November 4 is simply about the corner. Now;s the time to ensure any Microsoft items that store or use time are up-to-date prior to Daylight Saving Time (DST) in the U.S. ends for the 12 months, the Softies say.Hoping to head off the confusion and troubles numerous clients knowledgeable within the spring when DST kicked off three weeks earlier than usual, Microsoft is turning up its messaging around DST. On September 14, the organization held a Webcast developed to educate clients in regards to the pending drop DST modifications.“We got feedback that our (spring DST) information was too little, too late,” acknowledged Rich Kaplan,
Thomas Sabo Silver Bracelet, vice president of supportability and customer and partner experience.Following a request by Chief Operating Officer Kevin Turner, Microsoft set up an early warning system to head off product/customer support problems on a variety of fronts, including DST, he said. Microsoft;s system is tracking news groups, call-volume analytics and feedback from a set of key partners to help the provider get its ducks in a row,
Thomas Sabo Rings Sale, going forward, Kaplan said.Microsoft officials attempted to hammer home a number of key points during the Webcast: DST isn;t a U.S.-only issue. Various countries are on all kinds of schedules. Companies which have employees located outside the U.S. and/or who do business with those outside of the U.S. need to ensure their timing systems are in sync. Australia, New Zealand and Egypt recently changed their DST observances. Venezuela is likely next (and rumored to be making the move on September 17,
Office Standard 2010 Sale, according to Microsoft;s latest info).Lots of Microsoft (and non-Microsoft) products are affected by DST changes. There are the typical suspects — Exchange Server, Outlook and Windows Mobile. But various other goods need to be up to date properly as well, including SharePoint Server, Windows client and server, SQL Server, Dynamics CRM,
Microsoft Office 2010 Standard Key, Visual Studio,
Windows 7 Home Basic 64, custom line-of-business applications and more.It wouldn;t hurt consumers who applied DST patches to their products and services this past spring to apply the latest DST patches again this fall. Microsoft has been adding and updating available DST patches throughout the summer. There;s no harm done by repatching already properly patched systems, Microsoft officials said, and repatching just might catch any improperly or totally unpatched customers and servers. If repatching is a major pain, Microsoft advises clients to check out the diagram on its customer support site to determine the minimum number of patches it should apply before November four.Clients who paid Microsoft for DST patches for older unsupported products do not have to pay again for that drop round of patches. It sounds like Microsoft is planning to issue time-zone/DST-related updates and patches on a regular basis year-round, going forward. Late 2007/early 2008 should be when Microsoft releases the next batch of DST updates, followed by a mid-2008 one, officials said during the Webcast Friday.Any worries or questions you have about DST patching as the end of DST approaches?