Since its launch at the end of February, Windows Server 2008 has swiftly racked up more than 150 certified applications, representing 130 partners. Could it have something to do with a totally revamped certification program for the cutting-edge OS? We spoke to ISVs about why the "Works with Windows Server 2008" and the "Certified for Windows Server 2008" logo programs are more affordable, achievable and valuable than ever.

Find out how to write plugins for Windows Live Writer, including how to get started, how to debug, and how to package the final plugin.

As a developer, is it better to be a specialist in one technology or a generalist?

Learn how to add robust security features to a simple wiki system built on the Rails platform.

When building a business, you need not only time and money, but friends who can help. For software development, the Microsoft Partner Program provides the resources and the help you need to get your software business off the ground.

Carl Franklin and Richard Campbell interview Arfa Karim, the world's youngest Microsoft Certified Professional.

In recent months, Microsoft has released SQL Server 2005, Visual Studio 2005, 2007 Office, SharePoint Server 2007, and Windows Vista—plus, Windows Server 2008 is slated to be released later this year. These releases represent a significant boon to the ISV community. Microsoft has created a series of programs to help ISVs build their applications and gain credibility for them as well. In this article, Ty Anderson explains the benefits of certification, the certification process, and how to get started today.

Learn how to build a simple, file-based Wiki system using the Ruby on Rails web application framework. You won't believe how easy it is.

Although intended primarily for large teams, sometimes VSTS can simplify life on smaller teams as well. Find out whether your smaller teams might benefit.

Continuous Integration is an agile process that rebuilds a project whenever the underlying code changes. Find out how to modify your Team Foundation Server projects' "build types" to implement continuous integration features such as automatic builds, testing, and problem notification.

A Microsoft MVP offer his 10 tips for helping you dispatch the time goblins and get more done in less time.

The conflict between Planners and Workers in the film Metropolis can serve as a metaphor for the divide between architects and developers in the software industry. A veteran who's been on both sides has some suggestions for bridging the gap.

Microsoft has been busy baking new tools, offering tasty but not-quite-fully-cooked technology at Tech·Ed 2006. While there's plenty of new information about existing products, developers will particularly welcome upcoming capabilities in ADO.NET vNext, .NET Framework 3.0, Windows PowerShell, and Office 2007.

Your value as a developer goes beyond your technical acumen. Make yourself indispensable by learning your industry and your product.

Enrich your Java and J2EE knowledge with a new series of free training modules that IBM provides to help you pass IBM's Certification Test 255.

Coding standards are a time-honored and widely respected programming best practice. However, they are not always easy to put into action. Find out how Checkstyle can help you define and enforce a set of coding standards and promote good and consistent programming habits across your team.

Conferences and user group meetings are tiring, but reenergizing at the same time.

As .NET enters a new stage of maturity, Microsoft asks developers to turn their attention to new productivity features of Team System, announces an imminent release candidate for the Foundation Server, and rolls out some big changes to the professional certification program.

Visual Studio Team System (VSTS) provides centralized storage of work item tracking features while MS Project provides rich planning and tracking features. By using them together, you can improve team productivity, minimize data conflicts, and reduce administrative overhead.

Regulatory compliance might not be the most exciting thing to spend your time thinking about, but it's a hot topic for good reason.