Monthly Archives: February 2012

Keeping tabs on my friends

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In this business people move around a lot.  So it gets a little tricky to keep tabs on the folks that have had an impact in you life (private and professional alike).

Rick Claus has been a great friend and mentor for many years.  We meet while he was teaching an Active Directory class about 13 years ago.  We were having lunch between running some labs when I suggested that he’d be a great addition to the Microsoft practice at the consulting firm I was working with. A few calls and a few interviews later he was a key member of our team.  When he joined Microsoft I followed suit soon after and we were again working together.

Rick has always been a mentor for me.  He pushed and helps me do my first product launch in Montreal in January 2007.  He got me hooked.  Not hooked on doing Product Launches, hooked on figuring out what relevant and fun for IT pros and talking about it.  Hooked on being a part of the IT Pro community in Canada.

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Rick is now moved on to the next chapter in his career and I could not be happier for him.  He’s truly doing what he loves and now will have even more impact.  However, keeping in touch with someone that is 3 time zones away is not always easy.

So I was very happy to view his last episode of TechNet Edge where he tells us a little bit about his new environment.

see for yourself…

As Rick himself would say….  AWESOME!!!

Cheers!

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Took the words right out of my mouth…

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I found this image and it fits.  I should make it part of my coat of arms.

I’ve been asked why I put that as my tag line.  “Keep Calm and Make a backup…. no really, right now, just in case….”

Well it’s because I try to always attempt something new.  I change things around, I am somewhat of a cowboy when dealing with my home network.  But my home network is also my wife and kids location for all their music, files, pictures, videos…

Before anyone asks, yes I have screwed things up on my home network before because I treated it as a complete, separate, and disposable environment.  Now..  I make backups.  Multiple Backups and even offsite backups.  (finally found a usage for the safety deposit box)

That is about to change, I’ve redesigned the home network and I now have my own sandbox environment.  separate from the family’s files and stuff.

But that’s for another post.   Gotta go!

Cheers!

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My W5

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I started this site this week, read up on the software required, how to integrate it in my own network, deployed it, and movedcopied all my posts (well ok, most of them) from the last site I was contributing to my own. It started out as an exercise in learning something new, but it grew into something else.  It’s a way for me to blend, my own stuff, home electronics discussion, consumer related issues and views and IT pro related information and guidance.

That’s not a big deal… I’ll still contribute and cross post to CanITPro. Hey I believe that anything that’s good for the IT professional community is good for me.  We’re all on the same team.  Right?

I figured if I put all my stuff out there, ( do not worry none of my “Stuff” is out there…) you’ll get to know the real ME.  not just the MS ME.

My wife thinks I have ADD…. Why else would a few hours spent learning something new would morph into an introverted reflection of my own purpose…..  Anyway..  That’s when I started thinking about my own W5.

What: I know what I do.  In my professional life, I manage the post sale relationship with corporate/public sector customers.  I help them have the most stable and efficient environment possible in the shared goal of helping the business units achieve their objectives.  I also know what I want to do. I want to help, inform, inspire IT pros to succeed.  Whether  it’s succeeding in installing a single application or succeeding in deploying a complex system… no difference a step forward is a step forward.

Who: I know who I am!! I’m The Dude Playing the Dude Disguised as Another Dude…  just kidding… (some of my friends will get a kick out of that last one… Right, Debbie?).  Seriously, I do know who I am.  My friends know who I am.  and that’s good enough for me.

When: I’ve been doing it for years now… In most cases without being conscious of it, but I realized 4 or 5 years ago when I was fortunate enough to backfill a position left open during one of my friend’s maternity leave. (She got twins…) That I’ll be doing this for the rest of my life.  As an IT Pro, or as a old retired man giving other pointers on their golf swing.  Smile

Where: That one is such a non issue now…  Years ago, when I started my career  and I had a Bitnet account my circle of influence was pretty small.  but now,  WOW, the whole world can cooperate, exchange and help. And that’s fantastic.  The where does not matter that much anymore….

Why: People don’t follow someone because of what they do, they follow someone because of why they do it.  ( read Start With Why from Simon Sinek….  You’ll get it).  I still have to really define the why part.  I have a really good idea…  But it’s not crystal clear yet.  I feel it. but I can’t explain it.

Well it’s late Friday night and I should really be enjoying the evening with my wife instead of pounding the keys on my keyboard….

that being said…

Good night!!

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Microsoft Online learning opportunities: March 2012

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Hello folks,

This is my compilation of some of the online resource available to you in March 2012.312px-RCA_Indian_Head_test_pattern

This list featuring both live and on-demand content including webcasts, videos, virtual labs, and podcasts by product and topic.

this is not the WHOLE list of the available content. but these are the ones i thought were relevant to customers and IT pros.

Microsoft webcasts are 30-90 minutes in length and feature interactive presentations, product demonstrations, and question-and-answer sessions. Virtual labs give you an opportunity to test drive Microsoft’s newest products in an online environment. It’s simple—no complex setup or installation is required. Stream or download audio podcasts and quickly access content with RSS feeds.

Microsoft podcasts are free — just click and Learn!

You can View all the podcasts for IT professionals here.

Or visit the Interactive IT Professional Webcast Calendar.

Live Webcasts:

Business Insights Webcast: Office 365: Getting the Most out of Exchange Online (Level 200)
Wednesday, March 07, 2012 – 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM Pacific Time
https://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032506155&Culture=en-US

Business Insights Webcast: Office 365: Transforming Your Business with Lync Online (Level 200)
Wednesday, March 21, 2012 – 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM Pacific Time
https://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032506157&Culture=en-US

TechNet Webcast: Information about Microsoft Project and Project Server February 2012 Software Update (Level 200)
Tuesday, March 13, 2012 – 8:00 AM – 9:15 AM Pacific Time
https://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032493966&Culture=en-US

TechNet Webcast: Information about Microsoft Security Bulletins for March (Level 200)
Wednesday, March 14, 2012 – 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM Pacific Time
https://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032499508&Culture=en-US

Microsoft Office System Webcast: Word 2010: Gather Information through Forms, and Use Mail Merge to Produce Mass Mailings (Level 200)
Wednesday, March 14, 2012 – 9:00 AM – 9:45 AM Pacific Time
https://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032503409&Culture=en-US

Microsoft Office System Webcast: OneNote 2010: Work with Specific Controls (Level 200)
Wednesday, March 14, 2012 – 11:00 AM – 11:45 AM Pacific Time
https://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032503411&Culture=en-US

Microsoft Dynamics Webcast: Leveraging Microsoft Dynamics GP Light User to Give People More Insight (Level 100)
Thursday, March 08, 2012 – 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM Pacific Time
https://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032501467&Culture=en-US

Microsoft Dynamics Webcast: Integrating Microsoft Dynamics ERP and Microsoft Dynamics CRM with the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Connector (Level 100)
Tuesday, March 27, 2012 – 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM Pacific Time
https://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032501471&Culture=en-US

Microsoft Dynamics Webcast: Elevate Your Bottom Line with Microsoft Dynamics GP (Level 100)
Tuesday, March 27, 2012 – 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM Pacific Time
https://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032501469&Culture=en-US

Microsoft Dynamics Webcast: What Is the Microsoft Dynamics SL 2011 Connector for Microsoft Project Server 2010? (Level 100)
Wednesday, March 28, 2012 – 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM Pacific Time
https://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032501542&Culture=en-US

Highly Rated On-Demand Webcasts:

TechNet Webcast: From Virtualization to Private Cloud with System Center 2012 Virtual Machine Manager

TechNet Webcast: Becoming the Next Private Cloud Expert Now (Level 300)

IT Manager Webcast: How Microsoft IT Takes Initial Steps Toward the Consumerization of IT (Level 200)

Microsoft Office Tips and Tricks: Create Easy to Use Notebooks for Gathering Information

Microsoft Office Tips and Tricks: Outlook 2010: Use Contacts as More Than Just an Address Book

Microsoft Office Tips and Tricks: Do More with Data in Excel 2010

Popular Virtual Labs:

TechNet Virtual Lab: SQL Server 2012: Exploring Transact-SQL Improvements in SQL Server 2012

TechNet Virtual Lab: SQL Server 2012: Managing Rich Unstructured Data in SQL Server 2012

TechNet Virtual Lab: SQL Server 2012: Exploring SQL Server 2012 Integration Services

TechNet Virtual Lab: Office Compatibility: User Adoption Resources

TechNet Virtual Lab: System Center 2012 Configuration Manager: Settings Management

New Videos:

TechNet Radio: How to Transition from GroupWise to Office 365

TechNet Radio Community Corner John White MVP Office 365, BI, SharePoint and Lync

TechNet Radio: IT Time – Windows, iPad and Android – Managing and Using Your Office Assets in a Tablet World (Part 1)

TechNet Radio: IT Time – Preparing for Your Transition to Office 365

TechNet Radio: IT Time – How to Add a Vanity Domain for your Office 365 Account

New Podcasts:

TechNet Video: TechNet Radio: Cert Talk – New Private Cloud Certification Exam and 20 Year Anniversary of the MCP
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TechNet Radio: IT Time – Inside Microsoft IT – Patch Management in Virtual Machine Manager 2012
WMV | WMA

TechNet Radio: Virtual Lab Insider: Building Your Cloud Infrastructure with System Center  2012
WMV |  WMA

TechNet Radio: Virtual Lab Insider: Building a Service Template in System Center 2012
WMV | MP4

TechNet Radio: Virtual Lab Insider: Infrastructure and Application Performance Monitoring with System Center 2012
WMV | WMA

Business insights, Microsoft Dynamics, IT talk shows, and small business content:

Getting the Most Out of Your Business With Office 365
Microsoft Office 365 is Microsoft Office collaboration with productivity tools created to improve business potential. In this series of Office 365 webcasts focuses on Microsoft SharePoint Online, Microsoft Lync and Microsoft Exchange. Office 365 can revolutionize your organization by helping to empower individuals through the best productivity experience, deliver business insights quickly, support compliance requirements, connect various devices, and cut costs for maintenance and training.

Business Ready Licensing, Get the Most Out of Your Investment
In this webcast, learn how to take your business solution to the next level and expand the functionality of your current system by transitioning from Module Based Licensing (MBL) to Business Ready Licensing (BRL). BRL offers you the choice of two license editions—Business Essentials Edition and Advanced Management Edition—to best support your business processes and needs.

How to with “ITProGuru”, Dan Stolts
Are you required to keep your infrastructure humming?  Keep up with the systems management expert and ITProGuru as he teaches you how to overcome challenges you face in your business. He will focus most of the content on systems management, security, virtualization and cloud.  However, more topics that include other technologies and the IT community will be addressed as well.  Learn how to leverage community to grow and streamline your business, your department, your career, and your sphere of influence.

IT Time with Blain Barton: Get IT from the Source
Blain Barton and other Microsoft IT Pro Evangelists invite IT guests to join their online radio show to discuss Information Technology topics. System Administrators, IT Engineers, Product and Program Managers, and other guests from inside and outside Microsoft join the broadcasts to share their insights on topics like Windows Deployment, Cloud Computing, Windows Azure, Virtualization, Web, SQL Server, Exchange Server, and other resources from Microsoft.

Deployment Essentials with John Baker: Tools to Help Solve Your Deployment and Operational IT Problems
Need help in deploying Windows 7 and Office 2010? You’ve come to the right place! We have a variety of resources for the wide range of tools available from Microsoft to assist you in your deployment efforts. John Baker, a Senior IT Pro Evangelist with Microsoft, will host a series of videos taking a detailed look at the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010 Update 1 and the Application Compatibility Toolkit, both free toolsets. Future videos will also look at System Center Configuration Manager and System Center Essentials to see how they can be used to manage deployments.

TechNet Radio: The Mic is Yours
TechNet Radio is an Internet Radio show with content for IT professionals. TechNet Radio features the latest information from Microsoft insiders and industry luminaries, as well as profiles of leading companies. We bring you the trends and technologies that are shaping our industry, and offer perspectives from your peers.

 

Please let me know if this is something you find valuable. or if there is something specific you’re looking for.

There is so much to learn. we should take advantage of every opportunities.

As always, please contact me should you have any comments or questions.

Cheers!

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Pierre Roman, MCITP, ITIL | Senior Technical Account Manager | Directeur de Compte Technique Senior
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This article also appears on the CanITPro blog