February, 2011

One of the great aspects of my job is I get to work with a lot of different user groups and meet lots of people from the IT Pro community.  Well I did my best to get a list of all the IT professional  user groups I work with in the Heartland territory (Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee). 

To that end here is the list of the IT Professional user groups in the area:

Heartland IT Pro User Groups 

This list is by no means complete, and is meant to be a “living list”.  The above page is a list of the groups that I know about.  If you do not see your user group, and would like to.  It is simple, just contact me and I will add it and hopefully come and visit.

My only ask is that the user group be IT Pro focused. 

Notice I did not say Microsoft focused.

If you run a Linux, VMware, Apple group (or other non-MS specific group)  I want to know about your group and I will put you in the listing.  Heck I may even show up to a meeting. :-)

You will always be able to access this list via the link to the right on my blog, and if you have any questions let me know.

If you are a developer, you've probably heard plenty about the cloud. But if you're and IT professional, what have you heard about it? How does it intersect with the datacenter? How does it make your job easier – or harder? Is it something that your organization is looking at? Is the cloud something your organization _should_ be looking at but hasn't really dug into it yet?

Whether we like it or not, the cloud – in all its varied forms – is coming. It's best for us to be prepared, whether we are developers (see: Windows Azure Boot Camp) or whether we are IT professionals (see: this very post). Because the cloud is coming. We need to get ready for it and how we plan to address it or incorporate it... Or we could be left behind.

To help IT professionals understand what the cloud means to then, starting in March 2011 we launch our new series of TechNet Events, this series focusing on how IT is being transformed into a dynamic, service-based resource for your business. Think not just about things like Virtualization, but consider taking advantage of cloud-like solutions, whether in your own datacenter or hosted elsewhere. After all, choosing the right solution for the right scenario is always critically important.

The Events
Our events will cover three topics. First is cloud computing essentials for IT professionals. Second delves into the public cloud, covering the what, why and how you leverage the public cloud as part of your overall computing and infrastructure strategy. Last we cover the private cloud, again digging into the what, why and how you employ pooled computing resources, automated management, scalability, and on-demand provisioning via on premise resources as opposed to public cloud off premise assets.

The Schedule
Here is our full, 23-city schedule. We launch the series in just a month and run through mid-May 2011. If you live in or near one of these cities, please join us. If you won't have the opportunity to join us in person, please follow the blogs of our resident cloud computing expert, Kevin Remde, and his peers (Matt Hester, Brian Lewis, and John Weston) to see alternative online options to learn more about cloud computing on premise and off.

• Grand Rapids, MI – Tuesday, March 15, 2011
• Detroit, MI – Thursday, March 17, 2011
• Cleveland, OH – Tuesday, March 22, 2011
• Bloomington, MN – Wednesday, March 23, 2011
• Milwaukee, WI – Wednesday, March 23, 2011
• Columbus, OH – Thursday, March 24, 2011
• St. Louis, MO – Monday, March 28, 2011
• Madison, WI – Tuesday, March 29, 2011
• Overland Park, KS – Tuesday, March 29, 2011
• Omaha, NE – Wednesday, March 30, 2011
• Nashville, TN – Friday, April 1, 2011
• Baton Rouge, LA – Tuesday, April 5, 2011
• Cincinnati, OH – Wednesday, April 6, 2011
• Dallas, TX   – Thursday, April 7, 2011
• Houston, TX – Tuesday, April 12, 2011
• Louisville, KY – Wednesday, April 13, 2011
• Indianapolis, IN – Thursday, April 14, 2011
• Austin, TX – Thursday, April 14, 2011
• Chicago, IL – Thursday, April 21, 2011
• Des Moines, IA – Friday, April 22, 2011
• Tulsa, OK – Tuesday, April 26, 2011
• Downers Grove, IL – Tuesday, May 10, 2011
• Cedar Rapids, IA – Thursday, May 12, 2011

In a tough economic climate, it can be difficult for managers and HR teams to understand the business value of sending staff to the Tech·Ed conference because of the upfront costs.  Here are some talking points to help you make the case for Tech·Ed to your management.  There is also a custom email template for you here:

Convince Your Boss 

Topics that are relevant to our business—today

Tech·Ed beats other conferences in number and depth of topics with over 915 different in-depth sessions about Microsoft technology including:

• Information Security
• Database Platforms and Microsoft SQL Server
• Windows 7
• Microsoft SharePoint® 2010 and Office 2010
• Windows Server  2008 R2
• Virtualization
• Web Platforms

• Microsoft Office 365, cloud-based versions of our trusted collaboration and communication products
• Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011

• Microsoft Lync™, our new communications server

The benefits of in-person attendance.

• Microsoft experts and partners are available to discuss what’s coming and why it’s important.
• You’ll be able to talk with experts about your specific issues and get answers to your questions in real-time.
  While Tech·Ed offers a rich virtual experience online, there’s no replacement for face time.
  • You can represent your company and team, so the investment of sending one person benefits everyone.
  • Dedicated time away from the desk to focus on education and advancing your expertise, minus distractions.

Add to your skill set.

• Take a deep dive into the latest technologies with approximately 200 self-paced labs—all created by product experts.
• Get unlimited access to the Technical Learning Center.

Network with peers, industry influencers, and Microsoft experts.

• Networking opportunities including Birds-of-a-Feather sessions, Women in Technology, and more.
• Get the hard questions answered with everyday access to industry experts and Microsoft product teams.
• Learn about available services from representatives of Microsoft Learning, MSDN, TechNet, and more.
• Make contacts and share best practices with peers that have the same interests and concerns.
• Over 400 speakers and 200 exhibitors in attendance, plus access to over 100 demo stations.

Walk away with tools you can use.

• TechNet subscriptions that give you access to the latest bits, like Windows 7.
• Access to all Breakout Session presentations and videos when you get back to the office.
• Microsoft Certification discounts.

Tech·Ed attendance will help you make the most of your company’s tech investments.

• Tech·Ed is a technical education conference with learning tracks about diverse technologies at a level of detail unmatched in the industry. Sending staff to Tech·Ed will improve the efficiency of your enterprise. It’ll also boost your bottom line by increasing your organization’s ability to understand, deploy, and manage technologies.
• Technical Tracks on application platforms show how to use software and tools to build better solutions.
• Technical Tracks on business productivity show how to make business information work harder for decision makers, and how IT can focus on strategic business innovation.

We can get the $200 Last Chance Savings until February 28, 2011.

Plus, group discounts are available, making it less expensive for teams to attend