Commerce Server is going to be HUGE at TechEd 2005 this year in Orlando. If you are a Commerce Server customer and want to meet the product team, feel free to contact me through this Blog. Both myself and several members of my team will be there for the entire week and we will have our own booth in the pavilion. See http://www.microsoft.com/events/teched2005/ if you need more information on the core event. Thanks to all those that sent in feedback on content! In addition, there will also be several other CS-themed events in which you can participate – details to come!

Our actual sessions will be:

Breakout Sessions:

CSI231 – Commerce Server 2006 and Beyond: In-Depth Look (Ryan Donovan)
Abstract: Get the inside architectural scoop on Microsoft’s next generation e-commerce solution by diving deeply into the upcoming Commerce Server 2006 product, which is now fully integrated with BizTalk Server 2006 and ASP.NET 2.0. Learn in-depth about new or enhanced features including BizTalk adapters for LOB or trading partner integration, Web service support, end-to-end Business Desk replacement, ASP.NET 2.0 programming model integration, SQL Reporting Services support, the new Inventory subsystem, Commerce Server Staging (for CS business data and content replication), Next-Gen Virtual Catalogs, Next-Gen Orders, and more. Finally, get a sneak preview of upcoming Commerce Server technologies in 2007, including integration with the next versions of SharePoint Portal Server/Content Management Server.

CSI 332 – Connected Commerce: ERP and Trading Partner Integration with CS2006 and BizTalk Server 2006 (Caesar Samsi)
Abstract: One of the largest issues facing e-business today is the difficulty in connecting the Web channel to back-end line-of-business systems such as SAP, Siebel, or MBS or creating secure mechanisms for data interchange with business trading partners. Commerce Server 2006 is the answer. Learn how to leverage the next-generation Catalog and Order subsystems, the new Inventory subsystem, new Commerce Server Web Services, and the BizTalk 2006 Adapters for Orders, Catalog, Inventory, and Profiles to establish multiple, secure, transactional channels for interchanging business data in near real-time between your line-of-business subsystems, external trading partners, and the Web.

CSI302 – Securely and Reliably Deploying Connected Commerce Infrastructure  (Max Akbar)
Abstract: One of the foremost challenges facing IT pros today is securely deploying e-business infrastructure while simultaneously achieving the levels of availability demanded by business partners. This session provides an in-depth look at real-world experiences/best practices in deploying Connected Commerce Web sites and Web services using Commerce Server 2006 and BizTalk Server 2006. Drill into physical deployment topologies, minimum privileged security lockdown, authorization management, configuration management, and data replication and staging. Also, get an in-depth look into the new Commerce Server Staging feature for securely deploying IIS Web site content and Commerce Server business data, plus associated configuration settings.

Hands-on Labs:

CSI05  Commerce Server 2006: Merchandizing and Marketing
This lab focuses on developing solutions with the Catalog, Inventory, and Marketing subsystems in Commerce Server 2006. Content is tiered to be useful to those new to Commerce Server, while providing tips for the professionals from real-world deployments. Special focus is given to new features such as next-generation Virtual Catalogs, Inventory management, Direct Mail enhancements, and more.

CSI06  Commerce Server 2006: People and Process
In this lab, learn about developing solutions with the Profiles, Orders, and Analytics subsystems in Commerce Server 2006. Content is tiered to be useful to those new to Commerce Server while providing tips for the professionals from real-world deployments. Special focus is given to new features such as SQL Reporting Services, .NET 2.0 Authentication integration, and new Orders enhancements (XML Mapped Storage, Split Tender, Named Baskets, etc.).

CSI07  Commerce Server 2006: Connected Commerce
In this lab, learn about integrating Commerce Server 2006 with ERP or CRM systems and external business trading partners by utilizing the new built-in integration with BizTalk Server 2006. Learn how to utilize the new Orders, Inventory, Catalog, and Profile BizTalk Adapters in detail to achieve secure, high-performing, reliable connectivity between your Commerce Server deployments and other external systems.

CSI08  Commerce Server 2006: Customization and Extensibility
Learn how to best utilize the developer tools provided with Commerce Server 2006 to extend and customize site deployments. Focus is provided on utilizing the Partner SDK to create customized versions of the Windows UIs comprising Commerce Server’s Business User Experience, utilizing the Starter Site to rapidly get up and running, and customizing/extending the Starter Site to adapt it to the needs of the customer deployment at-hand.

CSI12  Commerce Server 2006: Upgrading to Commerce Server 2006
Learn about upgrading to Commerce Server 2006 from previous versions of Microsoft e-commerce technologies. Data migration, site code migration, and deployment topics are covered. Hands-on experience with the CS2006 migration tools is incorporated into the sessions. Content is geared to those familiar with previous versions of Microsoft e-commerce technologies, principally CS2000 and CS2002. Tips from the pros, based on real-world deployments, are also provided.

Partner Cabana Sessions:

Next Generation e-Commerce framework combining Commerce Server, BizTalk Server & MBS into one powerful e-commerce platform (Jean-Yves Martineau, Cactus)
Abstract: This session will discuss market-tested strategies for using Commerce Server and BizTalk Server in combination with MBS products like Great Plains, Navision and Axapta to deliver full featured B2C/B2B e-commerce capabilities in the front office and sophisticated next generation supply chain applications in the back office, leveraging the combined capabilities of these products.

Smart Catalog for Commerce Server (Richard Vosylius, Endeavor Commerce)
Abstract: This is a product and pricing configuration solution, which will interest any customers or partners developing Commerce Server sites that require rules and constraints to be applied in order to build a product.

Alternate Interfaces for Commerce Server (Daniel Sanscartier, Nurun inc.)
Abstract: More and more, clients and end users demand Web applications that have cool and jazzy interfaces.  In this presentation, you’ll see how Nurun created a Commerce Server application that has a full Flash end user interface.  You’ll see what techniques were used and how the Flash interface retrieves the products.