Over 70% of code in corporate software systems is dedicated to application integration between services and modules. Such effort must be planned ahead using the best methodology and tools and built into the very fabric of the application by design from the ground up. Solving these integration tasks, while allowing for agile business processes, is a key strategy for IT groups and development teams. You must enable the integration without compromising on the application's requirements for availability, scalability, deployment, configuration, security, maintainability, extensibility and reuse. Service orientation as a methodology has evolved to address some of these challenges through standards-based communication, however, several integration needs remain unfulfilled. This track covers the products and technologies that are relevant to integration challenges. Microsoft® BizTalk® Server, Windows Server® AppFabric, Windows Azure™ Platform AppFabric and the capabilities in the Microsoft® .NET Framework (WCF and WF) are brought together to demonstrate how to solve real integration problems. Learn how to use these products and technologies in concert, get best practice guidance from the top experts, and see the roadmap for the future.

Sessions in the Architecture track are designed to help architects, as well as developers and IT pros who practice architecture in their respective roles, to make better architecture choices–whether it's researching and evaluating new technology and platforms, choosing or creating patterns, guidelines and practices, or influencing and educating the business team. Learn about potential processes which you can use to translate business vision, intent, and strategy into effective technological change in the Enterprise. Build your toolkit as an architect by learning how to bring predictability and repeatable success to projects by employing frameworks, methodologies, patterns, and best practices; and how to take a vendor-neutral approach when creating architectures. Hear industry leaders share their best practices around the skills of creating, communicating, and improving the key tenets, principles, and models that describe the Enterprise's future state and enable its transformation, evolution, or migration.

Learn how customers are using our products to improve their businesses with in-depth discussions.

Learn how to enable end users to perform self-service analysis and intuitively build their own BI solutions. Products include: Microsoft® Excel® (including PowerPivot for Excel), Microsoft® SQL Server® Reporting Services (SSRS) (Report Builder), Microsoft® Visio®, Search/FAST.

Learn how to provide transparency, accountability, alignment, and collaboration across departments while displaying critical business information. Products include: Microsoft® SharePoint® Server 2010 (including PerformancePoint® Services, Excel Services, Visio Services).

Learn how IT can use readily available development tools to customize solutions, set up data warehouses, serve up data, and enable managed self-service BI. Products include: SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS), SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS), SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) (including best practices for implementation), MDS, PowerPivot for SharePoint.

See Microsoft Partner methodology and solution offerings that augment Microsoft′s BI Products as well as integrate with other Microsoft products (e.g., Microsoft Dynamics® CRM).

Software-plus-services is the next logical step in the evolution of computing. It represents an industry shift toward software design that is neither exclusively PC- nor browser-centric and blends traditional client-server architecture with cloud-based software delivery. The Cloud Computing & Online Services track provides information about Microsoft technology and innovation in software-plus-services. Learn about enterprise-ready software services from Microsoft Online Services, such as Microsoft® Exchange Online, Microsoft® SharePoint® Online, Microsoft® Office Communications Online, and Microsoft Dynamics® CRM Online. This track also provides information about the Azure™ Services Platform, where developers can take advantage of an Internet-scale cloud services platform hosted in Microsoft data centers to build new applications in the cloud or extend existing applications.

The Microsoft® SQL Server® data platform helps your organization manage any data, any place, any time with the security, reliability, and scalability that your mission-critical applications require. The Database Platform track offers the knowledge you need to maximize your Microsoft SQL Server investments and gain the skills needed to seamlessly run a mission-critical environment. Gain insights into future SQL Server technology investments so you can rest assured knowing the bets you make today will continue to pay off in the future.

Your knowledge of development languages and proficiency with the tools you use to create software are the core of your skill set. The Developer Tools, Language & Frameworks track is packed with deep technical training that covers the best of Microsoft® Visual Studio® 2005, Visual Studio® 2008, Visual Studio® 2010, and the Microsoft® .NET Framework. Get in-depth information on building mission-critical software using native and managed Visual C++®, Visual Basic®, F#, and Visual C#®. Amplify your application development impact with Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) best practices using Visual Studio, Visual Studio Test Elements, and Team Foundation Server. Acquire the skills that you need to make an immediate impact in your organization while preparing for adoption of the latest version of Visual Studio.

Every industry is defined by a set of standards, patterns, and practices, and the software industry is no different. Your knowledge of the accepted standards and practices, and ability to apply the patterns appropriately will set you apart from your peers and enable you to build better software, faster. The Development Practices track provides you the opportunity to focus on both widely accepted and newly emerging patterns and practices. Learn about security best practices and software testing. Improve your development skills by learning how to apply software patterns and build a more proficient team with Application Lifecycle Management, Agile methodology, and development management best practices.

Managing today's increasingly complex IT infrastructures requires integrated solutions which cross multiple disciplines. Truly integrated toolsets and scenario-based solution sets are key to managing costs during planning, deployment, and maintenance of new IT services required by your organization. In addition, the growing importance of virtualized and cloudbased solutions as well as the need to manage such environments side-by-side with their physical counterparts, makes truly integrated management solutions critical to IT success. The Microsoft® System Center suite provides eight tightly integrated management products which together enable powerful solutions to help plan, install, configure, and monitor your critical applications, services, servers and network. In the Management track, learn how to increase your operational efficiency today using products such as Operations Manager, Configuration Manager, Data Protection Manager, and System Center Essentials and the new Service Manager. With new releases of all of these products due in 2010, this year's Management track offers IT management professionals more critical information than ever.

The Office and SharePoint track provides IT professionals and developers both an overview of all the new investments in the 2010 products and deep drilldowns into specific areas, including Microsoft® Office 2010, Microsoft® SharePoint® Server 2010, SharePoint Online, and Microsoft® Project Server 2010. Come and learn from industry experts about best practices and advice on how to architect, design, deploy, and implement world-class solutions built on the Office and SharePoint platform technologies. As an IT professional, learn about SharePoint Server and Office client applications with sessions covering security, deployment, management, customization, and administration. As a developer, learn how to take your Microsoft® ASP.NET expertise to the fast-growing SharePoint ecosystem, how to build on exciting new technologies in SharePoint and Office such as Sandboxed Solutions, REST, and the Client-Side Object Models.

In order to drive growth, businesses are looking to increase collaboration and access to information, while protecting assets and infrastructure. Security continues to be a major concern for IT professionals who are always looking for ways to better secure their organizations and reduce costs without compromising on business productivity. Microsoft brings unique capabilities together to deliver business ready security through protection, access and management solutions all built around user identity and integrated with a highly secure, interoperable platform. This broad identity-centric approach to security helps companies achieve their business goals while managing risk and empowering people. The Security, Identity and Access track provides guidance and technical detail on Microsoft® Forefront™ products, identity-based access technologies, Windows® security technologies, and more!

Microsoft unified communications technologies use the power of software to deliver complete communications–messaging, voice, and video–across the applications and devices that people use every day. The Unified Communications track strengthens your knowledge of the Microsoft Unified Communications platform and technologies, including Microsoft® Exchange Server 2010, Microsoft® Office Communications Server, Microsoft® Exchange Online, and Microsoft® Office Communications Online. Explore how you can streamline your organization′s communications, build presence-aware applications, roll out an on-premise, hosted (or combination thereof) messaging and collaboration system, and much more!

The Virtualization track covers all aspects of virtualization to address the current demands on IT professionals looking to virtualize their environment. Understand the overall Microsoft Virtualization strategy and where the future of virtualization is heading. Learn about Microsoft products in this space, including Windows Server® Hyper-V, Microsoft® Hyper-V™ Server, Microsoft® Application Virtualization (App-V), Microsoft® Enterprise Desktop Virtualization (MED-V), Microsoft® System Center Virtual Machine Manager, and Terminal Services (Remote Desktop Services). Beyond just understanding the current product capabilities, you also learn about future directions and plans, and what we think the market and the other platforms will do over the next few years.

The Web Platforms track brings you all the latest information on cutting-edge Web technologies and provides you with the latest in developing great user experiences, from the Windows® desktop to mobile devices to cross-browser and cross-platform on the Web. Get the latest information on Windows Presentation Foundation, XAML, Microsoft® Expression® Studio, and Microsoft® Silverlight™, as well as all the in-depth coverage of Internet Information Services (IIS), Microsoft® ASP.NET, ASP.NET AJAX, Windows Internet Explorer®, Windows Live™ Platform, and Commerce Server. Whether you are interested in taking your ASP.NET development to the next level, or finding out how you can use your .NET development skills to build rich experiences, the Web Platforms track is for you.

The Windows Client track will offer everything customers need to know about adoption, deployment, virtualization and development for the Optimized Desktop and Windows® 7 Platform. Key focus areas include a technical dive into Windows 7, Microsoft® Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP), and Windows® Internet Explorer® 8 (content categories listed below). Proposed content will improve customer readiness to assess, implement, support, and drive deployment of Windows and the Optimized Desktop technologies. The track will also focus on migration and upgrade scenarios from Windows XP and Windows Vista to Windows 7, providing best practices and tools for application compatibility and guidance for the right deployment tools. Finally, our track will showcase techniques, and benefits of developing on the Windows 7 Platform, including touch. The Windows Client track will reinvigorate customers on the Windows Client Platform, prepare them for the challenges they face, and provide them the tools to make successful technical decisions for the Optimized Desktop.

As a developer, IT professional, or designer, you are aware that software is running most of the devices we use daily when driving, using an ATM, a kiosk, checking-in at the airport, etc. Microsoft has been in the Embedded business for more than ten years and has a large portfolio of products and technologies that address the needs of devices manufacturers, such as Windows® Embedded CE, Windows Embedded Standard, Windows Embedded Server, Windows Embedded POSReady or Windows Embedded Enterprise. What you may not realize today is how much your Desktop or Web developer skills, designer skills, or ITPro skills allow you to design, build, deploy and manage devices–all the way from hard realtime, small footprint, industrial controllers up to multi-touch kiosks, thin clients and portable devices. Windows Embedded brings to the embedded space tremendous technologies such as Silverlight™ for Windows Embedded, Windows Touch, Windows® 7, and so on. The tools used to build OS and applications are Microsoft® Visual Studio®, Microsoft® Expression Blend™...tools that you know perfectly well. Sessions in the Windows Embedded track are heavily demo-oriented and show you how to implement the latest and greatest Microsoft technologies to create the next generation of specialized devices.

Organizations define the value of smartphones almost exclusively by their ability to enhance workplace productivity. People value technology that helps them be productive, connected, entertained and informed, all on a single smartphone. Windows® Phone 7 addresses the shift in expectations of smartphone users; it is the next generation in phones, with a smart design that brings it all together for people. The Windows Phone track gives you the knowledge to develop applications for Windows Phones 7, as well as integrate Windows Phones with a Microsoft server infrastructure, such as Microsoft® Exchange Server and Microsoft® SharePoint® Server. These sessions cover development, deployment, collaboration, communications, and the use of cloud-based services with Windows Phones. They offer in-depth technical coverage of Windows Phone 7 architecture; technologies, and usage scenarios plus, help you understand Microsoft Marketplace and Windows Live™ Services for Windows Phones. Sessions dive deep into the code for an under-the-hood look at cool mobile technologies, such as location, mapping, sensors and cloud services. Get ready for the future in the Windows Phone track.

The Windows Server® family of products provides you with the best solution to build your IT infrastructure. The Windows Server track shows you the solutions and set of technologies to ensure success and new efficiency for every company. Each day we focus on a core Windows Server scenario, covering all technical levels and company sizes, including Networking, Direct Access, Web, Virtualization, High Availability, Server Management, Branch Cache, File Services, and Security–making it easy to follow the sessions and activities which are important for you and your organization.