My Ottawa TechNet monthly on Microsoft Operations Manager 2005 doubled as the inaugural meeting of the Ottawa Windows Server Users Group last night (October 27th).  It was a modest turn out that allowed for great participation and interaction. On the MOM side, it was an introduction to the product for the majority of the group.  They had not worked with previous versions and were anxious to see what it could offer.  For the most part – the session went well and we had time for more discussion then normal.  “Why more discussion the normal?” you ask?  I must not have offered enough of a sacrifice to the Demo Gods and things started to go “wonkey” (for lack of a better term) with the demo systems – network problems, mysteriously expired reporting software and unexpected performance issues – not a pretty sight.  Hey – it happens to all presenters sometime – I guess my number came up!  I did promise to make it up to every attendee who was present at last nights session if they attended the Fall TechNet Tour event in Ottawa (November 16th) to see the revamped MOM session – we’ll see who takes me up on my offer.  :)

As for the Ottawa IT pro community initiative - I started the evening with some housekeeping duties which included the introduction of Garth Jones.  He’s a passionate guy about Systems Management who has thrown his hat into the ring to get a Windows Server community started in Ottawa.  This will not be an easy task... There is a high concentration of IT Professionals in Ottawa who use Windows products every day. Trying to reach out to these individuals and create a group that matches their diverse interests will require a lot of support and commitment from all participants.

Are you interested in getting involved at the ground level and having an impact on the direction of the group?  Do you have a desire to help others, share experiences / best practices and develop a sense of community?  Drop me a comment or an email via the blog feedback engine – I’ll get you more details about the group.  I'm going to try to help out as much as I can - there will be a dedicated area for the IT Pro community at the Ottawa Fall TechNet tour stop on November 16th. Have you signed up?