Announcing Bob and Chris' MSDN Roadshow!

Bob Familiar and I are busting out of our home bases in Massachusetts and taking our long-winded rants and questionable demos on the roads across the Northeast!  In the coming weeks, we'll be bringing the latest in developer- and architect-focused content to a town near you.

Join us for a full day of no-fluff deep technical content, plenty of code, 100% guaranteed-to-run demos*, and of course giveaways throughout with a chance to win a Zune at day's end!  [* We'll define "run" as we go.]

Roadshow Schedule and Registration

Rochester, NY	February 27th, 2007	8:30am-4:00pm	Click Here to Register!
Burlington, VT	March 1st, 2007	8:30am-4:00pm	Click Here to Register!
Portland, ME	March 6th, 2007	8:30am-4:00pm	Click Here to Register!
Manchester, NH	March 8th, 2007	8:30am-4:00pm	Click Here to Register!
Farmington, CT	March 20th, 2007	8:30am-4:00pm	Click Here to Register!

Event Agenda

For this tour, we're focusing on all things .Net Framework 3.0.  Here's the agenda:

08:30am – Arrive, check in, grab a nosh and a seat

 

09:00 – 10:15 – Windows Communication Foundation

Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) is Microsoft's unified framework for building secure, reliable, transacted, and interoperable distributed applications. Learn how to leverage the new features in Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) to make a smooth transition to a service-orientation.  The capabilities exposed through this new addition to the .NET framework will enable the core building blocks of connected systems such as data & service contracts, security, reliability, administration, and management   

 

10:15 – 10:30 – Take a break and communicate

 

10:30 – 12:00 – Windows CardSpaces

Windows CardSpace enables users to provide their digital identities in a familiar, secure and easy way. In the physical world we use business cards, credit cards and membership cards. Online with CardSpace we use a variety of virtual cards to identify ourselves, each retrieving data from an identity provider. Don't struggle with usernames and passwords, just choose an information card! This session will delve into the architecture and implementation of CardSpaces.

12:00-01:00 – Grab a lunch and ponder your identity

01:00 – 02:15 –Workflow Foundation

Workflow Foundation (WF), a component of the .NET Framework 3.0, enables you to quickly and reliably implement workflows and business rules in your applications.  WF provides a framework for constructing sequential and state-machine based workflows for any .NET application or service and includes tools to effectively manage and modify those workflows.  In this session, we'll introduce the major concepts and purpose of WF, demonstrate the creation and maintenance of workflows with Visual Studio 2005, and show the potential uses of workflows within your applications. 

02:15-02:30 – Take a break and go with the flow

02:30 – 03:45 – Windows Presentation Foundation

Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) is Microsoft’s new strategic User Interface technology designed to provide richer, high-fidelity, applications using an optimized developer/designer workflow.  Learn how to leverage the new features in WPF such as XAML to create visually stunning interfaces to enhance capabilities and user experience of your applications. 

 

03:45 – 04:00 – Zune Giveaway

Register using the links in the schedule above.  Looking forward to seeing you out on the road!

-Chris

TechEd 2007 Registration Now Open

Early-bird registration for TechEd 2007 is now open until April 7th.  TechEd will be held in Orlando on June 4th-8th.

http://www.microsoft.com/events/teched2007

There is also a special VIP Sweepstakes.  Register by March 8 and be entered to win:

• A 6-day, 5-night stay in a hotel suite with priority check-in
• VIP treatment at the Tech·Ed 2007 attendee party
• Front-row seating at the keynote session

Speaking on WF at Rhode Island .NET User Group - 1/3/2007

I will be giving a session on Windows Workflow Foundation for the Rhode Island .NET User Group tomorrow night, January 3rd, from 6-8 PM at Roger Williams University in Bristol, RI.  There is also a social hour from 5-6 with soda and pizza.

Here is the abstract:

Workflow Foundation (WF), a component of the .NET Framework 3.0, enables you to quickly and reliably implement workflows and business rules in your applications.  WF provides a framework for constructing sequential and state-machine based workflows for any .NET application or service and includes tools to effectively manage and modify those workflows.  In this session, we'll introduce the major concepts and purpose of WF, demonstrate the creation and maintenance of workflows with Visual Studio 2005, and show the potential uses of workflows within your applications. 

The group requests an RSVP if you plan to attend.  Hope to see you there!

-Chris

Team System Public User Group Meeting - Dec. 21st

The Boston area's newest user group, the Team System Public User Group, will be having its first meeting at the Microsoft Office at 201 Jones Road, Waltham this Thursday (12/21) from 5:30-7:30.

Agenda from the site:

This meeting will kick off the user group as a whole and a presentation and discussion:

"The State of Team System"
A discussion and exposure of various Visual Studio Team System initiatives inside and outside of Microsoft. Expect discussion of SP1 which is imminent in its release. A lot of focus will be placed on an inventory of “Collaborative Community Source” projects and commercial third party applications as well.

For more information about the group and meeting, see Michael Ruminer's post on the new group.  From Michael's post:

This months meeting will focus on a meet and greet and then a presentation/discussion of existing initiatives around VSTS/TFS both inside and outside Microsoft and both third party commercial and collaborative source projects that exist out there. Are you involved in any? Do you know of any? Do you have a special project you'd like to start up? If so bring that info along so that if my inventory misses it you can fill us all in.

-Chris