Exam 70-498 Delivering Continuous Value with Visual Studio Application Lifecycle Management

Published: June 8, 2014
Languages: English, Chinese (Simplified), French, German, Japanese, Portuguese (Brazil)
Audiences: IT professionals
Technology: Visual Studio 2015
Credit toward certification: MCP, MCSD

Skills measured
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Define an effective end-to-end Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) (15-20%)
Understand the value of an end-to-end view of Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) tools and practices
Understand that an observable problem may be indicative of a more general process issue; explain the difference between optimizing a piece of the ALM process, such as manual testing, and optimizing the entire ALM process
Explain the benefits of fast feedback
Explain the importance of fast feedback related to communicating requirements, explain the benefits of end customer feedback to early software iterations
Implement strategies to reduce end-to-end cycle time
Identify bottlenecks in the delivery process, identify metrics that highlight bottlenecks, create potential solutions whose effectiveness can be validated, understand the relationship between work in process (WIP) and cycle time
Implement strategies to improve software quality
Identify process steps that introduce defects, understand the end-to-end quality process, bring quality efforts early in the development cycle
Implement strategies to reduce waste
Identify wasteful activities, create strategies to eliminate waste, measure the effectiveness of waste removal activities
Create a process improvement plan
Create strategies for implementing organizational change, identify key metrics to be tracked during the improvement effort, create consensus for the change

Preparation resources
Agile software development with Microsoft Visual Studio ALM
Applying ALM with Visual Studio 2012: (02) Define an effective end-to-end software development lifecycle
Adopting Visual Studio and Team Foundation Server for Application Lifecycle Management

Define the ALM process (15-20%)
Role of different ALM processes
Understand the cost and benefits of the key ALM processes, including agile, scrum, waterfall, and Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI)
Implement a scrum/agile process
Establish self-organizing teams; holding a scrum/agile planning meeting, hold daily scrums/stand-up meetings, hold retrospective meetings, hold scrum review meetings
Define a scrum/agile process for a team
Establish criteria on when to cancel a sprint/iteration, establish tooling and process for scrum/agile artifacts, establish the scrum definition of "done," determine sprint/iteration length, determine how to handle backlog items/user stories not completed in a sprint/iteration, determine how to monitor sprint/iteration progress, use collaborative tools
Implement Microsoft Solution Framework (MSF) for CMMI process improvement
Establish project drivers (scope-driven, date-driven), assign product requirements to iterations, manage changes, manage issues

Preparation resources
Applying ALM with Visual Studio 2012: (03) Define the ALM process
MSF for Agile Software Development v5.0

Define a software iteration (15-20%)
Plan a release
Identify a flexibility matrix, identify releases based on priority items in flexibility matrix and release criteria, resource planning (scrum team is responsible for allocating team members), identify techniques to optimize a team that is geographically distributed, select a project methodology, risk management
Define a project-tracking process
Plan and manage a portfolio of multiple projects, identify a project tracking tool and an associated process (triage process, bug management), define how to manage effort, determine team forecast management, define a prioritization scheme, determine how to validate project health
Scope a project
Scope the effort for a release, define an architecture design process, define scope boundaries (is/is not list), determine the definition of “done,” define a process when effort estimates are significantly inaccurate

Preparation resources
Applying ALM with Visual Studio 2012: (04) Define a software iteration
Planning an iteration (CMMI)
Reports (SQL Server Reporting Services)

Define end value for the software iteration (15-20%)
Elicit requirements
Define project requirements, review and clarify requirements, define acceptance criteria, define UI platform requirements (web, mobile), assign a business value
Estimate requirements
Manage and assign effort estimates (assign story points); resize user requirements into smaller, manageable pieces; execute task breakdown; estimate the requirements baseline
Document requirements
Define acceptance criteria, list requirements, add requirement details, design UI storyboards
Prioritize requirements
Identify requirements that are critical path, identify must-have requirements, enable the entire team (including customers) to participate in requirements prioritization, identify dependencies

Preparation resources
Managing requirements and user expectations in agile projects
Applying ALM with Visual Studio 2012: (05) Define end value for the software iteration
Develop requirements

Develop customer value with high quality (15-20%)
Define code quality indicators
Perform code review, including security and performance analysis; analyze code for common defects; calculate code coverage; perform architecture validation
Incorporate unit testing
Establish unit test standards, develop a strategy for adding unit tests to existing applications, select the unit test type, establish the code coverage target, use shims and stubs to isolate your application
Develop code
Develop maintainable code; define coding standards; define application architecture; define configuration management process and tooling, including source control tree, branching strategy, solution structure, source control/check-in policy; manage multiple repositories using Git; use architecture, model, and design tools; use quality and diagnostic tools
Validate quality
Organize test artifacts, such as test cases, suites, plans, and requirements; define test strategy; manage test execution; perform cloud-based load testing; identify test types and associated tools; identify and configure environments; analyze test runs
Customize a team project
Customize a work item, customize work item queries, customize Team Portal, identify areas and iterations, manage roles and associated permissions

Preparation resources
Applying ALM with Visual Studio 2012: (06) Develop customer value with high quality
Verifying code by using unit tests
Customize team projects and processes

Integrate development and operations (15-20%)
Implement an automated deployment process
Architect an automated build and deploy workflow, integrate automated tests, automate deployment into both test and production environments, review diagnostic logs for builds, manage releases including Release Management
Implement pre-production environments
Automate the creation of virtual test lab environments, automate deployment into virtual test environments
Manage feedback between development and operations
Implement tools to simplify communication; identify, measure, and report key analytics and performance indicators, such as cycle time and mean time to repair (MTTR); create appropriate shared artifacts and process to facilitate communication; standardize required artifacts for defect reports; create strategies for test case reuse (both automated and manual) in production; monitor an application in production to optimize usage and performance
Troubleshoot production issues
Gather defect data from bugs in a production setting, provide actionable data to the development team, monitor applications running in production for potential issues, manage incident response times collaboratively between development and operations, use Application Insights appropriately

Preparation resources
Applying ALM with Visual Studio 2012: (07) Integrate development and operations
Setting up test machines to run tests or collect data
DevOps: Integrating development and operations for the last mile velocity

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QUESTION 1
You are utilizing the Microsoft Visual Studio Scrum 2.0 process template.
Your development team uses the storyboard feature in Visual Studio 2012.
You need to ensure that there is consistency of user interface between different features of the product.
What should you do?

A. Create a design guide document with images of sample standard layouts. Provide a copy of this document to all team members.
B. Create custom storyboard shapes by using Microsoft PowerPoint that match your corporate standard user interface (UI) controls. Export these and make them available to the team as an import for use in all storyboards.
C. Create custom storyboard shapes in PowerPoint that match your corporate standard UI controls. Save the results as a PowerPoint template in the SharePoint site associated with the Team project collection. Instruct team members to import the shapes.
D. Create images of your UI controls as GIF/JPEG files that match your corporate standard UI controls. Export these and make them available to the team as an import for use in all storyboards.

Answer: B

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QUESTION 2
You manage a software development project that includes multiple feature teams. The teams integrate their code into a shared code repository as frequently as possible.
You plan to configure a build definition by using the default build process template (DefaultTemplate.xaml).
You need to know when a check-in from a feature team has broken the build or caused a test to fail, without impacting the feature team.
What should you do?

A. Set the Analyze Test Impact parameter to True in the build process template.
B. Set the build trigger to Continuous Integration and enable automated testing.
C. Add the Builds check-in policy to your team project.
D. Create a shelveset command for pending changes. Queue a build using the latest source with the shelveset parameter.

Answer: B

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QUESTION 3
You are a scrum master.
You need to lead the daily scrum meeting.
Which three questions should you ask? (Each correct answer presents part of the solution. Choose three.)

A. What will be done before the next meeting?
B. What went well?
C. What has been accomplished since the last meeting?
D. Are there any potential improvements?
E. What obstacles are in the way?
F. Is the burndown up to date?

Answer: A,C,E

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QUESTION 4
You manage a project that has three teams working in parallel on a single codebase using a Scrum process methodology.
You need to ensure that each team can manage work separately while editing a shared code base.
What should you do?

A. Within a single team project, create separate iteration paths for each team. Assign each team member to their respective iteration path.
B. Create a team project for each team, assigning different team members to each team project.
C. Within a single team project, create three teams. Assign each team member to their respective teams.
D. Create a team project for each team, assigning all team members to each team project.

Answer: C

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QUESTION 5
Your development team is using the Microsoft Solution Framework (MSF) for Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) Process Improvement 6.0 process template.
The team has identified all of the acceptance criteria for a new application. This data currently resides in a series of spreadsheets.
You need to enter the criteria into TFS for team traceability and tracking.
Which two actions should you perform? (Each correct answer presents part of the solution. Choose two.)

A. Create test case work items for each criterion in the spreadsheet. Link the test case work items with the work item(s) for the appropriate requirements.
B. Create Requirement work items.
C. Create a new task work item for each criterion in the spreadsheet. Set the Triage attribute for each task work item to Information Received.
D. Create a new quality of service test case work item for each criterion in the spreadsheet. Link the quality of service test case work items with the work item(s) for the appropriate requirements.

Answer: A,B

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Amazon launches managed Elasticsearch service

The new service makes it easier to implement the popular open-source tool

While Amazon Web Services made a name for itself by providing raw computing power and data storage at rock-bottom prices, the company has been moving toward providing services that do more of the heavy lifting for developers and administrators in exchange for a higher price.

Amazon Elasticsearch Service is a new product in that vein that's designed to make it easier for developers to implement the popular Elasticsearch open-source search and analytics engine that lives in the AWS cloud. Users can set up an Elasticsearch service cluster using the AWS Management Console, command-line tools, or the Amazon Elasticsearch Service API. They can set up parameters like instance count and what sort of storage their search instance should use.

The Elasticsearch service can be set up either to use storage on the instance that's running it or to provision and connect to a separate storage volume like Amazon's Elastic Block Store.
MORE ON NETWORK WORLD: 10 Most Powerful IaaS Companies

Once the cluster is set up, users can load information into the storage that's tied to their Elasticsearch cluster and begin querying it and visualizing the data using a tool like Kibana. The Elasticsearch service also integrates with Amazon's CloudWatch Logs monitoring service. Users can set up an Elasticsearch Service domain and then navigate to their CloudWatch console and use a wizard to connect the two services.

Amazon's new service is available in nine regions beginning Thursday. People who qualify for AWS's free tier can use a t2.micro.elasticsearch node for up to 750 hours a month.

Services like these are key to AWS's future profitability, since Amazon charges more for them than for just the raw compute instances that they run on in the company's cloud. That price increase may be justified ease of use if developers and administrators don't have to spend time setting up the same system from scratch.

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Microsoft, RIM Enter Licensing Agreement Ahead of BlackBerry 10

Microsoft and RIM have signed a licensing agreement that allows the BlackBerry to use technology for transferring audiovisual files between a desktop and mobile devices.

Microsoft and Research In Motion have entered into a patent-licensing agreement that extends Microsoft's Extended File Allocation Tablet—known as exFAT, which, even more fun, is the predecessor of an earlier FAT system—to select BlackBerry smartphones.

exFAT, Microsoft explained in a Sept. 18 statement, is a modern file system that facilitates the transfer of large audiovisual files between a desktop and mobile devices.

"Today's smartphones and tablet require the capacity to display richer images and data than traditional cellular phones," David Kaefer, general manager of Intellectual Property Licensing at Microsoft, said in a statement. "This agreement with RIM highlights how a modern file system ... can help directly address the specific needs of customers in the mobile industry."

The deal also offers a reminder that—oh, yes!—while Apple, Nokia, Motorola, Amazon and others announce products that will see them through the holiday shopping season, RIM continues to work on the upcoming BlackBerry 10 platform and smartphones that it won't introduce until early 2013. Speaking with London's Telegraph in August, RIM CEO Thorsten Heins narrowed that timeline a bit, promising smartphones in January.

Heins stepped into the CEO role in January and soon after began remaking the company, cutting thousands of staff positions to save money, slimming down the executive staff—he replaced RIM's two CEOs and was one of at least two COOs at the company. Heins also announced that RIM would become a leaner, meaner company, focusing intently on exactly what it does best and leaving all the rest to partners.

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"I'm not going to develop games anymore, i'm not going to develop maps—there's a company out there that really can do it better than I can," Heins told eWEEK during a private interview Aug. 14. "So, I need to partner, I need to get [developers] on board, and I need to get them a great programming interface, and off we go."

Heins promised that in addition to RIM's expected enterprise features, BlackBerry 10 will also offer a very strong consumer experience—which is where exFAT may help out.

RIM's agreement with Microsoft seems one more example of the company knowing when to look beyond its Waterloo, Ontario, headquarters for help. Even when the help comes from a direct competitor.

RIM is said to be in competition with Microsoft and its largest handset partner, Nokia, for the coveted third position on the mobile podium—if such a thing exists. While analysts have reported that the wireless carriers want and will aggressively support a third mobile platform, against which they might balance the expenses of the Apple iPhone and high-end Android handsets—others say there's no longer room for a third party.

"Ninety-eight percent of [the mobile market] will be shared by Google's Android and Apple's iOS," Global Equities Research analysts wrote in a Sept. 13 research note. "There will not be any third spot left. Nokia, Microsoft and RIM will struggle in the remaining 2 percent of the market."

RIM, like Nokia, was once a dominant mobile player and is working to regain market share from Apple and Android.

Heins remarked on a Canadian radio program earlier this summer, "I am positive that when we launch BlackBerry 10, there will be huge support from our carrier partners, from our enterprise customers and that we will eemerge—specifically in the U.S. and in Canada—and a very strong player..."

Windows 8 'doesn't move the needle' on security, says Symantec

Symantec said Windows 8 "doesn't move the needle much" on security as it rolled out new versions of its antivirus software and promised to provide users with several so-called "Modern" apps for the new operating system.

On Wednesday, the security developer released new versions of its consumer titles Norton AntiVirus, Norton Internet Security and Norton 360.

The new programs are optimized for Windows 8's traditional desktop environment -- the side of the new OS that looks much like Windows 7 -- said Gerry Egan, senior director, product management, in an interview. When Windows 8 ships in late October, Symantec will offer a trio of apps specific for the tile-based user interface (UI) once known as "Metro" and now often referred to as "Modern."

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Those apps, which have not yet been given final names, will include one that connects to Symantec's cloud-based back-end management system to give users a view into the security health of Windows and the hardware; another that uses the company's "whitelist" technology to sniff out suspicious data and files, including corrupted Modern apps; and a third that uses Internet Explorer 10's (IE10) engine inside a customized browser that Egan said will let customers "surf online securely."

The Modern apps will hit the Windows Store -- Microsoft's regulated app store for Windows 8 and Windows RT software -- on or just after the Oct. 26 debut of the operating system upgrade.

Initially, said Egan, those apps will be available free to everyone, hinting that at some point they could be restricted to customers who had purchased the traditional Norton desktop security software and had an up-to-date subscription to Symantec's services.

"It's a way to explore [the new UI], and introduce customers to our presence there," said Egan of Symantec's move into Modern.

"But we need to see where that [malware] flows, what the problems are for our customers, before we do more [on Modern]," Egan continued. "What we do will depend on the attack surfaces in Windows RT and Windows 8. Microsoft has laid down some very stringent guidelines on what's allowable [on Modern], which also ties our hands. So if there is more to do in the future, we may not be able to because it would infringe those guidelines."

Egan was mostly referring to policies set by Microsoft that "sandbox," or isolate, apps from each other and from the traditional desktop in Windows 8 to provide a more secure environment.

Microsoft is relying on sandboxing, as well as the curated Windows Store -- it reviews each app prior to approval, looking for everything from malware to undisclosed rights -- to secure the tiled side of Windows 8, and all of Windows RT, the touch-first, tablet-oriented spin-off.

Not surprisingly, Egan didn't think much of Microsoft's security moves in Windows 8 as he set up several "myths" about the new OS only to then knock each down.

"We're just not seeing any significant improvements in Windows 8 security ... it doesn't move the needle much," Egan said, ticking off everything from the new Secure Boot feature to a beefed-up Smart Screen anti-malware filter.

"It's partially true that Windows 8 is more secure," said Egan, pointing to the concept of the Windows Store and its approved apps. "But underneath is a traditional Windows-Intel desktop, which is backward compatible with both the good code and the bad."

Much of Egan's disparagement of Windows 8's security can be traced to Windows 8's bundling of Windows Defender, an old name for a heavily reworked product.

In Windows 8, Windows Defender combines characteristics of both the earlier anti-spyware program of the same name, and the free Security Essentials, the antivirus program that previously was offered as a separate download.

Windows Defender serves as the operating system's default protection against malware, and will switch itself off only if it detects an active third-party antivirus program that's receiving signature updates.

Although Security Essentials has stirred third-party antivirus vendors in the past to complain that Microsoft wasn't playing fair, the move to bundle Defender with Windows 8 hasn't prodded them to go public with similar beefs.

Egan argued that Symantec's software does a better job of protecting users than Windows Defender. "We believe we add so much more value over and above [Defender]," he said.

But John Pescatore, a Gartner analyst, said Symantec has bigger problems than Windows Defender.

"They're all going after a shrinking pool of machines," said Pescatore of stalled PC sales as smartphones and tablets consume discretionary dollars. "The percentage of devices running Windows is dropping. And there are more players going after that shrinking pool."

Symantec may play up the Windows 8 angle for its new titles, but the truth, said Pescatore, is that Microsoft's decision to mimic Apple and Google by offering an app store means traditional antivirus vendors have an unclear future.

"There's never been a market for security software on iOS," Pescatore observed. "So if Microsoft pushes the whitelist idea of an app store, there's less and less need for the [antivirus] commodity."

Egan's complaint that the hooks into the boot process -- dubbed "Early Load Anti-malware Driver," or ELAM -- doesn't allow software makers to deploy their full set of weapons is actually a good thing, Pescatore argued.

"It's better that the [Windows 8] platform doesn't let security software's root kits work, because that means it also cripples the bad guys' root kits," Pescatore said.

The 2013 editions of Norton AntiVirus, Norton Internet Security and Norton 360 are available at retail stores and from Symantec's online store. Norton AntiVirus costs $39.99 for a one-year license for a single PC; Norton Internet Security runs $79.99 for one year of protection for up to three Windows machines; and Norton 360 costs $89.99 for a three-PC, one-year.

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Highest paid engineers in mobile tech

Engineering salaries are still rising, but not as fast as in the good old days

WASHINGTON -- Engineers working on communications technology were paid a a median salary of $135,087 last year, the highest in the profession, according to new IEEE-USA survey data.

The lowest paid engineers, with a median salary of $107,820, specialize in energy and power engineering, the survey found.

This data was collected from more than 10,200 IEEE-USA members in an annual survey.

Overall, engineers in electrotechnology and IT, which includes electrical engineering, the survey had a median income of $120,000 last year, according to the survey.

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Ed Kirchner, who chairs the employment and career services committee at IEEE-USA, said "communications technology" label is broad and reflects the fusion of computers and mobile tech. "It is literally everybody who would fall under the umbrella of electrical or computer engineering," said Kirchner.

By job skills, the category would include circuit designers, software engineers, computer engineers and network engineers, he added.

"The breadth of engineers who can work in that technology has really spread out," said Kirchner, an IEEE-USA volunteer and works for a communications company as a project engineer and deputy program manager.

The growth of the smartphone industry has been explosive, said Kirchner, and engineering salaries are directly tied to the financial performance of the companies they work for.

Engineering and IT salaries increased by 1.7% last year, less than half the rate of the prior year, reports the IEEE-USA, in its latest salary survey.

"I think it's very good news that salaries are still rising. The fact they are rising at a smaller rate reflects the fact that raises are smaller, bonuses are smaller," said Kirchner.

In normal economic times, the raise budgets are more on the order of 6% or so, he said.

Some other median levels for engineering salaries include: circuits and devices, $129,000; signals and applications, $127,000; industrial applications, $110,000 and systems and control, $112,000.

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Certkingdom Releases Small Business Server 2012 Training

Certkingdom, Inc the global leader in professional computer training, announced the release of its new Small Business Server 2012 Training.

Just because a business is small, doesn’t mean it can get by without a business server. Microsoft’s Small Business Server 2012 offers small to medium size businesses an updated suite of powerful server software including Windows Server 2008 R2, Microsoft Exchange 2010 and SharePoint Foundation 2010, all in a single package. Businesses that need a robust database server can add the Small Business Server 2012 Premium Add-On, which provides a SQL Server 2008 R2 for Small Business server license as well.

Microsoft’s SBS 2012 is a full-featured server environment for small businesses. SBS 2012 offers a lower cost server solution without the additional overhead and complexity of the company’s flagship Windows Server product.

Certkingdom’s SBS 2012 Training instructor Ed Liberman said, “SBS 2012 is a cost effective way to get a lot of services on a single server. It’s a great tool for making small businesses more efficient, as one administrator can handle all of the server tasks, whether it’s managing the network, Exchange or SharePoint.”

While Microsoft has done an admirable job of simplifying the installation and management of SBS 2012, software this powerful requires some technical knowledge to maximize its potential for small businesses. That is why Certkingdom’s first to market SBS 2012 training is so valuable.

Certkingdom’s Small Business Server 2012 Training course teaches network administrators and small business owners how to install, configure, manage and optimize an SBS 2012 environment. The SBS 2012 course also covers how to migrate from Small Business Server 2003 or Small Business Server 2008. Students looking to prove their SBS 2012 competency will be glad to know that Certkingdom’s SBS 2012 training offers full coverage of Microsoft certification exam 70-169: Windows Small Business Server 2012 Standard, Configuring.

This Small Business Server training will help get a small business up and running with ease. The full level of coverage means that students can take advantage of the enormous potential provided by all of SBS’s eight Microsoft products in one package, including Windows Server 2008 R2, Exchange Server 2010 Standard SP1, SharePoint Foundation 2010, SQL Server 2008 R2 Express, WSUS 3.0 SP2, Integrated Migration Prep Tool and Remote Web Access.

Matt Elias, Certkingdom’s Product Team Manager, said, “SBS 2012 is a collaboration of different Microsoft products that are designed to work together seamlessly. The product has really come a long way in the last decade and in our SBS 2012 training we show users how to take advantage of the complete SBS Package.”

The instructors for this course are networking and Windows Server expert Ed Liberman and SharePoint and Exchange expert J. Peter Bruzzese.

Ed Liberman has 18 years of experience and numerous industry certifications including MCSA, MCSE, MCT, MCTS, MCITP, CWNA, CWTS, CWNT. He has been a certified instructor since 1998 and has helped thousands of people advance their IT careers. While Liberman ensures students have the knowledge to pass a certification exam, his real focus is on helping students develop the skills needed to succeed in the real world.

J. Peter Bruzzese, who covers the SharePoint and Exchange topics in the SBS 2012 course, also has multiple certifications including a Triple-MCSE, MCT, MCSA, MCITP: Messaging and is a Microsoft MVP for Exchange. He has published numerous books including Exchange 2007 SP1 How-To, Server 2008 How-To and Windows 7 Unveiled, all from publisher Que. Bruzzese is also a regular contributor to Redmond Magazine, Windows IT Pro, Realtime and TechTarget, as well as being a regular speaker at Microsoft TechEd Conferences and IT 360 Tech Conferences in Canada.

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Gosia Niklinski, Certkingdom’s Product Development Specialist, said, “Our SBS 2012 training is perfect for beginners. Ed and Peter not only show you how to do everything, they explain in detail why you’re doing it. But the course is also great for those moving from previous versions of SBS as the migration steps from 2003 and 2008 are covered in detail.”

Certkingdom’s Small Business Server 2012 Training provides almost 16 hours of training broken down into 25 lessons. Students receive three DVDs in the mail, including two DVDs of video lessons and an additional content DVD. However, students don’t have to wait for their disks to arrive to get started. Certkingdom offers instant online access to all course materials, content and notes almost immediately after signing up.

Like all Certkingdom courses, all lessons come in multiple audio and video formats ensuring that students can access the training on virtually any device. In addition, all instructor notes are included in PDF format for reading on the go, or following along with the training videos.

Certkingdom’s Small Business Server 2012 Training is offered at just $397 and comes backed by a 90 Day Total Experience Guarantee.

About Certkingdom: Founded in 2002, Certkingdom provides computer-based “Total Experience” training that gives individuals the tools and confidence to tackle real-world challenges, pass their certification exam and succeed in today’s competitive global IT market.

Certkingdom offers a wide range of computer training packages covering Microsoft, Cisco, CompTIA, VMware, and Microsoft Office. In addition to its Windows Server 2008, Exchange Server 2010, and SQL Server 2008 courses, Certkingdom offers training for over fifty different training courses including: VMware vSphere training, Cisco CCNA training, Windows 7 training, and more.

A privately-held company, Certkingdom is based in Schaumburg, IL. For more information about Certkingdom, please visit http://www.certkingdom.com

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Japan gets first 'Mango' Windows Phone Aug. 25

The first phone equipped with the "Mango" update to Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 operating system will be available in Japan Aug. 25, Fujitsu has revealed. The Fujitsu Toshiba IS12T will have a massive 32GB of storage, a 13.2 megapixel camera, plus both water (IPX5/8) and dust (IP5X) resistance, according to the company.
The "Mango" Windows Phone update, first promised in February by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, enables application multitasking for background processing, audio and file transfer, and fast application switching. Holding a phone's back button down will provide a card-like view (pictured) of all running applications.

On July 26, Microsoft said it had released Mango to manufacturing, putting it in the hands of phone manufacturers and carriers. (For extensive details on the upgrades included in Mango and the revised developer tools, see our previous coverage.)

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Observers immediately began to grumble, however, that carrier customization could delay the operating system upgrade's availability to end users until mid-September or later.

For example, responding to a July 26 "we can't wait to get it into your hands" posting on the Windows Phone Blog by Terry Myerson, a Microsoft vice president of Windows Phone Engineering, commenter "tsrbike" griped, "first the cell makers get to fiddle with it, then the providers get it. So even if the cell makers only take six weeks to 'optimize,' AT&T and others will likely test for another six-plus weeks, putting us into October at the earliest."

But now, Fujitsu and the Japanese carrier KDDI -- who on July 27 announced what was touted as the first phone that would come with Mango preinstalled -- have pulled a rabbit out of a hat. Instead of being offered in September as initially promised, the IS12T (below) will go on sale Aug. 25, the companies say.

The Fujitsu IS12T
(Click to enlarge)

The early launch of the IS12T is doubly surprising in that Nokia, thanks to its special relationship with Microsoft, was widely expected to be the first company to release a Mango-equipped phone. Back in June, Nokia Stephen Elop showed off a device code-named Sea Ray at a "private" meeting for employees that wound up being leaked on video.

Since then, though, Nokia still hasn't provided a Sea Ray announcement date or final name for its device. Microsoft and Nokia staged an Aug. 17 event at the GamesCom convention in Cologne, during which some had expected the phone to surface. Since it didn't, observers are now looking to the manufacturer's annual Nokia World conference in October for the Mango phone's final launch.

More about the IS12T

While the press release noting Aug. 25 availability for the IS12T came from Fujitsu, the phone appears to feature Toshiba logos and is described by KDII as the "Windows Phone IS12T by Toshiba." This branding ambiguity is the result of a 2010 agreement though which Fujitsu and Toshiba agreed to merge their mobile phone businesses, leaving Fujitsu as the majority shareholder in the new company.

Enjoying bragging rights as the first Mango device, the IS12T is also noteworthy for being one of the most lavishly equipped smartphones around. It comes with 32GB of built-in memory "and a 13.2 megapixel camera that is among the top of its class in smartphones," according to Fujitsu.

The IS12T will pack 32GB and a 13.2 megapixel camera
(Click to enlarge)

Fujitsu says the IS12T, capable of capturing HD video at 720p, will have a 3.7-inch touchscreen with a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels. Offered in yellow, pink, or black, the phone is claimed to be waterproof (IPX5/8) and dustproof (IP5X).

The IS12T features GSM and CDMA compatibility, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a FM receiver, according to Fujitsu. Other specifications released by the company include the following:

Dimensions -- 4.64 x 2.32 x 0.4 inches (118 x 59 x 10.6mm)
Weight, with battery -- 4 ounces (113g)
Standby time -- approx. 280 hours
Talk time -- approx. 400 minutes

The phone's CPU wasn't revealed by Fujitsu. According to reports by WPCentral and others, however, the device will feature a 1.2GHz Qualcomm MSM8655 processor.

The initial crop of Windows Phone 7 devices, whose hardware specifications were tightly controlled by Microsoft, all featured Qualcomm Snapdragon QSD8250 or 8650 processors. Both chipsets feature "Scorpion" application processors, but the QSD8250 supports only GSM, GPRS, EDGE and HSPA networks, whereas the QSD8650 supports both these and CDMA2000 1X, 1xEV-DO 0/A/B networks, according to the chipmaker.

A new Windows Phone 7 hardware specification unveiled at Microsoft's MIX11 conference in April added support for additional Snapdragon CPUs: the MSM7x30 and the MSM8x55. While still single-core devices, these processors allow OEMs to offer a wider range of clock speeds (from 800MHz on the MSM7x30 to 1.4GHz on the MSM8x55, according to Qualcomm), and they also provide Adreno 205 graphics -- said to offer over twice the performance of the Adreno 200 included with the earlier QSD8x50.

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