TechNet Central Region Events are back! Windows 7 Deployment “Firestarter” Events are LIVE!

That’s right.  We’re coming to a town near you. 

“Or at least near me if I live near one of the cities listed below?”

Well, yeah..  But anyway, we know that there are a lot of you who are just starting or still wondering about deploying Windows 7 and Office 2010 to your businesses,  so we’re very excited to be bringing you some free live events on those very important subjects.

Here’s what you can expect if you come to one (this text is from the registration page):

Join your Microsoft IT Evangelists for a free, half-day Firestarter event and hear firsthand how to upgrade from Windows XP to Windows® 7. See how to quickly get up and migrating both Windows 7 and Office 2010 with simple deployment tools, then exploring advanced deployment scenarios using the MDT 2010.

Session 1: Can We Bust This Myth? "It’s impossible to upgrade a Windows XP computer to Windows 7"
In this fun, interactive session, we'll outline the available methods for moving your Windows XP machine to Windows 7 – while maintaining user data and settings and ensuring required applications are installed in the process. Can we bust this myth in 75 minutes or less? Join us and see for yourself!

Session 2: Free Quick and Dirty Deployment Tools
If you’re a tech of action and want to move now this session will show you how to get your hand dirty with free Microsoft deployment tools.

• Planning: When planning your migration to Microsoft Windows 7 & Office 2010, specific knowledge about each PC on the network and its readiness for migration is essential. Here we will show you the Microsoft Assessment and Planning (MAP) Toolkit which gathers essential infrastructure information to answer the question “Are my PCs ready for Windows 7 & Office 2010?”
• Office 2010 Customization: After you create a network installation point, but before you install Office 2010, you can use the Office Customization Tool (OCT) to create a Setup customization file which enables unattended custom installations.
• Quick and Dirty Imaging: In this section we detail how to create and use the ultimate technician deployment tool. That’s right the bootable USB drive with imaging tools. These tools enable you to sit at a machine and take or deploy an image at will.

Session 3: Automate your Windows 7 deployment using the MDT 2010
You don't have a handful of machines to deploy, you have hundreds – and you want to automate the process. The Microsoft Deployment Toolkit offers a configuration database that enables methodological automation of deployment configurations, allowing you to automatically assign properties based on target computer locations, makes and models, plus computer values. Take a deeper look at this MDT 2010 capability

 

All events start at 8:00am and go to 12:30pm local time.   Brian, John, Matt and I will be delivering the following events.  (Click on the links for the appropriate registration page):

 

Date	Place	Presented by
October 12, 2010	Milwaukee, WI	Brian Lewis
October 14, 2010	Indianapolis, IN	Brian Lewis
October 19, 2010	Grand Rapids, MI	Matt Hester
October 20, 2010	Detroit, MI	Matt Hester
October 26, 2010	Dallas, TX	John Weston
October 26, 2010	Cleveland, OH	Matt Hester
October 28, 2010	Austin, TX	John Weston
October 28, 2010	St. Louis, MO	Kevin Remde
November 2, 2010	Cincinnatti, OH	Matt Hester
November 2, 2010	Omaha, NE	Kevin Remde
November 3, 2010	Baton Rouge, LA	John Weston
November 3, 2010	Madison, WI	Brian Lewis
November 3, 2010	Cedar Rapids, IA	Kevin Remde
November 4, 2010	Des Moines, IA	Kevin Remde
November 9, 2010	Tulsa, OK	John Weston
November 9, 2010	Chicago, IL	Brian Lewis
November 11, 2010	Oshkosh, WI	Brian Lewis
November 15, 2010	Columbus, OH	Matt Hester
November 16, 2010	Minneapolis, MN	Kevin Remde
November 17, 2010	Nashville, TN	Matt Hester
November 18, 2010	Louisville, KY	Matt Hester
November 18, 2010	Overland Park, KS	Kevin Remde
December 1, 2010	Houston, TX	John Weston

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Will I see you there?