Microsoft Org Tweaks And Other Odds and Ends

Looks like Microsoft's getting ready to disclose what Bob McDowell's team has been up to.

McDowell, the former head of Microsoft Consulting Services, is pushing the business advisory services aspects of that same MCS. One might guess that means they'll bring more advice to partners attacking tricky projects. Or one hopes.

Good sources say the company will tell top integrator and ISV partners gathered in Redmond this week about the effort and what it will do for them.

In addition, insiders say Jared Wheeler is no longer the go-to "Enterprise Guy" in Simon Witt's organization. He's now in "sales excellence." It will be interesting to see if Microsoft brings a partner-focused veteran into that role.

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Also, while SQL Server 2005 SP 1 is getting "awfully close" it will not be top topic at tomorrow's Paul Flessner confab in San Francisco. SQL Server SP 1 CTP, (got that?) was released in mid March.

Some reports say Microsoft will unveil product plans for a BitVault, a "highly reliable distributed data retention platform" that's so far lived only within Microsoft research.

Speaking of vaults, Oracle is expected to announce imminent availability of its Project Data Vault at the annual IOUG meeting in a few weeks. Oracle talked up this project at Oracle World last year.