Business Intelligence Development Studio

Business Intelligence Development Studio (BIDS) is the IDE from Microsoft used for developing data analysis and Business Intelligence solutions utilizing the Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services, Reporting Services and Integration Services.

It is based on the Microsoft Visual Studio development environment but customizes with the SQL Server services-specific extensions and project types, including tools, controls and projects for reports, ETL dataflows, OLAP cubes and data mining structure.

Download the betas today

Now is your chance to discover firsthand how the beta releases of Office 2010, SharePoint Server 2010, Project 2010, and Visio 2010 deliver collaboration and productivity enhancements to provide a superior user experience, whether it’s on a PC, a Web browser, or a Windows phone.

Download the betas today to get critical hands-on experience—and get ready to help your customers increase efficiency and streamline business processes by making the most of their existing resources. You’ll also want to provide input to help us refine the products before they’re released to manufacturing.

New features will make working together easier than ever before!

University of Moratuwa ranked Number 1 in the world

University of Moratuwa has done it again!!! It has emerged as the best university in ‘Software Engineering’ in the world in a highly competitive global competition, held annually. “Free and Open Source Software (FOSS)” which also goes by the name Google Summer of Code is a competition that tests the creativity, talent, abilities and performance of students.

“This annual competition commenced in 2005. In the last four years the University of Moratuwa has been ranked the No.1 University among 1193 Universities worldwide and have won over twice the number of awards than second placed University of Toronto, Canada,” Vice Chancellor of the Moratuwa University Prof. Malik Ranasighe said. Read More.

National Best Quality Software Awards (NBQSA) 2009

Final arrangements are being made for the National Best Quality Software Awards (NBQSA) 2009. This year NBQSA is organised for the 11th time and some of Sri Lanka’s best ICT products competed to receive the “NBQSA Seal of Excellence”.

The NBQSA – Awards Ceremony and the Gala Dinner is scheduled to be held at the Warters Edge, Battaramulla, on 16th October 2009. There are a limited number of seats available to witness this grand event and Organising Committee has decided to provide these seats to Sri Lanka Section members for a highly subsidized rate.

For reservations you may contact Harsha (Tel: +94112665261/2) at the BCS Secretariat.

 

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 5.0

Microsoft is bringing new innovations to customer relationship management (CRM) software with Microsoft Dynamics® CRM. It is a flexible CRM solution that fits your people, fits your business, and fits your environment. The next version of the Microsoft Dynamics CRM (named, Microsoft Dynamics CRM “V.Next”) will be available from 2010 onwards. The investments for the next release of Microsoft Dynamics CRM fall into three broad categories:

• Deliver a new level of user productivity and collaboration capabilities
• Continued enrichment of the core CRM capabilities
• Provide a best-of-breed business solution platform

Development and testing is in progress for Microsoft Dynamics CRM “V.Next” which encompasses several milestone builds before various external feedback and testing programs are initiated with customers and partners in the lead-up to general release.

There is an exhaustive list of investments in Microsoft Dynamics CRM “V.Next” which ranges from small “tweaks” and enhancements to broad new feature areas. Find out more here.

MTI’s Technology Forum 2009

MTI’s Technology Forum will be held on Thursday 24^th September at 6:00 pm the Ceylon Continental Hotel. The event focuses on Strategic Business Direction and Technology Impact. Key areas of coverage are:

• Business challenges that IT has to deliver on
• Using Technology with the focus of optimizing how business is done
• Technology Delivery Management for focused, efficient and impactful IT
• Risk Management: Impact of Strategic Projects
• Innovation in Technology, being, flexible effective and continuously improving

The speakers and panelists are: Dr. Anush Amarasinghe, Chief Operating Officer, Millennium IT, Madu Ratnayake, General Manager Sri Lanka, Virtusa, Ravi Fernando, CEO Sri Lanka Institute of Nano-Technology (SLINTEC), Rohan Muttiah, Chief Information Officer, Commercial Bank, Sriyan de Silva Wijeyeratne, Country Manager, Microsoft and Sujiva Devaraja, Executive Vice President / Head of IT Sector, JKH.

 

 

The event is backed by research and MTI’s recent CxO survey on business technology in Sri Lanka and will be graced by key business and business technology leaders and will be an excellent networking opportunity for the attendees.

Running MULTIPLE instances of Skype

• Right Click on your desktop and select “New” >> “Shortcut”.
• Browse and give the location of the existing Skype application (say C:\Program Files\Skype\Phone\Skype.exe).
• Type a name for this new shortcut and click on “Finish”.
• Now right click on the newly created shortcut and select “Properties”.
• There you may see the target as “C:\Program Files\Skype\Phone\Skype.exe”.
• Ok last step :) make the above target to read, “C:\Program Files\Skype\Phone\Skype.exe” /secondary
• That’s all! Press Ok and double click on this new shortcut to launch the 2^nd instance of Skype.
• Yes why not you can start 3^rd and 4^th even

SQL Server Reporting Services Consultant

Recently we came across a job offering for a “SQL Server Reporting Services Consultant”. Thought of sharing the roles & responsibilities of that position with you all. Here goes the list

Qualifications & Experience:

• Three or more years experience in relational database design and development using SQL Server is required.
• One or more years experience developing reports using SQL Server Reporting Services is required.
• Some experience in web based development, ASP.NET, C#, and .Net Framework is preferred.
• Seasoned in the full development life cycle including requirements gathering.
• Degree in IT/Computer Science or commensurate education and experience.
• Experience using Agile Software Development methodology is preferred.
• Understanding of object-oriented analysis and design of complex systems.
• Experience developing and supporting mission critical applications that function 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Responsibilities:

• Heavy customized report development.
• Gathers requirements from product owners and works with team members to create a design supported by the architecture of the existing systems.
• Performs ongoing Quality Assurance studies to evaluate system efficiency and compliance.
• Participates in the implementation and maintenance of source control and release procedures.
• Participates in new system applications demonstrations, training classes, and application system queries sessions for all internal associates when necessary.

The Exceptional DBA of 2009

Josef Richberg, a DBA with HarperCollins Publishers, has been selected by judges and the DBA community as winner of 2009’s Exceptional DBA Awards, sponsored by Red Gate Software.

Freelance writer Bob Cramblitt spoke to Richberg about the role of the DBA and the importance of sharing knowledge with the community. Find out more…

Ebay to sell 65% in Skype for USD 1.9 bln

Ebay has agreed to sell a 65 percent stake in Skype to a group of private investors for USD 1.9 billion cash.

The investors are private equity groups Silver Lake and Index Ventures; Andreessen Horowitz, the recently launched venture capital firm led by Netscape founder Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz; and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board. Ebay will hold on to the remaining 35 percent in Skype.

The deal values Skype at USD 2.75 billion, similar to the price of USD 2.6 billion in cash and shares announced by eBay when it acquired Skype in late 2005. Ebay struggled to make a profit with Skype or integrate it into its core online auction business, and had announced plans to spin off Skype. Read More.