 pupils who would later choose GCSE Double Award Engineering. Eileen McStocker’s exciting project, Conservation Online, takes pupils from a local primary school on a virtual journey around St. Pius X College conservation area. The teachers from both schools are part of the Northern Ireland Regional Training Unit’s (RTU) Online Learning and Teaching for Educators Programme, (OLTE). This programme, funded by the Department for Education, aims to develop and support schools’ ability to use elearning effectively.

Speaking today, Tom Fitzsimmons said: “Ciaran and I are delighted to be chosen to represent Northern Ireland at Microsoft’s 2008 Worldwide Innovative Teachers Forum. We are really looking forward competing against our peers from all over the world in Hong Kong.”
Eileen McStocker noted, “It will be great to see what other innovative projects people are doing to integrate digital learning in the classroom and I’m sure there will be many lessons to learn in Hong Kong that we can apply back home.”

Tom and Ciaran’s pilot course is designed as a foundation for the pupils in year 10 who will later choose GCSE Double Award Engineering and Mathematics. The design and planning of the course required students to have no prior knowledge of engineering concepts or have any previous experience in learning through the virtual environment. Therefore the course planning had to ensure that the students were fully inducted and introduced to both the rules of online learning and the fundamental concepts of Engineering.

Eileen’s project is a 10 week course which takes the user on a virtual journey around St. Pius X College conservation area. The various stops on the conservation area are outlined through digital photographs and the associated theory topics are conveyed to students using a variety of files, work tasks and discussions. Each week a new topic or stop is covered with some tasks extending over two weeks. When the 10 week course is complete students will make an actual visit to the conservation area.

Tom Jackson, Schools Technology Innovation Centre Manager, Microsoft Northern Ireland, said: “It’s great to have two Northern Irish schools competing at the global finals this year. I think it will be tight between the two projects and I really think one of them has a great chance of winning the overall prize with their project. As the world changes and the skills our children need in the work force of the future change, we need to move education to a model of 21st Century learning. These projects are great examples of the innovative approach we should be taking.”
Jackson continued, “People can always find new and better ways of doing things, if they put their mind to it. Teachers play an important role in helping achieve that. Through the Innovative Teachers Forum, Microsoft is bringing together accomplished educators from around the world who share an enthusiasm for continual innovation in education.”
Dr. Victor McNair, Senior Lecturer, University of Ulster, who was one of the judges in the competition noted: "This year, the judges had a challenging task as all the entries were of very high quality and reflected the creativity and commitment to ICT-supported learning of our teachers. I was particularly impressed with the way these teachers integrated their excellent lessons with well designed and stimulating ICT-based activities."

The 2008 Microsoft Worldwide Innovative Forum will take place in Hong Kong from the 3^rd of November through the 6th.

The 2008 Microsoft Worldwide Innovative Teacher’s Forum is part of Microsoft’s Partners in Learning Programme, a worldwide initiative aimed at supporting interdisciplinary work in secondary education and beyond. The goal of the event is to enhance student learning through teacher development and leadership. As part of the initiative, Microsoft collaborates with local and international experts in curriculum development and teacher training and seeks to increase access to latest computer technologies in educational institutions.

Irish Teacher to Represent Ireland at Global Teacher’s Competition in Hong Kong

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:34:10 GMT

Dublin: Monday 6th, October, 2008 – Tipperary teacher, Kate O’Connell, whose teaching project beat the best of Europe, will be travelling to Hong Kong to represent Ireland at the 2008 Microsoft Worldwide Innovative Teacher’s Forum in November. Kate, who teaches at Scoil Mhuire, Kilvemnon in Tipperary was chosen to showcase her innovative project which, using technology and digital learning, encourages primary school children to build aeroplanes.

Speaking today, Kate O’Connell said: “I was delighted to be named Microsoft’s 2008 European Innovative Teacher and I’m really looking forward to representing Ireland to compete against my peers in Hong Kong. My experience in the European competition means I have learnt a lot from my competitors’ projects. It’s great to see what people in other countries are doing to integrate digital learning in the class room and I’m sure there will be many lessons to learn again in Hong Kong.”

Kate’s project, Flying High: Exploring Aviation integrated every subject in the primary school curriculum with ICT and digital learning. The children used LEGO®to construct their own working models of aeroplanes, building hydraulic lifts to raise the planes and stimulate flight. It used the constructivist approach developed by Professor Seymour Papert of MIT and pioneered in Ireland by Dr Deirdre Butler at St. Deirdre Butler at St. Patrick’s College.

Dr. Kevin Marshall, Academic Programme Manager, Microsoft Ireland, said: “It’s great to have an Irish teacher who has been named best in Europe competing at the globally finals this year. I believe Kate has a great chance of winning the overall prize with her project and it’s amazing to have an entry from a two teacher school.

“As the world changes and the skills our children need in the work force of the future change, we need to move education to a model of 21st Century learning. Kate’s project, which brings together all the subjects in the primary curriculum is a perfect example of the innovative approach we should be taking. Digital learning must be seen as an integral part of the curriculum and a core element of our teacher training programmes.”

Marshall continued, “People can always find new and better ways of doing things, if they put their mind to it. Teachers play an important role in helping achieve that. Through the Innovative Teachers Forum, Microsoft is bringing together accomplished educators from around the world who share an enthusiasm for continual innovation in education.”

The 2008 Microsoft Worldwide Innovative Forum will take place in Hong Kong on the 3^rd of November.

The 2008 Microsoft Worldwide Innovative Teacher’s Forum forum is part of Microsoft’s Partners in Learning Programme, a worldwide initiative aimed at supporting interdisciplinary work in secondary education and beyond. The goal of the event is to enhance student learning through teacher development and leadership. As part of the initiative, Microsoft collaborates with local and international experts in curriculum development and teacher training and seeks to increase access to latest computer technologies in educational institutions.

Enable Ireland-Microsoft partnership recognised as CSR best practice

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 09:33:33 GMT

This week marks the second annual Corporate Responsibility Week in Ireland, an initiative driven by Business in the Community Ireland (BITC).

As part of the Corporate Responsibility week, BITC have published the fifth "Inspiring Excellence" publication, which provides case studies on Corporate Responsibility initiatives and projects undertaken by companies in Ireland over the past twelve months.

To celebrate the fifth year of the Inspiring Excellence series, BITC brought together a judging panel to select the top ten best practice case studies from 2003-2008 and Microsoft's partnership with Enable Ireland has been selected as one of the top ten, along with entries from BT, IBM, Intel, Irish Life, Manpower, Oracle, Savills Hamilton Osborne King, Ulster Bank and Vodafone.

You can find out more about the partnership between Microsoft and Enable Ireland here.

Pictured below: Representatives from the companies named in the Top Ten corporate responsibility best practice at the launch last Friday in Ulster Bank's headquarters in Dublin.

Relevant links:

You can download this year's Inspiring Excellence publication here.
You can see videos of the other nine best practices here (foot of the page).
You can find out more about Microsoft's work with Enable Ireland here.

Meteor Makes Right Connections with Microsoft Office 2007

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 08:42:21 GMT

Dublin: October 2nd 2008: Meteor Mobile Communications, Ireland’s third largest mobile communications provider has rolled out Microsoft Office 2007 across the entire organisation to over 800 people. Meteor has standardised on the Microsoft Office 2007 system to optimise productivity and to enable both local and remote users to collaborate more effectively.

Paul Kirwan, IT Infrastructure Manager, Meteor Mobile Communications said, “We need systems that maximise the ability of our people to find the right information, use the right processes and work together wherever they are, resulting in greater productivity. We have moved from Office 2000 to 2007 and achieved these objectives in a very short space of time. The combination of our own planning and efforts, with the Microsoft conversion tools and the quality of the Office 2007 applications enabled us to complete the migration quickly and painlessly and we’re already seeing the benefits.”

Pictured from left: Paul Kirwan, IT infrastructure manager, Meteor Mobile Communications and Richard Moore, business manager, Information Worker Microsoft Ireland

Microsoft Office 2007 provides productivity and information management software designed to help you save time and stay organised. The tools in Office 2007 make it easier to quickly accomplish routine tasks, effectively manage sales and marketing activities, produce professional-quality communications, and organise your customer and business information.

Microsoft Office Sharepoint Server 2007 enables Meteor employees to communicate more efficiently and effectively inside and outside the office, reducing costs and increasing productivity while providing a secure environment.

Paul Kirwan continues, “As a communications company it’s imperative that we are able to connect easily with colleagues and partners both in the office and on the go. Effective and productive communication is a key part of Meteor’s framework. With Microsoft Office 2007 and Sharepoint we were able to realise a better service injust eight weeks with no negative feedback from users.”

The Microsoft Office 2007 software and supporting applications are easy to install with minimum interruption to normal daily workloads. The system has a more intuitive user interface which requires minimal training and as part of the upgrade package with Microsoft, Meteor benefited from free consultancy support and end user training and staff were provided with useful aids such as a downloadable Help Bar and video aids such as the “New to Microsoft Office Guide.”

“Microsoft Office 2007 is the result of in-depth research into how we can help office and home workers to become more productive whether they are working alone or in a team,” commented Richard Moore, Business Manager, Information Worker for Microsoft Ireland. “The applications solve many of the oldest productivity killers such as finding the right information, or not being able to use the more advanced function of an application. It’s fantastic when you see a company like Meteor gaining the full benefits of this technology.”

“The other major trend is collaboration. With people increasingly working on the move or from home, the ability to have integrated online workspaces where you can share calendars, documents, lists etc. is very important. SharePoint makes the entire collaboration process simpler and more efficient. When you have a team where all participants work with the same data set, you eliminate the possibility of errors which arise from working with multiple copies of the same document and you can get projects done more quickly,” added Moore.

With Office 2007, commonly used functions are no longer buried in sub menus and applications are better integrated across the entire 2007 Office system. This enables users to take advantage of functions which previously went unused. The result is proving to be dramatic in realisation of greater productivity and collaboration across the board.

It is easier to share information with colleagues via applications such as Word by directly accessing the document from SharePoint, thus eliminating repeated storage of the same data in different areas with the risks of various revisions being used by different users which could lead to unnecessary mistakes and errors.

Meteor’s upgrade to Microsoft Office 2007 using Microsoft Systems Manager Server and SharePoint 2007, illustrate that the upgrade can be easily and successfully achieved without significant education and training of non-technical users. The right attitude combined with the right tools can achieve painless upgrades and significant business improvements.

Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 Released: Microsoft Helps Customers Overcome Barriers to Virtualization and Get Virtual Now

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 15:08:05 GMT

Dublin: October 1st 2008 - Earlier today Microsoft’s Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer announced the final release and availability of Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 at an event in London. In addition to the full availability of Hyper-V Server 2008, Microsoft also announced a new offering of specialised assessment and implementation services which will help customers adopt and deploy Microsoft’s virtualization solutions.

“We are completely focused on working with customers to help them have more control of their IT systems, helping them to reduce costs while being able to respond faster to changing business needs,” commented Bill O’Brien, Business Manager, Server & Tools Microsoft Ireland. “Hyper-V Server 2008 is already being used by Irish companies to take advantage of virtualization across servers, datacentres and desktops.”

Products, Services, Training and Certification Ease Use and Adoption

Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008, a hypervisor-based server virtualization product, is now available as a no cost Web download at http://www.microsoft.com/Hyper-VServer.

Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 provides a simplified, reliable, and optimised virtualization solution for customers to consolidate Windows or Linux workloads onto a single physical server or to run client operating systems and applications in server-based virtual machines in the data centre. Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 allows customers to leverage their existing provisioning, updating, management and support tools, processes and skills.

The provisioning and management tools are based on Microsoft System Centre suite, which provides centralised, enterprise-class management of physical and virtual resources across desktops and datacentres. One of these products is System Centre Virtual Machine Manager 2008, which is available as beta software and a final version will be released by the end of the month. System Centre Virtual Machine Manager enables customers to configure and deploy new virtual machines and centrally manage their virtualized infrastructure, whether running on a Microsoft hypervisor or VMware Virtual Infrastructure 3.

Customers can now benefit from the Server Virtualization with Advanced Management offering from Microsoft Services to help maximise the value of server virtualization using Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V and System Centre. This offering includes assessment of existing physical infrastructure, review of potential cost savings, and proof of concept implementation, followed by a full design, deployment, migration and operational integration of the virtualization infrastructure.

Building on the strength and valued reputation of the Microsoft Certified Professional programme, Microsoft is also delivering a new series of global virtualization training and certification offerings for IT professionals covering desktop, server and management environments. Complete details on these programs is available at http://blogs.technet.com/mslcommunity/.

Intel, Microsoft and An Post Join Forces to Promote "Log On, Learn"

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 10:43:23 GMT

Dublin: October 1st 2008 - The launch of ‘Log On, Learn’ an initiative that provides computer training for older people, took place today at Castleknock Community College in Dublin. Minister Máire Hoctor, T.D. Minister for Older People, launched this initiative during Positive Ageing Week.

‘Log On, Learn’ is a simple and user-friendly method devised to engage our older population in computer training. The initiative is designed to ‘buddy up’ a participating transition year student tutor with an older person from their local community, so each shares their skills. The one-to-one aspect of this training will mean that the training is tailored to suit each older person’s needs. The training will take the older person’s initial skill level, learning pace, interests and hobbies into account. Anyone wishing to register their interest in ‘Log On, Learn’ should contact 01-214 7417.

Máire Hoctor, T.D. Minister for Older People at the launch of the initiative commented, “This is a wonderful initiative which will increase older peoples’ connectivity by giving them access to digital communication, while providing a unique opportunity for them to work with teenagers. I have no doubt this cross generational approach will be of mutual benefit. I congratulate teachers, transition year students, along with Intel, Microsoft and An Post for making this innovative approach, a reality.”

The programme is designed to run for 8 consecutive weeks during one, (or all three), school terms of transition year. This initiative allows young people to engage in a programme which has the power to change positively older people’s lives. Across almost 750 secondary schools nationally, this initiative has the potential to train over 30,000 older people, in computer skills, per annum.

In 8-weekly training sessions, (of between 1-2 hours each), which take place in the school’s computer lab/room, the student tutor shares:

knowledge of how to use a PC and mouse - basic word-processing, eMail & internet
confidence to overcome the ‘fear factor’ surrounding ‘new’ technologies

The older person shares:

ability to relate and communicate
memories of culture / rituals etc.
life experience

‘Log On, Learn’ Log On, Learn is an Intel, Microsoft and An Post collaboration. It has been enthusiastically approved by Michael O’Leary, Transition Year National Co-ordinator.

“To survive and thrive in this growing knowledge-based economy, our older citizens must be equipped with 21st Century skills to stay in touch. Intel is committed to improving digital inclusion and education for all,” said John Davies, Intel General Manager, World Ahead Programme.

Dr. Kevin Marshall, Academic Programme Manager at Microsoft Ireland said, “We are constantly striving to identify ways in which technology can help everyone to realise their full potential, across all sectors of our society. The ‘Log On, Learn’ programme serves an incredibly useful purpose linking two sectors of society who derive valuable mutual benefits– older people who might not otherwise have access to technology and students who need to develop ICT skills to participate successfully in the 21^st Century economy.”

Barney Whelan, An Post Director of Communications and Corporate Affairs said “We are directly in touch with millions of Irish people every working day, and we know the difference that this initiative will make to people, enabling them to fulfill their potential by using new communications tools to improve their own life, that of their peers and family, and the Irish economy and society in general”.

An Post has developed a national advertising campaign, including a 30-second TV ad, showcasing ‘Log On, Learn’ and encouraging older people and Transition Year students to become involved. This is the latest element of An Post’s successful national initiatives focusing on Literacy, and in particular, Technical Literacy.

Microsoft Outlines How Irish Firms can help to Address the Chronic Shortage of Computers for Schools and Charities While Reducing the Environmental Impact

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 14:07:44 GMT

Over 200,000 PCs that could be used by schools and charities are dumped every year in Ireland

Dublin: September 29th, 2008 – Microsoft Ireland today called for Irish companies to re-assess how they manage the disposal of end-of-life PCs in their businesses and to consider the re-use of the computers they’re replacing. The vast majority of business PCs in Ireland currently end up in storage or landfill but the Microsoft Authorised Refurbisher (MAR) programme offers an alternative. The programme enables companies to donate computers they are no longer using, and those computers will then be refurbished, upgraded and serviced, installed with new copies of Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office and then provided to local schools, charities and community groups who typically struggle to finance technology purchases. By lengthening the useful life of the computers companies can reduce their environmental impact while at the same time create a ready supply of PCs suitable for schools, charities and community groups.

There is currently a chronic shortage of suitable PCs for schools and charities in Ireland, while at the same time it is estimated that over 200,000 PCs will be disposed of by businesses in Ireland this year. While only 2,000 PCs have been refurbished this year to date, a large proportion of those machines could be productively used by schools and charities - groups that typically struggle to finance technology purchases. It is anticipated that this number could be trebled by the end of the year.

Microsoft Ireland Managing Director, Paul Rellis urged Irish companies to consider donating their PCs for reuse when they are finished with them. Commenting on the issue he said: “Companies typically replace their PCs on a three or four year cycle. While an old PC may not longer by useful for the business, it could continue to have a productive life providing access to technology for students and charities across the country. This serves two purposes, helping companies reduce their environmental impact and secondly closing the digital divide.”

“The MAR programme provides a great way for companies to ensure that a PC stays out of landfill and has a longer, more impactful life. I would urge people in business everywhere to consider these options rather than simply dumping the obsolete machines.”

The programme is run by Microsoft but the authorised third party refurbishers are Irish companies and organizations who look after the PCs and ensure they are recycled or channeled to schools and community groups. The biggest issue today is ensuring that there is a sufficient supply of old PCs to meet the huge demand from schools and local communities. Companies can find a full list of Irish refurbishers at http://www.microsoft.com/mar.

Mr. Rellis encouraged schools and nonprofit groups to register for the programme. “Access to technology plays a vital role in encouraging students to pursue careers in areas such as science, technology and engineering. This is a hugely cost effective way for schools to increase their computer stock. For nonprofit groups, utilising technology can help deliver greater operational efficiencies and enhanced provision of services,” he said.

Martin Reddy at Rehab Recycle one of the largest refurbishers in Ireland believes that there’s a great opportunity for Irish businesses in the programme. “Right now the biggest challenge is securing a supply of PCs to meet the incredible demand from schools and charities. If we can get suitable PCs we can ensure that we can get PCs into local communities which ensuring unstuitable PCs are properly recycled. Our refurbishment programme provides fantastic employment opportunities for people with disabilities, so by participating in the programme companies get a range of benefits from reducing their environmental footprint, to supporting local schools and communities and supporting employment for people with disabilities.”

The initiative is just one part of Microsoft’s commitment to environmental sustainability and to bringing the benefits of technology to everyone in society. Microsoft is committed to reduce the environmental impact of PCs and to close the digital divide by bringing the benefits of technology to as many people as possible.

Companies, schools and non profits interested in finding out more about the MAR programme or how to register can visit http://www.microsoft.com/mar.

Professional Development Required to Drive Innovative Teaching to Equip Students for the Innovation Economy

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 05:43:05 GMT

Dublin: 16th September 2008 - Ireland needs to ensure that its education and training provision meets the needs of a 21st century innovative economy, according to Paul Rellis, Managing Director, Microsoft Ireland. He called for a debate on how best to deliver teacher professional development to meet future economic in his address to the IBEC Teaching and Learning for the 21st Century: Professional Development of Teachers Conference in Dublin today.

“Today we are calling for a debate on how to deliver a new model of teacher professional development and a dynamic assessment system which places digital technologies at its epicentre,” said Mr Rellis. “This, we believe, will prepare our students to meet the challenges of the 21^st Century in whatever form they present.

“Our vision is simple. It is the development of students, teachers, parents and educators to be lifelong learners, who realise their potential any time, any place, on any device, through the power of technology. In real terms this vision translates to providing increased levels of access to students and teachers to technical devices that they can use in the classroom and in their homes.”

Mr Rellis went on to outline how the requirements of the workplace are changing.

“The skill set required to work successfully in the 21^st Century economy is very different to that which was required ten years ago,” he said. “Ireland has competed successfully on the global stage and we are recognised today as a country with a highly educated and creative workforce. Things are changing so quickly, as is apparent from developments in the global economic environment, we need to continually innovate so that we can continue to compete. Equipping our students with relevant IT skills is an essential part of ensuring that Ireland is in a position to compete in the medium and long term. ”

In his address Mr. Rellis referenced The National Skills Strategy Report (2005) which identifies the changed skills needs of the Irish economy for 2020. The Report outlines that there will be a requirement for all employees to acquire a ‘range of generic and transferable skills including people-related and conceptual/thinking skills. In addition it states that work will be less routine, with a requirement for flexibility, continuous learning, and individual initiative and judgement. It also highlights the importance of R&D, innovation and marketing skills stating that all occupations will become “knowledge-intensive” resulting in the need for higher qualifications and technical knowledge.

“The National Skills Strategy Report has clearly identified the kinds of skills that the economy will need in just over a decade’s time. In order to be able to meet these needs, there is a requirement to bring new thinking to the professional development of teachers so that the curriculum is delivered in a manner that will ensure that the right skills will be in place,” he said.

Mr. Rellis continued: “We have some models of excellence in Ireland, including Dunshaughlin Community School, which is one of only twelve Microsoft Schools of the Future in the World. An Irish teacher recently beat the whole of Europe at Microsoft’s Innovative Teacher’s Forum. The challenge is to replicate these models and drive innovative thinking across all parts of the education system.”

Microsoft has a number of programmes in place which focus specifically on the professional development of teachers including Innovative Teachers and Innovative Schools. Innovative Schools and School of the Future is part of Microsoft’s wider Partners in Learning Programme (PiL), which aims to empower schools to significantly raise the level of ICT literacy among their staff and to support schools in developing an internal culture of innovation and lifelong learning. In 2007 Microsoft Chairman, Bill Gates, named Dunshaughlin Community College as one of 12 schools world-wide (3 in Western Europe) to take part in the Innovative Schools Programme.

The aim of the Innovative Teachers programme is to assist teachers to advance the process of teaching and learning via ICT. Microsoft provide a Resources Web Page offering teachers free tools, templates and downloads for use in class and in the preparation of learning resources.

“Microsoft believes that to ensure students are learning appropriate skills, teachers’ training needs should be assessed and used to improve and tailor existing training programmes at all stages of teacher professional development,” said Mr Rellis. “Consideration should also be given to building technology into the delivery of the curriculum at primary level. At the very least, an ICT literacy module should be introduced into the primary curriculum to introduce children to technology. In this way, we believe there’s an opportunity to begin to engage the teaching profession with the concept of digital learning and delivering the skills required for the 21^st Century.”

Seamus Ryan, former principal of Dunshaughlin Community Schools (now Education Office, County Meath VEC) also addressed the conference. “Through the Microsoft School of the Future initiative Dunshaughlin teaching staff have been exposed to best practice, innovation and experience from schools across the globe,” he said. “The experience to date has been fascinating and has allowed the school to share ideas and put some new processes and infrastructure in place which have changed the way in which teachers are delivering the curriculum, with attendant benefits to the students. This Microsoft model is one that can be replicated right across the system for the benefit of students and teachers alike.”

Microsoft Lowers Xbox 360 Estimated Retail Price in Ireland

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:34:51 GMT

With Estimated Retail Pricing From €179.99and the best line up of Games and Entertainment For Everyone, Xbox 360 is aiming to win in Europe

Dublin: 16th September 2008 - Imagine if friends and families had the ability to instantly watch movies and share pictures, live out their musical fantasies through “Lips” (iNiS Corp./Microsoft Game Studios) and “Rock Band” (Harmonix/MTV Games) and star in their own Hollywood classics with “You’re in the Movies” (Codemasters/Microsoft Game Studios) — all from one console, starting at an estimated retail price (ERP) of only €179.99. That is the Xbox 360™, and Microsoft today announced the new lower ERP for its Xbox 360 family of consoles in Europe. Now with an entry-level ERP of €179.99 and offering a plethora of exciting and broad entertainment in the living room, Xbox 360 is the true home of mass market entertainment with something to offer for every interest and budget.

From Friday, 19th September, Xbox 360, which includes a 60GB hard drive and one wireless controller, will have an ERP of €239.99. The Xbox 360 Elite, which comes with a massive 120GB hard drive enabling consumers to store huge quantities of content downloaded from Xbox LIVE™ Marketplace as well as their own music, will have an ERP of €299.99. The Xbox 360 Arcade console, perfect for those wishing to make their first foray into the gaming and entertainment world of Xbox, will have an ERP of €179.99.

The new ERPs are part of Microsoft’s ongoing strategy to open up the ultimate in high-definition gaming and entertainment to an even wider audience, with something for everyone. A major part of this strategy is a new Xbox LIVE online experience coming to Europe this autumn that will reinvent home entertainment from the inside out, with a bold new look and feel that is fun, social and simple to use. It’s the first time in history that a mass market consumer electronics device has been reinvented through free software, changing the way we play games, watch movies, and even become contestants in game shows. Along with the new Xbox experience, the Xbox 360 platform is offering a stunning games portfolio for all ages and interests this Christmas, with new titles for music lovers, family-friendly games, and exciting blockbuster titles for the committed gamer.

“We’re proud to be expanding the reach of Xbox as the first next-generation console to break the €200barrier, making the platform up to €200less expensive than competitors” said Chris Lewis, Vice President, Microsoft Interactive Entertainment Business Europe. “History shows that the majority of console sales happen after this price point has been breached, and we’re well positioned to take advantage of this mass market pricing. We’re passing on the benefits of being the first console to sell over 20 million units worldwide, and of the ever-expanding ecosystem of Xbox, to consumers. We offer a large library of games and family entertainment for Xbox 360, with 90 titles coming between now and Christmas alone, and we’re redefining what people can expect from entertainment with the new Xbox LIVE experience debuting later this year. Plus, with well over five million consoles sold to date the combination of the strongest games line up this Christmas, really innovative entertainment experiences and these groundbreaking new price points will ensure we continue to enjoy fantastic momentum in Europe.”

Bringing Music Games to Life

Whether you’re an aspiring groupie, songbird or big-haired rocker, this Christmas Xbox 360 transforms your living room into a thrilling soundstage for you and your friends. No other system connects you with all the music you love:

· “Lips” (iNiS/Microsoft Game Studios). “Lips,” an all-new music franchise exclusively from Xbox 360, is the only singing party game that offers wireless motion-sensitive microphones and a robust and diverse list of songs representing multiple musical genres, ranging from pop, rock and dance to hip-hop, country and R&B.

· “Rock Band” (Harmonix/Electronic Arts). “Rock Band” is the next-gen music game that lets you live out your rock-and-roll fantasy. Embark on a solo career as a guitarist, bassist, drummer, or singer, and rock out to some of the biggest rock anthems of all time.

· “Guitar Hero^® World Tour^” (RedOctane/Activision). The latest instalment from the No. 1 best-selling video game franchise of 2007, “Guitar Hero World Tour” will transform music gaming by marrying the exhilarating guitar gameplay of “Guitar Hero” with a cooperative band experience that combines the most advanced wireless instruments with revolutionary new online and offline gameplay modes.

Xbox 360 Is the Life of the Party

Xbox 360 truly gets the party started with a wide-ranging portfolio of exclusive games for the whole family, including:

· “You’re in the Movies” (Codemasters/Microsoft Game Studios). Get ready for your close-up. “You’re in the Movies” brings the cool factor to kitsch as you live out your dreams of becoming a scream queen, zombie or kung fu fighter. Premiering exclusively on Xbox 360 this holiday season, “You’re in the Movies” is the first and only game of its kind to literally transport players into a magical world of cinema mixed with the hilarious world of improvisation.

· “Scene It? Box Office Smash” (Krome Studios and Screenlife/Microsoft Game Studios). “Scene It? Box Office Smash,” the revolutionary movie trivia game on Xbox 360, will ignite your game night this Christmas with totally new questions, movie puzzles and more high-definition (HD) content from real movies including some of Hollywood’s latest blockbusters. With the New Xbox Experience, players can literally put themselves into the game through custom avatars that respond to play and react to one another throughout the course of the game. Movie fans in France, Italy, German, Spain and the U.K. have even more to love, with content from some of their favorite local films included in versions of the game sold in their countries.

· “Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts” (Rare Ltd./Microsoft Game Studios). Available exclusively on Xbox 360 in November, from the creative masterminds at Rare, “Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts” is an action-adventure game that breathes new life into a franchise that has entertained people of all ages for a decade. In a platform genre first, players create their own abilities by building vehicles for Banjo to pilot over land, sea and air in a variety of Challenges where their choice of vehicle and tactics determines the course of the adventure.

· “Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise” (Rare Ltd./Microsoft Game Studios). In this sequel to the colourful sleeper hit “Viva Piñata”, players can venture outside the boundaries of the immersive and ever-changing garden to retrieve exotic piñata species from two new lands, the Dessert Desert and the Piñarctic. Developed by Rare, “Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise” allows up to four players to work together to create the ultimate online garden via Xbox LIVE.

The Biggest Blockbusters of 2008 and Beyond

With the most blockbuster, million-selling games and some highly- anticipated titles in 2008 and beyond, Xbox 360 is the pre-eminent place to play all the big titles that gamers thirst for, including the following:

· Fallout® 3 (Bethesda Softworks). Included in “Fallout 3” is an expansive world, unique combat, shockingly realistic visuals, tons of player choice, and an incredible cast of dynamic characters. Every minute is a fight for survival against the terrors of the outside world—radiation, super mutants, and hostile mutated creatures.

· “Fable II” (Lionhead Studios/Microsoft Game Studios). This Xbox 360 exclusive action role-playing game offers players an epic storyline and an unprecedented level of freedom and choice. Every decision defines who the player becomes and influences the evolving world around them.

· “Gears of War 2” (Epic Games/Microsoft Game Studios). “Gears of War 2” is the most anticipated Xbox 360 exclusive title this holiday season and will be released worldwide Nov. 7.

· “Grand Theft Auto IV” (Rockstar North/Rockstar Games). Continuing its blistering pace on the Xbox 360 platform, the first of the Xbox 360 exclusive downloadable episodes for this record-breaking game will be available this autumn — the only console with new “Grand Theft Auto IV” content available this Christmas.

· “Tomb Raider: Underworld” (EIDOS). “Tomb Raider: Underworld” represents a new advancement in exploration-based gameplay. As fearless adventurer Lara Croft explore exotic locations around the world, each designed with an incredible attention to detail resulting in breathtaking high-definition visual fidelity that creates a truly believable world and delivers a new level of challenge and choice.

· James Bond: Quantum of Solace (Treyarch/Activision Inc.) James Bond is back to settle the score in Activision Inc.’s Quantum of Solace video game. Introducing a more lethal and cunningly efficient Bond, the game blends intense first-person action with a unique third-person cover combat system allowing players to truly experience what it is like to be the ultimate secret agent as they use their stealth, precision shooting and lethal combat skills to progress through missions.

· Prince of Persia (Ubisoft). “Prince of Persia” is set in a land rooted in ancient Persian mythology, with the Prince finding himself caught in an epic battle between the primal forces of light and darkness. Master the acrobatics, strategy and fighting tactics of the most agile warrior of all time. Grip fall down the face of a building, perform perfectly timed acrobatic combinations, swing over canyons, buildings, and anything that is reachable.

About Xbox 360

Xbox 360 is the most powerful video game and entertainment system, delivering the best games, the next generation of the premier Xbox LIVE online gaming network and unique digital entertainment experiences that revolve around gamers. Xbox 360 has a catalogue of more than 160 high-definition games and is available in 37 countries. More information can be found online at http://www.xbox.com/xbox360.

About Xbox LIVE™

Xbox Live is the first and most comprehensive unified online entertainment network seamlessly integrated throughout the entire console experience, making it easy for people to find the friends, games and entertainment they want from the moment they power on their Xbox 360 system. Xbox Live connects millions of members across 25 countries to enjoy hundreds of multiplayer games, downloadable games via Xbox Live Arcade, free and premium playable game demos, music videos and TV shows as well as new game levels, characters and vehicles for all their favourite retail games.

Back to School: Simple Guidelines to Ensure that Children Stay Safe Online

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 06:47:25 GMT

Dublin: September 1st 2008 - As the children go back to school, many parents will be considering investing in a computer for their children to use so they can access online educational resources and use word processing and graphics software to produce their homework and coursework. Dr. Kevin Marshall, Education Director, Microsoft Ireland, is advising parents and guardians to take their time when choosing a computer and to educate themselves on internet safety.

Speaking today, Dr. Marshall said: “There is no doubt that being technically literate and aware gives your child a head start, not just in school but also in preparation for life. Unlike practically everything else, where prices typically go up year after year, technology becomes more affordable as time passes.”

“The internet is a wonderful educational tool and children’s use of the web is increasing every day. Although this gives them huge advantages, we need to recognize that certain basic things need to be done in order to ensure the safety of our children when online. As a parent myself I am very aware of the risks of giving my children access to the internet. I would recommend parents today take heed of some simple guidelines will ensure that your children maximise the benefits of the internet while avoiding any potential issues.”

Microsoft is recommending that parents and guardians familiarize themselves with the simple guidelines outlined below and to put them into action in order to enhance the overall experience of children online.

Talk about potential dangers and your concerns with your children
Get your children to talk to you about what they do on the internet
Encourage them to talk about anything "uncomfortable" they find
Check the history section of your web browser for suitability of sites and chat rooms
Only set up the computer in a public area of the home where you can monitor your children’s activities
Set rules about when the internet can be accessed and for how long
Make a rule that they can never give personal information without permission
Make your children agree that they never agree to meet an on-line friend without permission
Check e-mails (especially for younger children)
Check phone bills

Many new PCs, such as those running Windows Vista included built-in parental controls which enable parents to manage children’s use of the computer from the times they are allowed online to the types of site they can visit.

Microsoft has also launched a new back to school web site which provides parents and students with resources to make the most of their computers during the school year. The web site can be found at: http://www.microsoft.com/ireland/backtoschool/

If you encounter any suspected illegal content on the internet you can report it confidentially by logging on to www.hotline.ie. Other forms of illegal content and activities may also be reported using this service.

Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 Released

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 06:37:26 GMT

The second pre-release version of Internet Explorer 8, the next version of Microsoft's web browser is now available for download.

You can download it and find out more about the new features here: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/internet-explorer/beta/

The design of Internet Explorer 8 was based on a lot of research on how people really browse the web. One of the clear findings was that the bulk of user activity outside of web pages involved tabs and “navigation”. And that's one of the goals of IE8 to make everyday browsing more productive. The second area of focus was Internet safety and the third was providing a platform that enables developers to build great web pages and online services.

You can find out more about the new features in Internet Explorer 8 in this video:

Some of the new features include:

Smart Address Bar. In addition to matching URLs in the user’s site history, the Smart Address Bar in Internet Explorer 8 matches what a user types in the Address Bar with titles in the history as well as content in their favourites and feeds, making it easier to locate sites the user wants to visit.
Enhanced Find On Page. Find On Page functionality has been enhanced to improve how users search for text on Web pages.
Find On Page. Find On Page now appears as a toolbar activated by pressing Ctrl-F or choosing Find On Page from the Edit menu or Instant Search Box. The toolbar appears below the user’s tab so it doesn’t obscure any of the text on the page.
Result count. The enhanced Find On Page functionality shows the user how many places the search text appears on the page.
Result highlighting. The enhanced Find On Page functionality highlights all places on the page where the search text appears so users can locate them at a glance.
Redesigned New Tab Page. The New Tab Page in Internet Explorer 8 has been redesigned to allow the user to perform common tasks by clicking links on the New Tab Page.
Tab Groups. When one tab is opened from another, the new tab is placed next to the originating tab, and both are marked with a coloured tab, so users can quickly discern which tabs have related content.
Reopen last browsing session. Internet Explorer 8 enables users to reopen their last browsing session from the most recently closed instance of Internet Explorer, which is useful if the user accidentally closes the browser.
Accelerators. Accelerators, which were called Activities in beta 1, give users ready access to the online services they care about most from any page they visit, and developers gain an easy way to extend the reach of their online services. They allow users to browse faster by allowing them to launch online services without having to leave the current Web page.
Web Slices. Developers can mark parts of Web pages as Web Slices and enable users to monitor information they rely on as they move about the Web. With a click in the Favourites bar, users see rich Web Slice visuals and developers establish a valuable end-user connection.
Enhanced Search Box. The Search Box in Internet Explorer 8 is more helpful, making it easier for users to find content of interest and increasing the odds that search results will be relevant. As users type a search term, they can see real-time search suggestions, including images, from their chosen search provider. In addition, the Search Box now presents results from the user’s own Favourites and browsing history.

In addition IE8 makes it easier for IT managers to deploy and administer, provides a safer browsing experience, and supports the development of new online applications and services.

Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 is available for 32- and 64-bit editions of Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Server 2008.

More Resources:

You can find out more and download the beta here.
You can find a full list of the new features here.
You can read more at the Internet Explorer blog.

New Microsoft Licensing and Support Eases Path to Virtualization

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:30:53 GMT

Customers “Get Virtual Now” with increased flexibility and broader support when virtualizing Microsoft server applications.

Dublin: 19th August 2008 - Microsoft is today announcing new licensing and expanded product support policies help business customers create more dynamic datacenters and enterprise IT systems with virtualization software. Beginning September 1st, 2008, customers will be able to move any of 41 Microsoft server applications between servers within a server farm as often as necessary without paying additional licensing fees, and they can take advantage of expanded specialised technical support.

“Microsoft recognises the momentum behind virtualization and its ability to make IT more dynamic and responsive to the business. We are making innovative changes to our licensing and support to enable customers make this transition and get virtual now,” commented Bill O’Brien, Business Manager, Server, Microsoft Ireland.

New Licensing Flexibility

Microsoft is updating its software licensing terms for 41 server applications, including Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Enterprise edition, Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1 Standard and Enterprise editions, Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 Enterprise and Professional editions, Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007, and Microsoft System Centre products. With the new terms, the company is waiving its previous 90-day reassignment rule, allowing customers to reassign licenses from one server to another within a server farm as frequently as needed. For many customers, the change will reduce the number of licenses they need to support their IT systems, increase agility, and simplify the tracking of application instances or processors because customers now can count licenses by server farm instead of by server.

Expanded Technical Support

Microsoft has updated its technical support policy for 31 server applications so that customers can receive technical support when deploying those applications on Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V, Microsoft Hyper-V Server or any other third-party validated virtualization platform. Now customers can get the same level of product support in a virtualized environment that they are accustomed to with non-virtual environments.

To enable this support policy, Microsoft launched the Server Virtualization Validation Program in June 2008. The programme is open to any software vendor to test and validate its virtualization software to run Windows Server 2008 and previous versions of Windows Server. To date, Cisco Systems Inc., Citrix Systems Inc., Novell Inc., Sun Microsystems Inc. and Virtual Iron Software Inc. are participating in the program.

Microsoft Announces Back to School Pricing and Support for Parents and Student

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 13:29:53 GMT

Dublin: 14th August 2008: Every August parents and students start to prepare for the new school year. In addition to the dash for school uniforms, books and shoes; technology is an increasingly important part of primary, secondary and third level education. To help parents and students, Microsoft is announcing a back to school programme with a price reduction on Microsoft Office Home and Students 2007 – from €119.99 to €79.99, and a range of new online resources such as hints and tips and templates designed to help students, teachers and parents get more from their computers this school year. As part of this programme, Microsoft is today launching a new Back to School web site at www.microsoft.ie/backtoschool.

Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 includes Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Powerpoint and Microsoft OneNote, and it can be installed on up to three PC’s or laptops. The price of Office Home and Student 2007 has been reduced from €119.99 to €79.99, when purchased with a new laptop or PC, which is less than €30 per machine. This back to school offer is available from 15^th August to October 10^th2008 at participating retail outlets nationwide.

“The start of the new school year is one of the busiest times of the year for households around Ireland. Parents are already running around buying uniforms, shoes, books, bags and lunch boxes. The growth of technology in education means that many households are thinking about purchasing computers and software and we believe this special deal with Office Home and Student 2007 will help to lighten the burden. The Back to School web site provides a fantastic resource which will help teachers, parents and students with the opportunity to make to most of the technology in their home and their children’s’ schools, ” said Richard Moore, Business Group Lead Information worker at Microsoft.

The Microsoft Back to School website can be accessed at http://www.microsoft.ie/backtoschool it includes a range of resources for parents, teachers and students including:

New Microsoft office templates can be downloaded to help parents, teachers and students including:

Chart - Squares, Cubes, and Square Roots
Multiplication Table
Ultimate Periodic Table
Academic Calendar Poster
Irish Academic Calendar Wall Chart
Electronic teacher grade book
Student grade tracker

Plus many more..

Hints and tips on how to improve productivity through IT including:

Find award-winning books
Practice math and science skills
Outline and get tips for writing a school report
Teach your kids how to use the 2007 Microsoft Office system
How to create a back to school bulletin board

The Back to School offer is available in over 40 Retail Outlets Nationwide including Harvey Normans, Peats, Cantec & Soundstore.

Microsoft Breaks New Ground in Helping Developers Build and Deploy Client, Web and Data-Driven Applications

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 16:17:09 GMT

Announces release to manufacturing of Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 SP1 and Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 SP1.

REDMOND: August 11th, 2008 — Microsoft today announced the release to manufacturing (RTM) of the .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1 (SP1) and Visual Studio 2008 SP1. These releases come just nine months after the release of the .NET Framework 3.5 and Visual Studio 2008, and include a substantial number of updates based directly on customer feedback. The service packs continue to address the needs of the developer community by making it even easier to develop applications for the latest platforms, with new features such as the .NET Framework Client Profile for faster deployment of Windows-based applications, multiple enhancements to ASP.NET, and unparalleled support for database application development through the ADO.NET Entity Framework, ADO.NET Data Services and integration with SQL Server 2008.

New Breakthroughs for Developing and Deploying Client Applications

The .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 includes the new .NET Framework Client Profile — the fastest and easiest way to deploy applications for Windows. With .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 and the .NET Framework Client Profile, developers can more easily deploy client applications thanks to an 86.5 percent reduction (197 MB to 26.5 MB) in .NET Framework size. This means that end users will be able to download and install Windows-based applications significantly faster than before. The .NET Framework Client Profile also makes it possible to extend the improved download and installation experience to existing .NET applications.

Developers now can quickly and simply deploy new and existing rich-client applications to a broader audience. Any services connecting to these applications will also see up to 10 times the amount of performance improvement when running in Internet Information Services 7.0 (IIS7).

“The beauty of the .NET Framework has always been that it makes it easier for developers to build applications that are visually stunning, well connected and highly secure,” said Scott Guthrie, corporate vice president of the .NET Developer Division at Microsoft. “However, we want to make sure we are keeping the end-user experience in mind as well, which is why we created the .NET Framework Client Profile. The .NET Framework Client Profile significantly speeds up the installation of Windows and enables a much more consumer-friendly experience. This is a huge step forward for the more than 4 million .NET developers worldwide.”

The .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 includes several improvements to the common language runtime, such as the ability to generate managed code that improves application startup time by 20 percent to 45 percent and end-to-end application execution time up to 10 percent, and the ability of managed code to take advantage of the Address Space Layout Randomization security feature in Windows Vista. In addition, .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 has improvements for the creation of rich-client applications and line-of-business applications using Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF).

Simplified Development of Web and Data-Driven Applications

The .NET Framework 3.5, released in November 2007, already contains significant improvements for developing Web 2.0 applications and dynamic Web sites, including new server controls and a client-script library for AJAX-style applications, as well as tight integration with IIS7. With .NET Framework 3.5 SP1, the .NET Framework now offers support for ASP.NET Dynamic Data, which provides a rich scaffolding framework that allows rapid data-driven development without writing code.

Furthermore, the .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 includes ADO.NET Data Services and ADO.NET Entity Framework, which raise the level of abstraction for database programming and supply both a new model-based paradigm and a rich, standards-based framework for creating data-oriented Web services. With this service pack, Visual Studio 2008 and the .NET Framework 3.5 also support SQL Server 2008, making the Microsoft platform the most comprehensive environment for database application development.

The .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 also improves developer productivity by simplifying the requirements for creating, implementing, changing and scaling applications via delivery of a single framework for service development that spans enterprise-critical applications and emerging rich, interactive applications. Enhancements to the representational state transfer (REST) services functionality within Windows Communication Foundation expand the range of choices for developers and provide a more flexible programming model for building services to support both Web 2.0 and service-oriented architecture (SOA) applications. ADO.NET Data Services leverages the new REST capabilities in Windows Communication Foundation, giving developers dramatic productivity gains when creating data-centric REST-based services.

Additional Improvements to Visual Studio 2008

Enhancements in Visual Studio 2008 SP1 build on the new functionality in the .NET Framework 3.5 SP1, offering developers improved performance and reliability. Improvements include better-performing designers for building WPF applications, improved tools for developing AJAX applications, improved designers for working with the ADO.NET Entity Framework, a richer JavaScript development environment and a streamlined Web site deployment experience. Visual Studio 2008 SP1 also extends the developer-focused innovations in SQL Server 2008, making the development of occasionally connected applications and spatial applications easier and offering developers additional controls for incorporating business intelligence into applications.

More information and a download of Visual Studio 2008 SP1 is available at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=122094; more information and a download of .NET Framework 3.5 SP1is available at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=124150.

Microsoft Releases SQL Server 2008

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 22:00:36 GMT

Customers and partners worldwide confirm mission-critical applications, enterprise-class data warehousing support.

Dublin: August 6th, 2008— Microsoft today announced the release to manufacturing of Microsoft SQL Server 2008, the new version of the company’s acclaimed database management system. This version of SQL Server provides powerful new capabilities such as support for policy-based management, auditing, large-scale data warehousing, geospatial data, and advanced reporting and analysis services. SQL Server 2008 provides the trusted, productive and intelligent platform necessary for business-critical applications.

“Microsoft developed this release of SQL Server with the customer in mind,” said Ted Kummert, corporate vice president of the Data and Storage Platform Division at Microsoft. “SQL Server 2008 is the only major database that includes comprehensive, tightly integrated functionality for data management as well as advanced business intelligence out of the box. By offering a complete solution, we save customers time and money and allow them to focus on deriving the most value from their data assets.”

With more than 450,000 customer and partner downloads of SQL Server 2008’s community technology previews (CTPs), more than 75 large-scale applications already in production and more than 1,350 applications being developed by nearly 1,000 independent software vendors (ISVs) on SQL Server 2008, it’s clear that customers and partners are excited about the capabilities now available in SQL Server 2008. Tim Whitehorn, founder and chief executive officer of event management software provider ServiceU Corp., said, “We selected SQL Server 2008 because we can entrust it with our critical business applications. SQL Server 2008 is highly secure and reliable, and offers the best value on the market today. In addition, it accelerates the time frame for deploying new features and enhancements, and that to us makes SQL Server a winner.”

A number of enterprise customers from various industries are testing SQL Server 2008 including Clear Channel Communications Inc., Fidelity Investments, Hilton Hotels Corp., Simon & Schuster Inc., Siemens AG and Xerox Corp., among many others.

SQL Server is an industry leader in both scalability and performance. It is the first and only database management system to be proven capable of delivering scalable results on

TPC-E, the Transaction Processing Performance Council’s (TPC) newest and most challenging online transaction processing (OLTP) benchmark, with 13 published benchmarks to date.Seven benchmarks are published on Windows Server 2008 and SQL Server 2008 by multiple hardware vendors, demonstrating strong price-performance and performance results, including IBM Corp.’s new No. 1 performance result using SQL Server 2008 on a 64-core System x3950 M2 server. Also demonstrating the performance of SQL Server 2008, Unisys Corp. and Microsoft set a new extract, transform and load (ETL) performance record by loading 1 terabyte of data in less than 30 minutes using SQL Server 2008 Integration Services. In addition, SQL Server 2008 has proven its scalability in large-scale data warehousing, as demonstrated by its recent 10-terabyte TPC-H benchmark.

“We saw a 35 percent improvement in throughput on the system that we upgraded to SQL Server 2008, with no code changes on our end,” said Gary Oberg, vice president of IT and development at Applied Discovery (a member of the LexisNexis group). “This translates straight to the bottom line for us, as the more documents we can upload, the more we can process.”

Microsoft is setting additional benchmark records with ISV solutions, including a world record on four-socket industry-standard blade servers in a three-tier SAP Sales and Distribution (SD) Standard Application Benchmark, and demonstrated the largest benchmark ever on the Siemens Teamcenter digital product life-cycle management solution, Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Microsoft Dynamics AX and the Camstar Manufacturing Execution System solution.

SQL Server is a key component of the Microsoft Application Platform, a suite of products and technologies designed to help customers build, run and manage dynamic business applications. SQL Server 2008 is available in the following editions:

· SQL Server 2008Enterprise. SQL Server 2008 Enterprise is a comprehensive data management and business intelligence platform that provides enterprise-class scalability, data warehousing, security, advanced analytics and reporting support for running business-critical applications. With this edition, it is possible to consolidate servers and perform large-scale online transactional processing.

· SQL Server 2008 Standard. SQL Server 2008 Standard is a complete data management and business intelligence platform that provides best-in-class ease of use and manageability for running departmental applications.

· SQL Server 2008 Workgroup. SQL Server 2008 Workgroup is a reliable data management and reporting platform that delivers secure, remote synchronization and management capabilities for running branch applications. This edition includes core database features and is easy to upgrade to the Standard or Enterprise edition.

· SQL Server 2008 Web. SQL Server 2008 Web is designed for highly available, Internet-facing Web-serving environments running on Windows Server. SQL Server 2008 Web provides the tools necessary to support low-cost, large-scale, highly available Web applications or hosting solutions for customers.

· SQL Server 2008 Developer. SQL Server 2008 Developer allows developers to build and test any type of application with SQL Server. This edition features all of the functionality of SQL Server Enterprise but is licensed only for development, test and demo use. Applications and databases developed on this edition can easily be upgraded to SQL Server 2008 Enterprise.

· SQL Server 2008 Express. SQL Server 2008 Express is a free edition of SQL Server that features core database functionality including all of the new SQL Server 2008 data types, in a small footprint. This edition is ideal for learning and building desktop and small server applications, and for redistribution by ISVs.

· SQL Server Compact 3.5. SQL Server Compact is a free embedded database designed for developers and is ideal for building stand-alone and occasionally connected applications for mobile devices, desktops and Web clients. SQL Server Compact runs on all Microsoft Windows platforms, including the Windows XP and Windows Vista operating systems, and on Pocket PC and smartphone devices.

Pricing and Availability

SQL Server 2008 is now available to MSDN and TechNet subscribers and will be available for evaluation download on Aug. 7, 2008. SQL Server 2008 Express and SQL Server Compact editions are available for free download today at http://www.microsoft.com/sqlserver. As previously announced, pricing for SQL Server will not increase with SQL Server 2008. More information is available at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/presskits/sqlserver.

The Xbox Live Stage Makes European Debut at OXEGEN 2008

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 10:10:02 GMT

The Xbox LIVE Stage will make its first appearance in Europe at Oxegen 2008 which kicks off this Friday. Boasting a massive 46 sq m, high-quality LED cinema screen, the Xbox LIVE Stage will become a focal point for festival-goers as it will feature live performances and VJ sets from the likes of MTV’s Eclectic Method.

The Big Screen will give fans the chance to test their competitive edge with some great games including arcade classics like Sonic the Hedgehog, Pacman, Sensible Soccer and the movie quiz, Scene It. The Xbox LIVE Stage will kick off proceedings at 12 noon on Thursday, and run from 10am each day of the festival until late. Set in an natural amphitheatre, the stage is the ideal place to kick back and relax for a bit.

If that wasn't enough, Xbox 360 will also take to the main stage at OXEGEN this year with EA Game's massively popular Rock Karaoke game 'Rock Band'. Offering festival-goers the chance to pick the songs to sing along to and rock the world, this is festival fun at its finest. With a massive range of artists, bands and tracks to choose from; including Guns n’ Roses, The Police, Radiohead and The Clash, this is your chance to show the world your rock god credentials.

Pictured: Sarah Jane Wai O'Flynn of the Dirty Epics, who are performing at Oxegen at the announcement of the Xbox Live stage.

More information on the festival is available at: http://www.oxegen.ie/2008/

Microsoft Launches New Online Resource for Nonprofit Groups

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 11:23:13 GMT

NGO Connection provides a platform for technology resources, networking and knowledge sharing.

Dublin: July 9th, 2008 — Microsoft today announced the global availability of NGO Connection, a new online resource for thousands of nonprofit groups around the world. Driven by feedback from nonprofit partners and years of experience working with nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), the online resource is designed to assist NGOs to more efficiently use technology to achieve their goals as well as to encourage networking and coordination of NGO resources across the world.

The primary goal of the new online resource is to provide a convenient and easy one-stop shop for technology resources, knowledge sharing, community building and real-life examples for nonprofit organizations. By using simple, nontechnical terminology, NGO Connection endeavors to make it easier for NGOs to access the complete range of Microsoft resources and offerings, and help them effectively use other online resources for nonprofit groups. NGO Connection also will be localized into Arabic, French, German, Russian and Spanish in the coming months, bringing the resources of NGO Connection to an even wider audience of NGOs.

“Whether a nonprofit group is searching for access to software or interested in networking opportunities with other organizations working on similar projects or looking to engage with Microsoft and other partners on key initiatives, NGO Connection offers all the resources that they need to achieve their goals,” said Pamela Passman, corporate vice president of Global Corporate Affairs at Microsoft. “By providing a virtual workspace that is rich in technology resources for NGOs to inform, engage and collaborate with other NGOs, the new online tool provides a one-stop portal that meets all their technology and networking needs.”

NGO Connection also makes it easy for NGOs to share best practices and case studies, giving them the option of participating in an online forum where they can engage in dialogues about using technology effectively and share solutions to some of their common challenges. The goal is to help NGOs make the connection between their needs and how to solve them with technology.

NGO Connection is available at http://www.microsoft.com/NGO.

Microsoft Ireland's Community Affairs site is at: http://www.microsoft.com/ireland/community/

NUI Maynooth Students Come Second in Global Microsoft Imagine Cup 2008

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 20:46:53 GMT

Irish team part of elite group of talented students vying to be named best in the world.

Paris: July 8th, 2008 — Team AcidRain from NUI Maynooth have come second in the Embedded Development competition at the Imagine Cup 2008, a worldwide competition that allows students to unlock their creative genius and create technology solutions that can help address some of the world’s toughest social challenges. It’s an incredible achievement for the team with over 200,000 students from 100 countries entering this year’s Imagine Cup.

Team AcidRain, comprised of NUI Maynooth students, Brian Byrne, Aodhan Coffey and Karl O’Dwyer, have built an optimised, embedded conversion kit which offers a novel solution to the problem of reducing carbon emissions through enabling vegetable oil powered engines. They have created a “one size fits all” kit which will convert any diesel engine to run on any vegetable oil whether it be olive oil, rapeseed oil or sunflower oil. They actually drove to the finals in Paris in a diesel car that was fueled with sunflower oil using their own project.

Paul Rellis, Managing Director of Microsoft Ireland congratulated AcidRain today saying: “Congratulations to Bryan, Aodhan and Karl on their incredible achievement. I thought that if they made it to Paris they would have to be serious contenders for the finals so to be congratulating them on second place is no surprise. They’ve been excellent competitors and great ambassadors for Ireland and for Microsoft. Microsoft is constantly looking at ways to develop student’s innovative ideas and encourage them on their career path. The Imagine Cup competition fits the bill perfectly and I’m already looking forward to the projects we will come across at next year’s competition.”

A total of 370 students from 124 teams representing 61 countries and regions have been participating since Thursday in the Imagine Cup Worldwide Finals in nine categories. The student teams were asked to undertake a series of challenges relating to technology and digital media depending on the invitational. In the software design category, the students were asked to create a software solution to address this year’s environmental theme, “Imagine a world where technology enables a sustainable environment.”

SligoIT was also represented at the Imagine Cup finals. Team ParkIT, built an application which enables the provision of real time parking information. Using cameras and software, it monitors car park spaces and can determine when a space vacant. This information would then be sent to a central database, which would be used to drive a real time parking information system that provides users with available parking data near their location on request. They won the second national Irish Imagine Cup competition.

About the Imagine Cup

The competition, which is open to all third level colleges and universities, consists of nine categories spanning team-based challenges like software design and short film to individual challenges involving algorithms and game programming. Students’ work will reflect valuable, real-world solutions that address the pressing global environmental issues while giving them the opportunity to compete for generous cash prizes.

http://www.imaginecup.ie

NUI Maynooth Named Finalist in Imagine Cup 2008 in Paris

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 10:28:35 GMT

Irish team part of elite group of talented students vying to be named best in the world.

Paris: July 6th, 2008 — Team AcidRain from NUI Maynooth has been named as a finalist in Embedded Development competition at the Imagine Cup 2008, a worldwide competition that allows students to unlock their creative genius and create technology solutions that can help address some of the world’s toughest social challenges.

Team AcidRain, comprised of NUI Maynooth students, Brian Byrne, Aodhan Coffey and Karl O’Dyer, has created a project which enables diesel powered cars to use vegetable oil. They will be competing in the final with teams from China, Korea, Poland, Singapore and Ukraine. Each team will present its solution tomorrow to a group of judges for final consideration. The winners will be announced on Tuesday, July 8, as part of the gala closing ceremonies.

A total of 370 students from 124 teams representing 61 countries and regions have been participating since Thursday in the Imagine Cup Worldwide Finals in nine categories: Software Design, Embedded Development, Game Development, “Project Hoshimi” (Programming Battle), IT Challenge, Algorithm, Photography, Short Film and Interface Design. The student teams were asked to undertake a series of challenges relating to technology and digital media depending on the invitational. In the software design category, the students were asked to create a software solution to address this year’s environmental theme, “Imagine a world where technology enables a sustainable environment.”