Editor’s Note: To Tech·Ed and Back

Like most of you, we’re just back from Tech·Ed North America 2011, and still absorbing all that energy, all the contacts, updates and announcements.

Lafe Low

An event like Tech·Ed is indeed unique. Very few places have a gathering of such like-minded people: folks come together to discover new techniques and tactics, to hear about new updates and upgrades, to learn how to do their jobs better.

Tech·Ed brings together the best and the brightest to present, to lecture and to educate on current Microsoft technologies and how to optimize those technology investments. The heavy hitters also check in—this year’s keynotes were delivered by Robert Wahbe, head of the Server & Tools Business, and Jason Zander, corporate vice president of the Visual Studio Team.

If you were there, I apologize for preaching to the choir. If you missed it this year, start now working on your superior, because you need to be there. If you did miss it, you can catch some of the highlights at the Tech·Ed 2011 site. You can see the keynotes and many of the sessions. Even if you were there, you can’t be in more than one place at a time. Check out the site to catch up on what you may have missed. You can also continue to participate in ongoing discussions and network with your peers.

While there’s no substitute for walking the show floor, attending the keynotes and sessions, participating in the Birds of a Feather groups and spontaneous discussions that happen throughout the venue, the site is a great way to see what you may have missed. All this interaction—both live and online—debunks the urban myth of the classic, socially introverted geek. Like a T-shirt I saw at the show: “You’ve read my T-shirt. That’s enough social interaction for one day.” While that gave me a good belly laugh, it stood out as a contrast to all the lively conversations taking place around me. Hope to see you at Tech·Ed 2012.

Technology Tales

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Lafe Low* is the editor in chief of TechNet Magazine.* A veteran technology journalist, he’s also the former executive editor of 1105 Media’s Redmond magazine.