Microsoft Application Virtualization 4.5

App-V 4.5 is the first Microsoft-branded release of the product formerly known as SoftGrid. It includes new capabilities designed to help IT support large-scale virtualization implementations across many sites and provides multiple delivery options, including over-the-Internet application availability to meet your business needs. Dynamic Suite Composition (DSC) provides administrator-controlled virtual application communication and interaction; compliance with Microsoft’s Trustworthy Computing and Secure by Default initiatives, integration with Microsoft System Center Management Products and infrastructure updates via Windows Update.

Additionally, Microsoft Application Virtualization for Terminal Services has also been updated to the same standards and now supports Windows Server 2008 Terminal Services. Microsoft Application Virtualization 4.5 will be available as part of the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack and Microsoft Application Virtualization for Terminal Services

Microsoft Application Virtualization can help solve your business challenges. See more information below

	Centralized Management, Scalable Infrastructure Publish, deploy, and manage your virtual applications while leveraging your existing technology investments and software distribution processes.
	Readily Accessible Applications Deliver applications that meet the needs of your users regardless of whether they are in the office, on the road, in a remote site, or holding a meeting at the local coffee shop.
	Simplify Application Deployment, Reduce End User Interruptions Give your staff time back for other projects by reducing test cycles and delivering applications more quickly to your end users while providing seamless application updates that don’t require reboots.
	Dynamic Application Virtualization Turn physical applications into virtual applications that are never installed but can seamlessly communicate with the local operating system, middleware, plug-ins, and other applications.

For additional understanding of the App-V infrastructure and virtualization see the Overview of App-V 4.5 Technologies

April deadlines for Windows XP, Office 2003 product support

Folks itz the time to upgrade your older Microsoft Windows and Office products

Next month marks the deadlines for support — in some cases, free support, in other cases, paid — for a handful of older Microsoft Windows and Office products. Ref Support Life cycle Index

Windows 2000: Free support ended June 30, 2005; paid support ends on July 13, 2010. Service Pack 3 was retired on June 30, 2005. No more SPs planned.

Windows XP SP2: Service pack will be retired on July 13, 2010.

Windows XP SP3: Service pack due to be retired two years after SP4 (if there is one) releases or in April 2014, whichever comes first.

Windows Vista Business: Free support ends on April 10, 2012; paid support ends on April 11, 2017.

Windows Vista SP1: Service pack will be retired two years after the release of SP2 (which is expected in April 2009), so likely in April 2011

Office 2003 SP3: Service pack will be retired one year after SP4 (if there is one, which is doubtful) is released or in August 2014, whichever comes first.

Office 2007: Free support ends on April 10, 2012; paid support ends on April 11, 2017.

Office 2007 SP1: Service pack will be retired a year after SP2 debuts, so likely in April 2010.

Windows Server 2008: Free support ends September 7, 2013; paid support ends October 7, 2018.

Installing Win7 using a USB Stick

The below video shows, how you can install Win7 on notebooks. Which do not normally come with a DVD Drive. The video shows you how to prepare a USB drive with the installation bits and install from it.

Go through the Video in Below Link:

http://edge.technet.com/Media/Installing-Win7-using-a-USB-Stick/

Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP)

Overview:

Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP) helps IT professionals improve control of their desktop environments with a comprehensive set of tools to help IT professionals move their organization’s desktop strategy from a basic infrastructure maturity level to a dynamic maturity level. This document provides a basic technical overview of the tools included in MDOP. A discussion on how each tool helps organizations move through the infrastructure optimization model is also provided so that IT professionals and managers can better understand how MDOP can benefit the organization as a whole.

System Requirements

• Supported Operating Systems: Windows Server 2003; Windows Server 2008; Windows Vista; Windows XP

Download the Guide in below link:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=bf5c4b63-b484-4003-9343-f497fc8c9fb3&displaylang=en

See a Video Overview:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/enterprise/videos/mdop_sa.asx

Windows 7 Feature Walkthroughs

Explore the new and updated features in Windows 7, from AppLocker to the Problem Steps Recorder, with short video screen casts in below link:

http://technet.microsoft.com/hi-in/windows/dd320282(en-us).aspx