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Vol. 19, #9 - March 3, 2014 - Issue #969
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This week's newsletter is all about extending the capabilities of Office 365 with third-party offerings. Of course, the important thing about third parties is whether or not you can trust them to remain in business over the long haul. For more insight into this important consideration, check out the following Dilbert comic:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393423571196
HOT! Does your organization's service desk often have to deal with support issues involving Group Policy changes not getting pushed out to end-user computers? Check out our Tip of the Week for a possible solution for handling these kinds of problems.
We looked at Office 365 several times in this newsletter recently, see for example:
And I'm sure we'll look at Office 365 again in the future as the platform continues to evolve. But this time around instead of looking at Office 365 itself, we're going to briefly examine some third-party offerings for extending the platform's capabilities. The below is in no sense intended as a comprehensive listing of what's available, and if you're aware of any others and have tried them, let us know at wsn@mtit.com and we'll include them in the Mailbag section of a future issue.
DocAve Online
The latest version of this software-as-a-service platform for Microsoft Office 365 management from AvePoint now enables businesses to enforce SharePoint Online policies, backup and restore data at the item level, and generate configuration reports to understand individual usage for site planning purposes.
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393423583852
Office 365 Suite
This solution from MetaVis Technologies provides analytics and dashboards that let you quickly see key information about your environment including security and permissions, tools for simplifying migration of content while maintaining metadata, and functionality for backing up and archiving data either locally or in the cloud.
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393423588415
DocuSign eSignature
Coming soon in March from DocuSign, eSignature apps for Office 365 will let you submit and sign documents without leaving Office applications so you can quickly and easily transact your business with confidence. For more information see this press release from the Microsoft News Center:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393423592602
Centrify for Office 365
This identity management solution from Centrify provides Directory-based single sign-on, user provisioning and mobile management that helps simplify the end-user experience through single sign-on and self-service functionality.
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393423596540
Virtual Identity Server for Office 365
This solution from Optimal IdM extends Office 365 with multi-forest and multi-platform two-factor authentication and Denial of Service (DoS) prevention/detection capabilities.
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393423601149
Send us feedback
Got feedback about anything in this issue? Let us know at wsn@mtit.com
This week's tip has been contributed by Ashley McGlone, Microsoft Premier Field Engineer.
Forcing Group Policy update using PowerShell
In Windows Server 2012 and Windows 8 you can now force an immediate, remote GPUPDATE using the cmdlet Invoke-GPUpdate like this:
Invoke-GPUpdate -RandomDelayInMinutes 0 -Computer workstation1
This requires the Group Policy PowerShell module, meaning that you need the GPMC installed to have the command locally. You should also run it from an elevated PowerShell console.
You can even target Windows 7 clients and Windows Server 2008 R2.
This new command can be a game changer for the service desk!
For more information see the TechNet article here:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393423606837
About Ashley McGlone
Ashley McGlone is a Microsoft Premier Field Engineer (PFE) at Microsoft.
You can find more of Ashley's PowerShell tips on his TechNet blog here:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393423611524
You can also follow Ashley on Twitter:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393423616508
GOT TIPS you'd like to share with other readers? Email us at wsn@mtit.com
Prolific author William Stanek has released two new Microsoft Press titles you should check out:
Windows Server 2012 R2 Pocket Consultant: Storage, Security, & Networking
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393423621462
Windows 8.1 Administration Pocket Consultant: Essentials & Configuration
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393423626477
Also be sure to pre-order these soon-to-be-released titles:
Windows Server 2012 R2 Inside Out: Configuration, Storage, & Essentials
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393423630649
Windows Server 2012 R2 Inside Out: Services, Security, & Infrastructure
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393423634587
Windows Server 2012 R2 Pocket Consultant: Essentials & Configuration
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393423638477
Windows 8.1 Administration Pocket Consultant: Storage, Security, & Networking
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393423642212
MVA presents ALM Wednesdays starting March 5
If you're looking for creative problem-solving solutions to streamline the development pipeline and create a culture of continuous improvement, join us for this new series, "ALM Wednesdays." We start on March 5 with the "Using Kanban Jump Start" where you'll learn how Kanban can help focus your teams on the flow of value to your customers, help you identify and remove bottlenecks in your development pipeline, and most importantly, shift your organizational culture toward creative problem-solving at all levels. Find the ALM Wednesdays events, and register on our Live Events page:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393423646837
On-demand from MVA: Windows Azure Week
If you are considering moving your apps to the cloud, wondering how to leverage cloud platform features in your apps or your IT infrastructure, and wanting to hear from the experts about what's possible in Azure today (plus what's coming soon), these on-demand courses from the recent MVA "Windows Azure Week" are for you. Watch the courses here:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393423650774
"I did think for many, many years that because of my ability I could beat the system. And I was wrong." --Mickey Rourke
Until next week,
Mitch Tulloch
BTW feel free to:
Note to subscribers: If for some reason you don’t receive your weekly issue of this newsletter, please notify us at wsn@mtit.com and we’ll try to troubleshoot things from our end.
Free Hyper-V backup tool for WServerNews subscribers that allows you to save offsite VM backup copies, manage multiple Hyper-V host backups remotely and support WinServ 2012 R2.
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393425137180
Server performance problems? Find out why with FactFinder Express. See whether the issue is a slow app, slow SQL requests, or a CPU/Memory/Disk bottleneck. 30 day free trial.
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393425170415
Free download! SolarWinds free Exchange Monitor continuously monitors Microsoft® Exchange to deliver real-time insight into Exchange services, mail queue sizes, and host server health.
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393425182790
Exchange Bulk User Creation Tool v2.0 (EBUCT 2.0) is designed to allow for the bulk creation of mailboxes in Exchange 2013:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393425204805
The Office Configuration Analyzer Tool 1.1 (OffCAT) provides a quick and easy method to analyze several Microsoft Office programs for common configurations that may cause problems:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393425209337
Microsoft Exchange Conference (MEC 2014) on March 30-April 2, 2014 in Austin, Texas
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393423656821
Microsoft Build Developer Conference (Build 2014) on April 2-4, 2014 in San Francisco, California
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393423659196
TechEd North America on May 12-15, 2014 in Houston, Texas
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393423661321
Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC 2014) in July, 2014 in Washington, D.C.
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393423663383
Microsoft SQL Server PASS Summit 2014 on November 4-7, 2014 in Seattle, Washington
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393423665633
European SharePoint Conference on May 5-8, 2014 in Barcelona, Spain
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393423668649
TechEd Europe on October 27-31, 2014 in Barcelona, Spain
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393423670587
TechEd New Zealand on September 9-12, 2014 in Auckland, New Zealand
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393423672524
PLANNING A CONFERENCE OR OTHER EVENT you'd like to tell our 95,000 subscribers about? Contact michaelv@techgenix.com
Get your top questions on migrating, configuring and managing MS Exchange in Office 365 and Hybrid environments at this convenient online event on Thursday March 6, 2014.
Only three more days before the live online conference, so register today.
PLANNING A WEBCAST you'd like to tell our subscribers about? Contact michaelv@techgenix.com
An introduction to designing reliable cloud services (whitepaper) (Microsoft Download Center)
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393423692743
Red Hat Launches Open Shift Enterprise 2 PaaS Platform (Data Center Knowledge)
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393423696993
Government Clouds: What is FedRAMP? (Data Center Knowledge)
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393423700633
Tips to Maximize Your Virtualization Effectiveness (VirtualizationAdmin.com)
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393423705915
An introduction to the world of storage (Part 1) (WindowsNetworking.com)
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393423709508
Microsoft Operations Readiness Toolkit (Readiness App) (Microsoft Download Center)
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393423714008
February 2014 Security Release ISO Image (Microsoft Download Center)
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393423717977
The Hardening of the Core (Part 1) - Security information and event management (WindowSecurity.com)
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393423725712
The Security Realm – A Microsoft Map of the Known World (Microsoft Download Center)
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393423730008
Applying Service Pack and Rollup Updates on Exchange Server 2010 (Part 1) (MSExchange.org)
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393423734946
Product Review: SysTools Exchange Recovery (MSExchange.org)
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393423739415
Product Review: CodeTwo Exchange Migration and Office 365 Migration (MSExchange.org)
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393423743415
It may seem like a security risk to link your users’ devices to your hybrid cloud, but research shows it can actually improve governance. Inside this exclusive tip, learn how this strategy can improve performance, security and end-user experience and uncover key tips for implementing it in your organization.
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393423748071
When it comes to choosing a platform to run VDI on, is the cloud really the best option? Check out this exclusive guide to learn about the growing trend towards cloud-hosted desktops and discover key questions to consider when evaluating this strategy for your organization.
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393423751993
Consolidating your server environment can simplify management, reduce hardware costs and more – but it’s not always a straightforward task. Access this tip to explore the five most common mistakes to avoid when developing a server consolidation plan.
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393424023024
The end of Windows XP’s life may be just what the dying PC industry needs to get back on track. Find out what industry experts are expecting from the PC industry as organizations invest in new systems for Windows 7 or Windows 8 upgrades.
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393424027102
GOT FUN VIDEOS or other fun links to suggest you'd like to recommend? Email us at wsn@mtit.com
We'll begin this week with this link from reader Mark Thorndyke to a video of AC/DC being played on two cellos:
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393424031977
Try bowing that! Now on to some videos from Flixxy...
Italian High Fashion Base Jumping
Italian supermodels jumping off Monte Brento for a 'high fashion' show in the sky.
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393424044321
Super Mario / Seinfeld - Parody
A parody with Jerry Seinfeld as Mario, Kramer as Luigi and George Costanza as Toad.
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393424048337
Squirrel Taking A Joy-Ride In A Model Airplane
We all have seen squirrels 'fly' from tree to tree, but have you ever seen a squirrel go on a joy-ride in a model airplane?
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393424052899
The Great Escape - Squirrel and Hawk
A breathtaking video of a day in the life of a squirrel, beautifully captured and edited in HD 1080p.
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1393424058227
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