Please give Vinod Kumar a warm welcome to the world of Commerce Server blogging. Vinod is Development Lead on Commerce Server and is go-to person for all things orders.

Check out his blog today at http://blogs.msdn.com/vkumar/.

I have received a few questions on migration path, so figured I would net it out:

• Site Server 3.0 – This is a code re-write from ASP to ASP.NET. Pipeline components not shipped in Site Server should still work – though the order schemas have changed. The components shipped inside of Site Server are no longer shipped with CS2007.
• Commerce Server 2000 – Full data migration is supported. Site code is a re-write from ASP to ASP.NET. Any BizDesk customizations will be lost as that feature-set has been replaced.
• Commerce Server 2002 – Full data migration is supported. Site code is a re-write from ASP to ASP.NET. ASP.NET users will have to migrate to 2.0 and will have namespace and some Orders changes. BizDesk or FP1 UI customizations will have to be re-done. Predictor has been moved into SQL Server 2005 BI.
• MSIB – This is being replaced with SharePoint 2007 (replaces CMS) used in conjunction with CS2007. As posted before, do not look for guidance before SharePoint 2007 releases (e.g. – expect no pre-release support/guidance).

http://www.microsoft.com/commerceserver/evaluation/trial/default.mspx

We now have the evaluation copies live on the Web. Enjoy!

I am pleased to report that Commerce Server 2007 has shipped (or RTM-ed in MicroSpeak). Tonight the team has signed off on the Enterprise, Standard, and Evaluation editions in English, French, German, and Japanese. This is another remarkable day in Commerce Server history – as it represents the culmination of 2.5++ years worth of efforts to bring what we think is a very cool solution to market, featuring major enhancements in:

• Complex Catalog Support
• New Business User & Reporting Experiences
• Web Services Infrastructure
• BizTalk Server 2006 Adapters for LOB/B2B data interchange
• Multi-environment Deployment Tools (via Commerce Server Staging)
• Health Monitoring (via the MOM2005 Management Pack)
• Orders extensibility
• Performance/Scale optimizations for a Top 10 Global Retail Peak Holiday scenario

The following documentation is available now:

• http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=62571 – RTM Product Documentation
• http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=57013 – RTM Readme
• http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=57268 – RTM Installation Guide

Edit: An Evaluation Edition of the final software is on Microsoft.com at http://www.microsoft.com/commerceserver/evaluation/trial/default.mspx. 

Commerce Server 2007 will be generally available through all normal Microsoft licensing channels on August 1, 2006. Pricing and editions remain unchanged from Commerce Server 2002.

The Starter Site and another documentation refresh will also be available in August to coincide with general availability.

Now, the team is off for a well-deserved break to recharge their batteries before hitting all the upcoming things we have in the queue. Be seeing you.

Greetings from Boston – as I sit here on wireless in the convention center for TechEd.

A few folks have asked about the Starter Site so I figured I would provide an update. Now that the product itself is virtually done, the team is shifting gears to put a big emphasis on the Starter Site to get it wrapped up as well.

The Starter Site will be shipped in the August timeframe to coincide with the general availability of Commerce Server 2007 as a Web download. There are no drops for RC+ builds nor are there planned to be any public drops between now and August.

I think it will definitely be worth the wait though – as we have gotten the product baked and now can get a requisite showcase of functionality to quickly get started equally baked. Although I personally would loved to have seen it sooner, this is somewhat of a serial process and takes some time to get right. AND – by being a Web download – we can continue to enhance the Starter Site without being tied to the main release vehicles of the core product and requisite Service Packs.

For those at TechEd US in Boston this week, you can get a sneak preview – as we will be basing some of the demos on current (albeiit still work-in-process) builds of the Starter Site. Stay tuned…

For those wanting some newer documentation, the Release Candidate documentation set is now posted on MSDN.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/CS07Default/html/02afcee1-5546-4acc-b053-2aa6d7762bd3.asp?frame=true

Happy Reading!

Are you coming to TechEd US in Boston next week? If so, we hope to see you there. Myself, Caesar Samsi, Max Akbar, and Mark Townsend from the Commerce Server team will be there all week. Highlights include:

• Dedciated booth
• Commerce Server 2007: New Features Briefing breakout session
• Commerce Server: Architectural Deep Dive chalk talk
• Connected Commerce chalk talk
• Connected Commerce hands-on-lab
• Multi-Channel Retail w/ Axapta chalk talk

We will have some cool new demonstrations of CS2007 to show visitors as well. You will also be able to ask any of us as many questions as you’d like throughout the week at the booth.

Be seeing you…