So it has been well over a month since the last post. Why is that? Have I given up on posting and blogging in general? NOPE! In fact, I plan on kicking it up a couple of notches this year. In case you didn’t know, June/July time-frame for Microsoft is a big planning stage for the upcoming year, since it’s our financial year end. I’ve been embroiled in a lot of planning discussions, year end activities and other non technical stuff. Can you say Travel? I think I will have to update my mailing address to become the Ottawa international airport (airport code YOW – which matches how I feel…) Why? Throw in the National Canadian “All Hands” meeting in Toronto, the Microsoft Global Briefing down in Atlanta and wrap it up with an internal conference for Field Technical staff called TechReady at the mother ship in Redmond (I start this Friday with a pre-conference). Now that’s just about behind me, I can re-focus on what I love to do – use MS technology and help others in the IT Professional community to unlock the potential of the Microsoft Windows Server System. 

Now that sounds a little like marketing speak, doesn’t it?  Don’t worry, as you know, I am not a marketing type of guy. But in all seriousness, a lot of you have deployed MS technology without realising you are probably not using to it’s fullest potential. Don’t worry – it’s not your fault, it’s just that there is tons of stuff available within server applications as well as FREE add-on feature packs or best practice analysers – just to name a few.  I plan on helping you in any way that I can through in person events across Canada (user groups, TechNet events and client site visits), online activities (blogging, webcasts, blogcasts and online chats) – even email conversations - when applicable. 

What do you need to do to keep track of all this?  A couple of simple things really…
1) Visit my blog often or get yourself an RSS reader. What’s one of those? stay tuned, I’ll have a blog post about a couple I am trying out.  If you like, I’ll even post my RSS subscriptions (OPML file) I use to keep up to date.
2) Get engaged with the IT Professional community.  How? Find out if there is a IT Professional user group in your area. Here are a couple in Canada that I know about and try to support when I can (http://www.microsoft.com/technet/canada/usergroups). None in your city? Start one up! How? Drop me a comment or stay tuned for a blog post about what to do…
3) Subscribe to the Canadian TechNet flash. It’s a bi-weekly email newsletter that is customised for YOU and is your one stop shop for CANADIAN Microsoft TechNet events and IT Professional community events. Here’s a subscription link (http://www.microsoft.com/technet/canada/flash) It’s FREE and we have a STRICT privacy policy that prevents us from sharing subscription information with others.  My team is taking a more active role in it’s publication and editorial content – lots of great stuff will be in there. Speaking of which, I have to write the next editorial for August… I’d better add that to my to-do list…

With all this coming down the pipe there will be a lot of valuable information posted – all for FREE.  All I ask is one thing - be an ACTIVE participant on this blog. Yup – I mean it. I know you are out there reading this and for that I am thankful. Who’d have thought that someone would want to spend their time reading what I decide to throw up on the web! Just take it to the next level.  Comment on the posts and share your thoughts. I’ll reply, others will participate and we’ll all benefit as an online community. If you write a blog yourself, link to me or put in a trackback – I’ll do the same. Blogging is much more rewarding to everyone involved if we have an active conversation. 

Got something to say? Click on the comments link at the end of this post and sound off!