”Windows Live” refers to software for your PC (Windows Live Essentials) as well as a suite of web-based services (Hotmail, SkyDrive, and Messenger), and your account relationship with Microsoft (Windows Live ID). And, a host of other offers……  The naming confusion is one of the reasons Microsoft had to adopt new names for their services and decided to kill off ”Windows Live”. Microsoft account is now the identity service for individuals who use Microsoft products and services. You can use your Microsoft account to sign in to your Windows 8 PC, and then use the same account to connect to services like Xbox LIVE, Zune, and the Windows 8 app store. You can sign up for a Microsoft account with any e-mail address.

When you connect to a Microsoft account, you get connected to cloud services and 7MB storage space and automatically get SkyDrive, which is cloud storage for documents, photos, your phone’s camera roll, and settings from your PC.  SkyDrive powers the Windows Phone camera roll, so every picture you take is automatically copied to your cloud photo album. All additional services can be connected if the app developer implements Microsft’s API and information can be shared across all Microsoft’s products and services; and are also accessible from any browser. That’s to say, for example your contact list will be shared across Windows Phone, Windows 8, Hotmail, Messenger, and SkyDrive, so that when you add a contact in one place, it shows up in the cloud and on all of your other devices and services. How cool is that!

Microsoft’ll be rolling out the change in nomenclature from Windows Live ID to Microsoft account over the next several months across their product line. There are still some areas they’re working on like migrating accounts (credit cards and purchase history) from one market (currency) to another for clients whose accounts are connected to services such as Xbox LIVE. See full story: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2012/05/02/cloud-services-for-windows-8-and-windows-phone-windows-live-reimagined.aspx

See the link to the article below.

http://businessdayonline.com/NG/index.php/tech/78-computing/36821-vicinity-enhances-dealings-at-nse-with-technology-solution

GetIT Ready to Trade: Meeting the Information Technology requirements specified by the Nigerian Stock Exchange for Dealing Members

http://www.nse.com.ng/MarketNews/Draft%20Rules/DEALING%20MEMBER%20LICENCE%20REQUIREMENTS.pdf

Download full case study here

(requires Adobe Acrobat Reader – download here)

A free seminar packed with information for Capital Markets firms about products and services which will quickly help them meet NSE IT requirements while minimizing costs and providing a foundation for even better use of their infrastructure.

Click here to register or to find out more

Many SMBs experience malware incidents that result in hours of downtime. Defending against malware attacks is particularly difficult for SMBs, which have needs that could sometimes be as complex as those of a large enterprise, but rarely have the same IT resources available. For malware defense software, SMBs have to consider ease of integration with existing infrastructure and also ease of management.

We deploy secure website facilities with firewall tools like the Microsoft Forefront Suite which provides secure messaging , collaboration, information protection as well as access to resources and enterprise applications behind corporate firewalls; and also protects against intrusion from viruses and Malware. A superfast, safe and effective internet broadband solution (Swift Networks) which assures seamless internet connectivity to quicken your work processes. On-site and off-site systems data back-up assure ultimate protection for your business data and ensure business continuity.

Premium Protection

Keeping corporate networks safe get more challenging every time, and network security has become one of the most critical issues facing businesses today. New and ever-changing threats appear with alarming regularity, and no organization is immune from risk.  The answer lies in Unified Threat Management (UTM), in which multi-layered security works in conjunction with signature-based solutions and other capabilities to provide solid, comprehensive protection against complex threats. As a Microsoft Midmarket Solutions Provider we will help you plan your network around the best tools for protection such as  Microsoft Forefront Suite. Forefront delivers leading malware protection solutions across endpoints, messaging and collaboration application servers, and the network edge.

Kaspersky Internet Security 2012 version provides the backbone for your PC’s security system and delivers premium protection from viruses, Trojans, spam, hackers, and more. Its cutting-edge, hybrid approach to digital security combines innovative, cloud-based technologies with advanced antivirus protection to deliver a faster, more effective response to today’s complex, ever-evolving threats. You, your private data and PC are completely protected as you work, bank, shop and play online. “Open Space Security™ Network Protection”  offers new flexibility to network security by extending beyond the traditional workplace to protect an increasingly distributed workforce.

E-Mail Protection

E-mail is an essential business tool for organizations of all sizes. Yet it is also the easiest way for hackers, spammers, and other malicious threats to penetrate and disrupt business operations. End-to-end security is as vital to today’s businesses as e-mail itself. For small, medium and even large-sized companies looking for robust, secure e-mail they can afford, Microsoft Forefront is the ideal solution. Forefront Online Protection for Exchange delivers layered technologies to actively help protect businesses’ inbound and outbound e-mail from spam, viruses, phishing scams, and e-mail policy violations.

Not compromising begins by identifying a truly qualified provider- one that implements best-of-breed technology and follows best practices for e-mail security which comprises expertise in people, technology, and processes.

How cool or perhaps how hot is this new technology going to be? It boasts of a new Metro-style interface that is designed for touchscreen, mouse, keyboard, and pen input. It has support for the  ARM processor architecture  in addition to the previously supported  x86microprocessors from Intel and AMD. It has a server counterpart codenamed Windows Server 8.

The Metro environment will feature a new tile-based Start screen similar to the Windows Phone operating system. Each tile will represent an app, and will be able to display relevant  information about such as the number of unread messages on the tile for an email app or the current  temperature on a weather app. Metro-Style apps run in full-screen, and are able to share information between each other using “contracts”. They will be available through the new Windows Store. Metro-Style apps are developed with the new Windows Runtime platform using various programming languages; including C++, Visual Basic, C#, and HTML/Javascript.

Follow the rest of the article  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_8#New_features

Wouldn’t it be great to go directly to the Start screen rather than the Start menu? And have a hotspot in place of the start orb?  Unfortunately, Internet Explore 10 which will feature in Windows 8 will not support plug-ins. But great news- you can sign-in  using your Windows Live ID, profiles will be synchronized over the Internet and integrated with Sky Drive.  And with authentication via picture password! This box of goodies just gets better….waiting for its release date.

As is usual whenever Microsoft is compared to any other company there’s a lot of commentary on the YouTube page. People are talking about the ad itself (most think it’s bad), Microsoft Office versus Google Apps, MS as a company and of course the irony of posting a video that slams Google on YouTube (which belongs to the Big G).

It’s a cheesy ad, but I like it. I think it’s funny and I love the cheek of putting it up on YouTube. And, I used to watch Moonlighting religiously. David Addison (Bruce Willis) ROCKS! As to cloud-based productivity software, whether Google Docs, Office Web Apps or otherwise, until basic consumer and small business internet access in Nigeria is much faster, more reliable and costs less then it’s not something I can recommend for business use.