Where: San Jose Convention Center, San Jose, CA

Who: 2000 developers and architects who build solutions on the Office platform (Office clients, servers, and services)

ODC 2008 will bring together architects, developers, industry technical experts, Microsoft insiders and key partners in a public forum for the first time! Together, we will redefine what it means to be focused on Microsoft Office development, exchange ideas on how to continue innovating in this ever-changing space, and share best practices on how to craft the next generation of Office Business Applications. Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates will deliver a special keynote that is not to be missed (and probably one of the last ones, so be there!!).

The web site http://www.odc2008.com is now live.

Who is the Microsoft Office System Developer Conference for?

Those involved or interested in using the Microsoft Office system (clients, servers, and services) as an application development platform. For example, people in technical roles e.g. architects, developers, designers, and technical managers.

Will it cost to attend the conference?

Yes, there will be a reasonable registration fee for the conference. For those that register early, we will have a special early bird rate as well.

Which products/technologies will this conference cover?

Obviously, the conference will cover everything in Microsoft Office system, including clients, servers and services, but business productivity applications don’t exist in isolation. More and more, we’re finding that people are using others parts of the technology stack and bringing together various technologies to make applications more compelling. So a great number of sessions will have topics involving Office application development in the context of leading-edge technologies such as VOIP, Silverlight, integration with third-party line of business applications, etc.

I’ve heard there’s also a SharePoint Conference. What’s the difference?

The SharePoint conference will take place in March 2008 in Redmond, WA. Unlike the Microsoft Office System Developer Conference, the SharePoint conference is primarily intended for those in IT who use, deploy, and configure SharePoint. If you are focused on SharePoint deployment you should attend the SharePoint Conference. If you are a SharePoint developer you should attend Office System Developer Conference. Here you will find the most information about how to develop solutions that not only build on the SharePoint platform, but also take advantage of the other technologies in the Office system.

Who will present sessions?

Sessions will be presented by Microsoft experts and MVPs, as well as other industry/technical experts.

Where can I find more information?

Our web site www.odc2008.com will have more information about the conference as it becomes available. Check back often or sign up to get notified!

ttfn

David