Just saw the keynote at TechEd 2005 Europe with Andy Lees, Corporate VP Server & Tools at Microsoft. I'm sure several people will address the details, but there is one big overall theme that I remembered from this keynote: "the Microsoft platform allows IT departments to deliver the promise of enabling businesses without disabling/limiting the information workers".

Somewhat less marketing and more concord, this means having developers and IT pro's really working together. It also means really fulfilling the end user's needs without limiting them because of technical and IT related constraints. But in the end, it means enabling a business to run more succesfully.

Just one example (since there are a lot more examples): don't ask end users to use 6 applications (e-mail, CRM, sales, support, order entry, shipment follow-up, reporting, ...) to work with only 1 customer. It's time consuming, inproductive and frustrating.

Some companies don't use have a "Human Resources Department"; they have an "Employee Department" instead. Which "IT Department" dares to call itself the "Enable Department"? Anyone?