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  We’ll be making a trip to Dallas this year and spending some time with the PMI community. Let us know if you’ll be there! @MSFTProject Booth #301 will feature 8 kiosks and a theater filled with product demos and the experts from our amazing Partner Network . Booth #700 will offer hands-on labs continuing our success from PMI GC 2010, so be sure to sign up when you arrive to guarantee your spot. Microsoft is also giving out USB keys to all of our visitors and special prizes including the chance to win a free pass to Project Conference 2012 in Phoenix, AZ! Finally, please join us for three presentations at the product theater: October 24th at 3:45 PM, Leveraging Project 2010 with Office 365 for Project Management Success with Dux Raymond Sy (Innovative-e, Inc.) October 25th at 12:30 PM, Quickly Automate Microsoft Project Server 2010 Governance Workflows with Ben Chamberlain (UMT) October 25th at 3:45 PM, Making Life Simple for Small and Mid-sized PMOs: A Pre-Configured Microsoft Project & Project Server 2010 Solution with Greg Bailey and Tad Haas (SharkPro Software) PMI ® Global Congress 2011—North America October 22–25 2011 Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, USA Hope to see you there! Get a head start and a chance to win some great prizes (more info to come) by registering for Project Conference 2012 now!  

Pink Floyd are not the only ones re-releasing their back catalog this month – we have re-released the SharePoint Foundation 2010 August Cumulative Update.  As this is also contained in the roll-up packages then these too have been re-released.  Unfortunately the title of the Project Server package has also been updated to reflect this new release date and it could make it look like the October Cumulative update released early – so take care! The re-released Project Server package at https://support.microsoft.com/kb/2553049 is still the August Cumulative Update, although it is labeled Description of the Project Server 2010 cumulative update package (Project server-package): October 13, 2011.  This is NOT the October CU coming early!  The version has been incremented to 14.0.6109.5005 to reflect the new build, but it is just the SharePoint Foundation component that has been updated.  The Project Server only package at https://support.microsoft.com/kb/2553047 is still showing the original date and version, as it was not rebuilt as it does not contain the SharePoint Foundation component. (sts-x-none.msp). I think the change in the SharePoint package is support for updates to Russia, Fiji and Samoa daylight saving time (DST) settings in SharePoint Foundation 2010 – I’ll see if I can get confirmation.

I’m very excited about this announcement this morning: Microsoft Officially Welcomes Skype . I have a fairly international family spread across multiple continents and every time I travel it’s exciting to see how broadly Skype is used and a recognized brand worldwide. This opens up lots of exciting opportunities in the future… About a month ago I wrote this post Celebrating 10 years at Microsoft and it’s amazing how many major announcements we have made since September, a non exhaustive list below: Microsoft Reimagines Windows, Presents Windows 8 Developer Preview Xbox 360 Teams Up With Entertainment Leaders to Transform TV Microsoft Expands Data Platform With SQL Server 2012, New Investments for Managing Any Data, Any Size, Anywhere More Microsoft Press Releases Archives here . In the end I’m all fired up about the future and MSFT continuous innovation!

When: Monday, December 5, 2011 at 9:00 AM – Tuesday, December 6, 2011 at 5:30 PM (GMT) Where: Central London Hosted By: Technology Associates Technology Associates International Limited is one of the leading global project management consultancies specialising in Microsoft Office Project and Enterprise Project Management Solutions. Since 1990, Technology Associates have provided deployment, consultancy, development and training services to more than 500 organisations including some of the world’s leading companies, and we have an international presence throughout the world.   Technology Associates is proud to partner with RMC Project Management Inc . Technology Associates brings the highly acclaimed courses developed by Rita Mulcahy and her organisation to the UK. Courses are run using the same structure and RMC materials as used on the RMC courses in the USA and utilise experienced RMC PMP Exam Prep instructors so that delegates get the full benefit of these courses without having to travel to the USA! Register for this event now at: https://pmpexamprep2day051211-rss.eventbrite.com Event Details: PMP® Exam Prep Course (2 days) This accelerated learning course is designed to help you prepare for the PMP ® Exam—and gain the most understanding   with the least amount of study. Developed by Rita Mulcahy, this course is designed to decrease your after-class study time from hundreds of hours to less than forty. We offer unique activities and exercises designed specifically to increase learning and knowledge retention—without rote memorization. The course materials include Rita Mulcahy’s entire PMP ® Exam Prep System (retail value $399). Please contact us if you would like information on in-company courses. Course Learning Objectives This course will also assist you in finding and documenting the gaps in your knowledge, so you can leave the class knowing exactly what you know, and exactly what you need to work on prior to sitting for the exam. By the end of this course you will: Have focused training on areas where students have the most difficulty with the current exam. Have the latest information from over 19 years of experience helping thousands of project managers pass the exam. Be ready to take the exam – this is a preparation and review course. Have learned “what you don’t know”. Develop a personalised study plan to help reduce your follow on study time to less than forty hours. Why Take This Course? Study Time Only 40 hours of study or less needed after this course. That is 70% less study than is usually necessary with other courses. Retention Students recently scored an incredible average 83.25% on a sample PMP ® exam after taking this course, before they even began studying. Passing level is 61% for the PMP ® exam. Materials and Extras A comprehensive education system. These materials include the best-selling book PMP ® Exam Prep by Rita Mulcahy, PM FASTrack ® Exam Simulation Software, and Hot Topics flashcards. Also included in this course are materials not available to the general public. Instruction This course uses accelerated learning techniques . Project managers who are also expert trainers teach our courses! We hear, “This was the best class I have EVER attended on ANY topic!” On completion of the course, you will be awarded 16 contact hours (16 PDU’s). Course Outline Overview of the exam: How to study and create a study plan Tricks for memorizing formulas Tricks to help you understand how the PMP ® questions are written Tricks for shortening your study time Tricks for taking the exam Tricks for finding holes in your project management knowledge Reasons people fail the exam and how to make sure you do not do the same Exercises to help you understand, memorize and conceptualize the information you need to know Understanding PMI ® -isms Detailed coverage of: The process of project management The framework of project management Integration management Scope management Time management Cost management Quality management Human resources management Communications management Risk management Procurement management Professional responsibilities Develop a personalised Study Plan Course Materials You will receive the following exceptional training products which were developed by Rita Mulcahy, p ublished by RMC Publications, Inc: ·          JumpStart ~ E-learning course (pre-course work up to four hours) ·          PMP ® Exam Prep Book ·          Hot Topics PMP® Exam Flashcards ·          PM FASTrack® PMP® Exam Simulation Software   Created with the assistance of a psychometrician (just like the actual exam) PM FASTrack ® is designed to simulate the actual exam in every detail. The program’s database of 1,500+ questions allows you to take exams by knowledge area, process group or keyword/concept.

When: Monday, December 5, 2011 at 9:00 AM – Thursday, December 8, 2011 at 6:00 PM (GMT) Where: Central London Hosted By: Technology Associates Technology Associates International Limited is one of the leading global project management consultancies specialising in Microsoft Office Project and Enterprise Project Management Solutions. Since 1990, Technology Associates have provided deployment, consultancy, development and training services to more than 500 organisations including some of the world’s leading companies, and we have an international presence throughout the world.   Technology Associates is proud to partner with RMC Project Management Inc . Technology Associates brings the highly acclaimed courses developed by Rita Mulcahy and her organisation to the UK. Courses are run using the same structure and RMC materials as used on the RMC courses in the USA and utilise experienced RMC PMP Exam Prep instructors so that delegates get the full benefit of these courses without having to travel to the USA! Register for this event now at: https://pmpexamprep4day051211-rss.eventbrite.com Event Details: Accelerated PMP® Exam Prep Course (4 days) This intensive four day course is designed to completely prepare you for the PMP ® exam in a fun and effective manner. We offer unique activities and exercises designed specifically to increase learning and knowledge retention, everything you need to pass the exam in only four days—without rote memorization. Widely recognised as the best courses in the world for PMP ® Exam Prep, you can now take advantage of these courses in the UK. The course materials include Rita Mulcahy’s entire PMP ® Exam Prep System (retail value $399). Please contact us if you would like information on in-company courses. Course Learning Objectives: At the end of this course you will be able to: Pass the PMP ® Exam offered by the Project Management Institute, with full confidence Identify gaps in your knowledge that may hurt you on the exam Be more comfortable with the types of questions you will see on the exam Use tips to pass the exam that have been used successfully by thousands of people Design your personalized test taking strategy Why Take This Course? There is no study required after this class. Students are ready to sit for the exam on the very next day. Whereas others spend days walking you through the inputs and outputs of the PMBOK ® Guide, we will show you how to understand them in only minutes. You will take computerized exam simulations in class, SO YOU WILL KNOW you are ready to sit the exam—and you will have evidence to prove it. You will utilize the best-selling materials available to pass the PMP ® exam—including Rita’s book, PMP ® Exam Prep . You will also gain access to study materials not otherwise available to the general public. You will understand how to analyze and answer the most difficult questions on the exam, and quickly tackle situational questions that seemingly have more than one correct answer. On completion, you will be awarded 35 contact hours (35 PDU’s). Course Outline Overview of the exam: How to study and create a study plan Tricks for memorizing formulas Tricks to help you understand how the PMP ® questions are written Tricks for shortening your study time Tricks for taking the exam Tricks for finding holes in your project management knowledge Reasons people fail the exam and how to make sure you do not do the same Exercises to help you understand, memorize and conceptualize the information you need to know Understanding PMI ® -isms Detailed coverage of: The process of project management The framework of project management Integration management Scope management Time management Cost management Quality management Human resources management Communications management Risk management Procurement management Professional responsibilities PMP ® Exam Simulations Identify gaps in your knowledge and develop a personalised Study Plan Work with our PMP ® exam simulation software, PM FASTrack ® Course Materials You will receive the following exceptional training products which were developed by Rita Mulcahy, p ublished by RMC Publications, Inc: ·          JumpStart ~ E-learning course (pre-course work up to four hours) ·          PMP ® Exam Prep Book ·          Hot Topics PMP® Exam Flashcards ·          PM FASTrack® PMP® Exam Simulation Software   Created with the assistance of a psychometrician (just like the actual exam) PM FASTrack ® is designed to simulate the actual exam in every detail. The program’s database of 1,500+ questions allows you to take exams by knowledge area, process group or keyword/concept.

I just wanted to highlight again the EPM Content Pivot Viewer app on TechNet which can be accessed at: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/projectserver/hh240184.aspx (once there I highly suggest clicking on for a better experience) We’ve had some great feedback from customers, but also in recent communications with the Project Server customers noticed that a significant portion of customers have not heard of the pivot or tried it. The idea behind developing the EPM Content Pivot Viewer was to help provide you the customer with an easy to use interface that allows you to view, sort, and search through our extensive content library. We’ve provided logical pivot points to help you find content for your area of the deployment lifecycle from planning through operations and technical reference, as well as pivot content by Project Server solution areas so you can pinpoint TechNet articles, training, and white papers that will be most helpful to what you are looking to do. If you find the EPM Content Pivot Viewer useful and would like to see future versions and new features, please email EPMDocFeedback@microsoft.com with any comments or questions as your feedback is very valuable to us. Thanks, -Rob

I was going to use the title asking ‘why are people still deleting the cache?’ until my colleague Corrie came up with this much better one!  Rather than asking why you are still doing it – I am telling you not to! I know there is a lot of history behind this one, and for those of you that used Project Server 2007 in its early days there were some challenges such as the ‘check-in pending’ saga that got people in to the habit of deleting the project cache.  We fixed the problem, then we fixed it again (and again) and you should not generally be seeing any issues with leaving your cache alone to do its job.  However, many customers I talk to are routinely deleting the project from the local cache before they open it and then again after they close it! Why!?!  Its job is an important one – it saves you having to pull that data from the server again – which will reduce network traffic, the hit on both the web services and the database, which means they can be getting on and doing useful stuff. I’ll also address a miss-conception here that I have heard from a number of customers – the choice of where to load the project from – cache or server?  You don’t have a choice – Project will load it from the cache if it is there, and then load any incremental pieces it needs from the server, to get you the current version of that plan.  In the screen shot below: the line actually reads ‘Retrieve the list of all projects from Project Server’.  It does not also read – ‘…and open any I might choose after clicking this link from the server and ignore the local cache’.  You don’t get the choice and you don’t need to choose. I’m sure many of you will not have read this far before clicking the comments option to tell me of all the problems you are having.(and I’m sure some of you are still having problems).  First check that you have the latest cumulative updates and service packs.  If you are still really having issues unless you delete the local cached copy then we certainly need to hear about it so we can fix the problem rather than have you waste your time and system resources doing things that you should not need to do. I will admit that there can be times when as support engineers we will ask you to remove your local cache to troubleshoot specific scenarios.  The cache itself also has intelligence that allows it to decide that it may have some bad stuff – and it will get a new clean copy of data from the server (symptom of this will be several files in the cache directory with 1,2,3 etc. at the end).  There have also been a few bugs we have worked on recently which ONLY surface when the user has cleared their cache! So please, if you have been deleting your cache as a matter of routine, then either stop – or speak to your PMO or IT people and ask why they have you do this – and if we need to fix something else then we can take a look.

Following this recent announcement last month from the System Center Service Manager team: New SCSM–Microsoft Project Connector Released , I finally got a chance to test out this very nice solution built by Expit’s . In their own word: Expit has developed a plugin/connector that enables the exchange of information between project planning software (Project server 2010) and System Center Service Manager. The connector allows project server users to convert project tasks into tickets in service manager directly from project server or project professional clients that are connected to project server. Additionally, the connector also updates project tasks to reflect ticket status in service manager and mark tasks as complete once tickets are closed. Expit has also recorded the following video to demo the product: Expit SCSM Project Connector ; and please find below screenshots from my own testing, again it’s a great validation of the Project 2010 momentum and its rich extensibility that helps you meet your project management needs in your favorite planning tool!

Following this post from my colleague Jan Kalis: Project 2010 at SharePoint Conference 2011 , I’m really looking forward to see you starting this Sunday in California. I visited recently Australia and Korea and it’s amazing to see the Project Server 2010 momentum and obviously the SharePoint 2010 rapid adoption by our customers and hence partners. When I look at the number of attendees we have for the pre-event this Sunday for instance, it’s again a solid case for the interest in this “strong-positive” release (see Gartner’s latest report on our stack: Microsoft is Rated in the Gartner Project and Portfolio Applications MarketScope ). I’ll be delivering the sessions below at SPC11 as well as one this Sunday on Project Server 2010 Architecture and Administration Overview . What I really love about great events like this beside talking about my favorite products, is to meet people, get feedback and learn how they are using our software; or another way to say it is I see this as a great networking opportunity so again I’m looking forward to see as many of you. Beside delivering sessions I’ll also be hanging in and out of the Project booth on the expo hall. I’ll arrive Saturday night and will return to sunny Seattle Wednesday night and staying at the Marriott so if you want to meet don’t be shy and would love to hear your Project 2010 story (email me via this blog)! PS: Talking about great event, and again for the same reason as above this is one event you do not want to miss: Microsoft Project Conference 2012 Registration Open! SPC273 – Monday at 2:00pm SharePoint Lifecycle Management Solution with Project Server Is SharePoint becoming an important part of your company’s overall IT offering? If so, it’s likely that you have a need to better manage SharePoint business requests. Join industry expert Scott Jamison as he discusses the importance of SharePoint Lifecycle Management from an IT governance perspective. In this session we’ll demonstrate how business users can make special project requests through a form in Project Web App, and how Project Managers can monitor and assign resources, evaluate priorities, and manage their overall project portfolio more efficiently. Christophe Fiessinger; Scott Jamison, SharePoint MVP SPC275 – Tuesday at 3:15pm Solving Agile and PMO Problems by Integrating Project Server 2010 with Team Foundation Server 2010 Do your Project Managers and Developers need to play nicer together? In this session, we’ll discuss how integrating Team Foundation Server 2010 and Project Server 2010 allows you to enable development and project management teams to collaborate and communicate more effectively by using tools that they are most familiar with. In addition, we will conduct demos and share real world stories and best practices from customers. SPC313 –Wednesday at 3:15pm Best Practices for Deploying Project Server 2010 on SharePoint Farm Are you interested in deploying Project Server 2010 but don’t know where to start? In this session we will provide you with an overview on how to deploy Microsoft Project Server 2010 in a SharePoint 2010 Farm. Specifically, we will discuss how to deploy Project Server in an existing or separate farm, asses the proper capacity planning, and how to tackle upgrading and migration.

Microsoft Project Conference 2012 Registration is LIVE! Project Conference will be held in Phoenix, Arizona on March 19 – 22, 2012. Register now at www.msprojectconference.com . Microsoft Project Conference is the event for the global Microsoft Project Community. We’ll have attendees from all over the world, giving you an opportunity to connect with over a thousand passionate members of the Microsoft Project Community, from project professionals, business decision makers, certified partners and the Microsoft Project team. The conference will feature high-impact keynotes, rich breakout sessions, trainings and plenty of networking opportunities. Join us at Microsoft Project Conference and learn how you can transform and accelerate your success with Microsoft Project 2010! Follow us on Twitter @MSFTProject for the latest updates and tweet #PC12 to let us know you’re coming! Please note the call for content  has been extended to mid-October: Microsoft Project Conference 2012 Call for Content Now Open