Beginning another TechEd conference

It's been a number of years since I've been in Orlando for a Microsoft conference, having gone to TechEd (the first one I had ever been to) here a few years ago.  I went to register yesterday and realized that I didn't recognize the convention center at all.  Then I realized that this wasn't the same convention center - this is a new building, connected to the old one by a long sky bridge.  I'm hoping that's a good thing, because what I remember from the old one was big crowds waiting to use the escalators to go from level to level, and lots of walking from end to end.

This year, I have three presentations during the conference:

 

CLI334
Microsoft Solution Accelerator for Business Desktop Deployment (BDD) 2007: Windows Vista Deployment Walkthrough
6/5/2007 4:30PM-5:45PM
S220 D

This demo-intensive session walks you through a desktop deployment and many of the features of BDD 2007 Deployment Workbench. It demonstrates the tools leveraged and integrated by BDD 2007. We show how to build and capture an image, use SMS 2003 OSD to set up Zero Touch Installation (ZTI), add in applications, and perform a deployment.

SVR311
Windows Server 2008 Deployment Overview: Applying Microsoft Business Desktop Deployment 2007 Tools to Server Deployment
6/5/2007 8:30AM-9:45AM
S220 E

Windows Server 2008 deployment will leverage many of the core concepts and tools provided in Business Desktop Deployment 2007 and extend those to Windows Server 2008. The new accelerator will offer comprehensive role-based guidance for all phases of deployment, aligned to IT Service Management best practices. It will also take advantage of new deployment features in System Center Configuration Manager 2007. This session introduces you to the differences between Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2000 deployment, and what is in store from the Solution Accelerators Team for automating Windows Server 2008 deployment.

CLI418
Microsoft Solution Accelerator for Business Desktop Deployment (BDD) 2007: Advanced Zero Touch Installation with Microsoft Systems Management Server 2003
6/6/2007 8:30AM-9:45AM
S310 E

Enterprise Windows Vista deployment is enhanced significantly from previous desktop deployment processes and methodologies. Zero Touch Installation (ZTI) with SMS 2003 in Business Desktop Deployment (BDD) 2007 has been updated to support zero touch Windows Vista deployments. This session explains the complexities of large scale desktop deployments, options to consider, and demonstrates how the BDD 2007 Deployment Workbench along with SMS 2003 and the OS Deployment Feature Pack, can fully-automate the process. We also discuss how some organizations are extending the BDD 2007 toolset to enable additional capabilities.

 

I hope I'll see some of you there.  Be sure to say "hi".

p.s.  I remember one other thing from my first TechEd in Orlando: the mad dash for tables full of junk food.  A word of advice: don't get trampled :-)