Saturday, January 12, 2008

Have you tried out MAP yet?

My good friend Baldwin Ng and the team in Redmond are working hard on the MAP tool. In case you don't know, the Microsoft Assessment and Planning (MAP) Solution Accelerator is an integrated platform with tools and guidance that make it easier for you to assess your current IT infrastructure and determine the right Microsoft technologies for your IT needs. It offers easy inventory, powerful assessment and actionable recommendations for Windows Server 2008, Windows Server Hyper-V, Virtual Server 2005 R2, Terminal Services, SoftGrid, System Center Virtual Machine Manager, Windows Vista, and 2007 Microsoft Office. The popular Windows Vista Hardware Assessment readiness tool will be integrated into this platform.This automation tool helps IT professionals and consultants like you establish a clearer understanding of your infrastructure, desktop and virtualization needs through network-wide assessment of your assets including desktops, laptops, servers, applications and network devices. Actionable recommendations are provided through the auto-generated migration proposal reports and documents.In addition, the new MAP user interface also offers a "resource center" where users can download other relevant tools and useful resources such as white papers and technical guidance from Microsoft and other sources from the IT community.

You can sign up for the beta here:

https://connect.microsoft.com/site/sitehome.aspx?SiteID=297&wa=wsignin1.0

I encourage you to check it out. Another way to have a competetive advantage over the other people in your market. Learn to leverage the tools - they really do give us an edge.

2 comments:

Aaron Booker said...

I really like the MAPS beta. I've been using it to do inventory reporting (it now does snmp and servers/workstation, so it gets your printers too) and to justify RAM upgrades and to use Software Assurance benefits (show that their environment will work). I would love it if it also created a Network Diagram and filled in the asset information for each Shape. I gave that as beta feedback - please feel free to "validate" my recommendation!

Aaron Booker
Hardlines Company

Eric Vollbrecht said...

MAPS really does take network assessments to the next level. This tool helps us gather the facts and data that we need quickly. This allows us to spend more time with the client, gathering business info and becomign the "trusted advisor" instead of just the tech guy.

Eric Vollbrecht
Success Computer Consutling