Video Gives a Face to TechEd 2006

Information technology conferences are traditionally dry affairs, devoid of the pizzazz that exudes from shows like E3. But a group within Microsoft is attempting to change that by delivering an inside look at TechEd 2006 through the use of video.

TechEd is a week-long conference held by Microsoft for IT pros and developers, which is filled with technology sessions, hands on labs and an expo floor occupied by the Redmond company and its partners. In order to add some color and faces to the product announcements, Microsoft has designed Virtual TechEd to complement the event.

While sites like YouTube and Google Video have soared into the public's consciousness, companies are only beginning to adopt video as a method of communication. Microsoft in March launched a video podcast called 10, expanding on the popular video interviews filmed by Robert Scoble and offered on its Channel 9 developer site.

The goal of Virtual TechEd is to "convey the personality of the industry through short video clips," says Mario Juarez, senior product manager in the Server and Tools Division at Microsoft. Although the company considered hiring professional on-screen talent like it did with 10, the personable Juarez was picked to interview top Microsoft executives and product managers.

With brief on-air experience at NPR before coming to Microsoft in 1988 during the DOS 4.0 days, Juarez has ended up bringing credibility to the video shorts through his understanding of the topics covered at TechEd. He delves into mobile devices, SQL Server, Exchange 2007, high-performance computing, and more.

In addition to providing a behind-the-scenes view at TechEd 2006, Juarez hopes the videos will help Microsoft customers gain an understanding of the company's direction. It's easy to discuss individual software products, he says, but explaining how they come together to deliver a single vision for businesses is a tougher message to convey.

The team is clearly having some fun with Virtual TechEd as well. In an improvised video discussing Microsoft's internal beta testing, known as "dog-fooding," Juarez is able to maintain his composure after Microsoft CIO Ron Markezich feeds him a piece of actual dog food. Another video slated for Thursday will cover the free stuff being handed out by TechEd exhibitors.

Even with a limited budget for the "beta project," the Virtual TechEd crew was able to tap into Microsoft's extensive video resources. The company is constantly creating videos for internal and external use, and sent a three-person production team to Boston for TechEd. Each video is shot by multiple cameras and edited on Avid, Adobe Premiere and Apple's Final Cut Pro.

Thus far, the Virtual TechEd site has been a hit, although Juarez was unsure whether Microsoft would endorse the video model for future TechEd conferences or other events. Through day 2 of TechEd 2006, almost 33,000 visitors had spent an average of 13 minutes on the site, Microsoft told BetaNews.