Sunday, December 14, 2008

Microsoft User Research

If your interested in sharing your opinion and you live near either Redmond Washington or Mountain View California then maybe you should sign up for Microsoft's User Research. http://www.microsoft.com/usability/enroll.mspx

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

SBS Licensing from a Partner Perspective - 5W50 Webcast on January 16th

Eric Ligman and myself will be presenting a 5W50 webcast on Licensing for the Small Business Specialist ... from a Partner Perspective on January 16th starting at 9 AM PDT. Join us http://www.mssmallbiz.com/training/

Confused about Microsoft Licensing for Small Businesses. Join the club! As everyone knows, no one knows licensing better than Eric Ligman! Join Eric, along with Tim Carney, a fellow Microsoft Small Business Specialist and a SBSC User Group Leader, for this 5W50 webcast where they will discuss the basics of Microsoft Licensing for the Small Business. They will answer these questions:
- When should I sell OEM, Retail, Open Value, Open Value Subscription, Open Value Company Wide, Open Business Licenses, Open Government and Open Volume?
- When and why should I promote Software Assurance?
- When and why should I promote “Spread Payments” over an “Up-Front Payment”?
- What do all of those abbreviations (OV, OVS, L, L+SA …) mean?
- What about SKU’s? How do I get the right SKUs? Are there any clear tools to use?
- Is there an upgrade SKU from Windows Small Business Server 2003 to...?
- Windows Small Business Server 2008 Premium Edition specifics:
o What Operating Systems can I run on the second server?
o Can I run SQL on the first server?
o How long can I run SQL 2005?
o What about Virtualization and Terminal Server?
o My client is interested in MOSS or Unified Messaging, can they still use SBS and if so, what licensing is needed?
By the end of this 5W50 webcast, we will have definitively answered your most important questions:
- Why should I even care about licensing?
- What’s in it for me (WIIFM)?
- How can licensing help my business in this tight economy?

Thursday, November 20, 2008

SBS & EBS 2008 Premium - SQL & 2nd Server Downgrade Rights

Until December 31, 2009, Microsoft has increased the component compatibility of Windows Small Business Server 2008 and Windows Essential Business Server 2008 for maximum flexibility.

With SQL you have a choice to deploy one these products:

Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Standard x64;
Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Standard x86;
Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Standard x64;
and, Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Standard x86.

All four versions are being shipped as part of SBS 2008 Premium and EBS 2008 Premium until December 31, 2009, after which only the Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Standard Editions will be included.

You also have the choice to deploy one the following as the second server:

Windows Server 2008 Standard x64;
Windows Server 2008 Standard x86;
Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard x64;
and, Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard x86.

Windows Server 2008 Standard (x86 and x64) are shipping as part of SBS 2008 Premium and EBS 2008 Premium, beginning on January 2, 2009, your partner can exercise the second server downgrade option for you by visiting the Solutions Pathway, as with the SQL downgrade the 2nd server downgrade is available until December 31, 2009.

Helping Microsoft Partners Deploy Windows SharePoint Services to Clients

This is not new news, just a repeat for those that did not get it the first five times. Erik Thorsell from Success Computer Consulting created a tool for Microsoft Partners that helps us deploy WSS and build a business around it. The toolkit can be found here.

Saturday, November 1, 2008

SBS 2008 with Unified Messaging

If you were so inclined to install the Unified Messaging role in Exchange 2007 on a Windows Small Business Server 2008 then you should be aware that all Exchange 2007 server roles, except for the Unified Messaging role, are supported in a virtualization environment.
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc794548.aspx

Monday, October 20, 2008

How do I upgrade my non-SA client from SBS 2003 to SBS 2008 or EBS 2008?

Now that we have conquered the knowledge needed for the final days of SBS 2003 R2 and Software Assurance to get the ‘made-whole’ entitlements and SBS 2008. You might be asking…“How do I upgrade my non-SA client from SBS 2003 to SBS 2008”? Or, “How do I upgrade my client from SBS 2003 to EBS 2008”?

Beginning November 12th you can place upgrade orders for SBS 2008 and EBS 2008 as well as migrations via the Solutions Pathway store https://partner.microsoft.com/solutionspathway

All you need to do is enter in your clients’ product keys, and choose from among the automatically generated migration paths. Customers and partners receive savings of 20 or 30 percent. SBSCs will be eligible for additional savings too!

Here is a picture of the Savings Chart available on the Solutions Pathway site.


Additional information regarding Solutions Pathway can be found https://partner.microsoft.com/40081961


Sunday, October 19, 2008

SBS 2003 Transition Pak

SBS 2003 Transition Pack

Now that I have my Blogging engine started, when someone asks a technical Question, I will be posting the Q & A.

Q: Have you or do you know of anyone who has used the SBS Transition Kit before? I'm just curious how long it takes and what steps you have to do.

A: I have not, but I have two good links for you (both are from Susan Bradley the SBS Diva):

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Running SBS 2008 Premium with SQL 2005

The appended article is from Eric Ligman’s Blog and it basically tells us that if our clients need SQL 2005 instead of SQL 2008 they need to purchase SBS 2008 Premium within the next ten months. Once your clients have SBS 2008 Premium that has SQL Server 2005 Standard Edition for Small Business with their SBS 2008 Premium can choose to run SQL Server 2005 Standard Edition instead of SQL Server 2008 Standard Edition with their SBS 2008 Premium Edition without having to downgrade their SBS 2008 suite.

Regards,

Tim Carney
tim@sfbaylink.com


What version of SQL can I use if I buy SBS 2008 Premium?

Last weekend at SMB Nation, one of the most asked questions was, “If my clients buy SBS 2008 Premium, what version of SQL can they use?” This followed my earlier post, “Is Small Business Server (SBS) 2008 Premium going to ship with SQL 2005 or SQL 2008?” This question was even discussed in great depth during Jeff Middleton’s party where Susan Bradley, Kevin Beares, Dean Paron, and I had a nice long conversation about the various possibilities, all leading to the final outcome where I promised to find out the definitive answer to the question and post it here for everyone. As such, here you go:

Components of SBS cannot be downgraded independently. If you choose to downgrade one component, you must downgrade the entire suite.

Because Microsoft recognizes that line-of-business applications may experience compatibility issues moving from one version to the next, for approximately one year from the SBS 2008 Release to Manufacturing (RTM) date, we will ship SQL Server 2005 Standard Edition (both 32 and 64-bit platforms) in addition to the SQL Server 2008 Standard Edition for Small Business with SBS 2008 for the customer’s use in order to address these potential issues.

Customers who receive SQL Server 2005 Standard Edition for Small Business with their SBS 2008 Premium can choose to run SQL Server 2005 Standard Edition instead of SQL Server 2008 Standard Edition with their SBS 2008 Server Premium Edition without having to downgrade their SBS 2008 suite.

Once we stop shipping both versions of SQL Server with SBS 2008 Premium, customers are restricted from downgrading just the SQL Server component.

Customers who received SQL Server 2005 Standard Edition with their SBS 2008 Premium can continue to use it after the shipping period ends, but they may not use both SQL Server 2005 Standard Edition and SQL Server 2008 Standard Edition for Small Business simultaneously. If they choose to continue using SQL Server 2005 after the shipping period ends, they can later choose to install SQL Server 2008 Standard Edition for Small Business instead of SQL Server 2005 Standard Edition.

Customers who do not receive both versions of SQL Server (2005 and 2008) Standard Edition with their SBS 2008 Premium Server license (included for approximately one year from the SBS 2008 Release to Manufacturing (RTM) date) do not receive the rights listed above to run SQL Server 2005 Standard Edition with their SBS 2008 Premium Edition. If they choose to run SQL Server 2005 Standard Edition, they will need to downgrade their entire SBS Premium Edition to SBS 2003 R2 Premium in order to do so.

We will be updating the SBS Downgrade FAQs page shortly with these updated clarifications to help ensure everyone fully understands what version of SQL Server they can and cannot run with their SBS 2008 Premium Server license.

Thank you to everyone for your patience while we worked to get you these clarifications on this issue.

Thank you and have a wonderful day,
Eric Ligman
Non-Managed Partner CPE Lead
Microsoft Worldwide Partner Group
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights

SBS 2003 R2 & Software Assurance

Here are the definitive answers* to everyone’s questions regarding SBS 2003 R2 & Software Assurance post the September 30th cutoff for buying the L+SA SKU and getting the ‘made whole’ entitlements.
Part I – Eric Ligman’s posting from his Blog http://blogs.msdn.com/mssmallbiz
Part II – Additional Information, Examples & Analysis

Regards,
Tim Carney
*Except as always “This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights”. ;)

Part I

A topic of many conversations since the beginning of October, as well as over the SMB Nation weekend where I told those of you in attendance that we are working on a potential solution and would get back to you as soon as we had one, is the fact that SBS 2003 SKUs were removed from the Volume Licensing pricelists on October 1st and were replaced by the SBS 2008 SKUs. What this means is:
  1. In the month of October, there is no way to purchase SBS 2003 with Software Assurance through any Volume Licensing program.
  2. Even though SBS 2003 is still available through Retail Box (FPP) and OEM and Software Assurance can be added to an FPP or OEM server license within 90 days of purchasing it, Software Assurance can only be added to the CURRENT VERSION of software within 90 days of purchase. With SBS 2008 being released October 1st, SBS 2003 is no longer the current version, meaning you can no longer purchase Software Assurance to add to a Retail Box or OEM SBS 2003 license purchased on or after October 1, 2008.
  3. Which ultimately means there is no way to purchase an SBS 2003 License with Software Assurance in the month of October, which was a point of confusion for many Partners who were under the impression that they had until October 31st in order to get their SBS 2003 L+SA orders in.

This is what we have been working on day in and day out for the past few weeks to find a solution for to help our Partners out who are in this situation. And believe me, the number of solutions we have run through the tests to see if we could use them has been unbelievable. Finally, we have come up with the solution for Partners that wish to get their clients SBS 2003 licenses with Software Assurance that will work and can be executed in a timely manner, and here it is:


Microsoft will make a limited-time exception to the Software Assurance policy, which states that Software Assurance can only be attached to the latest software version for SBS 2003 R2. So now it will be possible to attach Software Assurance to SBS 2003 R2 SKUs, despite SBS 2008 being on the VL price list starting October 1st and this exception has been granted until 12/31/2008. This means that Partners who have sold SBS 2003 R2 between 10/1/08 and 12/31/08 will be able to attach Software Assurance to it within 90 days of the SBS 2003 R2 purchase.

In addition, because we are aware of the fact that the SBS 2003 R2 license does cost more through Retail Box than it did through the Open License programs, we are going to be increasing the SBS 2003 R2 deployment rebate by the net difference between the Retail Box ERP and the Open License (L) ERP so that ultimately, the customers are paying the same for the SBS license that they would have through Open License. What this means is that the deployment rebate amount for SBS 2003 Standard R2 will increase by $50 and the deployment rebate amount for SBS 2003 Premium R2 will increase by $100.

So, if you are looking to get your clients an SBS 2003 R2 Server license with Software Assurance, here is what you should do:
  1. Purchase a Retail Box SBS 2003 R2 Server license from your distributor
  2. Add Software Assurance to it within 90 days of the purchase (best off to do it on the same order to make sure you get it added)
  3. Follow the steps to claim the SBS 2003 R2 deployment rebate for your client
To make it easier for you, below are the Part #s you would use to add Software Assurance to the SBS Standard or Premium licenses. You will notice two options for each:

The first is the Part # you would use if you would like to take advantage of the spread payments benefit of Open Value. This part # would be the one you would sell and bill your clients for in Year 1, Year 2, and Year 3 of the Agreement.

The second is the Part # you would use if you would like to pay for the full three years of Software Assurance benefits up-front instead of spreading out the payments over three years. It is also the one you would use if you plan on processing this order through Microsoft Financing for spread payments.

SBS Standard:
  • Software Assurance 1st year payment (spread payments): Part #: T72-00893
  • Software Assurance with 3 years paid up-front: Part #: T72-00897
SBS Premium:
  • Software Assurance 1st year payment (spread payments): Part #: T75-00935
  • Software Assurance with 3 years paid up-front: Part #: T75-00937
Thank you to everyone for their patience as we have been working through this and trying to determine what solution(s) we could put in place here in October to address the concerns raised by our Partners about not being able to provide a way to get their clients SBS 2003 R2 server licenses with Software Assurance here in October. The solution above will provide you a way to do just that. Granted, it is not the exact same as buying the L+SA SKU through the Open License programs; however, with those SKUs being removed on October 1st, the L+SA SKU was no longer an option as a solution.

And before anyone says, “You should have just added it back to the October pricelist,” believe me, if it were just that simple, we would have. There was no way to get the SKUs added back onto the pricelist for October (and we tried evaluating many different ways to possibly make this happen), which meant we had to find an alternative solution. The solution above is the absolute best one available given the circumstances. Plus, the solution above not only gives you an answer for October, it provides an additional window of opportunity for you all the way through December 31, 2008.

Thank you and have a wonderful day,
Eric Ligman
Non-Managed Partner CPE Lead
Microsoft Worldwide Partner Group
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights


Part II
Note: I have included part numbers for the Premium SKUs only; if you are interested in the Standard SKUs then you will need to do your own research. Additionally, I am only including Open Value licensing options as it just seems the way to go (unless you can sell your clients Open Value Company-Wide). If you want to know why then check https://partner.microsoft.com/download/global/40029941

Here are the Open Value SKUs for Windows Small Business Server Premium Software Assurance. These SKUs cover both SBS 2003 R2 Premium and SBS 2008 Premium.
  • T75-00935 SBS Premium SA Year 1 of 3 with Spread Payments ERP $417.00
  • T75-00937 SBS Premium SA with 3-Year Up-Front Payment ERP $1,250.00
Here are the 2003 SKUs that qualify for Software Assurance (according to the licensing desk at D&H). But remember Retail T75-01255 is the best as: the OEM SKU is locked to the machine on which you install the product; and, the Upgrade SKUs are tied to the original SKU (which if is OEM you are stuck on that machine) and you must keep the original license in addition to the upgrade license in-order to be legit.
  • T75-01255 SBS 2003 R2 Premium Retail Box ERP $1299.00
  • T75-01256 SBS 2003 R2 Premium Version Upgrade from SBS versions 4.0, 4.5, 2000 or 2003 Premium ERP $709.00
  • T75-01260 SBS 2003 R2 Premium Upgrade from SBS 2003 R2 Standard ERP $709.00
  • T75-02110 SBS 2003 R2 Premium OEM - 1 Server, 5 CAL - OEM ERP $1,149.00

Here are the SKUs for 2008.
  • T75-02411 SBS 2008 Premium Edition DVD w/5 Client Retail Box ERP $1,899.00
  • T75-00927 SBS 2008 Premium w/5 Client L/SA Open Value No-Level Year 1 of 3 with Spread Payments ERP $972.00
  • T75-00925 SBS 2008 Premium Edition w/5 Client L/SA Open Value No-Level 3-Year with Up-Front Payment ERP $2,916.00
Let’s say (for the sake of discussion) your client is normally not interested in Software Assurance. If they only need SBS 2008 Premium Edition then all they need is T75-02411 with an ERP of $1899. If they want the ‘made whole’ entitlements then the best way is T75-01255 + T75-00937 with a combined ERP of $2549. So, the ‘made whole’ entitlements is costing them in ERP $650; but, don’t forget they will also get future upgrades for 3 years.

If your clients are inclined towards Software Assurance then T75-01255 + T75-00937 with a combined ERP of $2549 really makes sense as you compare it to T75-00925 with an ERP of $2916, even after the Big Easy Rebate of $400 on T75-00925, as your clients get the ‘made whole’ entitlements for essentially zero dollars.

Here are the ‘made whole’ entitlements:
  • one license of Office SharePoint Designer 2007
  • five licenses of Outlook 2007
  • one license of ISA 2006
  • a separate copy of Windows Server 2003 R2 as ISA 2006 does not run on Windows Server 2008
  • one license of Forefront Threat Management Gateway 2010 when it is released as an upgrade to ISA 2006
One final note, remember all of this discussion is predicated on the availability of the SBS 2003 R2 Premium in a Retail Box (T75-01255), once the distributors run out of the SBS 2003 R2 Premium in a Retail Box, we have lost the ability to provide this option to our clients. So, act quickly and decisively!

Monday, October 13, 2008

Responding to the Spam Warning Emails from Family & Friends

So, my mom forwarded me an email message warning of some virus ridden email making the rounds. To try and inform her that she was sending SPAM and to try and inform her about other areas of important computer security, I sent her an email similar to what you find below. Feel free to use this information (or any part thereof) to inform and educate others.Please do not forward the type of message you just forwarded. Here is some advice from a computer professional regarding warning emails and more importantly general computer security.
If a friend sends you an email warning of some scary email (scam/phishing or virus) asking you to pass their email on to everyone you know then send your friend this message and empower them with knowledge, and do not email everyone you know as most people consider this ‘warning’ email SPAM (a Stupid, Pointless and Annoying Message).

  1. Always keep your computer's Operating System and Applications up to date. All good programmers know that no code is perfect, so most software companies set aside resources to repair their code as bugs are uncovered. Most viruses attack known security weaknesses. While the bad guys are trying to exploit the weakness the good people at Microsoft and Apple (and most other software companies) are repairing those weaknesses and then issuing patches to fix your software. But, you only get those updates when you update your software, so remember to update.


    1. If you want to know how secure or how insecure your operating system and/or applications are then check Secunia Advisories http://secunia.com/advisories.

    2. If you are interested in the 10 Most Destructive PC Viruses of All Time, check out http://www.techweb.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=160200005#.

    3. The SQL Slammer worm virus attacked SQL servers worldwide on January 26, 2003, the technical community was aware of the vulnerability six months prior to the attack and Microsoft issued a fix three months prior to the attack. If you were a system administrator, would your systems be open to attack or would you have patched them?


  2. Have a good firewall/router installed between your internet connection and your computer(s); expect to pay at least $120 at a computer store for a quality simple/home firewall. A firewall will protect your computer from being directly attacked from the outside. And, don’t forget to keep it updated with the latest firmware too.

  3. Use genuine software, counterfeit software often contains key-loggers and other malware that help thieves steal your identity. Microsoft has some good information and real stories of counterfeit software http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/downloads/Stories.aspx.

  4. If a browser pop-up comes up while browsing the internet warning you your computer has been infected know that someone is trying to socially engineer you into installing malware (software with bad intent) or get enough information to steal your identity.


    1. Despite the columnists’ dislike of Microsoft’s Windows Vista, Vista is more secure than all of Microsoft’s previous Operating Systems. One way Vista is more secure is that it provides protection against this attack vector. Consider an upgrade.

    2. Here is an in-depth report on Cybercrime, http://www.mcafee.com/us/research/mcafee_security_journal/index.html.


  5. Use an email service that scans your email for viruses, SPAM and phishing. Many email providers check email messages for SPAM, Phishing & Viruses before the message even touches your computer.

  6. On your computer, use software that scans for SPAM and viruses, most professionals prefer AVG, Nod32 and TrendMicro:


    1. http://www.avg.com/home-and-office-security?type=ps3925e

    2. http://www.eset.com/smartsecurity

    3. http://emea.trendmicro.com/emea/products/personal/internet-security-pro/index.html


  7. Be informed, read up on safe email practices like these Tips to Avoid SPAM http://www.mcafee.com/us/threat_center/anti_spam/spam_tips.html.


    1. The Top 10 SPAM Subject Lines can be found http://www.mcafee.com/us/threat_center/anti_spam/spam_top10.html


  8. Beyond Viruses, the real threats come from social engineering aka phishing.


    1. The Top 10 Phishing Scams can be found here http://www.mcafee.com/us/threat_center/anti_phishing/phishing_top10.html.


  9. If you suspect that your computer has a virus then you should consider calling a professional, if you just call the neighborhood’s geek instead of a professional your results may not be as desired.


    1. Microsoft has a search for professionals available in your area http://www.microsoft.com/smallbusiness/partner/vendorsearch.mspx.

    2. Apple has a search for their certified consultants http://consultants.apple.com/consultant/search.html.


  10. If you must work on your own computer (PC) then some of the tools to use can be found http://us.trendmicro.com/us/products/personal/free-tools-and-services/index.html.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Alaska Airlines's Public Display

Here is a great example of poor coding but great documentation, way to go Alaska Air! Thanks Susan for making me pull out my camera.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

iPhone v2.0 & Enabling Mobility on SBS 2003

Enabling Mobility on SBS 2003

This Post is designed for Microsoft Small Business Specialists. These steps are for professionals and if you are a "do IT yourself'r" then I highly recommend you invest in a professionals time to assist you. You will help yourself in at least two ways: you can concentrate on what you do best and bring in more money; and, you will save yourself from having to spend more when things o south. Find a local professional using http://www.microsoft.com/smallbusiness/hub.mspx.

In the wake of iPhone 2.0, many executives are wanting their iPhones connected to their Exchange Servers. You may have previously enabled IMAP, but we all know Exchange-ActiveSync is the right way to go (plus this enables Windows Mobile devices without the need for a Good Server). In order to support Windows Mobile devices (and the iPhone version 2) on a Microsoft Small Business Server 2003 running Exchange 2003, several things need to be done. The following instructions I generated after spending too much time researching this issue and I hope you find them as useful as I do. The standard legal stuff applies, these directions are provided without warranty, follow at your own peril.

When you need to do this for the first time at a clients’ site and you want some help, just let me know, I am happy to co-consult with my fellow SBSC.

- Tim Carney tim@sfbaylink.com

  1. Open HTTPS (port 443) on the firewall and point towards the server, please be careful, there are several things you should do before opening up your server to the outside to make it secure.
  2. Install a third-party SSL certificate. For future compatibility when migrating to Exchange 2007 without ISA, I use http://www.comodo.com/msexchange/, otherwise I use http://www.dotster.com/other/ssl/123.
    a. Follow http://blogs.technet.com/sbs/archive/2007/08/21/how-to-install-a-public-3rd-party-ssl-certificate-on-iis-on-sbs-2003.aspx until you reach the Title “Transferring the SSL Certificate to the Default Web Site”
    b. If you are not running with ISA then continue with Transferring the SSL Certificate to the Default Web Site.
    c. But, if you are running ISA then install the certificate on to the two listening ports in ISA and leave the self-generated certificate on the Default Web Site. (I am looking for a good document for this step.)
  3. Exchange SP2 should be installed (this is already done if R2 has been installed).
  4. Enable RPC over HTTP on Exchange.
  5. Run CEICW and enable Outlook Mobile Access.
  6. Check Active Directory Users to make sure Mobile Services are enabled if not add users to Mobile Users.
  7. Enable Direct Push on the server
    a. Ensure that SP2 for Exchange Server 2003 is installed on the server.
    b. Open Exchange System Manager.
    c. Expand Global Settings.
    d. Right-click Mobile Services, and then click Properties.
    e. Verify that the Enable Direct Push over HTTP(s) check box is selected.
  8. Install the Exchange Server ActiveSync Web Admin Tool on SBS
    If you are trying to get familiar with the Microsoft Exchange Server ActiveSync Web Administration Tool on your Small Business Server computer to take advantage of the new Mobile Security Features that will be introduced in the Windows Mobile 5.0 Messaging & Security Feature Pack, you will need to follow the steps below to get the web interface functioning properly on your Small Business Server computer:
    a. Download the Mobile Admin pack
    http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=e6851d23-d145-4dbf-a2cc-e0b4c6301453&DisplayLang=en
    b. Backup the metabase in IIS (right click the servername in IIS -> all tasks -> backup/restore -> create backup)
    c. TEMPORARILY set the default website to “all unassigned” (if it is not already)
    d. Run MobileAdmin.exe that you downloaded in step 1.
    e. You can also run OWAAdmin.exe at this point too for web based admin of OWA.
    f. Reset IIS back to the way it was before step 3, if applicable
    g. Open the properties for the ExAdmin virtual directory under the default website -> directory security -> Edit for Secure Communications and uncheck “Require SSL”
    h. Restart the IIS Admin service
    i. You should now be able to browse http://servername/mobileadmin and also select users to manage.
    Note this interface allows 2 options: 1) Wipe the device and 2) delete the partnership. “Wipe the device” is self explanatory - we remove all user-specific information from the device and return it to factory default (like a hard reset). So what is “delete the partnership” you ask? Well, when a device synchs with Exchange it pushes some information to Exchange so that the server knows about the device. This information is referred to as a “partnership” (not to be confused with an ActiveSync partnership -no relation). You can remove this partnership information by using the “delete” option on the MobileAdmin page. When would you want to “delete” a partnership. One scenario is if only one user cannot synch with Exchange when previously he/she could. It may be that this “partnership” is confused. Simply “delete” the device partnership on the MobileAdmin page and then resynch with the device. After deleting the partnership, resynch with the device. You should see a new partnership appear on the MobileAdmin page and hopefully the device synchs successfully.
  9. Define and enforce security policies for mobile devices
    a. On the server, open Exchange System Manager.
    b. Expand Global Settings.
    c. Right-click Mobile Services, and then click Properties.
    d. Click the Device Security button.
    e. In the Device Security Settings dialog box, configure the device security policy for Windows Mobile devices.
    f. Enforce, Minimum 4 Characters, 20 minutes of inactivity, Wipe after 3 failed attempts, refresh settings every 1 hour
    g. If you do not want to apply the policy to some user accounts, click the Exceptions button, and then add the user accounts to the exceptions list.
    h. Click OK.
  10. Double check and fine-tune installation by following
    http://www.petri.co.il/configure_rpc_over_https_on_a_single_server.htm