Editor’s Note : Time for TechEd

It’s time again for the annual gathering of Microsoft technologists, experts and consultants. Will you be there this year?

Lafe Low

It’s TechEd time again. Some mark the change of seasons by the equinox and solstice, some by the month, some by which professional sport is in season—and some by having TechEd on the calendar. It’s the unofficial beginning of summer for the Microsoft crowd.

TechEd is like full immersion therapy. You can dive deep into SharePoint, SQL Server, Exchange, Windows or any product group. Here are a few highlights of some of the sessions.

Maximizing Windows 7 Performance: Troubleshooting Tips, presented by Johan Arwidmark. This session will help you become a better troubleshooter when dealing with Windows 7. You’ll learn to analyze performance problems like application start times; boot issues; deferred procedure calls, or DPCs, and interrupt activity (Interrupt Service Routines, or ISRs); system responsiveness; application resource usage; and interrupt storms.

The 12 Reasons to Love Microsoft SQL Server 2012, presented by Dandy Weyn and Thomas LaRock. This session is actually a deep introduction to SQL Server 2012. You’ll be able to learn more about some of the new features and functions like AlwaysOn, Columnstore Indexing, Data Quality Services, Transact-SQL enhancements, Power View and SQL Server Data Tools.

Business Intelligence in Microsoft Office and SharePoint 2010, presented by Seayoung Rhee. This session will help you get the most out of your Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 as an integrated business analytics platform. You’ll be able to see how it works with Microsoft SQL Server, SharePoint and Office, as well as hear several case studies. It will also focus on the key features SharePoint provides for business intelligence applications through collaboration dashboards, multidimensional reports and self-service analytics.

Active Directory Integration with Microsoft Office 365, presented by Jono Luk and Ross Adams. This session will examine the different identity options and identity architecture available as you integrate Active Directory and Office 365. You’ll learn about the requirements for integrating your Active Directory, and how federated authentication works.

Some of the presenters you’ll see at TechEd are also contributors to TechNet Magazine: Don Jones, Greg Shields and Johan Arwidmark, just to name a new. And hopefully some of the new TechEd presenters will soon be among the family of TechNet contributors. See you at TechEd in Orlando, Fla.

What Color Is Your Backpack?

Take a few moments out of your TechEd schedule to help us refine your ongoing diet of Microsoft coverage. If you see a presentation that really grabs you and walks you completely through a complex problem, drop me a line and I’ll see about getting that presenter to write for TechNet.

Are we focusing on the Microsoft product groups that are most important to you? Are you finding the right mix of tactical and strategic coverage? Please let us know how we’re doing. Sign up for our LinkedIn group, send us an e-mail at <tnmag.microsoft.com> or e-mail me directly at the address below.

Lafe Low  is the editor in chief of TechNet Magazine. A veteran technology journalist, he’s also the former executive editor of 1105 Media’s Redmond magazine. Contact him at llow@1105media.com