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Here are updates for items that may be useful for IT pros in the Central Region. Please let us know if you have any suggestions to make this publication more useful. Contact us at msamtncc@microsoft.com.
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 theThrive 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.
May 7, 2009, Chicago – Presenter: Matt Hester
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
TechNet Events Unleashed – Supporting the Backbone of the Industry
Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows 7, and Internet Explorer 8 represent both a wave of change and disruption to IT operations as well as an opportunity for IT professionals to have a big impact on their organizations.
Columbus, OH – May 12, 2009 at 3:10 P.M.
Houston, TX – May 12, 2009 at 3:10 P.M.
Mason, OH – May 14, 2009 at 3:10 P.M.
Overland Park, KS – May 14, 2009 at 3:10 P.M.
Dallas, TX – May 19, 2009 at 3:10 P.M.
Southfield, MI – May 20, 2009 at 3:10 P.M.
Downers Grove, IL – May 20, 2009 at 3:10 P.M.
St. Louis, MO – May 21, 2009 at 3:10 P.M.
Nashville, TN – June 11, 2009 at 3:10 P.M.
Knoxville, TN – June 12, 2009 at 3:10 P.M.
Topic 1: Windows Server 2008 R2 – Optimize Your Time
Get a jump start on your peers with Windows Server 2008 R2 by joining us for this no-nonsense technical session, where we will discuss the critical improvements in the next version of Windows Server. Some have argued that, given the impressive scope of new functionality in Windows Server 2008 R2, it should not be an “R2” release, but rather should be given a completely new name. They point to features such as Direct Access, Branch Caching, Live Migration, PowerShell 2.0, and VDI that will help you cut down on the amount of time you spend doing mundane tasks, reduce end-user frustration and support headaches, and give your mobile workforce a competitive edge through ubiquitous access to company data. There’s a good chance that by attending this session you’ll find a way to save time and money with Windows Server 2008 R2, and so you’ll get the time you spend with us back many times over.
Topic 2: Windows 7 – Maximize Your Potential
In designing Windows 7, the engineering team had a clear focus on the fundamentals: performance, application compatibility, device compatibility, reliability, security, and battery life. Early reviews of Windows 7 seem to indicate that the choice to focus on the fundamentals is resonating well with many users and professionals. IT professionals will further benefit from the enhancements to manageability and security. You’ll also learn how your investments in testing and evaluating Windows Vista will pay off in the transition to Windows 7. Come see firsthand what all the buzz is about in this demo-intensive session where we explore the UI improvements, performance gains, and manageability enhancements in the next client operating system from Microsoft.
Topic 3: Internet Explorer 8 – Get Excited About the Browser Again
Internet Explorer is currently the most widely used browser in business, and while we’ve seen nice incremental improvements to IE in recent history, we haven’t seen as many truly earth-shattering changes. Well, many agree that the next release of IE, Internet Explorer 8, provides the most compelling upgrade to IE in many years. In a typical day, users spend 2 hours or more per day in the browser, so significant improvements here can have tremendous impact on productivity and the way we work. The browser needs to be thought of in the same terms as an operating system—it has to be rich, robust, interoperable, easy to use, and secure. Internet Explorer 8 is a browser that meets these needs and more for users, enterprises, IT professionals, and developers alike. Come learn how the new improvements, too numerous to mention here, are driving many to get excited about the browser again.
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 below listings, please e-mail me at john.weston@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.
Illinois
AITP Windy City Chapter
Chicago Windows UG
Springfield, IL AITP Chapter
Ohio
Dayton Area Network Professionals Assoc.
Cincinnati Area Network Professionals Assoc.
Missouri
Saint Louis Computer Measurement Group
St. Louis AITP Chapter
Minnesota
AITP NW Chapter
Minnesota Unified Communications User Group (MNUCUG)
New Horizons of MN has a good list of local UGs.
Texas
Southcentralcommunity.comis a great Web site; developer-focused but getting more IT pro groups listed.
Communitymegaphone.com is a free Web site to share when and where UG functions are, for developers and IT pros.
North Texas PC User Group
Dallas AITP Chapter
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 received access via the secure download site on April 30. The general public was able to download from the main Microsoft site starting May 5. I am working with my teammates, Keith Combs, Matt Hester, Shawn Travers, and Kevin Remde to hold Windows 7 Install Fests in the Central 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 set up items that make sense to everyone, as opposed to what I think would make sense. Please send me feedback at john.weston@microsoft.com.
Cool and Exciting Announcements
Tech·Ed 2009 is taking place in Los Angeles from May 11 to May 15. I will be there, will you? Harold Wong is working with community leaders in the LA area to hold an event for IT pros near the convention center. You do not need to attend Tech·Ed 2009 to attend this event. As we finalize the details, we will get more information out.
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.
John Weston
DPE IT Pro Evangelist
https://blogs.technet.com/jweston
https://www.technetevents.com/jweston |