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It’s a big day for Microsoft with the launch of Windows 8 and the Surface . It’s the start of a new era where the term “personal computer” is being redefined and were the lines between business and consumer, work and play, are becoming blurred. It’s also the continuation of a trend where we see IT and...

That’s a pretty popular question these days with the release of Windows Server 2012 and the pending VMware vSphere 5.1 updates. Fortunately, a great comparison whitepaper was recently released which details just that. The whitepaper goes into more detail however, I want to highlight one particular table...

While there are many Microsoft product launches happening this year, this one is near and dear to my heart. I first started working with Windows servers back in the days of the Windows New Technology server, or NT, as I’m sure some of you reading did as well. We’ve come a long way, baby! This latest...

As children we are enthralled by the stories that we hear. Stories teach us and fire our imaginations to what is possible in this world. And as adults, we’re not much different. It’s one thing to hear about a process, product or idea, but hearing the story of the trials and triumphs that accompanied...

Looking for IT Camp registration links? Scroll down! With Windows Server 2012 becoming generally available September 4, we want to make sure you get some hands on experience with this latest server offering. With new advances in virtualization, networking, storage and automation among other things...

Today the new logo for our company was unveiled and I must say that I like what I see. Clean lines, more modern but friendly. Nice! Old logo: New logo: What do you think?

If you haven’t taken a look at the Microsoft Virtual Academy (MVA) yet, now is the time to do it and pass the link along to your team. There are 7 new Private Cloud courses available which I outline on the Canadian IT Professional Connection blog . MVA is a free training portal with modules...

My dad is in his retirement years, but he’s one of those guys who will never really retire. Once part of the engineering team that built the communications system for the Expo line for Vancouver’s SkyTrain in the mid-80’s among other things, he now works as an IT consultant for a small computer store...

Last November, Jonathan and I were thrilled to have Mary Jo Foley on our show. Mary Jo is an industry expert and well known tech journalist with over 25 years of experience. We talked about the Future of IT and found Mary Jo to be a great guest who was able to share valuable insights into the IT industry...

While those of us in server and network infrastructure may sometimes look down on our developer colleagues because, after all, without us their applications wouldn’t have anything to run on, in truth it’s really all about the app. Without applications, there wouldn’t be a need for our servers, desktops...

Today, both the Windows Server 2012 Release Candidate (RC) and Windows 8 Release Preview were made available for public download. More information about Windows Server 2012 RC: Resources page for the RC More information about the Windows 8 Release Preview: Steven Sinofsky’s post about what’s been updated...

These days around the Microsoft Canada office and particularly in my little corner of the world, everyone is laser focused on getting IT folks downloading, learning and certified on Microsoft technologies…specifically private cloud technologies. And just to give you a bit of incentive, we’ve come up...

Different people learn in different ways and in my last post about the great incentives there are to take exam 70-659 Windows Server Virtualization before May 31st, I also listed a number of resources you could use to study up. Depending on your learning style, different resources will appeal to you...

A new whitepaper was released in January comparing private cloud solutions from Microsoft and VMware, taking a look at the functionality, benefits and economics of each solution. This series of blog posts breaks down the components of the whitepaper into consumable chunks and I’ve added my own...

You may already be well versed on Windows server 2008 and Hyper-V and you may already be running a component or two of the System Center suite, but do you know how to put it all together to to build out, manage and operate a private cloud? Join this free 2 day online Jump Start course designed for IT...

There has never been a better time to study for and pass the 70-659 exam because we here at Microsoft Canada are determined to get as many Canadian system admins, network admins, IT managers, IT job seekers, and whatever-else-you-want-to-call-yourself certified on Window Server virtualization as possible...

A learning experience designed to help executives and organizational leaders participate in strategic conversations about why and how the Cloud transforms business. There’s no shortage of buzz around “the Cloud.” Everybody’s talking about it. But, really, what is it? Do you understand the jargon? Can...

Every fall and spring, a survey goes out to a few hundred thousand IT folk in Canada asking what they think of Microsoft as a company. The information we get from this survey helps us understand what problems and issues you’re facing and how we can do better. We take the input we get from this...

A new whitepaper was released in January comparing private cloud solutions from Microsoft and VMware, taking a look at the functionality, benefits and economics of each solution. This series of blog posts breaks down the components of the whitepaper into consumable chunks and I’ve added my own...

(Photo credit Eric Willfong ) The private cloud scenario sounds like the perfect solution – take many of the highly desired characteristics of a public cloud such as resource pooling, self-service, elasticity and pay-per-use service and bring them in-house under the control of your own IT organization...

It often helps when planning to have a roadmap and when planning your IT infrastructure it helps to know the Microsoft product roadmap. If you want to know what our vision and roadmap is over the next while, then block off the morning of February 22 in your calendar and register using the links below...

A girlfriend of mine called me up this weekend looking for a DVD copy of an older piece of software. She was rebuilding a computer for a family member who had the product key but no installation media. I’m sure many of you have similar stories trying to fix or repair computers for your family and...

My colleagues and I get asked a lot about licensing. Frankly, Microsoft doesn’t have a great reputation for keeping it simple. And to be totally transparent – I, like many of my colleagues, would usually rather stick a fork in my eye that talk about it because it can get complicated. And...

With any big change to your IT infrastructure comes risk, but of course you’re hoping that the rewards will out weigh those risks. In fact, you’re doing more than just hoping – you’re planning, strategizing, and putting your organization in a good position to mitigate those risks. Deploying a new operating...

Wilfred A. Peterson, author of The Art of Living, once said: Christmas is not the tinsel and lights and outward show. The secret lies in an inner glow. It’s lighting a fire inside the heart. Good will and joy a vital part. It’s higher thought and a greater plan. It’s glorious dream in the soul of man...