Windows Vista Team Blog : Business Deployment, Microsoft Partner Program

Essential Tool for the Job - Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit 3.1 for Windows Vista (RTM Announcement)

Baldwin Ng — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 14:53:00 GMT

RTM Announcement - Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit 3.1

Hello,

It's been a few months since I last blogged about the Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit 3.1 - formerly known as WVHA or Windows Vista Hardware Assessment. Today, I'd like to announce the RTM release of this tool with new capabilities including desktop security assessment, Hyper-V virtualization assessment, and more.

As you know, many of the IT pros out there like you are now spending a lot of time planning for Windows Vista deployments. But many question and challenges remain:

Are my existing PCs compatible to Windows Vista when it comes to Hardware and Device Compatibility?
Will my PCs have BIOS issues after the upgrade to Windows Vista?
Which of my PCs are ripe for an upgrade to Windows Vista? (e.g. CPU too old so it's time to replace them; or just add 512MB system memory and the PCs would be Windows Vista capable!)
What kind of software has been installed?
Are all of my PCs secure? Is Windows Security Center installed? Do they have Anti-Virus or Anti-Malware software installed? How about Windows Firewall settings?
What about application virtualization readiness?

The MAP Toolkit 3.1 is designed to address all of these desktop-side issues from a single tool! The MAP Toolkit is a platform of tools that combines the strength of agentless discovery and report generation capabilities from the previous generation (Windows Vista Hardware Assessment). The pie-chart below is part of an auto-generated readiness report from the MAP Toolkit and it illustrates the level of hardware readiness for Windows Vista upgrades across the desktop infrastructure.

As a matter of fact, if you view the latest MAP Team RTM blog post from yesterday, you will find that the MAP Toolkit 3.1 also havs many server-side and virtualization features including a Hyper-V virtualization candidates assessment and SQL Server discovery!!

Download Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit 3.1 RTM Version
Read documentation about MAP operations on TechNet
Learn tips and see video demos on MAP Team Blog
Join MAP Fan Clubs on TechNet Forum or Facebook
Very importantly, download other Windows Vista Solution Accelerators like the MDT Toolkit, Windows Vista Security Guide and more as well!

Cheers!
Baldwin Ng (Sr. Product Manager, Microsoft Solution Accelerators - Virtualization Lead)

Hello World! Windows Vista Hardware Assessment 2.1 is Going Global!

Baldwin Ng — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 20:48:00 GMT

The wait is over! The Microsoft Solution Accelerators Team is pleased to announce the newly-released Windows Vista Hardware Assessment 2.1 with many of the features YOU have been looking for. For example, we've added features such as localization to 6 more languages in addition to North American English, IP range scanning and Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) detection of non-Windows machines and network devices. These are excellent features to help you speed up your migration projects to Windows Vista and 2007 Microsoft Office!

For the newcomers of the Windows Vista Team Blog, let me give you a brief overview and show you what Windows Vista Hardware Assessment solution accelerator can do for you. Of course, if you can't wait, just click HERE to download the tool. That's okay too. :-)

In a nutshell, Windows Vista Hardware Assessment is an automated software tool that helps business customers and consultants make informed decisions about desktop deployment and migration to Windows Vista and 2007 Microsoft Office. Specifically, this tool provides users a very quick way to inventory and assess PCs network-wide for their hardware and device readiness (within an hour if you have a network of about 500-1000 PCs). Through auto-generated readiness reports, organizations can more quickly identify computers that can migrate to Windows Vista and 2007 Microsoft Office "as is" without any hardware upgrades and other computers that could be migrated with very minimum hardware upgrades such as system memory and hard drive upgrades. This tool is now used by many large and small enterprises and it can scan 25,000 PCs in a single scan per domain/workgroup and can run multiple scans for a larger organization as well.

FIGURE 1: Screenshot of the Welcome Screen - French Version of Windows Vista Hardware Assessment

FIGURE 2: Screenshot of the Japanese Windows Vista Readiness Report

In this new release of version 2.1, we have added 3 major features that address many of the customer and partner feedback that we've collected for the past months:

Localization to 6 New Languages: With Windows Vista and 2007 Microsoft Office going to all corners of the world, we've decided to globalize the Windows Vista Hardware Assessment tool. Now, you can not only operate this tool with your OS but you can also generate readiness report in Microsoft Word and Excel in your local languages including French, German, Japanese, Korean, Latin American Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese. This makes this tool and the reports more impactful when presented to the technical and business decision makers.
IP Range Scanning: This feature is one of the most frequently requested features from our customers (you!) and this IP range scanning capability allows you to select a set of computers for the readiness assessment independent of whether you are using Active Directory or not - especially useful in many branch office assessment scenarios! This nicely complements other ways to target machines for assessment including the Active Directory Organizational-Unit targeting and flat-file import method.
SNMP Discovery: While many of your computers are Windows-based, we do know that our customers and partners would like to assess the ENTIRE network environment. So with this new SNMP discovery feature, you will now have the ability to discover and assess machines running non-Windows OS that are SNMP-enabled. It also paves a way for you to understand the network devices as well. Very cool feature in my opinion!

For more details, please view the content on TechNet or check out my previous blog in July.

Most importantly, over 240,000 users have downloaded this tool since February 2007. Many customers have already saved significant of migration costs and accelerated their migration using this tool - such as Sporton International and Collegiate Housing Services.

So why wait? Download Windows Vista Hardware Assessment 2.1 Now!

To read the TechNet overview in the 6 new languages, please click one of the links below:

TechNet France
TechNet Germany
TechNet Japan (available in the next 24 hours)
TechNet Korea
TechNet Latin America (Spanish)
TechNet Brasil

Have a great weekend everyone!

Baldwin Ng

Sr. Product Manager, Microsoft Solution Accelerators

wvhafdbk@microsoft.com

“Fireside Chat” with Heartland Technology Solutions at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference 2007

Baldwin Ng — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 15:42:00 GMT

Hi all,

For those of you who missed some of the actions and announcements at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference regarding key technologies and tools including SoftGrid, Windows Partner Solutions, Windows Vista Hardware Assessment and Windows Business Value Assessment Tool, read on...

Baldwin

Interview with Heartland Technology Solutions at WPC 2007

On Day 3 of the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference 2007 (WPC) in Denver, I caught up with IT veterans from the Heartland Technology Solutions (HTS) in Harlan, Iowa - CEO, Arlin Sorensen and Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Larry Hedin. Here's what they have to say about what's they've seen at WPC.

Baldwin: "Arlin, it's good seeing you and Larry again. A few months ago, I met you and a few peer group members of the Heartland Technology Group (HTG) during a series of product and technology review meetings on Microsoft's Redmond Campus. Can you tell us a bit more about the Heartland Technology Group (HTG), how it started and what the charter is?"

Arlin: "Sure. Back in 2001, I recognized that there was a general lack of peer groups for Microsoft partners that serve the SMB space in the United States and Canada. As technology continued to morph and change, we knew that we couldn't figure out everything on our own, so I decided to launch the first HTG peer group that same year. The HTG peer group is an open community where technology leaders would share their own daily real world experience with those having the same challenges. Better yet, they are all coming from non-competing markets so there are no worries and concerns about competition. Through sharing of best practices in business and technologies implementation, we are able to stay ahead of the rapidly changing industry. That's how we are able to grow and grow - we are now at close to 100 company members."

Baldwin: "Very interesting. You certainly have a great group of technology leaders. I always enjoy meeting them and tapping their insights."

Baldwin: "Larry, as part of the Worldwide Partner Conference partner panel, what was your impression about the solutions and technologies that Microsoft has rolled out at this conference? What impressed you the most?"

Larry: "Baldwin, there are two things that are very impressive - SoftGrid and Windows Partner Solutions. SoftGrid application virtualization has really become affordable for my customers. As part of the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP), SoftGrid really helps reducing deployment time down to a minimum. It takes care of tough apps - apps that conflict with other line-of-business apps previously without SoftGrid. It is really awesome to see how energized my sales force are when they discuss SoftGrid and MDOP with our customer base. These technologies give partners like us greater leverage and help remove deployment roadblocks for Windows Vista."

Larry: "I am also very impressed with the assessment tools rolled out this week as part of the Windows Partner Solutions program. The Windows Vista Hardware Assessment tool is a great tool that helps my sales force quickly assess the existing PCs of my customer base and determine if they are ready for Windows Vista and Office 2007 migration. It is easy to learn and use and, most importantly, it helps accelerate my business! Another great tool is the Windows Vista Business Value Assessment Tool (may require partners log-in). It enables partners like us to sell the business value of Windows Vista. Without the data-centric intelligence provided by this tool, it's much harder to sell. This tool is straightforward and the customization to specific market and company size is a great addition. We can now build our sales process around the use of these assessment tools and the results they generate. Partners should definitely download these free tools and see how they can help accelerate their sales.

Baldwin: "Arlin, what would you say would be another technology that our customers and partners should keep an eye one?"

Arlin: "Partners here are seeing and hearing the buzz about Software plus Service and how this will offer great business to us. We too are getting ourselves prepared to get more involved in the Managed Services side of the IT business."

Baldwin: "Arlin, Larry, on behalf of our Windows Vista Team blog audience, I'd like to thank you for your time today. Thanks for your insights and hope you enjoy the rest of the event."

Arlin and Larry: "Thanks for having us."

Kick Your Windows Vista Projects into High Gear - a success story

Baldwin Ng — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 22:54:00 GMT

Hi all,

A few months ago, I had the pleasure to meet David Feng, Director of Technical Services in Systex Corporation in Taiwan. He has been involved in Microsoft technologies for many years and was part of our Windows Vista Hardware Assessment Beta Program. His participation has been key to the success of our release and I want to thank him as well as the tens of thousands of other beta users out there! Thank you!

Below is a great success story about how Systex Corporation was able to use Windows Vista Hardware Assessment tool to assist Sporton International Inc. in accelerating Windows Vista deployment. If you want to know how to kick your Windows Vista project into high gear (or out of second gear), read on…

The leading mobile communications certification company in Taiwan, Sporton International Inc. wanted to upgrade its operating system from Windows® 2000 Professional Edition and Windows XP to Windows Vista®. The company wanted to know which of its computers were ready for Windows Vista. Based on previous upgrade experiences, the company planned to perform this inventory manually on 300 PCs and expected the process to take at least a month. To avoid compatibility problems, Sporton considered retiring at least half of its PCs and replacing them with new ones—at a cost of nearly U.S.$20,000. Instead, the company turned to Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, SYSTEX, the largest systems integrator and Microsoft Large Account Reseller in Taiwan, for assistance. The company introduced Sporton Lab to the Windows Vista Hardware Assessment tool, which is part of a family of Solution Accelerators that are available for download at no cost from the Microsoft TechNet Web site.

From a single PC, the Windows Vista Hardware Assessment tool scanned a network of 300 computers for Windows Vista–readiness within 30 minutes. The tool gathered migration-readiness information from each PC, including device and driver details, without installing any software agents on computers. Rather than replacing half of Sporton Lab PCs, 88 percent of the computers were either immediately ready for the migration or needed only minor memory and hard drive upgrades. Sporton Lab saved nearly U.S.$20,000 and finished the assessment in a half an hour rather than a month…

Download Windows Vista Hardware Assessment FREE at:

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=83115

Read the rest of the story:

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=93643

View technical drill down:

http://windowsvistablog.com/blogs/windowsvista/archive/2007/07/09/microsoft-releasing-new-version-of-the-windows-vista-hardware-assessment-tool.aspx

Use other Solution Accelerators for Windows Vista

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/solutionaccelerators

Microsoft Released New Version of the Windows Vista Hardware Assessment tool

Baldwin Ng — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 08:09:00 GMT

Hi Folks,

Windows Vista and 2007 Microsoft Office are here! And, you are probably thinking that it's time to take advantage of these 2 great technologies. But, you need to get answers on a few practical questions first:

Would my existing PCs run Windows Vista and 2007 Microsoft Office? Should I buy new ones or upgrade them instead?
Would my devices still work? Would most of the device drivers be available from Windows Vista installation DVD and/or Microsoft Windows Update site?

Well, I have good news for you! Today, our team is happy to announce the availability of the Windows Vista Hardware Assessment 2.0 tool at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference 2007. This network-wide readiness assessment tool is designed to make it easier for Microsoft partners and customers to determine their existing PCs' readiness for Windows Vista and 2007 Microsoft Office. It's a great tool to accelerate migration and deployment planning for Microsoft customers and partners.

How it Works?

Step 1 - Network Inventory:

Windows Vista Hardware Assessment 2.0 connects securely and remotely from a networked PC and reaches out to each PC on the network, whether they are in an Active Directory domain/forest or in a peer-to-peer/workgroup environment.
Hardware and device data were collected through the WMI protocol (Windows Management Instrumentation) and other Windows networking protocols all without deploying any software agents on the individual PCs.

Step 2 - Compatibility Analysis:

By analyzing the hardware and device data from each computer, Windows Vista Hardware Assessment 2.0 can assess your existing computers' hardware compatibility and device compatibility for Windows Vista and 2007 Microsoft Office. It also offers hardware upgrade recommendations if required for each PC.

Step 3 - Readiness Reporting:

Windows Vista Hardware Assessment 2.0 offers the auto-generation of 2 readiness assessment reports: a summary report in Microsoft Word and a detailed spreadsheet in Microsoft Excel.
The Summary Report provides business decision makers with a high-level view of percentage of existing computers that can run Windows Vista and how many more computers can take advantage of Windows Vista with minor level of memory, hard drive and other upgrades.
The Detailed Spreadsheet Report provides technical decision makers with a detailed view of the information they need to plan for a desktop deployment/migration.

What's New with Version 2.0?

Backed by popular demand, we have added many features in this release:

Enterprise-Scale Scanning - Scan up to 25,000 computers per domain/workgroup in every scan (Note: multiple scans are possible for larger networks)
Office 2007 Hardware Assessment - Assess PCs for hardware compatibility with 2007 Microsoft Office
Customized Inventory using Active Directory - Choose computers of specific organizational units (or OU's) within an Active Directory domain/forest where the inventory would be conducted
Customized Inventory using Flat-File Import - Target a specific set of computers for the inventory and assessment by importing a specific flat file of computers (such as computer host names, NetBIOS names, or Fully Qualified Domain Names - FQDN)

What is the IT community saying about Windows Vista Hardware Assessment? Visit these blogs to find out more.

Where Should I Start?

Download the tool today and see how it can benefit your Windows Vista and 2007 Microsoft Office migration planning
Sign up for one of my July webcasts on TechNet and Partner Readiness web sites
Look for the 6-language localized version that will go live in the coming weeks that will enable you to create readiness assessment reports in your own language including French, German, Japanese, Korean, Latin American Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese
Tell your success story using the tool and email us at: wvha-tap@microsoft.com
Subscribe to our RSS feed and stay tuned for my future blog posts where I will share with you our customers' success stories and what's new at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference 2007
Check out the Windows Vista Business Value Assessment Tool if you are a Microsoft Partner - you'll be amazed how powerful this ROI tool is! (IT Blogger, James Senior, gives you the inside scoop HERE!)
Visit the Solution Accelerators home page to download other great Windows Vista tools including Windows Vista Security Guide, Data Encryption Toolkit and Business Desktop Deployment 2007

See you next time...

Baldwin Ng (Sr. Product Manager, Microsoft Solution Accelerators)

wvhafdbk@microsoft.com

Windows Vista Hardware Assessment 2.0 Public Beta Now Available for Download!

Baldwin Ng — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 20:51:00 GMT

Hi all,

The Microsoft Solution Accelerators Team is happy to announce the release of the Windows Vista Hardware Assessment 2.0 Public Beta. Windows Vista Hardware Assessment is an automated software tool that helps business customers and consultants make informed decisions about desktop deployment and migration to Windows Vista. Specifically, this tool provides users a very quick way to inventory and assess PCs network-wide for their hardware and device readiness. Through auto-generated readiness reports, organizations can more quickly identify computers that can migrate to Windows Vista “as is” without any hardware upgrades and others with recommended hardware upgrades.

The Windows Vista Hardware Assessment 2.0 Public Beta, an agent-less network-wide assessment tool, includes three frequently-requested features:

· Customized Inventory – Users may now choose computers of specific organizational units (or OU’s) within an Active Directory domain/forest where the inventory would be conducted.

· Flat-File Import of Computers – Users can now target a specific set of computers for the inventory and assessment by importing a specific flat file of computers (such as computer host names, NetBIOS names, or Fully Qualified Domain Names - FQDN).

· Office 2007 Hardware Assessment – Users may now assess their desktop computers for compatibility with Office 2007 system.

In addition, Windows Vista Hardware Assessment users may now inventory up to 10,000 per domain/workgroup per scan (Note: you can inventory a few times to assess a network larger than 10,000).

So, why wait? Download our 2.0 Public Beta here and give us your feedback! Make sure you use your Live ID (or Passport credentials) and register for this beta program before starting the download process. To download the already-released Windows Vista Hardware Assessment 1.0, you may visit here: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/wvha.

This tool is one of many Solution Accelerators that were recently launched for Windows Vista. Please visit the Solution Accelerators Home Page to download other tools including Business Desktop Deployment 2007, Data Encryption Toolkit for Mobile PCs, Windows Vista Security Guide and more.

One more thing – if you are attending TechEd 2007 in Orlando, please attend our breakout session and hands-on lab throughout the week and test drive Windows Vista Hardware Assessment 1.0. See you there!

Baldwin Ng

Sr. Product Manager, Microsoft Solution Accelerators

TechNet Radio Chat on Windows Vista Readiness

Baldwin Ng — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 04:54:00 GMT

Tune in and listen to the radio interview of Microsoft Product Manager, Baldwin Ng and IT Pro Evangelist, Chris Avis as they discussed how the newly released Windows Vista Hardware Assessment solution accelerator has become the popular tool in helping businesses determine their readiness for Windows Vista migration.

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=88283

Baldwin Ng baldwin.ng@microsoft.com

Sr. Product Manager, Microsoft Solution Accelerator

Windows Vista Hardware Assessment v2.0 Beta Program Now Open!

Baldwin Ng — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 04:28:00 GMT

Good news! The Windows Vista Hardware Assessment v2.0 Beta Program is now open for registration! Please join our beta program and test drive new features including OU-targeting, machine names import, localized UI/readiness reports and more.

Visit the Microsoft Connect site to join: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=88282

For those of you who are not familiar with Windows Vista Hardware Assessment, it is basically a network-wide PC readiness assessment tool that helps organizations understand their readiness to migrate to Windows Vista. It provides organization-wide reports on hardware compatibility, device compatibility, upgrade recommendations and more. The coolest part is that this tool does not require any software agents to be installed on individual computers.

Visit our TechNet Web Page and download the tool (v1.0) today at: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=83405

Baldwin Ng (baldwin.ng@microsoft.com)

Sr. Product Manager, Windows Vista Hardware Assessment Solution Accelerator