Here is a tidbit from my inbox that I’ve been meaning to share since last week…

Microsoft.com has posted a set of “sneak-peek” features and videos http://sharepoint.microsoft.com/2010/Sneak_Peek/Pages/default.aspx.  You  can now look through

• SharePoint Server 2010 Sneak Peek FAQ
• SharePoint Server 2010 Sneak Peek Overview
• SharePoint Server 2010 Sneak Peek Overview Video
• SharePoint Server 2010 Sneak Peek IT Pro Video
• SharePoint Server 2010 Sneak Peek Developer Video
• SharePoint Server 2010 Sneak Peek Get Ready

Microsoft SharePoint 2010 will enter Beta in 2009 and is targeted for general availability in the first half of 2010.  We will announce our Public Beta availability later this year and will have more information to share on how customers can participate

The best way to get started with SharePoint 2010 is to get a great SharePoint 2007 deployment today.  Use your software assurance benefits such as SharePoint Deployment Planning Services to help get deployed on SharePoint 2007.  Run the Upgrade Checker in SharePoint 2007 Service Pack 2 to scan your SharePoint 2007 systems to see how ready your system is for upgrade to SharePoint 2010.  For a comprehensive list of readiness resources and the right steps to take today, check out the SharePoint 2010 Get Ready section.

Additionally,  I strongly encourage you to attend the SharePoint Conference in Las Vegas in October. This will be the key event for the SharePoint Server 2010 release.  More information is available at http://www.mssharepointconference.com.

(Hat Tip: Steve Letford)

There are some great Business Intelligence courses coming up that I thought I’d let you all know of.

One day BI Launchpad course

Firstly there is one later this month with Peter Ward (SQL Server MVP from Australia) who is running a one day hands on course designed to show how SQL Server 2008 can be used to solve different types of business intelligence problems, from data warehousing to real time operational reporting and analytics.  If you go, you will:

…learn how to use the SQL Server BI toolset to collect data from heterogeneous data sources and then display the data in a meaningful format to assist in making business decisions and then measure and monitor the results.  This course provides an end to end overview of the entire SQL Server BI stack from extracting data using Integration Services to building cubes with Analysis Services and then displaying the results using Reporting Services.

Full details of this course is available in a PDF for both Auckland, (July 20) and Wellington, (July 21).  FWIW, Peter is very knowledgeable, and SQL Server is his specialty, so this is bound to be a good investment of one day of your time.

Four day BI Depth course

In addition, Altis Consulting are pleased to announce a four day Kimball Group course to be h eld in Sydney in October 2009.  This course is entitled “Microsoft Data Warehouse in Depth” and will run in Sydney from October 20-23rd.  It is presented by Warren Thornthwaite and Joy Mundy, co-authors of the best selling Microsoft Data Warehouse Toolkit.

This course is designed to appeal to all major roles on a data warehouse project  on the Microsoft platform.  It’s for DW team managers, system architects, ETL system architects and developers, data warehouse operational staff, and BI application designers and developers.  Every attendee in this class will receive a copy of the Microsoft Data Warehouse Toolkit.

You can download the course brochure here, registration is available now from here. Additional information is available from the Altis Consulting web site.