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Here are the latest offers and activities for IT Pros in the West Region.
During this tough economy, Microsoft wants to help IT professionals not only succeed but thrive. In an effort to do that, Thrive offers pragmatic guidance, relevant resources, and compelling offers for IT pros. It covers three pillars, with content and offers refreshed on a regular basis.
Career Care
- Anticipate and manage career change with guidance from career experts and IT leaders.
- Connect with communities and peers to expand your network.
Technical Competency
- Save money and time with Microsoft technologies you already own, such as virtualization and desktop management.
- Enhance your technical skills to get ahead of the curve.
Business and IT Alignment
- Be a more effective advocate for you and your team.
- Align IT goals with your company’s business objectives.
For more details on the Thrive program, please visit the Thrive home page.
Remember that Microsoft has the IT Management Community Hub on TechNet to connect IT managers to peers, find IT training resources, view webcasts from industry leaders, read blogs, and participate in forums hosted by subject matter experts as well as IT evangelists such as Kevin Remde, Dan Stolts, John Weston, and Harold Wong. As IT pros, you have additional resources to help you position and explain different Microsoft solutions to your management so you don’t have to go it alone.
Interop Road Show
At the end of March, we started an Interop Road Show. If you are a customer running non-Microsoft technologies such as Linux, Apache, or PHP, this event may be a good fit for you. The content will go into how to manage non-Windows operating systems, how to run Apache, MySQL, and PHP on Windows Server 2008, and how to maximize SQL Server’s new features for PHP sites. For full details, please visit the Interop Road Show Home Page.
We have three events in the West Region:
Session 1: Windows Server 2008 AD Interop with Linux and OS X
Do you have existing Linux workstations and servers? Are you buying Apple notebooks for your personnel? If so, then you’re probably wondering how to secure and share information across your organization. Join us for a session that demonstrates how to authenticate and manage non-Windows operating systems. We’ll explore Active Directory (AD) extensions, management tools, security, file sharing, desktop management and a number of other key challenges we all face on a daily basis. Get set for some great demonstrations with plenty of time for questions and answers.
Session 2: Running Open Source Software (OSS) on Window Server 2008
Are you afraid to run open source software on Windows Server 2008? Fear no more; it’s easier than you think. Come discuss running LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP) on Windows Server 2008. Not interested in Linux? No problem. You’ll also learn how to run open source applications with IIS7, MySQL and PHP. Along the way, we’ll compare and contrast the optimum maintenance, operation, and monitoring of these diverse systems and applications. This session will include several informative demonstrations, and you’ll get plenty of time to ask questions.
Session 3: SQL Server 2008 and PHP Web Application Infrastructure
Do you want to take advantage of SQL Server’s great new features for your PHP sites? Join us for this session and learn how to make it happen. We’ll show you how to leverage your existing development resources and PHP knowledge by simply changing the back end to Microsoft SQL Server 2008. We’ll walk through the necessary steps to get PHP and SQL Server working together, and you’ll see how to enjoy a successful deployment and post-deployment experience. You’ll also learn where to find the information you need when you deploy and scale PHP on SQL Server, including details about security, performance, backup, managing, and monitoring. After the step-by-step deployment instructions and some helpful working demos, we’ll be happy to entertain your questions.
If you or your customers have any questions regarding the events or the content for the events, please feel free to contact Keith Combs.
Live U.S. TechNet Events
We will be holding TechNet Unleashed Events in May and June in the West Region. Session topics include:
Windows 7
What’s new in the world of desktop operating systems? Joins us as we discuss some of the cool features of Microsoft’s newest operating system. Windows 7 introduces improvements all over the desktop environment, from home networking to the way we integrate with online services, and of course the way we participate in the corporate network. Windows 7 is awesome. Come and see for yourself.
Software + Services
There’s power in software, and power in services. What happens when you use both? Join us for this discussion of Microsoft’s software-plus-services strategy. Learn about the infrastructure that makes it possible, and discover which of the offerings might just transform your IT infrastructure for the better.
Windows Server 2008 R2
Along with the release of Windows 7, Microsoft will also release Windows Server 2008 R2. In this session we will talk about some of the big changes to the server family and how you can take advantage of the technologies to better your own IT infrastructure.
We only have a few cities scheduled at this time, but are looking to add more:
Online Events
How-Do-I Videos
Check out these short How-Do I Videos that focus on specific tasks and show you how to accomplish them, step-by-step. Subscribe to the TechNet videos RSS feed to learn about new videos.
20-Part Virtualization Webcast Series
The 20-Part Virtualization Webcast Series held its last live session on March 24, 2009. Since all the sessions are still available to view on demand, we have decided to leave this section intact for one more month. The link allows you to register to view on demand or download.
Exchange 2010 Webcast Series
A quick heads-up: we are working on an Exchange Server 2010 webcast series. The content will be based on the public beta of Exchange Server 2010. We don’t have the details yet on how many sessions it will have or when it will kick off. If the series should start in May, we will get an out-of-band update out to you so you have the registration information.
User Group Meetings
As you hear about additional user groups that are not listed, or if you find a mistake in one of the listings below, please e-mail me at harold.wong@microsoft.com so I can make the correction. Also, if you feel I need to include more information regarding the user groups, please provide feedback on that as well. Thanks!
Arizona
Phoenix Unified Communications User Group
June 16, 2009: 3:30 P.M. – 5:00 P.M.
Microsoft Office: 2929 N. Central Ave., Suite 1400, Phoenix, AZ 85012
Arizona Small Business User Group
May 14, 2009: 6:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M.
Old Spaghetti Factory: 1418 N Central Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85004
Arizona Systems Management User Group
The next meeting will be in July (we’ll update in the next issue of TechNet Flash).
Microsoft Office: 2929 N. Central Ave., Suite 1400, Phoenix, AZ 85012
Arizona SharePoint Professionals User Group
May 28, 2009: 4:30 P.M. – 6:30 P.M.
Microsoft Office: 2929 N. Central Ave., Suite 1400, Phoenix, AZ 85012
Arizona SQL Server Users Group
May 13, 2009: 4:30 P.M. – 6:30 P.M.
Microsoft Office: 2929 N. Central Ave., Suite 1400, Phoenix, AZ 85012
California
So CAL IT Pro User Group
May 14, 2009: 6:30 P.M. – 8:30 P.M.
QuickStart: 16815 Von Karman Avenue, Suite 100, Irvine, CA 92606
Small and Medium Business Technology Network
May 19, 2009: 6:30 P.M. – 8:30 P.M.
16815 Von Karman Avenue, Suite 100, Irvine, CA 92606
Southern California Microsoft Virtualization User Group
June 2, 2009: 6:30 P.M. – 8:30 P.M.
QuickStart: 16815 Von Karman Avenue, Suite 100, Irvine, CA 92606
Southern California MOSS User Group
May 20, 2009: 6:30 P.M. – 8:30 P.M.
QuickStart: 16815 Von Karman Avenue, Suite 100, Irvine, CA 92606
Sacramento SharePoint User Group
May 14, 2009: 6:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M.
Maidu Community Center: 1550 Maidu Dr., Roseville, CA 95661
Colorado
Rocky Mountain Windows Technology User Group
- May 19, 2009: 7:00 P.M. – 9:00 P.M. (Networking at 6:30 P.M.)
Sprint: 10002 Park Meadows Drive, Lone Tree, CO 80124
- May 20, 2009: 7:00 P.M. – 9:00 P.M. (Networking at 6:30 P.M.)
Verizon: 2424 Garden of the Gods Rd., Colorado Springs, CO 80919
AITP – Mile High Chapter
May 21, 2009: 6:15 PM – 8:30 P.M. (Keynote starts at 7:00 P.M.)
Hotel VQ: 1975 Mile High Stadium Circle, Denver, CO 80204
Hawaii
Hawaii SharePoint User Group
Tuesday, May 12, 2009: 2:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M.
Davies Pacific Center: 841 Bishop Street, Honolulu, HI, Room 118A
Oregon
Bend SharePoint User Group
June 5, 2009: 11:30 A.M. – 1:00 P.M.
Meeting location to be determined
Washington
Seattle Windows Networking User Group
Wednesday, June 3, 2009: 6:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M.
Microsoft Lincoln Square Office, Bellevue, WA
Puget Sound SharePoint User Group
May 21, 2009: 6:00 P.M. – 8:30 P.M.
Microsoft PacWest Office, CIVICA Office Commons
205 108th Ave NE, Suite 400, Bellevue, WA 98004
Puget Sound Small Business Server User Group
May 21, 2009: 6:00 P.M. – 8:30 P.M.
Microsoft Lincoln Square Office, Bellevue, WA
Community Events
Everyone has been talking about the Windows 7 Release Candidate and when it will be available. It is official now that MSDN and TechNet Plus Subscribers have already received access via the secure download site. The general public will be able to download from the main Microsoft site starting May 5. I am working with my teammates, Chris Henley and Chris Avis, to hold Windows 7 Install Fests in the West Region during May and June. As soon as we get these scheduled, we will notify everyone.
We could use some feedback from the community on what other types of community events would be useful and helpful. I would like to help setup items that make sense to everyone, as opposed to what I think would make sense. Please send me feedback.
Cool and Exciting Announcements
Tech·Ed 2009 is taking place in Los Angeles from May 11 through May 15 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. I’ve been working with some community leaders in the Los Angeles area to hold an informal get together for IT pros. The event takes place on May 14 from 7:30 P.M. to 10:30 P.M. at the Holiday Inn Los Angeles – City Center located at 1020 S. Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90015. We understand that this is at the same time as the Tech·Ed party, but due to bus schedules and meeting space availability, this was the best option. It’s going to be a casual come-and-leave-as-you-wish type of meeting, so no registration is required. We’re going to be focusing on the reasons “face-time” is still important in today’s online world. We look forward to seeing you there.
Have you seen the cool new games that test your IT knowledge? Want to have some fun and challenge your friends to see who gets bragging rights? Check out these two online games: Are You Certifiable? and ServerQuest II.
Harold Wong
IT Pro Evangelist, U.S. Developer & Platform Evangelism, West Region
blogs.technet.com/haroldwong
MCITP Server Administrator | MCITP Enterprise Administrator |