Invitation to Windows Installer Tools Vendors for a Live Meeting Event

We'd like to invite Windows Installer tools vendors to a Live Meeting event in the second half of May 2007.

At this event we'll discuss the next step for the Windows Installer so you can consider the fit to your plans.

If you are an interested Windows Installer tools vendor, please click the “Email” link (here) and let us know.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: What is a Windows Installer tools vendor?
A1: Our target tools vendor provides products based on the Windows Installer platform technology. Both ISVs and IT admins report they depend heavily on tools vendors. Windows Installer MVP Stefan Krueger maintains a representative list of our target tools vendors at https://www.installsite.org/pages/en/msi/authoring.htm.

Q2: Why talk to Windows Installer tools vendors early?
A2: ISVs and IT admins both report their first step after hearing news from us is to contact their tools vendor. We need a small amount of time to coordinate how ISVs and IT admins can realize benefits through their vendors.

Q3: Is a Non Disclosure Agreement required for a Windows Installer tools vendor to attend the event?
A3: There is an event disclosure agreement that says the tools vendor will not distribute the information from the event for a short length of time. 

[Author: Robert Flaming]

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights. Use of included script samples are subject to the terms specified at https://www.microsoft.com/info/cpyright.htm.

Comments

• Anonymous
  May 05, 2007
  The Windows Installer team at Microsoft has posted a public invitation for MSI tools vendors to discuss

• Anonymous
  May 05, 2007
  The Windows Installer team at Microsoft has posted a public invitation for MSI tools vendors to discuss

• Anonymous
  May 06, 2007
  Looks like a new Windows Installer is in the works. Microsoft is inviting vendors who are interested

• Anonymous
  May 06, 2007
  Foi colocado no Windows Installer Team Blog uma chamada desenvolvedores interessados em contribuir com

• Anonymous
  May 07, 2007
  Why just vendors and not ISV's? There are lots of ISV setup developers who have real with real-world user stories on what they need from the SDK.

• Anonymous
  May 08, 2007
  The comment has been removed

• Anonymous
  May 10, 2007
  Sorry, I think my use of the term SDK might have been overloaded and ambigious.  I actually was referring to core engine features and referring to SDK as the overall definition of Windows Installer. I've spent some time with several tools vendors regarding user stories, I guess my concern is that the information might not bubble up to Microsoft because the vendors decisions regarding featureset implementations and ROI justifications might not align with the ISV's perspective. I'd love to see alot more community generated content without layers of filtration.  Perhaps this would help to identify additional installation stories that ISV's need to have supported.

• Anonymous
  June 18, 2007
  My sources tell me that a presentation on MSI 4.5 has been given but no details provided.  When will this event disclosure agreement expire?  I can't believe that Microsoft won't share this information with it's customers, the Windows Installer community.

• Anonymous
  June 24, 2007
  Christopher, Thanks for the enthusiastic interest in the future plans for the Windows Installer.   The responsibility for the choice to announce I was talking to the Tools Vendors is mine.  In a spirit of openness, I choose to offer a notification of what is usually a closed conversation.  If one steps back a bit and considers other company to company efforts, say the highly anticipated iPhone and its chosen cellular service provider AT&T, most of these discussions do not choose to be open about their initiatives.  Perhaps the lesson for me is that openness in this regard is unwise. As I said in the earlier post, I needed “a small amount of time”.  I didn’t specify the specific amount of time I needed because I didn’t know how long it would take to stage the information more broadly.  It has taken more time than I expected. My sincere apologies for the wait. All the best, Robert Flaming Windows Installer PM

• Anonymous
  June 24, 2007
  The comment has been removed

• Anonymous
  June 24, 2007
  Microsoft is working on two new versions of Windows Installer (MSI): Windows Installer 4.1 MSI 4.1 will

• Anonymous
  June 25, 2007
  I have to agree with what Christopher is saying, I use WiX, WISE, InstallShield, makeMSI and what ever will fit the bill for my customer.  It would be nice to see information that is coming up so we can at least feed back to our customers about changes which maybe coming etc. I understand fully where you are coming from Robert and in fact understand it completely, I just wanted to echo Christopher’s requests.

• Anonymous
  June 25, 2007
  The Windows Installer team is closing in on our Beta release of Windows Installer 4.5 so it's time to

• Anonymous
  July 24, 2007
  Robert, I just want to echo Chris' statement about "vendors decisions regarding featureset implementations and ROI justifications might not align with the ISV's perspective".  As someone who's career also centers around MSI, I think it's very important to get feedback from those of us using the vendor tools to support real-world MSI deployment scenarios for our ISV employers.  My guess is that most of the folks who only use one particular tool probably don't have much experience with MSI and use the tool in question to 'do the work for them'.  Those individuals aren't the type who probably don't worry about MSI functionality not supported by the tool (case in point right now is the very limited support for merge modules by one of the major players).  I'd like to see those of us familiar with MSI itself (not just using one or two vendor tools) and with a lot of deployment experience on multiple projects and different scenarios have more input into the direction that MSI is headed.  Thanks, Colby Ringeisen