Tag: Events

Launch Event – Learn From The Best; Not From The Rest

There are only hours now between now and the start of TechCamp 2013 in City West in Dublin, where Irish MVPs (and a couple of Microsoft folks) will be presenting on:

  • Windows Server 2012 R2
  • Service automation using System Center 2012 R2
  • Hybrid cloud using Hyper-V Network Virtualization, NVGRE, SCVMM 2012 R2 and Windows Azure Pack
  • Service level management using System Center 2012 R2
  • Windows 8.1 in the business
  • New Windows devices
  • BYOD, consumerisation of IT, and mobile device management
  • Enterprise desktop management using System Center 2012 R2

You could wait for a sales person come to town and tell you stuff that they’ve read about.

Or, you could make a little effort to come to TechCamp 2013 where some of the worlds leading experts independent experts (all with international followings and tech book credits to their names) on these technologies (who are Irish BTW) will be there to present an honest appraisal of this technology that they have worked with every day since the 2012 R2/8.1 previews were launched.

Event: TechCamp 2013 Windows & System Center Mailshots Begin

Thanks to my employers, and sponsors of TechCamp 2013, MicroWarehouse, a shiny nice mailshot for the Windows Server 2012 R2, System Center 2012 R2, and Windows 8.1 community launch event went out today.

A special thank you to John who is working like mad on this event.

Business people group at meeting seminar presentation

Anyone can register for this 2-track community launch event.  In fact, we are recommending that more than 1 person comes from a company so that they each attend a track and share notes.

Even if you cannot go, please remember it’s a community event.  So help spread the word!!!  RT on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, smoke signals … it’s all appreciated.

Event: TechCamp2013 – Learn About Windows Server & System Center 2012 R2 And Windows 8.1 (Dublin)

I’m delighted to announce that on November 28th in City West Hotel (just outside the M50 in Dublin), there will be a community launch of:

  • Windows Server 2012 R2
  • System Center 2012 R2
  • Windows 8.1 (in the business)

For all intents and purposes, this is the launch of the next generation of infrastructure products in Ireland.  Community launch means that you’re getting independent experts telling you the facts about these products.  The experts are Microsoft Most Valuable Professionals (MVPs), including:

  • Myself
  • Damian Flynn
  • Paul Keely
  • Kevin Greene
  • Niall Brady

All the details can be found on the event website at http://techcamp2013.wordpress.com/.  The site isn’t finished yet, but I was keen to get information out to you ASAP.  More event, speaker and sponsor information will be added in the coming days. 

You can also follow @techcamp2013 on Twitter to keep up with the latest news.

We’re really excited to present this event to you.  We really hope to see you there!

Notes:

  • There is a small registration fee but all proceeds are going to a worthy tech-related charity
  • The event will be held once in Dublin and will not be repeated or travel.  This is too big of an event to take on the road.
  • We’ve deliberately selected a location outside of the city to make travel easier for long distance travellers.
  • The location, City West Hotel, has pretty economic accommodation and we’ve listed some nearby hotels that offer good rates on the site.
  • There will be no streaming of the event.

Agenda:

This is a two-track event so I’d strongly recommend that you come in pairs, maybe taking and sharing notes in OneNote or whatever your favourite note-taking tool is.

Time

Windows Server & System Center

Windows 8.1 & Device Management

09:00-09:40

Keynote

Speaker: Dave Northey, Microsoft

Learn how the entire package from Microsoft fits together

09:45-11:00

Windows Server 2012 R2

Speaker: Aidan Finn, MVP

What does WS2012 R2 bring to virtualisation, cloud, storage and networking?

Windows 8.1 in the Business

Speaker: Damian Flynn, MVP

How Windows 8.1 Pro and Enterprise can chance user experience an enable BYOD.

11:00-11:30

Break

Get a drink/snack & meet the sponsors.

11:30-12:45

System Center Virtual Manage Manager & Hybrid Cloud

Speaker: Damian Flynn, MVP

Start deploying and taking control of the entire data center with VMM 2012 R2!

Windows 8.1 Devices

Speaker: Microsoft TBA

Devices are a central ingredient to the “Windows 8.1 in the business” story. What are Microsoft and partners doing?

12:45-13:30

Lunch

Get something to eat & meet the sponsors

13:30-14:45

System Center Service manager & Self-Service/Automation

Speaker: Paul Keely, MVP

See how System Center can automate repetitive processes, optimise time planning for IT, and change the business.

Windows Intune

Speakers: Microsoft TBC

Windows Intune is a much bigger solution than you think, including branch offices, BYOD, and covering all kinds of devices (Windows & others).

14:45-15:00

Break

Refuel for the afternoon push & meet the sponsors.

15:00-16:15

System Center Operations Manager & Service Management

Speaker: Kevin Greene, MVP

It delivers a service, but just how is that service performing?

System Center Configuration Manager

Speaker: Niall Brady, MVP

Take control of every device in your enterprise like you’ve always dreamed, but keep the users happy with self-service? That’s not possible, right? Wrong!

Event–TechDays San Francisco

MVPs in the San Francisco Bay Area are sponsoring two virtualization events for the IT Pro community.

The first event is this Friday October 11 from 9am-4pm and is an introduction to all of the new features in Hyper-V features found in Server 2012.  (Combination of lecture and live demos given by MVPs who have been working on a larger Hyper-V deployment.)  Feel free to stop by or refer IT Professional who would like a crash course on the features in Hyper-V.

The second event will be in November the Thursday and Friday 14-15 November.  This event will be a deep dive two day event to discuss the technical details of Hyper-V.   Our goal is to make IT Pros an expert in Hyper-V in two days.

I will be attending and speaking at the second event.  I’m looking forward to the event, if not the actual travel and jetlag – earlier that week I’m speaking in Berlin, Germany, just 9 time zones ahead Confused smile  The line up of speakers that is being arranged is quite impressive.  And I’ve only ever presented on the east coast of the USA.

It’s just a pity that schedules didn’t line up better and allowed me to attend a 49ers game, but I am going to their @ Jaguars game in London in a few weeks.  But hey. maybe next time in the new stadium Smile

Event – Last Chance To Register For “Transform The Data Centre” In London

Don’t be a fool – make sure you go to the Transform The Data Centre event in London next Tuesday (September 10th) where a bunch of MVPs will be talking about Window Server 2012 R2 and System Center 2012 R2.

image

The agenda:

  • 08:45 Savision: Keynote
  • 09:45 David Allen, MVP: Licensing and what is supported when virtualized with Windows 2012 and System Center?
  • 10:15: Me: An hour stuffed to the gills with Hyper-V and related tech info and demos
  • 11:15 Break: There’s no time for breaks goddamit!  That 15 minutes is mine!!!!
  • 11:30 Damian Flynn, MVP: How to manage your Virtual Environments effectively with System Center Virtual Machine Manager
  • 12:45: Lunch: Only wussies break for lunch.  Must talk with Damian about us taking over the stage Open-mouthed smile
  • 1:45 Gordon McKenna, MVP: Managing any size data centers is by no means an easy task
  • 14:45 Break: More breaks than a KitKat factory
  • 15:00 Simon Skinner, MVP (and the organiser in chief): Let’s not forget the applications!
  • 16:10 Gordon McKenna and David Allen, MVPs: Where next? The future is already here today!
  • 17:10 Q&A … Myself and Damian will probably have to leave for our flights so ask us any questions during breaks/lunches

This event is part of a series of session that are going on next week.  Microsoft UK DPE Andrew Fryer has details of all the days on his blog.

Event – TechNet Conference 2013 in Berlin

Berlin is the place to be on November 12th and 13th if you’re interested in Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 R2, System Center 2012 R2, Windows Intune, Windows Azure, SQL Server 2014 or Office 365 … and you can speak German.

That’s because Microsoft Germany in cooperation with members of the community, including numerous European MVPs, are going to be talking tech, tech, tech, at level 300 and above, at TechNet Conference 2013.  For just a small registration fee, you’ll have access to 2 days of content, each with 3 tracks.

The keynote will be presented by  Mike Schutz, GM Product Marketing for Windows Server and Matt McSpirit, Sr Product Marketing Manager from Microsoft Corporation.  Carsten Rachfahl (MVP) will also be presenting a Best Practices session with the gold sponsor, Wortmann AG.

I’ll be there on the first day (November 12th) talking about Hyper-V Replica and networking in WS2012 R2.  Most of the content is in German.  I will be presenting in English – my ability to speak German is very limited (to asking for a beer) and offends the hearing of fluent speakers.

Other MVPs speaking include Damian Flynn, Hans Vredevoort, Thomas Maurer, Markus Klein, Torsten Meringer, Bernhard Tritsch, Martina Grom, Siggia Jagott, Samuel Zürcher, Nicki Borell, Toni Pohl, Martin Goet, Daniel Neumann, and last but certainly not least, Paula Januszkiewicz.

I wonder why those who were kicking this idea around after the usual expected speaker rejection emails from TechEd might have codenamed this as MVP-ed? Open-mouthed smile  Looking at the list of names speaking, you’re simply not going to find a Microsoft technology event to match this in Europe.  With so much change over the last 18 months and more to come, events like this are priceless, even if the admission is €149 + VAT for the first 100 registrants and €199 + VAT after that. Maybe if you can’t speak German, go learn it, because this is one heck of an agenda.  Ich muss Deutsch lernen.

Event: Sept 10th, London –Transform The Data Centre

A number of MVPs will be talking about Windows Server and System Center 2012 R2, and how these technologies really can transform designing, deploying, configuring, and managing the cloud in the data centre.

Respond to changing business needs with the power of a hybrid cloud from Microsoft.

Today’s business runs on IT. Every department, every function, needs technology to stay productive and help your business compete. And that means a wave of new demands for applications and resources.

The datacenter is the hub for everything you offer the business, all the storage, networking and computing capacity. To ride the wave of demand, you need a datacenter that isn’t limited by the restrictions of the past. You need to be able to take everything you know and own today and transform those resources into a datacenter that is capable of handling changing needs and unexpected opportunities.

With Microsoft, you can transform the datacenter. You can take the big, complicated, heterogeneous infrastructure you have today and bring it forward into the new world of cloud. You can take advantage of the boundless capacity the cloud offers, while still meeting requirements for security and compliance. You can reduce cost and complexity with technology innovation in areas like storage and networking. And you can deliver services to the business faster with a platform that makes you more agile and more productive.

This free event (registration required) is on Tuesday 10th September at Microsoft Cardinal Place, SW1E 5JL London, United Kingdom.

  • 8:45am: Key Note.
  • 9:00am: Savision
  • 9:45am: Licensing and what is supported when virtualized with Windows 2012 and System Center? MVP David Allen explains licensing of Windows Server & System Center as well as what is supported when virtualized. This will be a great way to start the day and information that is often sort after by many customers.
  • 10:15am: Virtualization is the key element to your success and it starts with Networking. MVP Aidan Finn makes sense around Hyper-V networking including the new features in Windows 2012 R2 Hyper-V. Aidan will also clarify best practices for hardware that hosts your Virtual Machines and why Windows 2012 R2 Hyper-V will be the best Hyper Visor platform yet.
  • 11:15am: Break
  • 11:30am: How to manage your Virtual Environments effectively with System Center Virtual Machine Manager. MVP Damian Flynn will demonstrate the improved SCVMM 2012 R2 and how with the growing demand on Virtual servers SCVMM is a must in any data center or private cloud. Bring your level 400 tech guys for this one.
  • 12:45: Lunch
  • 1:45pm: Managing any size data centers is by no means an easy task. MVP Gordon McKenna will take us through will take us through SCOM 2012 R2. And how we can monitor any part of our environment effectively, including how System Center is with Microsoft Gold Partner Veeam the best tool for monitoring VMware.
  • 14:45pm: Break
  • 15:00pm: Let’s not forget the applications! MVP Simon Skinner will demonstrate how using System Center 2012 with service templates can get our clients to deploy complex solutions like SharePoint or SQL Server. Here we will see where automation becomes the norm.
  • 16:10pm: Where next? The future is already here today! MVP Gordon McKenna and MVP David Allen presents Windows Azure Pack which delivers Windows Azure technologies for you to run inside your datacenter, enabling you to offer rich, self-service, multi-tenant services that are consistent with Windows Azure. The Microsoft Cloud OS: One Consistent Platform. The Cloud OS is Microsoft’s vision of a consistent, modern platform for the world’s apps running across multiple clouds; enterprise datacenters, hosting service provider datacenters and Windows Azure. The Windows Azure Pack helps to deliver on this vision by bringing consistent Windows Azure experiences and services to enterprise and hosting service provider datacenters with existing investments in System Center and Windows Server.
  • 17:10: Question time with the UK/IE MVPs.

Don’t be one of those IT Pros that deserves to have their job outsourced or who shames the rest of us; keep up to date and learn what you could be doing for your employers … and your career.

The TechEd North America 2013 Microsoft Private Cloud Book Challenge

I have two copies of Microsoft Private Cloud Computing to give away on the final day of TechEd North America.  The challenge is simple.  All you have to do is be one of the first two people to:

  1. Find me in the TechEd North America 2013 convention centre AND then
  2. Immediately shout out loud the following: “Hyper-V Rules!”

I mean shout.  Saying it, being shy, being just a little noisy … that’ll disqualify you.  You need to scream “Hyper-V Rules!”.

If you are one of the first two people to do that then you win yourself a copy of the book.  In return, I’ll ask you to post a review on your local Amazon site.

The competition ends at 17:00 on 6/6/2013.

TechEd North America – Speaker Idol

Not only am I attending TechEd North America next week, but I will also be competing in Speaker Idol. 

.NET Rocks) host the Speaker Idol competition where contestants give a five-minute presentation in front of an audience and a panel of esteemed judges. The grand prize is a speaking slot at next year’s TechEd! Come to the Digital Wall each day during lunch to see who could be speaking at TechEd next year—and learn something new!

I will have 5 minutes to talk about some technical subject.  The winner of each heat moves on to the final, and the winner of the final wins the coveted speaking spot at TechEd the following year.  I’m scheduled for lunchtime on Monday … come and cheer me on!  It’s either going to be pretty cool or pretty horrific Smile

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Looking Forward To TechEd North America 2013

I have a busy schedule on at the moment.  This week I’m delivering a 2 day VMM course in Dublin, prepping a custom 3-day hands-on ConfigMgr course for next week, recording a “webcast” on Windows 8 in the business.  Next week I deliver the aforementioned ConfigMgr course, and then travel to Copenhagen for the E2EVC conference where I’m doing the Microsoft virtualization/cloud keynote.  And then at sunrise on that Sunday, I fly from Copenhagen to New Orleans for TechEd North America 2013.

I had a choice of conferences this year.  I didn’t fancy MMS 2013 because it was at the wrong point in the lifecycle of System Center.  And to be honest, I found last year’s MMS to be more of a “here’s what you can do” rather than a “here’s how to do it”.  This was valuable to me because I was new to things like Orchestrator, and Service Manager (I still am).  This year, I wanted a more level 300/400 event.  That leaves TechEd North America (New Orleans, LA), and TechEd Europe (Madrid) a few weeks later in June.  I opted for the NA event because:

  • That’s, if it happens before Build as many suspect, where “Blue” will be revealed – bits aren’t being shared until the Build week at the end of June
  • The American speakers usually feature more product group members than the Europe conference – where too many local marketeers get to speak.  I really value what the experts share.  Go listen to folks like Claus Joergensen talk about storage in previous years.
  • Even with the higher flight costs, TechEd NA is much cheaper than TechEd Europe

I’m looking forward to the event a lot.  Folks like Didier Van Hoye have blogged about the value of this event.  This is where we go to learn about possibilities.  In recent years, we’ve seen the return of deep tech sessions – much of what I’ve written or spoken about I’ve learned from TechEd sessions.

It’s been a while since I’ve done TechEd.  In the last 2 years I’ve stayed at home and watched the keynotes live and the sessions 24-36 hours later on the Channel 9 website. That is good, but there’s a value to being there in person:

  • No work distractions
  • You get to meet the experts in the halls or after the sessions
  • You can ask questions – try asking an AVI file a question Smile
  • And the networking opportunities are invaluable too.

This year will be a strange one for me.  The Petri IT Knowledgebase has arranged a press pass for me.  So, I’ll be an attending MVP (not doing a booth) and a member of the media!  Another first for me will be that my publisher is arranging a book signing for one of the lunch breaks.  I feel weird signing a book for just one person (I’m no celebrity) so doing a book signing will be peculiar … I hope no one asks me to sign their boobs … think about who attends tech conferences and you’ll get my meaning Open-mouthed smile

If you see a jetlagged, sweaty, overweight, Irish dude with really bad jetlag, wandering the halls of TechEd in 2 weeks, then that’ll be me.

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