Black Marble News RSS Feed

Black Marble welcomes another new staff member!

01-Jun-2006 09:05:04

Black Marble are delighted to welcome on board Mike Stocks, a new member of the development team.

Black Marble presents at the 3rd Developer Developer Developer day at Microsoft UK

03-May-2006 09:05:05

Black Marble were delighted to present at Developer Developer Developer Day 3 on 3 June. This FREE one day event built on the success of the previous DeveloperDeveloperDeveloper Days. As before it was all about developers learning, sharing and interacting with each other in an informal and relaxed atmosphere.

There were NO Microsoft speakers presenting, just speakers from the UK .NET developer community; although there were some of the Microsoft UK Developer Team on hand to help out and chat to attendees.

Richard unexpectedly started the day when he was asked to stand in for an ill speaker, and fortunately had a presentation on Unit Testing Graphical User Interfaces using Reflection almost ready to go. Robert's presentation, Linq to the Future finished off a great day.

For more information on the event from both Richard and Robert's perspectives, please check out our blog!

New Developer at Black Marble

20-Sep-2006 02:57:11

Black Marble are delighted to welcome on board James Mann, a new member of the development team.

Black Marble's team continues to grow with the welcome addition of James Mann.

New Office Administrator for Black Marble

20-Sep-2006 02:57:12

Laura Midgley becomes the latest new addition to Black Marble's team, taking on the challenging role of managing the ever-growing company office.

Ed Gibson/BI Events Re-scheduled.

05-Oct-2006 11:22:15

Due to complications with Ed Gibson's schedule we have to postpone the Leeds leg of Ed Gibson - On the Road and as a consequence Black Marble's first event 'Making the Most of your IT Systems using Business Intelligence', has been postponed to 27 February 2007. We apologise for any inconvenience and hope you will be able to attend.

As we saw such a huge interest in the event we have managed to secure Ed Gibson to speak at the first of Black Marble's community events on 7 December at 6pm, following Black Marble's day of events.

The venue remains the same, and in fact is now taking place after two of Black Marble's own events, but places are limited so do book early!

You can book on either event via the Events section of this website or by calling +44 1274 300 175.

Black Marble back at DD4

14-Nov-2006 05:02:37

Richard Fennell will be speaking once again at DDD4 at Microsoft in Reading on the 2 December. The topic will be "But it # my PC!" or continuous integration to improve software.

Check out our events page for more details or visit the official site: DDD4 Agenda.

Black Marble Continues to Grow

14-Nov-2006 05:07:14

Black Marble welcomes aboard another new recruit - Jon Fowler has joined our development team. Other recent expansion has seen Black Marble acquire a senior developer and new project manager.

Richard Fennell is Expert of the Month on the Best Practice Network

05-Dec-2006 07:22:36

Richard Fennell is Expert of the Month on the Best Practice Network.

This includes his article: Vista - A Manager's Overview. IT systems are presented with a number of challenges today. Microsoft Vista, the newest version of the Window family of products is designed to try to address these issues.

Microsoft Developer Launch Event coming to Black Marble

10-Jan-2007 02:23:31

Our Technical Update on 31 January is now including Martin Parry, a Developer Evangelist for Microsoft.

The Developer Evangelists for Microsoft are taking the developer launch for Office 2007 and Vista on the road in the next few weeks and are now including our Technical Update for Developers in their schedule.

Visit our Events page to book.

Black Marble talks Security with Ed Gibson at Northern Universities.

01-May-2007 09:52:03

Robert Hogg joined Microsoft Chief Security Advisor Ed Gibson on a short tour of Northern Universities to discuss issues of security in IT.

They visited York, Hull and Manchester and met with a great reception from the students and other audience members.

You can find out more about Mr. Gibson at Microsoft.com.

Robert and Ed are returning to the University circuit in the Autumn, the schedule of which is currently being arranged.

If you are interested in Mr. Gibson and Robert coming to speak at your University, please call Linda on 01274 841342.

New Look for Black Marble Offices

01-May-2007 09:59:40

To fit in with Black Marble's ever-expanding workforce, we have moved to bigger offices. Our new accommodation is in the same building so do not worry about finding us!

More New Faces at Black Marble

01-Jun-2007 10:01:57

This has been a year of strong growth for Black Marble, which has been reflected in the expansion of our team - new members include Paul Bloomfield, Robert Hancock, Andy Dawson and Steve Spencer.

More new staff are scheduled to join us over the summer.

Robert Hogg become MVP

01-Apr-2007 10:03:46

Robert Hogg has been made an MVP (Most Valuable Professional) for Visual Developer Solutions Architect. This is a great honour, and Robert is delighted to receive it in recognition of his contribution to the IT Developer Community in the UK.

Mentoring the Next Generation in the Imagine Cup

01-Apr-2007 10:09:39

Robert was delighted to mentor the winners of the UK leg of the Imagine Cup. Mat, Matt, Jim and Michelle aka The Seedlings from the University of Hull outshone the competition to represent the UK in the international final to be hald in Korea in August.

A Year of Unprecedented Growth For Black Marble

01-Aug-2007 11:49:29

Black Marble continues its amazing year of growth with a move into larger premises and the addition of more new staff, including Suzanne Lewis, who joins our senior consulting team.

Robert Hogg Takes his Team to Korea

08-Aug-2007 11:49:30

Robert Hogg has taken the winning UK Imagine Cup team to Korea to take part in the International Final. Unfortunately, the team were unsuccessful but made a great effort. Check out the Black Marble Blogs for more on Robert's experiences.

MSDN in association with Black Marble comes North

08-Aug-2007 12:03:47

Black Marble is proud to be associated with MSDN in the North.

Running the same day as Black Marble's own Seminars from September, Microsoft's MSDN events, presented by members of the Microsoft Developer Platform Evangelist Team are taking place at the same venue.

Bookings for these events can be made through the usual Black Marble booking system.

Mix:UK 07 is the premier event for web designers and web developers

04-Aug-2007 02:52:28

Don't forget to register for Mix:UK 07 - the premier event for Web Designers and Web Developers, coming to London this September (11/12). Early Bird registration expires 10 August. Black Marble will be attending in force, might see you there!

Speakers include:

Scott Guthrie, General Manager in Microsoft's Developer Division
George Moore, General Manager for the Windows Live Developer Group
Andy Hood, Creative Development Director, AKQA
Beau Ambur, CEO of Metaliq Inc
Paul Dawson, Head of Interactive Media, Conchango
Danny Thorpe, Senior Software Designer and previously architect of the Gears API at Google, and former Chief Scientist at Borland and Chief Architect of the Delphi compiler
Pete Barr-Watson, Interactive design industry veteran and best-selling author

Another MSDN Event in November

01-Oct-2007 09:48:45

MSDN, in association with Black Marble are returning again in November - focussing on SQL 2008 and featuring Mike Taulty and Mike Ormond. Booking open now.

Ed Gibson Returning

01-Oct-2007 09:50:06

Ed Gibson, the charismatic Chief Security Advisor for Microsoft UK, is returning to the North of England to speak again.

Ed is an ex-FBI agent and delivers a fascinating talk on his experiences and views on security in the IT world and how to combat organised crime on the Internet.

This event is likely to fill up so please book early. Booking open now.

Black Marble Presents at TechEd 2007

27-Nov-2007 11:03:45

Black Marble directors Robert Hogg and Richard Fennell presented at TechEd Developers Europe 2007 on "Implementing Enterprise Service Bus using Microsoft Biztalk Server".

Can Black Marble Save Christmas ... ?

10-Dec-2007 05:02:33

Find out how in our Xmas series.

Will Santa get his list back? Who is the mysterious man in black? All this, and more will be revealed ...

The Continuing Adventures of the Black Marble Brigade ...

19-Dec-2007 06:57:46

Check out parts 2 to 6 of Black Marble Saves Christmas ... Can BizTalk Boy and SharePoint Sprite overcome the evil carollers??

Ed Gibson Secures the North

31-Jan-2008 11:52:47

Ed Gibson, Chief Security Advisor for Microsoft UK once again wowed the evening crowd at the Black Marble Community Event at the end of January. A strong turnout ensured an enthusiastic round of Q&A followed Ed's enlightening presentation, leaving all the attendees with something to think about.

SharePoint, Silverlight and Windows Mobile

01-Feb-2008 11:56:07

If you haven't already registered for our February 26th events, why not take this opportunity to do so now? The morning is covering SharePoint 2007, the afternoon MSDN event is Silverlight and the evening is Windows Mobile Development with Visual Studio 2008.

Refreshments, including lunch, is provided!

Black Marble at the Irish Web Technology Conference

22-Feb-2008 12:00:10

Robert Hogg and Mat Steeples are speaking at the Irish Web Technology Conference, which runs Tuesday 26th February - Friday 29th February 2008.

Their hot topic is Volta ... Decisions in application architecture are currently made well in advance of implementation. They discuss how future changes in development tooling will change the way that multi-tier web application architecture is implemented.

Robert and Richard Speaking at Irish Microsoft Technology Conference

19-Mar-2008 10:27:46

Robert Hogg and Richard Fennell are speaking at the Irish Microsoft Technology Conference in Dublin on the 3rd and 4th of April. Robert is covering BizTalk and ESB and Richard is discussing SQL Server 2008.

Richard Fennell and Tom Wardill Speaking at Developer Day Scotland

19-Mar-2008 10:34:50

Richard Fennell and Tom Wardill are presenting at Developer Day Scotland on 10th May. Richard is presenting on Continuous Integration to Improve Quality and Tom is presenting on ASP.NET MVC: Testing the Web.

Heroes Happen {here}

29-Mar-2008 12:36:33

Black Marble are taking part in the Microsoft Launch of Windows Server 2008, Visual Studio 2008 and SQL Server 2008.

These products provide a secure and trusted platform for creating and running your most demanding applications. Combined, the products provide a solid foundation for next-generation web applications, broad support for virtualisation technology and access to relevant information. Advanced security technology, developer support for the latest platforms, improved management and web tools, flexible virtualisation solutions, and access to relevant information from throughout your organisation enable you to drive your business forward.

Check out our launch events {here} and visit the Official Site {here}.

Robert Hogg now MVP for BizTalk

17-Apr-2008 01:13:16

Robert Hogg, formerly Microsoft Valued Professional (MVP) for Visual Studio Architect is now MVP for BizTalk.

And in April 2008, he attended the MVP summit at Microsoft in Redmond, check out his blog for details of his time there.

Black Marble involved in the Launch of SBUG

07-May-2008 08:22:26

Burley Kawasaki announced the launch of SBUG ... the UK SOA and BPM User Group at the Microsoft Architecture Insight Conference 2008. Its mission is to enable its members to maximise its understanding of the Microsoft SOA and BPM product and partner landscape.

Black Marble is proud to be in at the formation of this User Group, and we look forward to contributing to its future, as well as promoting Architecture Conferences in the North of England.

Richard Fennell Awarded MVP for Team System

03-Jul-2008 12:46:50

Richard Fennell, Engineering Director at Black Marble has just been awarded Microsoft Valued Professional (MVP) for Team System.

Richard joins Robert, Black Marble's MD, in the ranks of MVP in the UK.

Ask the Expert at TechEd IT US

09-Jun-2008 12:50:54

Robert, our resident BizTalk MVP spent the week of TechED IT in the US on the BizTalk standing, in the role of 'Ask the Expert'.

New Series of Events from Black Marble

02-Sep-2008 11:21:52

Black Marble's new series of events kick off on the 22 October with Effective Companywide Project Management with Microsoft Project, featuring guest speaker Paul Major of Program Framework. This is paired with TechNet's Security Improvements with Windows Server 2008 and Bitlocker, and followed up by Silverlight, XNA and Gaming with Richard Costall and Peter McGann.

Check out our Events page for more details on all our forthcoming events!

Soa and Esb Architecture with BizTalk

15-Jan-2008 11:55:34

In 2008, Wrox Press published an EBrief by Robert Hogg and Ewan Fairweather (BizTalk Premier Field Engineer): Soa and Esb Architecture with BizTalk.

It explores Service Orientated Architecture and the Enterprise Service Bus, focusing on how it can be implemented using Microsoft BizTalk Server. It explains the need for SOA Architecture in an enterprise business and looks at the key Business and IT Drivers in business, how they can interact, and where there are conflicts that SOA can help resolve. Specifically, the author discusses Microsoft ESB Guidance and how, by using BizTalk 2006, ESB implementation can provide a solid platform for SOA development; management across the IT and Business Space with the Governance and tools provided in the ESB Toolkit; pointers to online resources, including guides on installing and deploying ESB; and how to avoid common SOA pitfalls.

Microsoft Spotlights Black Marble working with Prontaprint using MOSS 2007

22-Sep-2008 10:36:46

Design and print-on-demand service provider Prontaprint wanted to enhance service quality and standardise new brand positioning across its 175 franchised centres. It brought in Black Marble to take advantage of our skills and experience with Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 to build a Web solution to improve collaboration between the centres as well as with customers.

You can read more about the project here: Franchiser Uses Web Collaboration Solution, Increases Sales Order Value by 55 Per Cent.

Do you want to attend FREE high quality technical presentations from the best in their field?

03-Nov-2008 10:26:26

On 19 November we are running a day full of FREE events ... including a free lunch!

The day opens with a CRM event - We will show that Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 is a fully integrated customer relationship management (CRM) system, which gives you the capability to easily create and maintain a clear view of customers from first contact through purchase and post sales.

The afternoon brings on board MSDN - What’s New in Visual Studio 2008 Service Pack 1? with Mike Taulty and Eric Nelson.

Finally, the evening brings Enhancing Developer Productivity with DevExpress CodeRush and Refactor! with Oliver Sturm.

Remember - all our events are free - you do not need to come for the whole day ... and there is great food!

Call on 01274 814305 to book ...

Architecture Forum in the North

11-Nov-2008 02:32:55

Black Marble and Microsoft invite you to join us for an event featuring the top architecture experts in the UK. This is an unique opportunity to provide IT Managers, IT and software architects from Northern businesses the chance to learn about the latest technologies and best practices from Microsoft in the field of Architecture, including the exciting new announcements about cloud computing that were unveiled at the Professional Developers Conference in October.

This full day event will provide insightful information about the latest techniques, demonstrating how with Microsoft’s architecture tools and technologies you can address your current business needs. Both the morning and afternoon tracks can be booked and attended separately.

Agenda

9:30 - Welcome/Introductions

9:45 - Sustainable IT – from Datacentre to Cloud with Matt Deacon, Chief Architectural Advisor, Microsoft.

10:45 - Break

11:15 - Patterns & Practices - Guidance for the Architect with Simon Thurman, Architect Evangelist, Microsoft.

12:15 - Lunch

13:15 - Windows Azure and the Azure Services Platform – What is it all about? with Simon Davies, Senior Architectural Engineer, Microsoft.

14:30 - Break

15:00 - Oslo, Microsoft’s Vision for the Future of SOA with Robert Hogg, Black Marble.

16:15 - Summary

16:30 - Close

For more information, including how to book:

Architecture Forum in the North, Part I - Architecture Best Practices and Architecture Forum in the North, Part II - A Vision for the Future of Architecture

Or you can call on 01274 841 305 to reserve your place.

Black Marble Christmas Cards are back ...

30-Nov-2008 10:59:31

Following 2007's successful series of Christmas cards, 'Black Marble Saves Xmas' ... we had such fun putting them together, that we had too many ideas for this years ... and as a result we have decided to share them with you throughout December.

So enjoy your Holiday Season, take a look at our official card and find out what isn't falling through your letter box ...

Architecture Forum - Great Success

04-Dec-2008 01:14:30

Black Marble hosted the first Architecture Forum in the North today and despite the treacherous weather conditions, there was a great and enthusiastic turnout.

The day opened with Matt Deacon, Chief Architectural Advisor from Microsoft espousing on Sustainable IT, followed up by Simon Thurman, a Microsoft Architecture Evangelist on Patterns and Practices. A round table arrangement for lunch kept the conversation going, all over fabulous turkey sandwiches and freshly made mince pies … one thing you can say about a Black Marble event, you always get fed well! The afternoon kicked off with Senior Architectural Engineer from Microsoft, Simon Davies explaining Azure, and the final session of the day saw Black Marble MD and Architecture MVP Robert Hogg discussing Oslo and Microsoft’s vision for the future of Modelling.

Everyone had a really great time … especially the lucky attendee who went home with a free X-Box courtesy of Black Marble!

The Black Marble Technical Update Returns

18-Jan-2009 03:16:53

Black Marble’s Annual Technical Update returns on the 21st January at 2pm … and we’re ready to reveal what little gems you may have missed in 2008, and what you can expect in 2009 and beyond. If you’ve never been to a Black Marble event before, this is a great introduction, it covers the products you know, and those you didn’t know were there. Looks like a great turnout this year. so come early, and join us for a fabulous lunch!

And don’t forget, from 6pm Ed Gibson, Chief Security Advisor to Microsoft UK is returning to speak his mind – his third visit to Black Marble, and always a popular event.

Visit our Events section to register.

Black Marble joins Microsoft's Business Advisor Podcast Series

12-Feb-2009 12:26:18

Robert Hogg was one of the experts called upon by Microsoft to contribute to the "Save to Gain" podcast, part of their "Business Advisor" series. This is a set of podcasts featuring commentary from Microsoft executives, independent experts and partners discussing topical business issues. Robert joins Scott Dodds, general manager of the Small and Medium Solutions and Partners division at Microsoft UK and David Sumner Smith, Programme Director of Telegraph Business Club, to provide some practical guidance on how to cut costs without harming the productivity or efficiency of your business.

Black Marble sponsors Alt.Net in the North

20-Feb-2009 12:22:01

Black Marble are proud to sponsor the Northern date for Alt.Net ... the community Open Space forum conference, where the attendees set the agenda. It opens on Friday 17 April, with an evening session to set the agena for the following Saturday. More details can be found at http://www.altdotnetuknorth.info/

Black Marble at the MVP Summit

08-Mar-2009 12:20:27

Black Marble MVPs Robert Hogg and Richard Fennell have just attended the Microsoft MVP Global Summit. Featuring more than 400 technical sessions, Robert and Richard were among their peers from around the world that received access to exclusive technical content, participated in direct feedback sessions, and met with Microsoft executives and product teams.

Black Marble MD becomes Honorary Fellow at the University of Hull

08-Mar-2009 08:01:19

Black Marble MD, Robert Hogg has been appointed Honorary Fellow in the Department of Computer Science, at the University of Hull.

Fourth Annual Microsoft Architect Insight Conference

27-Mar-2009 10:29:37

Black Marble are pleased to announce their participation in the Fourth Annual Microsoft Architect Insight Conference taking place in London on the 8th May. As well as being a Platinum sponsor for this event, MD Robert Hogg is speaking on Oslo, and along with Richard Fennell will be taking part in interactive sessions.

The theme of the event is ‘Architecture as a foundation for business’, and contains a fantastic speaker line up including keynote talks focusing on experiences of developing and deploying large scale business solutions on the Microsoft platform.

As in previous years the AIC will focus on current and emerging trends in the field of IT Architecture including:-

Enterprise Architecture: focusing on cost reduction, improved agility and responsiveness to the business.
Solution Architecture: focusing on the changing architecture of the client, from thick to thin to rich to smart.
Infrastructure Architecture: focusing on the infrastructure tools and technologies of the server and data centre.

The format of the Architect Insight Conference in 2009 has changed to reflect the challenging business environment that many companies are experiencing, but is still focused on arming IT Architects with the knowledge and tools needed to succeed – so please join us!

Robert Hogg makes Fellow of the BCS

21-Apr-2009 01:54:57

Black Marble MD has added Fellow of the BCS to his growing list of titles. The grade of Fellowship of the BCS comprises the most senior and respected professionals in the field of IT. Black Marble is proud to be a corporate member of the BCS, and has among its staff: 4 Chartered IT Professionals and 16 Members of the BCS.

Black Marble Sponsors The National Museum of Computing

10-Jun-2009 03:09:28

Black Marble's donation to The National Museum of Computing enabled the opening of a new research office.

The office includes a large selection of published books, including a very wide section on the history of computing. The facilities include photocopying, viewing micro-film and micro-fiche, and equipment for replaying video cassettes in those important (historic) formats such as UMatic and VHS.

The National Museum of the Computing is dedicated to showing the development of computing from 1940 to the present day. It houses both the Colossus computer and some of the famous Enigma machines.

Richard Fennell: MVP Status Renewed

02-Jul-2009 01:38:38

Black Marble are delighted to announce Richard Fennell’s renewal as an MVP (Microsoft Valued Professional) for Team System, joining Robert Hogg (MVP for Connected Systems).

Microsoft Most Valuable Professionals (MVPs) are exceptional technical community leaders from around the world who are awarded for voluntarily sharing their high quality, real world expertise in offline and online technical communities. Microsoft MVPs are a highly select group of experts that represents the technical community's best and brightest, and they share a deep commitment to community and a willingness to help others.

Black Marble in the WPC 2009 Keynote Address

15-Jul-2009 11:21:54

During the Day 1 Keynote at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference in New Orleans, the auditorium heard Black Marble's IT Director Rik Hepworth air his views and thoughts on the forthcoming Office and SharePoint 2010 releases.

Plus, if you are attending the conference, you can find out more about Black Marble's Service Offerings at the 'Services Ready' booth opposite Hall E, and why not arrange to meet up in Hall A with WPC Connect?

Black Marble speaking at The Irish Software Show

20-Aug-2009 09:59:57

Black Marble directors Robert Hogg and Richard Fennell, and consultant Iain Angus, are speaking at “epicenter” – The Irish Software Show, in Dublin (26 – 28 August). Three days of software excellence for software architects, CTOs and developers of all knowledge and experience levels. The event is running over four zones, with 74 sessions in total. The Microsoft stream of epicenter 2009 builds upon the biggest ever Microsoft conferences ever held in Ireland, the Irish Microsoft Technologies Conferences of 2006, 2007 and 2008.

Robert has two sessions: “Oslo, Microsoft’s Vision for the Future of Modelling” and “Software Project Management War Stories”, and Richard has two sessions: “Application Lifecycle Management – Moving Beyond Source Control” and “Making Testers part of the Development Team”. Iain will be speaking on Azure, Microsoft’s Cloud Computing Initiative.

Black Marble tours Bletchley Park and the National Museum of Computing

07-Sep-2009 01:40:51

Black Marble proudly supports the important work of the Bletchley Park Trust and the National Museum of Computing, and in September 2009, a number of the Black Marble team took the opportunity to tour both organisations.

The Bletchley Park Trust manages the historic site of Station X , the base of British codebreaking activities during World War II and birthplace of the modern computer.

The team behind the National Museum of Computing are striving to bring a hands-on approach to technology history, with the world’s first purpose built computer centre, the oldest working computer and of course, Colossus – the first digital, programmable, and electronic machine.

We would like to thank Niki Holmes-Bridges from the Bletchley Park Trust and Kevin Murrell and Bob Jones from the National Museum of Computing for their kindness and our behind the scenes tour, contributing to our great day out.

If you would like to help the work at the Bletchley Park Trust and the National Museum of Computing, please visit their websites and select Donate.

Remember Remember the 5th November

06-Oct-2009 01:12:53

After our successful Visual Studio 2010 event, we are now anticipating a fantastic day for our Office 2010 and SharePoint 2010 Early Access day on 5 November. Black Marble will be fresh from the SharePoint Conference in Las Vegas and will be sharing our knowledge with you about the great new features in the 2010 release of Office and SharePoint.

And if you’re at the SharePoint Conference – look out for Black Marble staff!

Black Marble hits Vegas for the SharePoint 2009 Conference

15-Oct-2009 01:21:18

The official Microsoft SharePoint Conference 2009 has sold out, but Black Marble is attending in force. Geared up for the exciting new announcements around SharePoint 2010, look out for Black Marble's Robert Hogg and Andy Dawson on stage on Thursday morning with Ryan McMinn from the Access team presenting about exciting new functionality in SharePoint.

The conference will be looking towards the future with deep content centred on SharePoint 2010, as well as sharing real world experience and guidance to assist in maximising your investment in SharePoint Server 2007. With ample opportunities to network with technical and industry experts, don’t forget to look out for the Black Marble team!

And on your return, why not attend our Office 2010/SharePoint 2010 event on 5 November? Get all the latest launch news direct from our experts and see the latest features demonstrated live.

Connect ... Collaborate ... SharePoint.

Black Marble in Berlin for TechEd EMEA 2009

10-Nov-2009 12:17:44

Black Marble’s Rik Hepworth and Suzanne Kelwick are in Berlin for the sold-out Microsoft TechEd EMEA 2009. Why not look out for them around the conference? And keep up with Rik’s thoughts as the conference progresses.

TechEd EMEA provides developers and IT professionals a comprehensive technical education across Microsoft's current and soon-to-release suite of products, solutions and services. It provides hands-on learning, deep product exploration and opportunities to connect with industry and Microsoft experts.

Black Marble at the Professional Developers Conference in LA

13-Nov-2009 12:05:28

No less than EIGHT Black Marble devlopers are hitting the West Coast of the US for the 2009 Professional Developer's Conference (PDC). The PDC is the definitive event focused on the technical strategy of the Microsoft developer platform. Black Marble will join 1000s of attendees from around the world to mingle with and learn from the people who make it happen.

The PDC guides developers, architects and technology leaders with guidance in the following key areas:

Microsoft's vision and roadmap for the future of developer technology
Deep, technical content delivered by Microsoft's technology leaders
Hands-on access to the latest developer technologies and over 1,000 Microsoft product and technology experts
Unique networking opportunities - so if you're there ... make sure you get in touch with Black Marble!

Directors and MVPs Robert Hogg and Richard Fennell are among the attendees from Black Marble.

Black Marble joins Inner Circle for Visual Studio

19-Nov-2009 12:13:42

Black Marble has joined the Microsoft Visual Studio Team System Inner Circle programme. The programme is an initiative from Microsoft to engage with key application life-cycle management (ALM) partners worldwide, and Black Marble is one of only a few in the UK. As an Inner Circle partner we work closely in a recriprocal relationship with the Microsoft experts, both nationally and internationally, receiving specialised training and early access to the next generation of Microsoft Developer Tools.

Black Marble's Engineering Director, Richard Fennell, is an MVP for Visual Studio Team System.

Black Marble Speaking at NxtGenUG on Project War Stories

30-Nov-2009 02:15:24

Robert Hogg and Steve Spencer present on Software Project Management War Stories for NxtGenUG at Coventry Aero Club. It is a pragmatic look at what things make projects succeed including how to manage software developers, how to be managed and how to finish a project with your sanity intact.

Return of the Black Marble Brigade

03-Dec-2009 05:34:01

After saving Christmas in 2007, the Black Marble Brigade are returning in an all-new adventure for the 2009 Black Marble Christmas card series.

Part 1 in the post now, as well as appearing on our website. Part 2 is due 7th December, and part 3 on the 10th.

This year, for every card sent we are making a donation to The Bletchley Park Trust and The National Museum of Computing

Visual Studio and ALM Event now coming to Edinburgh

08-Jan-2010 10:37:12

Following on from the Black Marble-Microsoft successful Visual Studio 2010 and ALM events run in Yorkshire and London, we are now taking it to Edinburgh. Microsoft speaker Giles Davies will return with Black Marble’s Richard Fennell, MVP for TFS. The event will be run at Waverley Gate, Microsoft’s offices in Edinburgh and conveniently located close to the railway station.

Click here to register for this event.

Here is what some of the attendees from the London/Yorkshire events had to say:

Excellent level of professionalism throughout the day. Very informative and useful as always. The debugging history feature was invaluable in itself not to mention the UI code testing, thanks. Job well done! Brill new features; especially testing management.

Black Marble has relocated to Woodland Park

15-Feb-2010 11:32:30

Black Marble recently went on an epic quest to find new premises!

After thirteen years at Angel Way in the middle of Bradford, Black Marble has relocated to Woodland Park on the outskirts of Bradford. Completely refurbished to our specification, the new premises is an exciting new chapter in the Black Marble story.

We are located just off Junction 26 of the M62 – a convenient location for all staff and visitors.

Visit our contact page for directions and a map of where we are!

Black Marble is Supporting givewithbing.com

02-Mar-2010 12:52:10

Black Marble is supporting the Bing campaign to raise money for Sport Relief through endless Searching.

Every 10 qualifying searches on Bing generate 5p for Sport Relief! Rather than run a mile, why not exercise your searching muscles and still raise money.

The campaign is running until 31 March.

Black Marble presents Microsoft TechDays in the North!

04-Mar-2010 01:16:45

Following our popular Architect Insight Forum in the North, Black Marble is delighted to bring you Microsoft TechDays in the North!

Microsoft are celebrating a number of product launches and innovations during TechDays: a week of technology and social events. Black Marble is joining in with a Northern event exploring how you can get the most from the latest technology releases including Visual Studio 2010 and SilverLight4 and explore how Microsoft's platform and tools bring together the clients, servers and services needed to build rich engaging applications.

We’re opening with a morning on Visual Studio 2010 featuring Black Marble and Microsoft US’ Matt Nunn, Visual Studio Program Manager. Matt will be exploring Visual Studio Team Foundation Server. You can register here.

During the afternoon, Black Marble will be bringing you Mix:Remixed – all the highlights from Microsoft’s web conference in Vegas as well as Microsoft SilverLight Guru Jesse Liberty as part of his tour of User Groups throughout the UK and Ireland. You can register here

Why not come for the day? Always great food, and great chance to interact with the experts!

Black Marble in Vegas for MIX 2010

11-Mar-2010 12:47:10

Black Marble’s Robert Hogg and Lauren Fear are in Vegas during March for MIX 2010 – the premier web conference from Microsoft. Now in its fifth year, MIX is a gathering of designers and developers who together are building innovative web sites. With in-depth exposure to new Microsoft technologies – including Windows Phone 7!

Black Marble will be mingling with the industry’s inspiring leaders on a wide-range of topics from SilverLight to Expression through Internet Explorer.

Plus on 15 April, we are bring you the highlights of MIX at our own event running as part of Microsoft Techdays – Mix in the North, featuring Microsoft SilverLight Guru Jesse Liberty

Techdays in the North a Big Success

21-Apr-2010 11:58:46

During Microsoft’s week long series of events to support the launch of Visual Studio 2010, Black Marble’s TechDays in the North sessions were a big success. 100+ arrived in Yorkshire to hear Microsoft’s Matt Nunn outline Visual Studio 2010 and to watch Richard Fennell’s demo.

The afternoon continued with Robert Hogg and Lauren Fear overviewing the key announcements from Mix 2010, including Windows Phone 7, before SilverLight Guru Jesse Liberty presented in his entertaining and educational style.

If you want to find out more about how Visual Studio 2010 can be implemented within your business, please get in touch (01274 300175).

Richard Fennell delivering three sessions at the Norwegian Developers Conference

28-Apr-2010 01:09:03

Richard Fennell is speaking at the Norwegian Developers Conference, 16-18 June. The conference will focus on agile program development on Microsoft platforms.

Richard has three sessions:

The conference has 135 sessions, with more than 50 speakers including Mads Torgersen, Chris Sells, Rob Conery, Mike Cohn and Robert C. Martin.

Themes from the conference include:

Agile projects including LEAN, SCRUM, Kanban, and Agile Testing.
Test–Driven Development for beginners and advanced developers.
Silverlight and Rich Internet Applications.

More information is available from the Norwegian Developers Conference Website, we well as information on how to register.

Richard Fennell – MVP for Visual Studio (ALM)

04-May-2010 10:08:04

Black Marble’s Engineering Director Richard Fennell had a name change to coincide with the recent launch of Visual Studio 2010 – no longer an MVP for Team System, he is now an MVP for Visual Studio (ALM).

Robert Hogg into Fourth Year as MVP

07-May-2010 01:39:23

Black Marble MD Robert Hogg has been given the Most Valuable Professional award for the fourth year running!

MVP for Connected Systems, Robert is delighted to once again be recognised for his work in this area, and to be joining a fantastic group of experts around the world.

SharePoint 2010 and Office 2010 Launch Today!

12-May-2010 11:37:49

Today is the global launch of Office 2010 and SharePoint 2010. At 4pm UK time Stephen Elop, President of the Microsoft Business Division delivers the keynote focusing on how peers and partners use the Microsoft platform to delivery maximum productivity, enhance choice and aid developers build innovative solutions.

Black Marble has been an early adopter of SharePoint 2010 and is delighted to be able to offer consultancy services around the platform, assisting your business in staying ahead of the curve. If you would like to find out more about how we can help you implement SharePoint 2010, please call 01274 853385.

You can watch the Keynote online here

Black Marble Zone at the Irish Software Show

01-Jun-2010 11:43:49

Black Marble is out in force for Epicenter, the Irish Software Show. Robert Hogg, Steve Spencer and Iain Angus are all speaking in the Black Marble Zone on the 8th June 2010.

Their sessions include:

Advantages for your Business with Visual Studio 2010

30-Jun-2010 11:58:15

Do you have a development team? Are they using Visual Studio 2008 or 2010? We are running a series of FREE events in Yorkshire, London and Edinburgh in July and August, highlighting how Visual Studio 2010 can aid Application Lifecycle Management (ALM).

Black Marble is a leading expert in delivering the full ALM story; we promote best practices for quality in development and delivery to help you manage and optimise your entire software development process.

Remember, our events are free, and all our speakers present at a National and International level. As well as a presentation, these sessions include a round table discussion where you can put your questions to the experts.

Black Marble, Yorkshire - 22 July | 5 August
Microsoft, Edinburgh - 10 August
Royal College of Physicians, London - 29 July | 12 August

Richard Fennell Awarded MVP for Visual Studio (ALM) – Again!

05-Jul-2010 10:18:53

Black Marble’s Engineering Director Richard Fennell has once again been awarded Microsoft Most Valuable Professional for Visual Studio (ALM). Now in his third year as an MVP, Richard joins MD Robert Hogg, now in his fourth year as an MVP (Connected Systems).

Richard regularly speaks at events and conferences both nationally and internationally in his field, and is just recently returned from the Norwegian Developers’ Conference. His next engagement includes a series of Black Marble Events on Visual Studio 2010 and how it can benefit your business.

New Scrum Master and Developer at Black Marble

12-Jul-2010 12:41:41

Black Marble’s Development Director Steve Spencer, is now a Certified Professional Scrum Master and Scrum Developer.

Scrum is an the leading agile framework for completing complex projects, and Black Marble use it for software development projects, to assist in managing the Application Lifecycle.

What Visual Studio SKU is right for you?

06-Sep-2010 02:35:59

Black Marble is running a series of 4 events taking you from Visual Studio Express to Visual Studio Ultimate to help you figure out which product will work for you.

These events are running in London and the North – choose which venue suits you to find out which product suits you!

From Express to Ultimate: Improving Productivity with Visual Studio

21 September – Black Marble HQ, West Yorkshire, Click Here to Register
12 October – Microsoft London (Cardinal Place), Click Here to Register
16 November – Black Marble HQ, West Yorkshire, Click Here to Register
12 October – Microsoft London (Cardinal Place), Click Here to Register

Don’t forget to follow Black Marble on Twitter to keep up to date with all our forthcoming events!

Mixing it in the North with Black Marble and Microsoft

07-Sep-2010 01:18:15

Want to know more about Windows Phone 7? Wondering how Microsoft’s platform will help deliver the next generation of web applications? Join Black Marble and Microsoft for Mix in the North, exploring the next generation of rich internet applications, websites and multi-touch devices.

We are joined by Michael McClary and Will Coleman of Microsoft for this event.

Sharing our SharePoint 2010 Expertise

09-Sep-2010 01:26:50

Black Marble has been implementing solutions on SharePoint 2010 for over a year, and in November we are running an event to demonstrate some of the key features we use to deliver the best results.

Plus, during the afternoon session, we will explore how SharePoint can be used for content management and how a visually exciting and dynamic experience can be produced.

Architects back in the North with Black Marble

08-Sep-2010 01:43:22

Our third Annual Architecture Forum in the North returns with a focus on ‘Tools and Methods for Architects’ on 8 December.

Fresh from the PDC at Microsoft Corp, join Black Marble speakers Robert Hogg, Richard Fennell and Steve Spencer as well as Microsoft’s Simon Davies, Simon Thurman and Giles Davies, among others to hear the latest for Architects.

Plus it’s close to Christmas so there’s sure to be an X-Box giveaway!

Taking Black Marble to the PDC!

25-Oct-2010 10:38:06

Black Marble are delighted to be providing this year’s PDC with 1% of its overall attendees! 9 of our guys are attending the Microsoft Professional Developer’s Conference taking place this year for the first time at Microsoft in Redmond.

Our team will join other leading-edge developers and architects to hear first-hand from Microsoft’s leaders about the next generation of Microsoft developer technologies.

Great News on Kinect this Xmas from Black Marble

26-Nov-2010 10:25:29

The great game console gift this Christmas is the XBox with Kinect – and watch this space for some exciting news from Black Marble on that very topic!

Architects, Tools, Methods and the Cloud

25-Nov-2010 10:49:20

We’re all in with Microsoft for our Architecture Forum in the North on 8 December. Microsoft speakers Simon Thurman, Simon Davies, Giles Davies and Ranjit Sodhi are joining Black Marble regulars Robert Hogg, Steve Spencer and Richard Fennell to a day of great presentations and discussions around Tools and Methods for Architects with a distinct Cloud flavour.

Taking place at The Holiday Inn [link to our Venue page] on 8 December, why not join us? Register here.

Expect lots of Christmas cheer!

What is the Path to Productivity for your Business with Visual Studio?

24-Nov-2010 11:13:14

Join Black Marble at Microsoft London to find out which Visual Studio SKU will work for your development team and business. Using our experience as a top Application Lifecycle Management and Visual Studio consultancy house, and Microsoft Inner Circle partner to determine the best tools for your business productivity.

This event is taking place at Microsoft London – Cardinal Place, 100 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 5JL.

Black Marble Big XBox Elf Check Bonanza

15-Dec-2010 02:42:02

Want an Extra Christmas Treat?

Any customer who commissions a TFS “elf” check this December from Black Marble will be entered into a Prize Draw for a chance to win an XBox 360 with Kinect!

A Black Marble Visual Studio Team Foundation Server (VS TFS) Health Check is a great way to identify any inefficiency in the development process across projects and applications, as well as providing guidance in how to pull it back on track.

Make use of our years of experience and knowledge around the Visual Studio family of products – we are a Microsoft Inner Circle Partner, hold the Gold Application Lifecycle Management Competency in the Microsoft Partner Network and our Engineering Director is a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) in Visual Studio (ALM).

For further details: Prize Draw Rules

Going Postal with Black Marble this Christmas

01-Dec-2010 10:53:32

Today sees the return of the Black Marble Christmas Adventures, with ‘Going Postal’ – can our team of superheroes save Santa in this Yuletide tale? This year Black Marble Brigade utilises great Microsoft Technologies with Windows Phone 7 and Microsoft Surface in their heroic endeavours.

Look out for the next instalment on Friday 3rd December, with the remaining episodes appearing:

8th December, 10th December, 15th December, 17th December with the final exciting instalment on 22nd December!

Black Marble is Gold in Application Lifecycle Management

01-Dec-2010 11:18:01

Black Marble is delighted to be the first UK Microsoft Partner to achieve the Gold standard in the Application Lifecycle Management Competency.

Microsoft restructured its Partner Programme in October, and now partners need to attain a higher standard to obtain Gold in any competency. Black Marble specialises in working the Microsoft Visual Studio suite of developer tools to manage the Application Lifecycle, and is pleased to be recognised for our efforts.

With our Engineering Director, Richard Fennell’s recognition as a Microsoft MVP for Visual Studio (ALM) and his new status as an ALM Ranger, Black Marble has shown they are the UK specialists in this field.

Also, why not take advantage of our skills this Christmas and give yourself the opportunity to win an Xbox and Kinect? For every customer who purchases an Visual Studio Team Foundation Server Health Check (VS TFS) during December, you will be entered into a draw! More details here!

Gold in Portals and Collaboration for Black Marble

01-Dec-2010 12:54:35

Black Marble is delighted to announce they have attained the Gold standard in the Portals and Collaboration Competency, in the re-launched Microsoft Partner Network.

Our Gold Portals and Collaboration Competency, coupled with our Silver Content Management Competency mark Black Marble as the skilled and experienced company for SharePoint consultancy. In fact, as the only Gold Portals and Collaboration Partner in the UK, we are the best people to introduce SharePoint 2010 to your business!

Black Marble gets its own ALM Ranger

01-Dec-2010 01:09:43

Black Marble’s Engineering Director Richard Fennell has been further recognised for his in-depth skills with Application Lifecycle Management by being awarded the status of ALM Ranger.

News of Richard’s new status was announced yesterday, and he joins a very respected global team. We are delighted that Richard has been further recognised by Microsoft for his skill and knowledge in the ALM field.

Visual Studio ALM Rangers deliver out of band solutions for missing features or guidance.

Visual Studio ALM Rangers are responsible for the creation of reusable “out of band” solutions for missing functionality in the Team Foundation Server (TFS) and Visual Studio Team Server (VSTS) family of products.
Visual Studio ALM Rangers are striving for active community readiness knowledge sharing.
Visual Studio ALM Rangers can and are influencing VSTS.vNext … the next generation of the tools.

They are a mixture of Microsoft staff, MVPs and other industry leaders.

And why not take advantage of our skills this Christmas and give yourself the opportunity to win an Xbox and Kinect? For every customer who purchases a Visual Studio Team Foundation Server (VS TFS) Health Check during December, you will be entered into a draw! More details here!

Black Marble support Bletchley Park and TNMOC for Xmas Once Again!

15-Dec-2010 10:25:50

Once again, Black Marble is supporting Bletchley Park and The National Museum of Computing this Christmas – for every Xmas card we send we are making a donation to these great organisations that are so important to our industry.

This year, the Black Marble Brigade are saving Santa once again in our Christmas adventure: Going Postal!. Part Five has gone live today, and the remaining instalments appearing on the 17th and 22nd of December.

Welcome to Microsoft Samsung SUR40 (Surface 2)

06-Jan-2011 10:57:43

At the 2011 International CES in Las Vegas, Microsoft, in partnership with Samsung Electronics, announced Samsung SUR40 (Surface 2) – the next generation of the Microsoft Surface experience featuring PixelSense ™ Technology – powering the slimline new version of the multi-touch interactive device without the use of cameras.

From a weighty coffee-table-sized 42” deep device, the new Surface has dropped that to 4” with a 40” LCD screen – and it can be used in both the horizontal and vertical position. Made with Gorilla glass – drop a bottle on it from a height of about 18” and it won’t even be scratched – the new Surface can recognise fingers, hands and objects placed on the screen – up to 50 of them! It is robust enough for the challenges of active usage in retail, hospitality and education.

And Black Marble is one of the few international Surface Partners that has been involved since the inception of Surface V2, including involvement in the TAP for the past year, attending key NDA events, taking part in developer workshops through to readying applications for general release with customers. Thus ensuring we build upon our skills and experience with Surface V1 to be ready to deliver applications on this great new platform – providing customers with a new way to experience and use information and digital content, engaging the senses, improving collaboration and empowering people to interact.

“Microsoft continues to innovate in vision-based interaction and software designed for touch. With the introduction of the next generation of Surface, using PixelSense technology, we’ll bring more tables and walls to life with amazing natural experiences for people to enjoy together,”

Black Marble back in Ireland for Azure Roadshow

19-Jan-2011 01:25:33

Black Marble returned to Ireland for further dates in the Microsoft Azure Roadshow - this time visting Cork, Limerick, Galway, Derry and Dublin.

The Roadshow is divided into two - with Jumpstart sessions taken place during the morning and Acceleration Labs delivered during the afternoon. Delivered through workshop style presentations and interactive tuition, the workshop will focus on ‘jumpstarting’ attendees into building scalable applications on the Azure platform, as well as working with them to discuss any issues they may have.

This workshop is aimed at developers, architects and systems designers with at least 6 months practical experience using Visual Studio 2008 and C#.

More information is available on the Microsoft Ireland website.

If you would like more information on how Black Marble can help with your Azure implementation, please call Katy on 01274 300175.

Our work with West Yorkshire FRS Highlighted by Microsoft

31-Jan-2011 10:44:48

Black Marble’s work with the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (FRS) on Microsoft SharePoint 2010 has been highlighted by Microsoft as a Case Study.

West Yorkshire FRS wanted to create a digital hub for the organisation to improve collaboration between teams and within departments and wanted an experienced partner to assist with the implementation. Drawing on our experience as a Microsoft Partner, with the Gold Standard in Portals and Collaboration, we carried out an initial health check on their existing system, adhering to Microsoft Best Practice standards. As a result of the consultation and follow-up work, West Yorkshire FRS decided to standardise on Microsoft technologies, continuing to draw on Black Marble’s skills, including a migration to SharePoint 2010.

SharePoint is now the prime digital hub of the organisation and a business-critical system that is required to support our staff in their fire prevention and rescue work around the clock.

Katy Pinder, ICT Project Manager, West Yorkshire FRS

Avviso – Content Management Framework for SharePoint 2010

01-Mar-2011 10:29:25

Black Marble, in partnership with editorial design company Words & Pictures, have developed Avviso, an add-in for SharePoint 2010 that greatly improves the content publishing experience.

Avviso contains a wealth of extensions to the SharePoint platform that enables better creation of rich, impactful published content: Crisp template-based pages as well as the ability to produce unique, vibrant designs; the ability to create features and article series; better categorisation and aggregation of content; richer content management for published pages.

You can view a demonstration video on Youtube, as well attend one of our regular preview events, details on the Avviso website

This Easter bring SharePoint and Xbox together with Black Marble

01-Apr-2011 06:42:59

Any customer who commissions a SharePoint Vision Workshop from Black Marble this April, will be entered into a Prize Draw for a chance to win an XBox 360 with Kinect!

A Black Marble SharePoint Vision Workshop is a great way to identify how your business could benefit from a SharePoint 2010 implementation. Whether you have any of the previous versions of SharePoint, or are completely new to the platform, we can highlight how a solution delivered through SharePoint 2010 can be used to deliver, optimise and harness information in your organisation.

A portfolio of components allows SharePoint to offer a comprehensive out-of-the box experience, and its fully customisable nature allows solutions to be tailored to the specific needs of the business. Black Marble can help you understand the potential of SharePoint by drawing on experience to assist with the creation of a clear business case for applying SharePoint collaboration technologies to your business.

Black Marble holds the Gold Portals and Collaboration Competency in the Microsoft Partner Network, as well as Silver in Content Management and Digital Marketing (SharePoint for Internet Sites).

The Draw will take place on Monday 2 June.

For further details are to be found here!

Black Marble’s Steve Spencer Makes MVP for Azure

01-Apr-2011 04:46:59

We are delighted to announce that our Development Director, Steve Spencer has been awarded Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) for Azure!

Steve regularly speaks in the UK and Ireland on Azure.

Steve joins Richard Fennell (ALM MVP) and Robert Hogg (CSD MVP), to bring Black Marble’s MVP total to three!

Robert Hogg renewed for his Fifth Year as an MVP

01-Apr-2011 05:32:53

Black Marble’s Managing Director Robert Hogg has made it into his fifth year as a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional for Connected Systems.

Robert joins Richard Fennell (ALM MVP), and this year’s new awardee, Steven Spencer (Azure MVP), swelling the Black Marble ranks to 3!

The Connected Systems Division was formed by Microsoft in 2005 as a new Server and Tools sub-unit, and includes Windows Communication Foundation (WCF), Active Directory, BizTalk Server, Host Integration Server, RFID, and Windows Workflow Services.

TFS Phone Explorer from Black Marble Now Available

21-Apr-2011 11:50:45

Black Marble are happy to announce the Market Place relase of our TFS Phone Explorer for the Windows Phone 7!

Why not try it out? Access your TFS Server to perform common operations.

This client takes a custom web service to a TFS 2008 or 2010 server, which are available from Black Marble. But if you want a quick look we have set up a demo web service so you can trial the application, the details for which are:

User ID - demo
Password - demo
Domain demo
URL https://tfssample.blackmarble.co.uk/tfs/tfs/tfsservice.svc

Just search the market place for Black Marble and TFS Phone Explorer or try the marketplace link. We are interested to hear your thoughts!

Black Marble and West Yorkshire FRS Go for Growth

03-May-2011 12:49:08

Black Marble’s work with the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service has been highlighted in a Management Today supplement.

Featured as the cover story in this supplement, it once again emphasises the benefits to the West Yorkshire FRS from Black Marble’s skills with the Microsoft platform, and in particular SharePoint 2010.

The article demonstrates how remote teamworking is now easier than ever becaue of new server technologies and mobile web access for West Yorkshire FRS.

Darren Stone, IT manager at West Yorkshire FRS wanted a system that could be made available to different organisations 24 hours a day, and following work carried out by Black Marble, they decided to standardise on Microsoft technologies.

Some of the benefits to the Service for using SharePoint include:

Central location for business information
Development platform for new applications
User-friendly tools require little extra training
Collaboration opportunities with other services

Great Speakers in the North for Connected Development

05-May-2011 02:56:43

Black Marble is delighted to be involved with Microsoft Connected Development, supported by UK TechDays – a Northern based event showcasing the highlights of Tech Days, Mix and TechEd US!

Speakers from Microsoft include Mike Taulty, Simon Thurman, Giles Davies and Martin Woodward, and they are joined by speakers from the UK’s Gold ALM Partners – nFocus and Black Marble.

Topics range from ‘What’s new in SilverLight?’, through developing for Windows Azure, passing Virtualisation of the Test Environment and on to Developing for Windows Phone 7. Plus an opportunity to network and ask the experts!

Lunch is provided.

Our TFS Phone Explorer Application has been Awarded one of the Top Prizes in the Red Gate Software WP7 Competition

06-May-2011 12:11:48

Red Gate are excited about the opportunities for .NET developers, using existing skills and tools to produce fantastic apps for Windows Phone 7. As a result, and supported by Microsoft, Red Gate ran a competition for developers to produce an application that fellow developers would love.

Black Marble entered our WP7 TFS Phone Explorer application, which enables you to access your TFS Server to perform common operations such as viewing recent builds and adding work items. It’s a clear and useful app that calls a custom web service sitting on top of TFS 2008 or TFS 2010.

The Judges liked the sheer practicality of our app and said it showed creative thought about what would deliver the most value in the mobile environment, drawing on our own considerable development experience.

On 5 May 2011, it was announced that we had been awarded one of the top three prizes. Red Gate issued a Press Release announcing the winners and the judges’ comments.

“We’re delighted by the response from the .NET development community and thank Microsoft for its support in promoting and helping to judge the competition,” says Neil Davidson, Red Gate’s co-CEO. “The third ecosystem Microsoft is building provides a huge opportunity for .NET developers to use their skills to develop mobile tools that the community will love.”

To try out for yourself, just search the market place for Black Marble and TFS Phone Explorer or try this marketplace link.

Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any queries about the application, or any of our TFS, Development services, by calling Lisa on 01274 300175.

Richard Fennell Awarded MVP for Fourth Time

01-Jul-2011 02:58:47

Black Marble’s Engineering Director Richard Fennell has once again been awarded MVP for Visual Studio (ALM). Now in his fourth year, this adds to Richard’s status as an ALM Ranger.

Black Marble back at the Worldwide Partner Conference in Los Angeles

07-Jul-2011 02:40:29

Black Marble’s Robert Hogg and Katy Hicks are attending the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference in Los Angeles during the week beginning 11 July 2011.

Always a great event for networking, we are looking forward to making new connections and meeting old friends.

@roberthogg, @sdspencer, @rikhepworth

Black Marble are going to Build

21-Jul-2011 02:14:14

Robert Hogg, Steve Spencer and Rik Hepworth are heading out to Anaheim in September to attend Build, the Microsoft conference with a focus on Windows 8.

Billed as the conference that will demonstrate how Windows 8 will change everything, Build is the conference for modern hardware and software developers.

@roberthogg - @sdspencer - @rikhepworth

Black Marble is supporting DDD North

04-Aug-2011 12:30:17

The UK's premier FREE Developer conference comes to the North of England, this October. On Saturday 8th October 2011, the University of Sunderland will be the host for this community event. Black Marble is supporting this event.

There will be a community led agenda of sessions and speakers, all on a Saturday and for free!

Session Submission is now open to all, and is particulary welcoming to new speakers. This is a great opportunity for new speakers to gain experience in a friendly environment. Once a full range of sessions has been submitted, it will be opened up to voting by the community, to choose the sessions they want to see.

The event is free to attend.

Stay up to date on all the goings on with DDDNorth by following it on Twitter - and when tweeting please use the hashtag - #DDDNorth

Black Marble Supports GiveCampUK!

01-Sep-2011 10:32:11

Black Marble is delighted to welcome GiveCamp to the UK.

GiveCamp was founded by Microsoft Developer Evangelist, Chris Koenig, in Dallas, Texas in 2007. His vision was to bring together passionate developers and local charitable organisations for an entire weekend, and see what would happen. And over the weekend of 21st to 23rd October, it is the chance of the UK developer community to support their local charity sector.

As a long term supporter of the developer community, we know that great skills, knowledge and talent are plentiful. GiveCamp gives the charity sector an opportunity to experience first-hand what the great and good of our developer community have to offer. Black Marble is proud to be part of the first GiveCamp event here in the UK.

Our Next Series of Events are now Live!

05-Sep-2011 05:05:18

We are delighted to announce our new series of events is now open for registration.

This year we are covering Microsoft Build conference on 12 October – the morning will cover IT and the afternoon the developer approach. On 17 November, we have a session on Delivering High Impact Websites with SharePoint, followed by A Guide to Successfully Adopting the Cloud for IT Managers.

December sees the return of our Architecture Forum in the North, now in its fourth year! We are opening up the sessions to a new range of speakers this year, and plan to repeat it in Dublin and London (watch this space for dates and venues).

Black Marble – First Yorkshire, Now Dublin

06-Oct-2011 01:30:29

Following a year of successful engagements throughout Ireland, we are delighted to announce the official establishment of new location in Dublin. Please look out for news around Black Marble events running in Dublin/Belfast in the near future.

You can contact us on +353 (1) 901 4625.

Dan Haywood from Microsoft Speaking at our SharePoint event

26-Oct-2011 10:51:59

Dan Haywood, Technology Solutions Professional (TSP) from the Digital Marketing Platform Group (DMPG) will be joining us as a guest speaker at our event on 17th November [link to event] – ‘Delivering High Impact WebSites with SharePoint’. Dan, who spoke on Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) at the SharePoint conference last month, will again be speaking on SEO for SharePoint 2010 Internet Sites.

You can follow Dan on Twitter @danhaywood

Black Marble ALM Event in Dublin

10-Nov-2011 02:31:29

Black Marble is delighted to announce its first Dublin event on 6 December, covering ‘The Right Tools for your Application Lifecycle’.

Steve Spencer and Robert Hancock will be going through the right tools for the whole development process – focusing on Visual Studio Team Foundation Server. This event will take place at Fitzwilliam Hall, starting at 10:00am.

You can register to attend here.

Black Marble brings Windows 8 to Dublin

10-Nov-2011 02:40:20

Following the success of our Re-Build event, focusing on Windows 8, in the UK, we are taking it to Dublin on 6 December.

We will take you through what you need to know about Windows 8, for the Developer and the IT Professional.

This event will take place at Fitzwilliam Hall, starting at 2:00pm.

Quote from our Yorkshire Re-Build Event: “Lively and informative as always”.

You can register to attend here.

Black Marble at the Premier Software Testing Event in Europe

15-Nov-2011 10:34:42

Black Marble is exhibiting at EuroSTAR – the largest and most prestigious event on the software testing calendar. It is being held in Manchester between 21-24 November. The leading names in testing will meet for an intensive 3 days of learning, networking and discussion.

Black Marble will be exhibiting with the UK Microsoft Visual Studio Team, a Platinum Sponsor, as the first UK Partner to achieve Gold in the Application Lifecycle Management Competency. Black Marble has a leading team specialising in ALM, with an ALM Ranger, and an Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) for ALM.

Black Marble is certified to deliver Developer Tools Deployment Planning Services (DTDPS) days – this is a Software Assurance benefit designed to help organisations plan effective Visual Studio deployments. DTDPS helps lower the perceived risk and cost of deployment for customers.

Black Marble at the National Retail Federation in New York

04-Jan-2012 01:33:51

Black Marble is delighted to announce that we will be attending the 101st National Retail Federation Annual Convention and Expo in New York later this month.

As a Microsoft Surface Premier Partner, we have been invited to exhibit with the Microsoft Surface team on the 16th and 17th January, between 12 noon and 3:00pm. Please do get in touch if you wish to meet up – attending from Black Marble is Robert Hogg and Katy Hicks, and they will be showcasing the work we are doing on the SUR40, Microsoft’s second generation Surface (now available for pre-order).

Black Marble supports Bletchley Park and The National Museum of Computing

05-Dec-2011 10:28:08

This year, the Black Marble Brigade are saving Santa once again in our Christmas adventure: Cold Call Christmas! – why not check out all parts of the adventure online?

Black Marble Taking Part in 6 Weeks of Azure with Microsoft

09-Jan-2012 02:16:13

Black Marble is delighted to be one of the key partners supporting Microsoft Six Weeks of Azure. Starting in January 2012 Microsoft will be delivering 6 weeks of FREE* assistance to UK based companies who want to build or extend applications with the Windows Azure Platform covering the commercial and technical aspects of adopting Windows Azure.

You can view a draft agenda and why not join around 200 companies already signed up?

*The training webinars and materials will be provided without charge, but participants will require a Windows Azure account to participate in some exercises. Use of the Windows Azure services may incur charges.

Winner of Black Marble Open Day Draw Announced

10-Jan-2012 10:39:32

Now an annual occurrence, we have a great Open Day and John was one of many visitors to our office to drop his name into the hat for the draw for the X-Box 360 + Kinect. Everyone enjoyed bacon butties, mince pies and Christmas pudding, while exploring Black Marble HQ.

John works for Robust Details, a UKAS accredited product certification body. It is a non-profit distributing company limited by guarantee.

Black Marble Authorised to Deliver 3 Kinds of Software Assurance Benefits

10-Jan-2012 12:49:35

With Software Assurance Planning Services we provide expert guidance to help you plan and manage your next Microsoft software deployment. Our planning experts work on-site to help you evaluate how best to deploy an array of Microsoft solutions on-premises, in the cloud or hybrid environments. With flexible offerings, Planning Services can help you streamline deployments with customised plans tailored to the needs of your organisation.

Black Marble is authorised by Microsoft to redeem Software Assurance Benefits against the costs of the following Deployment Planning Services:

We have worked with customers in the Public Sector, as well as the Commercial Sector to deliver Planning Services.

A Series of Online Events

19-Jan-2012 12:06:29

Black Marble is launching a series of online events, running in bite-sized chunks on (most) Mondays through until the end of June.

These sessions will explore different aspects of SharePoint, Azure, ALM and New User Interfaces.

Joining details will be supplied 1 week prior to the event.

These events are free to attend, and please share with your colleagues.

If you want more information, please call 01274 300175.

ALM On-line Assessment Tool Launched

19-Jan-2012 12:08:31

Microsoft has launched a new on-line tool to help provide feedback and inputs into your Application Lifecycle Management strategy and adoption. The tool will take you through the different aspects of ALM and provides a report as a summary.

Once completed, you will have the option of being connected to expert partners (such as Black Marble!), events and resources that will help you progress your ALM practices.

Why not try the ALM Assessment for your organisation?

Black Marble join Samsung at ISE 2012 in Amsterdam to focus on the SUR40

31-Jan-2012 02:12:04

Black Marble is delighted to announce that we will be attending Integrated Systems Europe 2012, taking place at the RAI in Amsterdam. The ISE is a professional AV and systems integration trade show.

As a Microsoft Surface Premier Partner, we have been invited to exhibit with Samsung, focusing on the SUR40 [link: our internal page on SUR40] - the second generation Microsoft Surface. Attending from Black Marble is Robert Hogg and Katy Hicks, and they will be showcasing the work we are doing on the SUR40.

Some examples of our SUR40 demos, filmed at the National Retail Federation Conference and Expo in New York earlier this month are available on Youtube:

Please call for more information - 01274 300175.

Architecture Forum now in London

07-Feb-2012 10:14:20

We are bringing our Architecture Forum to London on 22 June.

In December 2011, we ran our 4th Annual Architecture Forum in the North, and due to popular demand, we are bringing the event to Microsoft London on 22 June.

The premier event for Software Architects on the Microsoft Platform, we will have the same great speakers available. The event is free and now open for registration. Please join us!

You can review the agenda from the December event.

Speakers include from Microsoft:

Andrew Fryer - @deepfat
Simon May - @simonster
Steve Plank - @plankytronixx
Simon Thurman - @simonthurman
Robbie Leggett
Giles Davis - @visualstudiouk

Also speaking are:

Danny Crone from nFocus - @dannycrone
Robert Hogg from Black Marble - @roberthogg
Gary Short from Gibraltar Software - @garyshort

Black Marble at the Yorkshire Mafia Conference

08-Feb-2012 05:32:20

Black Marble are delighted to be joining the line-up of the largest B2B conference in the North of England – the Yorkshire Mafia 2012. The conference is now an annual event, that sprung from a Yorkshire business community that was established in 2008 on LinkedIn. The group is a collaborative community of business people, in, from, or with significant business interests in Yorkshire.

We will be showcasing our Microsoft Surface 2 – the Samsung SUR40.

The event takes place on 21 and 22 March at the Royal Armouries in Leeds, and attendance is free.

Black Marble in Paris for European Launch of the SUR40

21-Feb-2012 10:34:55

Black Marble has joined Samsung and Microsoft in Paris for the European launch of the Samsung SUR40 for Microsoft Surface. Black Marble is a Surface Premier Partner, and has been at the forefront of the drive for the SUR40 in the UK.

Why not check out some of our Demo application videos from the National Retail Federation Conference and Expo in January 2012?

Microsoft Hardware Retail App - application highlighting how a product catalogue could be displayed on the Surface.
External Concierge - application demonstrating places of interest in and around a given location.
O7 Game - a two player board game for the Surface.

Black Marble join Microsoft and Samsung in London to Launch the SUR40

26-Mar-2012 02:56:03

Black Marble once again joins forces with Samsung and Microsoft, this time in London, for the launch of the Samsung SUR40 for Microsoft Surface. Black Marble is a Surface Premier Partner, and has been at the forefront of the drive for the SUR40 in the UK.

The Microsoft Surface is the ideal platform to bring people together to connect, learn, and decide; enhancing the way people collaborate and connect with a 360-degree interface. And, with PixelSense™, Microsoft Surface sees and responds to touch and real world objects—supporting more than 50 simultaneous inputs.

Black Marble is a member of the Microsoft Partner Network, with Gold in Application Lifecycle Management (Visual Studio) and Portals and Collaboration (SharePoint), and Silver in Digital Marketing, as well as being an internationally recognised Microsoft Surface Partner. Our skills and experience make us ideally placed to develop solutions for delivery not only on Samsung SUR40 (Surface 2), but also on Windows Touch devices.

For more information, to arrange a Microsoft Surface demonstration or to discuss the possibilities for Microsoft Surface development, please contact Linda on 01274 300175.

Black Marble demonstrates the Samsung SUR40 to Government Departments

27-Mar-2012 03:01:47

Black Marble spent an exciting day in London recently, showing how the innovative Samsung SUR40 for Microsoft Surface could drive innovation and better modes of working in government. Visitors to the Microsoft stand at the HMRC and DWP Partner Expo saw Black Marble show how leading edge technology can improve the way organisations communicate and collaborate. The SUR40 is unique in its ability to perceive objects that are placed upon it, and Black Marble used a number of software products to relate the technology to staff from DWP, HMRC and other government departments.

“It’s always fun to show people something genuinely unique” said Black Marble’s IT Director, Rik Hepworth. “We were pleased that we could help our friends at Microsoft and I think it really inspired some creative ideas about how the technology could make a difference to how people work.”

For more information about how Black Marble delivers solutions using Surface call Katy on 01274 300175.

Robert Hogg and Steve Spencer make MVP again!

02-Apr-2012 11:09:33

Robert Hogg and Steve Spencer have once again been awarded Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Status. Robert, now in his sixth year as an MVP, has been awarded for Connected Systems: Developer, and Steve Spencer, moving into his second year as an MVP, this time for Windows Azure.

Black Marble is delighted that they have once again been recognised for their contributions to the technical community.

Rent your Samsung SUR40 for Microsoft Surface from Black Marble

23-Apr-2012 04:22:47

Black Marble is delighted to announce that we are now offering a rental service for the Samsung SUR40 for Microsoft Surface throughout the UK and Ireland.

If you want an SUR40 for a one-off occasion such as a corporate event or tradeshow, either internal or external, please get in touch. The SUR40 is v2.0 of the Microsoft Surface, and Black Marble is a Surface Premier Partner.

Plus Black Marble has a set of existing applications that can be configured for your event – please call for a competitive quotation.

For details on our Rental Service please call Katy on +44 1274 300175 or +353 1 901 4625.

NE Teams Take First and Second in the Imagine Cup UK Final

04-May-2012 03:16:44

Earlier this year, Black Marble supported the NE Hackathon for the Imagine Cup, and we were delighted to hear that two of the teams we helped won the North East Heats. We were even more pleased to hear that come the finals for the UK, they finished in the top two!

Team Eyeworks finished in first place, and are clearly thrilled to be travelling to Australia later this year to represent the UK. In a very close finish, Teesside 0x32 finished in second place.

This is great news for students in the North East, and we wish Team Eyeworks well.

Black Marble and Reasons to be Appy

28-May-2012 05:17:41

Black Marble are at Reasons to be Appy in London on 29th May. From the creators of Flash on the Beach, Reasons to be Appy is an event for designers, typographers UI designers and coders, all keen to hear more from experts in the field.

Black Marble will be there with the Samsung Sur40 for Microsoft Surface.

Black Marble Streamline Visual Studio TFS Implementation for Major Mergers and Acquisitions Company

01-Jun-2012 05:02:16

Black Marble assist mergermarket with its Visual Studio Team Foundation Server implementation, carrying out consultancy to ensure it is streamlined to industry best practice standards. James Sharp, Head of Software Development for mergermarket said “We were delighted by the professionalism and knowledge of the Black Marble ALM Consultant.”

A full copy of the Case Study is available.

Black Marble save Inrix Time and Resources through Visual Studio TFS Solution

07-Jun-2012 05:03:56

A previous customer of Black Marble’s, Inrix approached us to assist with a solution to integrate their Visual StudioTeam Foundation Server with BMW’s own preferred in-house system. The result was efficient, reliable and saves resources.

Robert Hancock, Black Marble TFS Consultant said “We used specially written scripts and Visual Studio TFS to provide a solid integrated service that has run smoothly since implementation.”

A full copy of the Case Study is available.

Microsoft Announce the New Microsoft Surface

19-Jun-2012 12:05:46

In June 2012, Microsoft announced they are extending the Surface brand to deliver Microsoft designed and manufactured products that showcase the capabilities of Windows 8. This means that the former Samsung SUR40 for Microsoft Surface will now be known as Samsung SUR40 with Microsoft PixelSense.

Black Marble is proud to announce that we are developing for both platforms - Windows 8 Development for the Microsoft Surface and PixelSense Development for the Samsung SUR40.

Black Marble provides development services for Windows 8 - for further details, please contact Katy on +44 1274 300175 or +353 1 901 4625.

Black Marble at Microsoft Cloud Day

01-Jun-2012 01:10:03

Black Marble's Richard Fennell and Steve Spencer are speaking at the Microsoft Cloud Day in London on 22 June.

A great event for anyone building or considering building applications for the cloud. With a keynote by Scott Guthrie, other speakers include Steve Plank, Michael Washam, Yossi Dahan, Richard Conway, Andy Cross and the Microsoft Windows Azure Evangelist Team.

Richard Fennell Awarded MVP for Fifth Time!

02-Jul-2012 11:45:37

Richard Fennell has once again been awarded Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Status for Visual Studio (ALM), for his regular contributions to the technical community.

Richard is also an ALM Ranger and Virtual Technology Solutions Professional.

Winter Event Schedule now open for Registration!

02-Aug-2012 12:09:52

We are delighted to announce that our regular timetable of events for the Autumn-Winter are now open for registration!

This is a big year for Microsoft new releases, and we plan to update you with everything you need to know! Starting with a day on SharePoint 2013 on 21 November – all the updates and announcements from the SharePoint conference in Vegas, as well as live demos!

Our Architecture Forum returns on 5 December, and will once again feature key industry speakers focusing on how the new releases impact architects.

And finally, our Technical Update hits a major milestone in January 2013 as it turns 10! And with so much going on from Microsoft, we have decided to split it into 2 events – the morning will focus on the story for IT Managers and Business Decision Makers, and the afternoon for Developers and Technical Decision Makers!

Black Marble supports DDD North in Yorkshire

31-Aug-2012 12:53:59

Now in its second year, DDD North comes to the University of Bradford's Management Centre on Saturday 13th October 2012. Black Marble is supporting this event.

It is a community led agenda of sessions and speakers, all on a Saturday and for free!

The agenda has now been published, and is great event for developers to get together with like-minded individuals to hear great speakers and network.

The event is free to attend.

Stay up to date on all the goings on with DDDNorth by following it on Twitter - and when tweeting please use the hashtag - #DDDNorth.

The Visual Studio 2012 Launch

14-Sep-2012 12:21:40

To complement the launch of Visual Studio 2012 on the 12th September, Black Marble is taking part in Microsoft UK's RoadShow covering 4 cities in 5 days at the beginning of October. Come along and join us! The events are headlined by Shanku Niyogi, Director of Programme Management at Microsoft, whose team have been instrumental in the creation of the product.

Plus we are running 2 events in Yorkshire, if you can't make the Roadshow on 13 September and 26 September.

Speaking at the Designing Beautiful Apps Event in Dublin

24-Sep-2012 10:44:08

Black Marble’s IT Director is sharing the stage in Dublin with Bill Buxton, Andrew Spooner and Josh Holmes.

Rik Hepworth will be speaking at the 1-day conference in Dublin, ‘Designing Beautiful Apps’. Bill Buxton, Principle Researcher at Microsoft Research will be keynoting, and Rik’s session is ‘8 to 88 inches – Designing for Everyone’. The focus of the event is the importance of design across all of Microsoft’s products and services including Windows 8. Showcasing how to help designers and developers design beautiful Windows 8 apps.

You can register here but if the event is full, it is also being streamed online.

Rik Hepworth Joins Andrew Fryer at the Virtual Machine User Group in Leeds

01-Nov-2012 02:35:27

The Virtual Machine User Group (VMUG) is a community of like-minded individuals dedicated to the successful deployment of virtual infrastructure and their associated technologies. They run regular User Group events around the UK, and on 25 October, Rik Hepworth joined Microsoft Andrew Fryer to present on Server 2012 and Hyper-V.

For more information, visit the VMUG site.

You can follow Andrew and Rik on Twitter.

Bringing Windows 8 and all the new from Build to Yorkshire

01-Nov-2012 02:39:24

We are running two Windows 8 events in Yorkshire on 27 November to keep you up to date with all the news, not just from Build but from the UK experts.

The morning session is Introduction to Windows 8 Development, and features Microsoft evangelists Mike Taulty and Andrew Spooner.

The afternoon session is John Lewis Great British Technology Innovation for Retail Event on 5 November.

John Lewis is being increasingly known for innovation in shops, but are perhaps less well recognised for its heritage of technology-enabled innovation. John Lewis has invited some of the most innovative and exciting British technology companies and universities to work with us to solve key business challenges through innovation.

And Black Marble is delighted to be one of those companies!

Black Marble at the SharePoint 2012 Conference

05-Nov-2012 11:31:11

Black Marble has a team heading out to Las Vegas for the SharePoint 2012 Conference.

Following the conference, we are running a What’s New in SharePoint 2013 event on 21 November, to share what we discovered.

Andrew Spooner from Microsoft Joins the Agenda of Black Marbles Windows 8 Event

06-Nov-2012 11:32:49

Creative Technologist, Andrew Spooner, joins colleague Mike Taulty to present at our Windows 8 event on 27 November.

Andrew specialises in the usability and user experience side of Windows 8.

There are still places for our event, so please register!

You can follow Andrew on Twitter.

Black Marble wins the Inaugural JLP Great British Innovation in Retail Award 2012

07-Nov-2012 11:35:52

We are delighted to announce that Black Marble won the inaugural John Lewis Great British Innovation in Retail Award, 2012.

John Lewis has invited some of the most innovative and exciting British technology companies and universities to work with them to solve key business challenges through innovation. Through a day of presentations to a panel of expert Judges, Black Marble won with a solution focusing to address issues in Queue Management, with a particular reference to children’s shoes.

Paul Coby, IT Director for John Lewis, said in his blog (4 September 2012): “We want to build on our heritage of British innovation in technology to build commercial success in the new emerging omni-channel world of retail. We are aiming to build up an “eco-system” of John Lewis technology partners in retail innovation.”

Black Marble’s Richard Fennell and Jessica Armitage with John Lewis IT Director Paul Coby, and a Microsoft Surface!

Twas the Night before Christmas

13-Dec-2012 06:46:00

To celebrate 15 years of Black Marble this Christmas we have put together a special limited Edition Christmas based on the classic ‘A Visit by St. Nicholas’, more usually known by its first line: T’was the night before Christmas. There was been a fantastic response, some of which we have collated here, but includes: ‘Awesome! Simply awesome!’, ‘They surpassed themselves this year’ and ‘… quite frankly the best Christmas card I’ve received for years!’.

Specially commissioned, the book tells the tale of how the Black Marble Brigade save Christmas once again, ably supported by the following Microsoft teams: Visual Studio, PixelSense, Microsoft Virtual Academy, Windows Azure and of course Windows 8. Plus we have included links on our website for images you can print out and colour-in (for your kids, right?).

Plus Black Marble makes a donation to both Bletchley Park and The National Museum of Computing for every card we send!

Not got your own copy yet? Simply like us on Facebook and send us your address and we will send you your own copy!

Join us in January 2013 for More Great Events!

18-Dec-2012 06:50:39

Once the holiday season is out of the way, don’t forget to join us in January for more great events.

It kicks off on 17 January with What’s New in Windows Azure, taking place at Black Marble HQ. Then on the 30th January, we have a full day dedicated to our Annual Technical Update – a Roadmap for all things Microsoft. So much has come out in the past 12 months, and so much more on the cards, that we are splitting the day into two. The morning is focusing on IT Managers and the afternoon on the Developers’ story. Join us at The Holiday Inn in Tong!

Black Marble is a Certified MAAP Delivery Partner for Windows 8

08-Jan-2013 03:45:37

Are you interested in having a Windows 8 Application developed? Black Marble has been certified by Microsoft as part of the Microsoft Application Acceleration Programme (MAAP) to deliver Windows 8 solutions for their customers.

If your organisation has a Microsoft account manager then you may be eligible for assisted funding for the development of a line-of-business Windows 8 Application. Please get in touch with your Account Manager or with Black Marble (01274 300175) for more information and for guidance on whether your company is eligible.

Black Marble has already completed several successful MAAP projects in the UK, and our team of Windows 8 Developers and Designers are ready to bring their knowledge and experience to bear on your application.

Black Marble Takes its Flagship Tech Update to London

08-Feb-2013 02:19:08

In its tenth anniversary year, Black Marble is taking its Technical Update to London. Specifically focusing on organisations in the Public Sector, this event explains the Microsoft Roadmap across the whole platform. It addresses how the products connect, what happened to them in the past 12 months, including why you might have missed and what is due in the 2013.

A must attend event for all IT Managers, Business and Technical Decision Makers, to ensure you know what to expect, so you can plan your year ahead. This event takes place at Microsoft’s offices in London (100 Victoria Street, SW1E 5JL), and you can register here.

Black Marble’s Technical Update has been running in Yorkshire for 10 years.

Previous feedback:

"Excellent as ever. Really useful update and good to see which direction Microsoft are going as well as reminding me what Black Marble is good at."

"Lot of information well presented and summarised as always."

"Good dynamic and pace. Appropriate level of detail."

"Excellent event - right balance between marketing pitch and technical overview. Good working examples of how the IT can help the business."

Black Marble MVPs off to the MVP Summit at Microsoft Corp

08-Feb-2013 02:24:49

Black Marble MVPs, Robert Hogg, Steve Spencer and Richard Fennell are off to the MVP Global Summit later this month.

Featuring more than 400 technical sessions, Robert, Steve and Richard get to spend time with their peers from around the world, receive access to exclusive technical content, participate in direct feedback sessions, and meet with Microsoft executives and product groups.

You can follow them on Twitter:

Black Marble gets Channel 5 Windows 8 App in Store

13-Feb-2013 05:04:30

Fantastic tv-on-demand Windows 8 app for @channel5_tv now in store. Designed by Tricky Business, and built by Black Marble, this is available to download now.

Don’t forget to get in touch with Black Marble if you want to find out how we can help you get your own Windows 8 app developed for your business.

Azure Global Bootcamp Coming to Yorkshire

19-Mar-2013 02:53:57

Black Marble is hosting the Yorkshire Chapter of the Global Windows Azure Bootcamp taking place in 40+ locations globally at the same time.

Organised by and for the community, April 27th, 2013, comes with the possibility of joining a Windows Azure Bootcamp on your doorstep. This one day deep dive class will get you up to speed on developing for Windows Azure. The class includes a trainer with deep real world experience with Windows Azure, as well as a series of labs so you can practice what you just learned.

You can register here but please be sure to look carefully over the prerequisites.

MVP Renewal for Steve Spencer and Robert Hogg

02-Apr-2013 10:30:34

We are delighted that Microsoft has decided to once again to give their Most Valuable Professional (MVP) award to our MD Robert Hogg and Development Director Steve Spencer.

Robert is now in his 7th year as an MVP, and Steve in his third.

Black Marble is taking a team to Build

03-Apr-2013 10:36:04

Black Marble is taking a team to Microsoft’s Premier Developer Conference – Build Windows in San Francisco in June. Follow us on Twitter for updates on all the news and announcements at the conference.

Gary Short joins the Black Marble Team bring Data Science to the Fore

14-May-2013 05:12:50

MVP and former DevExpress and Gibraltar Labs evangelist Gary Short is joining Black Marble to Head up our Data Science practice. Gary specialises in Big Data and Data Science, and we are looking forward to increasing our focus in this area in the coming months.

Follow Gary on Twitter @GaryShort.

Black Marble at Build

06-Jun-2013 02:28:31

We are attending Microsoft's premier Developer Conference in San Francisco - Build, with a team of 10+ attendees, including Directors Robert Hogg, Steve Spencer and Rik Hepworth.

You can follow us on Twitter and Facebook to keep up to date with our activities and views!

Black Marble creates a solution in the Cloud for Transport for Greater Manchester

06-Jun-2013 02:28:33

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) wanted to open up their transport data to partners and developers so they could create applications to run on a range of mobile devices and services. They approached Black Marble to create a rapid development platform based on Windows Azure to provide a scalable, resilient and cost-effective solution.

You can read our Case Study to find out more about our solution and the technologies involved or visit the TfGM Open Data project website.

Black Marble at the Worldwide Partner Conference

06-Jun-2013 02:28:34

Story: Black Marble's Robert Hogg is taking our Business Development Team to the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC) 2013 in Houston in July.

We are looking forward to making new connections, and renewing the old!

Microsoft Highlights Black Marble's Award-winning Solution for the John Lewis Partnership

06-Jun-2013 02:28:35

Microsoft's Enterprise Insights Blog focuses our on award-winning shoe store solution for the John Lewis Partnership. Following our win at the Great British Innovation in Retail Awards, we are now progressing with a Pilot project for John Lewis, focusing on several key stores.

The Enterprise Insights Blog highlights the work we are doing across the Microsoft Platform to make this solution a reality.