List of Microsoft Syndicated Content: RSS

The link below will bring you to a directory of all the published feeds listed by Microsoft.

http://support.microsoft.com/selectindex/Default.aspx?target=rss

These RSS feeds cover everything from Office products to Server products.

You are sure to find a RSS feed to your liking. The microsoft website is a library where you can glean immense amount of information without resorting only to books and periodicals.

Let IE 7.0 be your news aggregator (RSS). Learn how to use IE 7.0 in organizing your online content. Learn how to save time by digesting information with RSS.

Vista Security > Is it Really True?

InfoWorld writer Roger Grimes "begs the question" on Vista; Microsoft is now a secure operating system vendor "?"

I have posted Roger's list of the most significant security enhancements that Vista incorporates below.

Roger claims he has counted more than 180 improvements and features.

Link: Actual Post

Roger Grimes:

"Here are the most significant new features:

** The real Administrator account is disabled by default
** User Account Control prompts users in the Administrators group for an additional confirmation before every administrative task
** Even the Administrator cannot directly overwrite files in the Windows and System32 folders. They have to take ownership first, and add the correct permissions
** Internet Explorer 7 runs in Protected Mode by default, which will stop many “drive-by” download attacks
** Address Space Layout Randomization will randomly place critical Windows functions and applications in 1 of 256 places in memory, making many types of buffer overflows significantly harder to pull off
** BitLocker allows one or more drive volumes to be encrypted, and protected with an encryption key that can be stored locally, on a cryptographic chip on the motherboard, or on a USB key
** LM password hashes are disabled by default (finally!) as are LM and NTLMv1 authentication protocols
** Windows Firewall is enabled by default, protects better at boot-up, is integrated with IPSec, and has outbound blocking
** Firewall rules can be applied to specific users, computers, or groups
** Windows Defender is installed by default
** Password-protected screensaver is installed and made active by default
** Over 800 new group policy settings
** You can set multiple user or group-specific Local Security policies
** Session isolation (i.e. Windows kernel services and user-mode programs run in different Windows sessions) will prevent most “shatter”-style attacks
** Services now have SIDs, which simplifies setting security permissions. All default services have been given least-privilege permissions, and are limited by firewall security domain protection
** Portable media devices (such as USB flash memory, CD-ROMs, etc.) can be controlled with read, write, and execute permissions, both per user and per computer
** Integrity levels have been assigned to all files and objects. A security principal must meet or exceed the target resource’s integrity level in order to modify it; regardless of the NTFS permissions
** There are dozens of new log files, all collected in the expanded Event Viewer. Event triggers can be created on any event, and events can be collected to centralized computers
** Transactional NTFS ensures that NTFS changes will be written completely before being made permanent
** Previous Versions client is installed by default, allowing users to self-recover accidentally deleted or modified files
** System Restore now backs up user’s My Documents folder
** Creator Owners now no longer automatically get Full Control permissions, if you don’t want them to
** Commonly manipulated folder and registry keys are virtualized so that malicious modifications don’t result in system-wide infections
** EFS supports smart cards, can encrypt the page file, and has proactive key archival
** Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) supports strong authentication with digital certificates
** Internet Explorer 7 has an anti-phishing filter and is more resistant to malicious attacks, spyware, and add-on abuse
** Internet Information Service 7 supports more granular loading of code. IIS is no longer a single monolithic executable
** Two more network domain profiles to plan firewall and IPSec rules around
** IPv6 and IPv4 are turned on by default
** Improved wireless security. Now, GPOs and logon scripts can be accomplished through wireless logons
** Improved SMB (file and printer sharing) protocol. Anonymous null session connections are no longer the great threat they once were"

Microsoft Office Tips and Tricks

Microsoft gives you plenty of help with its Tips and Tricks section on their website.

The two "Microsoft Office" sites listed below include newsletters, on-demand webcasts, and free e-learning content; under the title "Microsoft Training Resources".

Sites:

Office 2003

Office 2007

Tips and Tricks via Email

New Horizons provides Tips and Tricks to be sent to you weekly via email.

Topics you can choose:

Business / Office Professionals: Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft Word

IT Professionals: Microsoft Windows 2000, Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Oracle, SQL Server

Graphic & Digital Designers: Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, QuarkXPress

Web Design & Developers: Visual Studio .NET, Web Design

Sign Up:
http://www.newhorizonsetips.com

Microsoft: New Certifications

Microsoft has expanded its certification offerings to better recognize and address the ever-expanding universe of Information Technology. With all these new certifications the traditional MCSE can now play a smaller role.

Take a look:

MCTS
MCITP
MCPD
Microsoft Certified Architect
MCDST
MCLC
MCSA
MCSE
MCDBA
MCT
MCAD
MCSD
Microsoft Office Specialist

Our New Horizons corporate website has a great breakdown on these changes.

ITIL "In the Trenches" @ New Horizons

ITIL Training Experiences at New Horizons

We’ve had a lot of successful classes lately. Over the last 5 classes the pass ratio has been over 95%. Our students are really studying hard to prepare for the exam. I’ve found some common threads throughout my conversations with our clients and here are a few of them.

One of the biggest problems most people have with ITIL is trying to fit their organization to ITIL. That is matching your departments to the ITIL processes. Ultimately, this is what we want to do when we implement ITIL’s best practices, but in preparing for the exam, it can cause confusion. The ITIL process will take several years. Getting everyone versed on the terminology, how the flow of information in the Processes works in your organization, and then actually making your organization work with ITIL best practices can take some time. We at New Horizons can help in getting your staff up to speed on the concepts and the Foundations certification.

ITIL boils down to providing quality Customer service and making more effective and efficient changes in your IT infrastructure. The Customer here is usually your end user in the business unit. We are there to support the business. If you provide outsourced IT to an organization, it’s a little easier to understand this concept. For too long, IT has answered “NO” to the “Customer’s” requests when those requests might have ultimately made the company more money. Understanding the customer service aspect is another major stumbling block for many in learning ITIL.

A third area that many people have difficulty getting in the ITIL mindset relates to the way their company actually implements it. There HAS to be support from upper management, not only IT but management in the business unit(s). If we don’t understand this, then ITIL will be less useful. It becomes a sales process that IT will have to learn and get good at doing. For far too long we have missed the business side of what we do.

ITIL can be a great way to help your organization make the changes in your IT infrastructure that will support the business or your company. We at New Horizons are primed and ready to help you with that implementation.

The ITIL training catalogue/schedule at our centers can be found here

Free Training with Microsoft Software Assurance

*What is Microsoft Software Assurance?

Software Assurance (SA) provides an easy way for Microsoft’s Volume Licensing customers to stay current with the latest and most innovative Microsoft products. Under the SA program, customers acquire the right to install any new release of products covered in the agreement during the term of their coverage. Companies can acquire tomorrow’s technology at today’s prices and have the ability to spread payments annually instead of paying up front.

Under the Software Assurance Training Program, your organization can receive electronic training vouchers for select courses that can be exercised for private and public instructor-led courses at our centers in Houston and Lafayette.

A select number of qualifying Microsoft Technical courses will be offered as part of the SA Training Voucher Program. For more information on how your organization can take advantage of this exclusive offer, contact a New Horizons Account Executive today at 713.552.1414.

*When does the Software Assurance Training Program expire and how can my company learn more about Software Assurance and the courses that qualify?

The Software Assurance Training Program is an annual program. SA training vouchers are valid for 180 days from the date they are created. For more information on Software Assurance and the available courses, please visit http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/programs/sa or contact your local New Horizons Account Executive at 713.552.1414

*How can I learn more about the Software Assurance Training Program?

Please contact a local New Horizons Account Executive at 713.552.1414 to walk you through the process.

sales@nhhouston.com

sales@nhlafayette.com

Need Free Training?

No training budget but have training needs ?

You may qualify for training sponsored by Microsoft if your company has purchased Microsoft software licenses. Contact your New Horizons representative at 713-552-1414 to find out how you can receive complimentary training for your staff under the Microsoft Software Assurance program.

What is RSS?

IE 7.0, Vista, Office 2007 and other new releases of Microsoft products will now have ways to harness RSS. RSS (news feeds) is poised to become ubiquitous in our daily internet lives. RSS or "really simple syndication" is basically a way to keep an aggregated "inbox" of all your frequently used online content.

Microsoft has a great article explaining this technology.

http://www.microsoft.com/atwork/manageinfo/rss.mspx

Be Informed: New Horizons "Elevate Newsletter"

Issue: October 2006

This issue covers topics: "Microsoft Office Productivity", "Information Systems Protection" & "Business Skills"

Plenty of information for all levels of users. You can never have enough tips and tricks.

http://www.newhorizons.com/elevate/Elevate_october2006.pdf

Want to know about Vista?

Visit Paul Thurrott’s “SuperSite Review-Five years in the making”

Very comprehensive.
http://winsupersite.com/reviews/winvista.asp

If you want a great podcast to listen to on this topic then download or play “Shiny Happy Vista”
http://www.twit.tv/ww5

Thanks for stopping by.

Lets Get Started

We at New Horizons welcome you to our little corner on the Blogosphere!

While we’ve been here in the Marathon Oil Tower since 1995, we continue to grow and evolve. Our new local website, being phased in over the remainder of 2006, will have some new and exciting functionality and information. In the very near future, we will have RSS feeds to allow you to subscribe to points of interest, we will have Podcasts with information regarding new initiatives and offerings, we will have technical “how-to’s” and “tips and tricks” from our technical staff and you will be able to tour our facility online.

In addition to our new website and blogs, the industry is abuzz with our new delivery methodology called Mentored Learning (see other blog listings for information on Mentored Learning). This delivery method incorporates the best of Instructor Led Training (ILT) and self-paced study. Mentored Learning is dynamic, personalized training that will have you rethinking the way you take classes!

Microsoft recently went Gold (RTM-“released to manufacturing”) with Windows Vista. In addition to Vista, Microsoft Office ’07 is also being released. Although, the majority of us will have to wait to purchase these products mainstream in January of 2007, we at New Horizons are primed and ready to provide the very best training on these new exciting software technologies. While these new releases from Microsoft are much anticipated, there is plenty of time to get ready for your classes now. Our “First Look” series of classes gives you a peek at Microsoft’s new direction and all the exciting new features.

Thanks for visiting our website and blog and we look forward to assisting with your knowledge transfer needs.

Todd Parker

General Manager

New Horizons of Houston

New Horizons of Lafayette

5555 San Felipe, Suite 1500

Houston, TX 77056

713-552-1414

Testimonials

Company Contact

Mark Tucker

Vice President of Marketing

714-940-8201

Mark.Tucker@newhorizons.com

THE FORTUNE 100 CHOOSE NEW HORIZONS

New Horizons Selected as Training Provider by Every Company

Listed on the Fortune 100

ANAHEIM, Calif., November 6, 2006 – New Horizons Computer Learning Centers, Inc., the world's largest independent IT training provider, today announced that all 100 companies listed in Fortune magazine's 2006 ranking of America's 100 largest corporations and over half of the Global 100 have selected New Horizons as their training provider.

New Horizons has provided training to over 23,000 employees of the Fortune 100 companies during the last 12 months. Based upon an audit from an independent research company of student evaluations, New Horizons training yielded a collective 3:1 benefit-to-cost ratio for these companies.

In addition to a positive training ROI, the learning evaluation also concluded:

• 75 percent increase in skill or knowledge was noted by employees upon leaving the training;
  
• 69 percent of employees experienced a significant increase in productivity;
  
  • 75 percent of employees state that the training received was a very worthwhile investment.
    

These statistics are based upon data from student survey responses collected immediately after training was received and again two months after the employees returned to their jobs. The data is then objectively and independently analyzed by Knowledge Advisors, a learning analytics company, to provide reporting on key performance indicators.

"Due to our breadth of offering and global presence, New Horizons is uniquely qualified to meet the complex needs of large organizations," said Mark Miller, New Horizons president and chief executive officer. "New Horizons is the only training provider that can offer a consistent level of quality training anywhere in the world while also providing flexible and specialized solutions that map our clients learning needs to their organizational objectives."

About New Horizons Computer Learning Centers

Anaheim, California-based New Computer Learning Centers (NEWH.PK) was named the world's largest independent IT training company by IDC in 2005. New Horizons is a subsidiary of New Horizons Worldwide, Inc. Through its Integrated Learning offering, New Horizons provides customer-focused computer training choices with a wide variety of tools and resources that reinforce the learning experience. With more than 280 centers in 56 countries, New Horizons sets the pace for innovative training programs that meet the changing needs of the industry. For more information, or to find your nearest New Horizons Computer Learning Center, visit www.newhorizons.com.

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