Topics

Track # 1 - SP Development and Design (SP Developers)
*Working with Custom Fields in SharePoint 2007*	Hemendra will walk developers through the details of how to create cuatom fields in MOSS 2007. This is an advanced topic intended for developers and architects. Presented by Hemendra Patel
*Create compelling SharePoint UIs using Silverlight*	Silverlight is one of the most exciting things to come out of Microsoft lately. In this session, Sahil cooks up a practical and interesting completely hands-on demonstration of how to use Silverlight in SharePoint. Not only does he talk of various details of Silverlight, along with proper deployment of silverlight projects in SharePoint, he also mixes WCF and demonstrates using Silverlight with full access to the SharePoint object model. You should attend if you are interested in either Silverlight, SharePoint, WCF, or any cocktail of the above. Presented by Sahil Malik
*Implementing an enterprise SOA strategy on a SharePoint platform*	This session will review the practices for implementing an enterprise SOA strategy on a SharePoint platform. We will review the services oriented methodology and the requirements that drive most organizations towards implementing a SOA strategy. We will then cover the steps that must be taken to implement your services-oriented enterprise using SharePoint technologies. Finally, we will discuss a real-world case study of these best practices in action. This session is targeted towards system and information architects, technology advisors, and decision makers. Presented by Brad Smith
*Customize your Branding in SharePoint*	Branding: To mark as a possession; to personalize; to add a visual label showing ownership; Web 2.0 – add header, footer, colors and product brand to web page(s). My session will explain for the uninitiated what my generic branding means, how it might be used by them, and discuss some of the specifics. It will then briefly walk attendees through a PPT deck illustrating how branding is done using directories and files in hive-12. These slides have the step-by-step screen shots! Never fear, I will not "talk" to each slide but simply present the cook-book method I used to build one site branding, start to finish with "every" screen pictured. These decks will be available online after the conference. This is a "How To" so you can brand your site in SharePoint. Presented by Dale Clarke
*SP vs. DotNetNuke*	Prepare for the battle of the titans! Which platform is right for you? Each one has its uses depending on the audience. Presented by Hal Hayes and Antonio Chagoury
*The Data View Web Part*	The data view web part is a handy tool for building dashboards and much more. Learn what you must know before tackling this on your own! Presented by John Stover
*SharePoint Work Flow Alternatives*	Workflow is core to making many SharePoint implementations a success, but it is too easy to over-engineer a workflow solution using all the powerful features you have available. Learn from Gary some great alternatives to creating your own workflow. Presented by Gary Blatt
*The Claims are Coming: How Geneva Server and the Geneva Framework will change the way users authenticate*	“Geneva” Server Beta enables Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) to be an identity provider in the claims based access platform (CBA), code-named “Geneva”. “Geneva” Server is a security token service (STS) that supports the WS-Trust, WS-Federation, and Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) protocols. “Geneva” Server can also issue managed Information Cards for AD DS users. Presented by Ed Hild
*SharePoint Development with VSeWSS 1.3*	This talk is for developers wanting to learn about the types of applications to build, the right tools to use, and how to integrate SharePoint development with your Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) processes. After this session you will better understand how to use Visual Studio 2008 extensions for SharePoint v1.3 to build, debug and deploy SharePoint customizations... Presented by Chad Wach
Track # 2 - SP Implementation Life Cycle (New and Experienced SP Administrators, plus Managers)
*The McKesson Corp. MOSS Road Map*	Feel like you’re working 60 hours a week on SharePoint and not getting any credit for it? You owe it to your company AND yourself to make your leadership recognize the contributions you’re providing through SharePoint. Learn how to boost your credibility, your career, your productivity, and your celebrity—as we cover the “4 P’s,” the battles you’ll need to win, and even some ideas that flopped. McKesson Corporation, a Fortune 16 company, is the nation’s leading distributor of pharmaceuticals, as well as the largest healthcare IT vendor. SharePoint is being deployed as the foundation of a broader, strategic Collaboration initiative. Microsoft SharePoint has been deployed at a very low IT cost; departments are brought online via an “Administrator Certification Program”, and are then cultivated and supported via weekly “Collaboration Cafés”. This initiative has also led to the establishment of Microsoft Office Communicator and Office Live Meeting as corporate standards. At this session, learn about McKesson’s Collaboration rock stars. Presented by Aaron Rafus ("The Original SharePoint Rock Star")
*Designing Effective Logical Architectures and Site Taxonomies*	SharePoint adoption tends to be viral in most organizations, growing faster than IT groups are able to able handle. Most organizations work toward quick user adoption. Only a handful properly assess what their true vision for SharePoint is within their organization, building their physical architecture without having a logical architecture or core site taxonomy plan in place. In this session we will cover the basics of core design considerations, how they will affect logical architecture design and taxonomies, and in turn map out physical architecture implications. Presented by Dan Usher
*An SDLC for SharePoint*	As SharePoint deployments mature, project management and governance are becoming increasingly important. All stakeholders in the enterprise need a practical methodology to help guide deployment from initial requirements and design to later adoption and business impact. This presentation will outline a time-phased SharePoint implementation approach and discuss how it may differ from a traditional SDLC. It will also touch on skill sets needed in and outside a client organization to help ensure SharePoint success, as well as deployment and adoption metrics. Presented by Gary Vaughan
*Business Taxonomy and Metadata Design for SharePoint*	With the power of MOSS 2007, business users have the ability to be more active than ever in the publication and consumption of information. However, many organizations are struggling with the issue that concepts like taxonomy design and metadata strategy, historically used only by information science professionals, are now accessible for use by typical business users. Many organizations have failed to adjust the design and strategy of taxonomies as the audience and uses have changed. Equally, many organizations currently implementing SharePoint have failed to harness the full content tagging and taxonomy capabilities of the product. As a result, many current taxonomy designs in SharePoint systems are overly complex and far from intuitive for the end users. This presentation will provide an introduction to Taxonomy and Metadata benefits, design concepts, and strategies in the context of SharePoint. It will also provide recommendations on how best to proceed with such design efforts in your own organization, leveraging the out-of-the-box capabilities of SharePoint. Understand the distinction between traditional and business taxonomies. Recognize the importance and purpose of a taxonomy within SharePoint. Learn the best practices for successful implementation and adoption. Gain insight on how to begin your organization’s own taxonomy and metadata design projects. Presented by Zachary Wahl, PPC
*Site Collection Strategy for MOSS*	Implementing the correct Site Collection Architecture for your SharePoint solution is a vital step for the success of any SharePoint implementation. Companies frequently ask “what should be a site collection?”, “what should be a sub-site?” and “what are the different implications of picking one verse the other?”. During this presentation we will discuss the fictitious company “Fabrikam” and we will see how they didn’t plan or implement their Site Collection Architecture successfully. We will show the common things that get overlooked and we will discuss other options that could have made “Fabrikam” successful. During this we will talk about site collections vs sub-sites, roles and responsibilities, governance, branding and much more. Presented by Greg Galipeau, RDA Corp
*Site Roll-up and Integrating Data Set Tools for SharePoint*	MOSS has some great features for accessing and displaying data. Such functionality, however, is best suited to content management. CorasWorks Modular Application Development System for SharePoint provides the easiest way to access and aggregate data from both within SharePoint and from non-SharePoint data sources. And this can be done with just WSS v3 alone. This presentation will touch on several of the MOSS data aggregation features and offer a live demonstration of how CorasWorks can be used to not only aggregate data, but to build dashboards and workflows and real world business applications. Presented by Mike DiCarlo of Coras Works
*Looking for Your Ideal SharePoint 2007 Environment? Reorganizing May Be Your Best Bet*	We restore, rebuild, and renovate lots of things in our lives, so why not SharePoint? Chances are that you look at your SharePoint environment today and say “I would have done a lot of things differently.” This makes sense given that some organizations hurried to take advantage of the new features in SharePoint 2007, including enhanced workflow, records management and improved security. But now armed with a better understanding of your organization’s collaboration needs, it may be the time to refine your initial 2007 infrastructure. In this session, we will present common deployment pitfalls and discuss best practices that will help you restructure your SharePoint 2007 environment to be everything you want it to be and more. You’ll also learn how automating your reorganization with tools can help you execute shorter and more efficient migrations. Presented by Doug Davis – Product Director, SharePoint Solutions, Quest Software
*SaaS – The SharePoint Easy Button*	Find out how to get on-demand IT infrastructure and expertise without a big capital investment. Forget budgets, steering committees and vendor dog-and-pony shows. Flip the switch and leave IT worries behind, so you can focus on your core business. This session will highlight the benefits of hosting SharePoint in a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) environment rather than on-premise. Benefits discussed will include significant cost savings, rapid deployment and access to SharePoint expertise. We will also cover what to look for in a SharePoint SaaS provider. Presented by Rob LaMear IV
Track # 3 - SP Business Applications and Lessons Learned (Business Unit Managers, General Users, and SP Project Managers)
*7 Ways to Leverage SharePoint for Project Management Success*	In this presentation, you acquire the practical knowledge of how SharePoint can address common project management challenges such as inefficient communication among stakeholders, poor document management practices and undefined project collaboration standards that can compromise project success. SharePoint provides a framework that can empower project managers to create a standards-based PMIS. In this presentation participants will be able to: Identify the benefits of leveraging SharePoint as a PMIS Quantify the advantages of using SharePoint as a PMIS compared to other tools Enhance project team collaboration and communication with SharePoint Presented by Dux Raymond Sy, PMP
*Things to Think About When Configuring SharePoint: Governance and Configuration Considerations*	While Microsoft SharePoint has rapidly become the preferred platform for team collaboration, day to day administrative activities remain complex and time consuming. SharePoint administrators are often burdened with managing complex operations and configurations, affecting their productivity and ability to more effectively meet the demands of their businesses. Among some of the frustrations and most challenging tasks include: IT’s lack of visibility into rogue SharePoint environments sprawling across an enterprise, limiting the ability to monitor system health and server topology A decentralized settings administration interface, resulting in extensive configuration management tasks that are often prone to error Difficulty in managing users, securities, and access permissions This session discusses the importance of controlling the deployment of operations and application across a sprawling environment. Join us for an engaging and informative session, and learn about key considerations for security and global control, such as permissions deployment, usage and storage monitoring, and the need for successful management and truly centralized administration of SharePoint. Presented by Tony Lanni – VP of Marketing, AvePoint
*Ten tips for a Successful SharePoint ECM Deployment*	If you are a manager or SharePoint administrator considering using SharePoint for content management repository then plan on attending this presentation. Mr. McGovern will discuss the lessons learned implementing SharePoint as an ECM system. This is a non technical session addressing the challenges of real world deployments and how to address them. Presented by Mark McGovern
*The Power of SharePoint to Shape Business Operations, Practices, and Success - Or Why Buy SharePoint*	The theme of this presentation is to demonstrate how to leverage SharePoint to totally reorient business practices to more efficient operations and thus create cost effective solutions. The presentation is the results of over ten years of applying SharePoint to build Virtual Work Environment (VWE) solutions within the Federal Aviation Administration as well as the Department of Defense and consulting with private sector organizations. Participants should take away lessons learned as well as practical guides to successful SharePoint VWE Enterprise implementation and adoption strategies. Presented by Ronald R Simmons, Director of KM Integration, MCCDC/USMC
*Creating an Effective Governance Plan for SharePoint Solutions*	A strong governance framework is essential to ensure that SharePoint solutions deliver worthwhile content to users in an effective way. The purpose of the Governance Plan is to: Avoid collaboration site, team site, and content “sprawl” Ensure that content quality is maintained for the life of the solution Consistently provide a high quality user experience for posting and searching for documents Establish clear decision making authority and escalation procedures Ensure that the SharePoint portal strategy is aligned with business objectives Ensure that documents are retained in compliance with record retention guidelines. In this session, you will learn the critical components required to create an effective and sustainable Governance Plan for SharePoint solutions. Presented by Susan Hanley
Change Management 101: Getting people from Point A to Point B	An overview for IT people on the change management of people. This session does NOT cover ITIL or systems change but dives into user adoption concepts that developers, architects and project managers need to consider as they design and deploy SharePoint. We’ll compare rational, social and fear-based strategies and give you tips on preparing your team to respond to user backlash. You’ll learn how to infuse a few key public relations skills into your technical team that will make a big difference in how users perceive the tool. You’ll leave this session with the framework of a communications plan that you can take back and implement in your organization. Whether you are in the planning phase or have already deployed SharePoint, this session will give you the business perspective you need to help you focus on user adoption. Presented by Tiffany Songvilay
Real World Case Studies on Successful SharePoint Implementations: From Government Organizations to Fortune 500’s to Non-Profits and Start-ups.	This session will show the audience how to implement a SharePoint initiative from start to finish regardless of the type of organization or number of users. Presented by Errin O'connors