Bangalore: Fuelling the world cup fever further, Anil Kumble came as the surprise package at Microsoft’s annual technology fair, Tech.Ed 2011. Adding to the tangible energy already pulsating at the Tech.Ed grounds, Kumble was here to deliver the closing key note session on Friday 25, March 2011, addressing a 10,000 people audience (on-ground and online). While sharing notes on “Staying Ahead of the Game”, Kumble wasn’t talking purely cricket but reached out an enthusiastic community of young Indian techies largely consisting of developers and IT Pros and software architects.

Addressing this enthusiastic audience, Kumble said “It takes more than individual talent and skills to succeed. Being able to understand and manage the environment one operates in is as important. Also, consistency of performance without taking eyes off the ball is required. Just because you have had some good games, you cannot get complacent and takes things for granted. There is a lot to learn from Microsoft which has consistently performed and keeps pushing the boundaries of technological innovation.”

However, this year at Tech.Ed 2011, Anil Kumble wasn’t the only one who kept the Tech.Ed audience enthralled. The event saw brilliant key note speakers from Microsoft leadership team sharing their insights on the latest tools and technologies that Microsoft has recently brought to the market.

•             Opening keynote from Qi Lu – President of Microsoft’s Online Services Division (OSD), who shared an inspiring vision on Microsoft’s aim to “Re-organize the web to make task completion simpler”. His session focused on “The power of search”, with interesting allusions to this being a two horse race between Google and Microsoft.

•             Fast is now beautiful: Brian Hall – General Manager of Internet Explorer and Windows Live unveiled Microsoft’s latest browser Internet Explorer 9 for consumers in India.

•             With over 90% of Microsoft’s workforce, contributing to cloud based technologies Microsoft’s commitment to the cloud was tangible. Yousef Khalidi, Distinguished Engineer in the Windows Azure team and Bharat Shyam, General Manager, Windows Azure Platform, Microsoft Corp. shared the strong momentum story that Azure platform is witnessing globally and in India. Microsoft’s cloud power was further substantiated by innovative applications built by Microsoft partners showcased at the event.

•             Moorthy Uppaluri, General Manager, Developer Division, Microsoft India gave Indian developers great tips to “Stay ahead of the Game”. With Microsoft investing more than 10bn into the cloud ecosystem, the commitment to cloud was a tangible force at Tech.Ed. Moorthy substantiated, Microsoft’s reputation for nurturing its partner ecosystem by sharing, that for every 1$ Microsoft makes, partners are making 10$. Microsoft also launched the Microsoft Virtual Academy (MVA)– www.microsoftvirtualacademy.com– in India. MVA is a free program for IT Pros with 100 and 200-level content with technical information on MS cloud solutions conveyed through real life cloud deployment scenarios. The academy will provide content tracks & progress tracking through a points system + badges

•             Also, further strengthening their portfolio on the cloud, Microsoft announced the launch of a cloud based PC management and security suite Windows In-tune at the event.

•             Also, the large developer audience present at Tech.Ed found an opportunity to share notes with Jason Zander – Corporate Vice President of the Visual Studio Team, who talked about the latest Microsoft developer tools and platforms.

“Given Microsoft’s passion and continued commitment to the Developer community, the aim at this three days event was to empower and partner with Technology professionals by providing the very best tools and technologies, insights, knowledge and expertise on a wide range of platforms. I hope all technology enthusiasts have been able to make the most of this event” said Mr. Moorthy Uppaluri, General Manager, Developer Division, Microsoft India.

Tech.Ed India 2011 kept its promise to go beyond learning and create opportunities to connect with peers and influencers from across the industry. The event proved to be a great techno social platform that allowed the audience to engage and collaborate with Microsoft technology experts. 8 tracks and 120 sessions were available for participants to choose from to attend; taken by subject matter experts who guided attendees on choosing the right resources necessary to build state-of-the-art software solutions.

Key highlights of the event this year included:

•             A great online audience: 4 live streaming partners (Microsoft Tech•Ed, MSN, Facebook, IndiaTimes); 321 live event screening centres across India; 1,41,750 live online event attendees.

•             The Demo Extravaganza that showcased some of the coolest and most innovative technologies, both current and upcoming was a run-away success.

•             Interviews with Microsoft executives via live streaming to over 300 academic campuses and Microsoft learning centers

•             A Women-in-Technology Event,, with a keynote address by an industry influencer

CXO Conclave: An exclusive invite-only event designed to help Business Leaders learn how you can partner with Microsoft to grow your organizations to become giants by leveraging the latest technology.

•             Global ISV Conclave: An exclusive invite-only event for executives from Global ISV tailored to provide with the details of Microsoft’s platform roadmap and technology trends pertinent to Global ISV’s business.

•             Hands-on-Labs: 2 Hands-on-Lab Tracks, one for Developers and the other for Infrastructure professionals

•             Certification: Free Microsoft Certification for all onsite attendees

•             Microsoft Showcase Zone: A fun and innovative area where attendees can expérience the latest and coolest Microsoft products like Xbox Kinect, Surface, Robotics, Cloud Zone,IE 9, and many more..