In the closing keynote of this weeks Microsoft Exchange Conference. Michael Atalla, Director of Product Management for Exchange, stated that MEC will be back, just not next year.

The Exchange group has made what I believed to be quite a wise decision in declaring that they will have MECs when the Exchange Team “have something to show (us)”. Paraphrasing Mr Atalla, he expressed that having another one in 6 months to show minor incremental changes would be an anti-climax , and I’m inclined to agree.

My view on this is based on attending two MMS (Microsoft Management Summit) Conferences, back-to-back. Don’t get me wrong! Major things happened in the intervening year to the System Center suite. System Center 2012 went from ‘here’s what we’re looking to do – look at the shineys and slideware’ to a fully realised product. That said, I think the first MMS had less value than the second. Seeing actual product is more exciting for the average IT Pro (I’m talking end-line consumer, not partner, or Ninja MVP implementor) than looking at ‘futures’.

Kudos to the Exchange Team for this canny choice. I look forward to the next one, whenever it is!

As an aside – I made the closing video, or at least a glimpse of my hat did! I also made the #iammec Tweet Stream wall a few times