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Getting Results from Software Development Teams, by Lawrence J. Peters
Reviewed by Kathleen Atkins, content project manager, Microsoft Press
Practical, experienced, and well read, Lawrence Peters delivers useful analysis and advice to managers of software development teams. Early in the book, Peters presents some “data of interest” that should concern the software industry, such as:
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Team member turnovers can account for up to 60 percent of project costs.
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Average cost overrun for software projects is 189 percent.
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Average overrun of project schedule is 222 percent.
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Average failure rate of a new software system to meet expectations is 61 percent.
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Peters spends much of the rest of the book describing research studies, models, findings from a variety of disciplines, and the results of his own and others’ experiences, suggesting that some ways of managing software development are clearly better than others. He identifies myths and bad conditions and practices, and recommends orientations and strategies that are most likely to result in successful projects.
Peters’ tone is friendly and accessible--a good, thoughtful colleague talking to other colleagues, all of whom are eager to find ways to do estimable, cost-effective, and timely work while understanding and meeting their customers’ needs.
Peters concludes this book with some interesting observations in Chapter 9, “Improving Team Performance.” In his discussion “Why People Work,” he outlines an assortment of theories around why people work, and points out which ideas are most applicable to high tech. More than any other factors, he says, choosing the right people with the right skills for your teams and treating them as if they are your most important resource are the most difficult challenges and greatest contributors to project success.
Learn more about Getting Results from Software Development Teams, by Lawrence J. Peters
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Editors Picks
For Certification
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by Joli Ballew and Deanna Reynolds, with Bonnie Biafore
Reviewed by Melissa von Tschudi-Sutton, content project manager, Microsoft Press
Are you a project management professional? Do you regularly work as a key member of a project team? If you answered "yes," you can use your project management experience (and our new training kit) to become a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS). By taking and passing Exam 70-632: Managing Projects with Microsoft Office Project 2007, you will certify that you can build, maintain, and control well-formed project plans.
To aid in your success, we've designed the MCTS Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-632): Managing Projects with Microsoft Office Project 2007. This training kit has been specifically written for team members, project leads, project managers, project schedulers, or anyone using Microsoft Office Project Standard or Professional 2007. As a training kit reader, you will have a solid understanding of project management methodology, as taught by the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), and of Windows-based programs.
With more than 550 pages, real-world examples, lesson and chapter review questions, exercises for topic reinforcement, and 200 realistic exam questions, you can be prepared to become an MCTS. This training kit will help you learn how to configure tools and options; set up a project; estimate, schedule, and budget tasks; work with project resources; and update and report on project performance.
Let's get back to the 200 practice exam questions for just a moment. You see, this isn't an ordinary technical training manual. We want you to be prepared when you take your exam. In this training kit, you can customize electronic practice tests from the provided lesson review questions to meet your needs and to help to reinforce your understanding of Office Project. Plus, you can practice for the 70-632 certification exam by using tests created from a pool of 200 realistic exam questions.
Get ready to achieve your MCTS certification!
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For IT Professionals
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by Brian Komar
Reviewed by Denise Bankaitis, content project manager, Microsoft Press
Find all the latest information on PKI and Certificate Security for Windows Server 2008 in security expert Brian Komar’s latest book on this powerful security solution. As a consultant specializing in network security and PKI, Brian travels around the world to provide training and implement security solutions. He has written numerous books and white papers, including MCSE Training Kit (Exam 70-220): Designing Microsoft Windows 2000 Network Security, and is the coauthor of the Microsoft Windows Security Resource Kit.
In Windows Server 2008 PKI and Certificate Security, Brian calls on his abundant hands-on experiences with customers as well as his established relationship with the Microsoft PKI product and testing team to provide readers with the latest features of Microsoft PKI and Windows Server 2008.
This book will guide you through the process of designing and implementing certificate-based security solutions and show you how to implement best practices, avoid common design and implementation mistakes, and help mitigate risk.
For a glimpse into what this book has to offer, here’s an excerpt from the book’s introduction:
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About This Book
Although you are welcome to read the book from cover to cover, it is divided into three self-contained parts. Each part contains chapters that build on the lessons and practices described within that part. Each chapter ends with a case study that enforces the critical concepts discussed in the chapter, allowing you to validate how well you understand the concepts of the chapter.
Part I, “Foundations of PKI,” provides an overview of cryptography and PKI concepts and culminates with one of the most important chapters in the book, Chapter 3, “Policies and PKI.” Part I ensures that you understand the relationship between a PKI and your organization’s security policies. Without strong policies and procedures, a PKI is simply a collection of application servers, rather than a mechanism for securing your network and its applications.
Part II, “Establishing a PKI,” provides a framework for designing and implementing a PKI within your organization, including detailed information on preparing your Active Directory Domain Services environment and designing and implementing your organization’s Certification Authority (CA) hierarchy. Part II includes information on designing and implementing a CA hierarchy, designing certificate templates, planning deployment of certificates to users and computers, and disaster recovery recommendations. When you complete Part II, you will have a CA hierarchy that is ready to deploy certificates for any PKI-enabled application used by your organization. In addition, this section covers clustering a CA and implementing Online Certificate Status Protocols (OCSPs).
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Announcements
Microsoft Press Has Launched E-Reference Library
The Microsoft Press E-Reference Library is the premier virtual library for IT professionals, developers, and information workers who want to learn about Microsoft products and related technologies. With the E-Reference Library, you can search across more than 500 technology books published by Microsoft Press and locate the information you are looking for with just one click. Within the application you can search by topic, code fragment, and problem. You can also add books to your personal bookshelf, create bookmarks, make notes, and download up to five chapters per month. The subscription-based library will update you on any new books coming out, and you don’t need to worry about your shelf space! Hosted by Books24x7, the Microsoft Press E-Reference Library is available for a seven-day trial.
Special Offer
Receive 20% Off Microsoft Press Books
Visit your local Barnes & Noble store from May 1 to June 3 and receive 20% off selected Microsoft Office and Windows Vista titles from Microsoft Press.
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May 21, 2008 
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Hot Sellers
For DevelopersAgile Project Management with Scrum, by Ken Schwaber
Code Complete, Second Edition, by Steve McConnell
For Home and Office UsersWindows Vista Plain & Simple, by Jerry Joyce and Marianne Moon
Windows Vista Step by Step, by Joan Preppernau and Joyce Cox
For IT ProfessionalsWindows Vista Resource Kit, by Mitch Tulloch, Tony Northrup, and Jerry Honeycutt with the Microsoft Windows Vista Team
Windows Vista Administrator's Pocket Consultant, by William R. Stanek, author and series editor
For CertificationMCTS Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-431): Microsoft SQL Server 2005 - Implementation and Maintenance, by Solid Quality Learning
MCTS Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-620): Configuring Windows Vista Client, by Ian McLean and Orin Thomas
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Latest Releases
For DevelopersProgramming Microsoft Visual C# 2008: The Language, by Donis Marshall
Programming Microsoft LINQ, by Paolo Pialorsi and Marco Russo
Simple Architectures for Complex Enterprises, by Roger Sessions
For Home and Office UsersMicrosoft Office Live: Take Your Business Online, by Katherine Murray
Windows Vista Inside Out Deluxe Edition, by Ed Bott, Carl Siechert, and Craig Stinson
For CertificationMCTS Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-640): Configuring Windows Server 2008 Active Directory, by Dan Holme, Nelson Ruest, and Danielle Ruest
MCTS Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-632): Managing Projects with Microsoft Office Project 2007, by Joli Ballew, Deanna Reynolds, and Bonnie Biafore
MCITP Self-Paced Training Kit (Exams 70-640, 70-642, 70-646): Windows Server 2008 Server Administrator Core Requirements, by Dan Holme, Nelson Ruest, Danielle Ruest, Tony Northrup, J.C. Mackin, Ian McLean, and Orin Thomas
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Coming Soon
For DevelopersAgile Portfolio Management, by Jochen Krebs
Hollywood Secrets of Project Management Success, by James Persse
Introducing Microsoft Silverlight 2, Second Edition, by Laurence Moroney
For Home and Office UsersWindows Vista: The Real Life Guide, by Windows Vista: the Official Magazine
For IT ProfessionalsMicrosoft Exchange Server 2007 Administrator's Companion, Second Edition, by Walter Glenn, Scott Lowe, and Joshua Maher
Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 Best Practices, by Ben Curry and Bill English with the Microsoft SharePoint Teams
Windows Command-Line Administrator's Pocket Consultant, Second Edition, by William R. Stanek
For CertificationMCTS Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-502): Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 - Windows Presentation Foundation, by Matthew A. Stoecker
MCITP Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-647): Windows Server Enterprise Administration, by Orin Thomas, John Policelli, Ian McLean, J.C. Mackin, Paul Mancuso, and David R. Miller, with GrandMasters
MCITP Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-238): Deploying Messaging Solutions with Microsoft Exchange Server 2007, by Nelson Ruest and Danielle Ruest with GrandMasters
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