Training for MCTS 70-640 Certification

I’ve taken quite an extended break from my last CCNA certification. After much thought, I’ve stepped back and decided to go towards a Microsoft certification. In particular, I will be training myself for the Microsoft MCITP: Enterprise Administrator.

The prerequisites for the MCITP: Enterprise Administrator are 70-640 Training, 70-642 Training, 70-643 Training, 70-647 Training and either 70-640 Training, or 70-620 Training or 70-624 Training.

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Right now I am starting off with the 70-640. At my organization we already have some Windows Server 2008 machines deployed but I’d like to get an expert grasp with this technology. I’d like to acquire more knowledge in creating solutions and deploying. The maintaining part is natural to me.

The tools I will be using to train myself for the MCTS 70-640:

* Sybex MCTS Windows Server 2008 Active Directory Configuration Study Guide by William Panek and James Chellis

* Various online material from Microsoft and Techexams

* Practice tests from the Sybex book

* Lab environment – physical or virtual

Since I do have a couple years experience working with Windows Server I will be putting myself on a fast track study guide. I plan on finishing the book and labs within 2 months and shortly after completing some practice tests I will take the real certification exam.

The most challenging part of all this will be managing time and resources. With full dedication I have no doubt that I can acquire this new knowledge and become Free MCTS Training and MCTS Online Training certified through Microsoft.

iPhone 5 rumor rollup for the week ending Aug. 26

Next Apple iPhone on sale in October, new parts, new carriers, and Steve Jobs' PR plot

As Hurricane Irene closes in on the East Coast, iOSsphere rumors of iPhone 5 ticked up slightly to Category 2. Fueled by hot air, rumors broke out about iPhone 5 sales starting in October, a new battery design and audio jack flex cable, new carriers, Steve Jobs' cunning PR plot, and much less.

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You read it here second.
"A dubious source from a no-name site -- but it makes sense!" -- Gizmodo, covering without a trace of irony a rumor that iPhone 5 is coming to T-Mobile

iPhone 5 will go on sale in October, at least at AT&T.
Citing "one of our high-level AT&T sources," Jonathan Geller at Boy Genius Report reveals that an "AT&T Vice President has confirmed to several employees that the iPhone 5 is slated to launch in early October."

In the iOSsphere, "launch" is used interchangeably to mean "announcing a new product" and "making a new product available for purchase." Geller here means the latter.

But there's more. "Additionally, the VP communicated the following to a group of managers ..." Your breath catches, your pulse races. You think, "LTE? Lower price? The return of unlimited data plans?"

But no: "Expect things to get really, really busy in the next 35-50 days, so prepare your teams accordingly." Oh.

The fact that this rumor has not merely a Free MCTS Training – MCTS Online Training . source but a high-level AT&T source, means "this particular rumor is worth paying attention to because BGR was one of the first sites to heavily push a September release for the iPhone 5," reasons Devinda Hardawar at VentureBeat. "I don't suspect the site would backtrack on its previous reports unless it had a legitimate reason to ..."

The best kind of rumors are the ones grounded in facts.

Apple will reveal the date for the iPhone 5 announcement on Monday, Aug. 29.

That's the conclusion of Beatweek's Bill Palmer, who uncovers Steve Jobs' cunning PR plot.

How can he know? Because Steve Jobs resigned on Wednesday, Aug. 24. It makes complete sense, of course.

"Steve Jobs just resigned his Apple CEO position, and on a Wednesday no less," Palmer writes. "This is the strongest evidence yet that Apple will send out invites for an iPhone 5 event as soon as next week."

He reasons that the Jobs resignation is such bad news that Apple wants to bury it under good news. And what could be gooder than the iPhone 5?

BACKGROUND: Steve Jobs: "I hereby resign as CEO of Apple"

"The remedy for getting the Jobs news out of the tech headlines, then, is to put out the iPhone 5 news quickly thereafter so that attention shifts as quickly as possible," Palmer theorizes. "Jobs and his PR team likely decided to hold this news until the iPhone 5 was just about ready to be announced, so as to deliver the two in a one-two counter punch which would cancel out the former with the latter. The fact that the news was pushed out mid-week means that Apple is looking for this news cycle to have fully dissipated by the end of the weekend, with no Monday carryover. That in turn suggests that by Monday, Apple will be looking to turn attention elsewhere."

Free eBook: Microsoft Office 365: Connect and Collaborate Virtually Anywhere, Anytime

We are very excited to announce that we are able to offer Microsoft Office 365: Connect and Collaborate Virtually Anywhere, Anytime (ISBN 9780735656949), by Katherine Murray, as a free eBook.

For details on this book, including the Table of Contents, see our previous blog post here.

To download your free PDF eBook, click here. Updates to this eBook, as well as additional eBook formats, will become available in the future, so check this blog for updates.

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Introduction (excerpt)

Let’s hear it for freedom. Freedom from your desk. Freedom from those ­boring managers’ meetings. Freedom to work anywhere, with anyone, anytime, on almost any device. Sounds good, right?

Office 365 is Microsoft’s smart and simple answer to cloud computing. Using the various programs in Office 365, you can do all the tasks you’re used to doing in your favorite Office applications—write documents, create presentations, check email, manage your calendar, crunch numbers, and more—and then share what you create in real time on a team site, design and publish a website, and even create and host live online meetings while you’re traveling on the train, sitting in a coffee shop, or dialing in on your phone.

This book shows you how you can use cloud computing—and ­specifically, ­Office 365—to get more done, collaborate more easily, and work more ­flexibly than you ever have before. From the necessary how-tos about ­creating and administering your Office 365 account and working with the various Office 365 programs to sharing files with your team, creating a team site, using Office Web Apps, and holding online meetings, you’ll discover how easy it is to work online and off, accessing and sharing your files whenever you need to. After you learn about each of the core programs, you can try strategies for building successful teams, and get some good ideas on practical ways you can put all this cloud power to work.
Who This Book Is For

Microsoft Office 365: Connect and Collaborate Virtually Anywhere, Anytime is all about cloud solutions for small businesses, focusing on the core software services (Microsoft Exchange Online, Microsoft SharePoint Online, Office Web Apps, and Microsoft Lync), and demonstrating ways you can create, manage, and lead teams effectively using the communications and collaborative online tools.

You’ll find helpful ideas and solutions in Office 365 if you

· Own or work in a small business and want to be flexible where and when you work.

· Need to collaborate with others near or far.

· Want to store and work with files online from any point you have web access.

· Lead a team online or face to face.

What Is Cloud Computing?

The phrase cloud computing brings to mind for me the feeling of stretching out on a hillside on a summer day while my sons pointed out the animals and shapes they saw in the clouds above. Cloud computing is a little like that—the ability of your technology to take on the shape you need for the type of ­project you need to accomplish. Want to put together a project team? You can do that in the cloud so that team members all over the globe can ­collaborate and communicate easily. Need to create a meeting space for your regional sales reps? You can create a team site for everyone in the cloud, ­using web ­servers and software, and you can enable every person to log in from any point they have access to the web.

So where is this cloud? The real definition of the phrase cloud ­computing ­simply means the ability to access files and applications online through ­multiple devices—your ­computer, browser, or phone. Microsoft has already been offering cloud services through the web in various ways:

· Windows Live SkyDrive is one of the Windows Live Services, a free ­web-based ­application that enables you to save, store, organize, and share files easily.

· Microsoft Office Web Apps are available for Word 2010, PowerPoint 2010, Excel 2010, and OneNote 2010, making it possible for you to save and work with your Office files online and collaborate with other authors. Office 2010 Web Apps are free to registered Office 2010 users.

· Microsoft Office Live Small Business is a web-based suite of services that enable you to create and market a website, communicate with others by email and instant messaging, and store and share files online. The basic services are free, and you can add specialty features for a monthly fee.

· Microsoft Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS) is a suite of ­messaging and communications programs designed to provide the kind of collaboration support companies need. BPOS includes ­Microsoft Exchange Online, Microsoft SharePoint Online, Microsoft Office ­Communications Online, and Office Live Meeting, all for a monthly, per-user fee.

The best news about cloud computing for you as an end user is the added flexibility the services offer you, without additional investment in either hardware or software. You can simply use your web browser—which is open anyway, right?—to get to the files you need to work with, make any changes, and save and share the files as you see fit.

The great thing about cloud computing for companies is that it enables them to expand the services they offer both staff and customers without ­adding to their own hardware infrastructure. Web services enable companies to connect workers and make collaboration possible on a global scale without adding servers, setting up datacenters, and more. The environment is secure, ­flexible, and expandable to accommodate as many users as businesses need to ­support Free MCTS Training – MCTS Online Training .
Introducing Office 365

Microsoft Office 365 is Microsoft’s latest venture into cloud computing, ­bringing ­together tried-and-true programs that make communicating and collaboration ­natural online. Office 365 includes Microsoft Exchange Online for email and scheduling, ­Microsoft SharePoint Online for sharing files and creating team sites, and Microsoft Lync Online for instant messaging and ­online meeting. Office 365 mixes the capabilities of those programs with cloud versions of Office Professional Plus programs.
What Cloud Computing Means for You

Office 365 makes using Office in the cloud a simple, natural, and affordable way to make the most of services you are already familiar with, in ways that easily extend the ­technology you are probably already using. Sound too good to be true? It’s not. ­Office 365 enables you to easily and naturally

· Collaborate globally in real time.

· Use programs you already know.

· Create a virtual office where you can work with information securely while you’re on the go.

· Use your PC, browser, or phone interchangeably.

· Keep your information secure.

· Keep your hardware costs down.

· Use multiple devices to access and work with files.

· Create a shared team site.

· Boost productivity by making it easy for people to work together.

· Give users instant access to each other with presence technology and instant ­messaging.

· Incorporate social networking in your team communication.

Office 365 Versions

Because different types of organizations and businesses have different needs, three ­different versions of Office 365 are available for end users. These three versions are

· Office 365 for small businesses Small businesses and professionals who don’t have large IT requirements will find just the set of tools they need in Office 365 for small businesses. This version is easy to try (free for 30 days) and then low-cost ($6 per user per month at the time of this book’s publication), and it offers businesses Office Web Apps, Microsoft SharePoint Online, Microsoft Exchange Online, and Microsoft Lync for instant messaging and online meetings.

· Office 365 for enterprises Enterprises have larger-scale IT needs than small businesses or individuals, requiring software that can handle a large number of email accounts, messages, and attachments; provide guaranteed uptime; offer reporting and support options; and deliver Active Directory features that enable a single sign-in for end users. ­Office 365 for enterprises offers all these features and adds on to standard BPOS services to extend the collaboration and online meeting capabilities. Office 365 for enterprises also offers flexible plans so that businesses of different sizes can tailor the features to get just the kind of cloud support they need.

· Office 365 for education Educational users face a unique set of challenges—they need to provide students with access to the latest software possible, but they have to do it on a shoestring (and perhaps diminishing) budget. Cloud-based services can help users in education save money and give students the tools they need to create projects, collaborate in real time, and learn how to use software in the cloud.

What Does Office 365 Add to BPOS?

Microsoft Business Productivity Online Standard Suite, also known as BPOS, has 40 million users all over the world. This highly successful online software suite offers communication and collaboration ­features that make it easy to connect in real time and work together on ­projects large and small.

Office 365 for enterprises extends the features of BPOS by adding Microsoft Lync for instant messaging and online meetings, Outlook Web App for management of email and scheduling, Office Web Apps, and the ability to create reports and administer the account through a web-based dashboard. The educational version of Office 365 also includes the latest version of Microsoft Live@Edu, which ­offers cloud solutions to thousands of schools and millions of students around the globe.
A Quick Roadmap

Microsoft Office 365: Connect and Collaborate Virtually Anywhere, Anytime is organized in three parts to help you learn about different aspects of setting up and ­working with Office 365.

Part I, “Finding Your Place in the Cloud,” takes a look at the way people are working in the cloud today and introduces you to Office 365. Chapter 1 looks closely at teams, both inside and outside the office environment, and it takes a look at the way Office 365 offers a greener choice for small businesses. Chapter 2 shows you how to create an Office 365 account and set up a profile, and it gives you a big-picture tour of Office 365 so that you can begin planning just what you want to do with the tools. Chapter 3 is for the team manager or person who will be managing the Office 365 site; you’ll learn how to ­customize the site, add mobile devices, and set up and manage Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft SharePoint, and Microsoft Lync online.

Part II, “Teamwork in the Cloud,” is your guide to setting up, organizing, ­managing, and helping your team be successful using Office 365. ­Chapter 4 spotlights all the team features you can use to get everybody on the same page, calendar-wise; you’ll also find out how to share files, hold online ­meetings, instant message each other, and broadcast presentations. Chapter 5 walks you through creating, editing, and sharing a team site. Chapter 6 shows you how to create document libraries, share files with team members, and manage the files in SharePoint Online. You’ll also find out about working with file versions, tracking file changes, and comparing and merging files. Chapter 7 shows you how to create and use workflows to keep your team moving in the right direction, and Chapter 8 introduces all things Web App by shining a light on the capabilities of the various tools and showing you how to work with files online, coauthor documents, edit worksheets, broadcast presentations, and share notebooks. Chapter 9 rounds out this part of Office 365 by focusing on mobile technologies: find out how to use the various Office Mobile applications to review, edit, and share the files you develop with your team.

Part III, “Connecting in Real Time,” shows you how to use the ­communication and instant-messaging options in Office 365 to stay in touch with your team in real time. In Chapter 10, “Email and Organize with Office 365,” you learn how to use Outlook Web App to import and manage contacts, set email preferences, organize mail ­folders, work with your calendars and tasks, and more. Chapter 11, “Talking it Over with Microsoft Lync,” shows you how to connect in real time to other online users through instant ­messaging, voice calls, and online chats. You’ll learn how to manage transcripts, invite others to the ­conversation, and host web meetings. Chapter 12, “Designing Your ­Public Website,” shows you how to use the web tools in Office 365 to create a ­website to ­showcase your products and services and give your customers a sense of who you are and what you offer. Chapter 13, “Integrating Office 365,” presents a set of examples that show how you and your team can use the ­various tools in Office 365 together to create and share business projects.




About the Author


Katherine Murray has been writing articles and best-selling books about Microsoft Office in all its flavors since it was first released. She’s taught hundreds of thousands of Office users how to be productive (and creative) in Microsoft Word 2010 Inside Out, Microsoft Office 2010 Plain & Simple, and Microsoft Word 2010 Plain & Simple, as well as through her many articles on CNET’s TechRepublic and in Windows Secrets. Katherine is also a member of the Society of Environmental Journalists and writes frequently about earth care topics. Her book, Green Home Computing for Dummies, was published by Wiley in 2009.

Katherine’s blog and website, BlogOffice, has inspired and educated Office users since 2002. Her new Office 365 companion site, Connect & Collaborate,offers an ongoing source of how-to’s, tips, and strategic case studies for Office users and IT professionals who want to efficiently and successfully work in the Cloud. Katherine’s focus is on delivering essential techniques and insights to help members of virtual teams who may be developing workflow strategies and managing projects, as well as those who are tasked with bringing those projects—simple or complex—to completion.

Pharmaceutical firm retires Microsoft environment for cloud services

Linchpin was single sign-on security, authentication, says Amag Pharmaceuticals IT director

Amag Pharmaceuticals, based in Lexington, Mass., has almost eliminated its internal server network, and couldn't be happier about it. That's because the company, with about 240 employees, is now largely riding on cloud services.

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Amag's almost-extinct Windows and Exchange server network had not been well-maintained, cobbled together by employees without oversight of an information-technology division at all, says Nathan McBride, the executive director of IT for the firm. He says he joined the company about three years ago with the express agreement to move the pharma company's network to the cloud.

Company employees had simply gone out and bought what they thought was needed, whether it was laptops, a T-1 line or a switch. But management of it all, especially the Exchange 2003 server, was neglected because there was no one really in charge. But McBride said his goal in becoming the founding member of the IT department wasn't to make the internal network bigger -- it was to shrink it down through a "cloud strategy."

"We call it the five-headed dragon," says McBride about the cloud strategy he put forward calling for use of cloud services for authentication and access, the file system, communications and client management. "I don't think firewalls are necessary. They prohibit work from being accomplished."

While the IT department at Amag did grow with four new technical hires, the company is on track to cut its IT budget overall by adopting cloud services. In addition to moving the Exchange server network to Google Docs, the company also found it could establish single sign-on for employees to use cloud services, whether it was expense reporting, or a specialized healthcare reporting application or SAS business applications hosted in North Carolina. "Everything is in cloud services now," says McBride.

The linchpin for these new cloud services for employees has ended up being cloud-based single-sign-on, says McBride.

He says he looked into what about half a dozen vendors were doing, including Hitachi, Symplified, Okta, IBM Tivoli, Courion and Ping Identity, with the goal the company would migrate off the Imprivata single sign-on appliance it had at the time.

After piloting Okta, Symplified and Ping Identity early last year, the final decision was to go with Okta, says McBride.

One thing Amag looked at was how easy it would be for the cloud vendors to supply specific plug-ins for more than 15 applications. These plug-ins apps would be needed to foster SSO commands between the cloud services, the employee desktops and the cloud-based applications that Amag used elsewhere. "For Okta, the ace card was that they already had it," says McBride. In addition, the CEO from Okta flew in from San Francisco to make the commitment to the SSO project and willingness to build further plug-in apps if need be.

"All the conduits sit at Okta," says McBride. "The user authenticates to Okta," and in the cloud a tunnel is created from the client Web browser to Okta to the application that's hosted in another locale altogether. Instead of storing employee information at Amag, "Okta maintains our profile" of the employee account and which of the many cloud-based services they're allowed to use.

Inspector Gadgets: Windows 7 Gadgets for Monitoring Your PC

It's been nearly two years since Windows 7 was released, and yet there are still some features that Windows 7 users may not be taking full advantage of -- such as desktop gadgets. Similar to the Mac's Dashboard Widgets, Windows desktop gadgets are mini-applications that reside on your desktop and can display live data, perform simple functions like search or password generation, or give you a sneak peek inside the inner workings of your PC.

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When connecting a laptop from the road, many travelers move around between secure private connections and public hot spots several times a day. But changing your computer's firewall settings for public or private connections each time you switch networks is a tedious task, and one that's easy to forget. The Windows Firewall Profile gadget assures you that you've made the change properly.

One of the most basic gadgets around, Windows Firewall Profile doesn't actually help you change your profile setting; it just shows you the current status (Private or Public) in a small black rectangle. Its size can't be adjusted, and there isn't much to configure either, aside from how frequently the system's firewall status is checked (from 10 seconds to 5 minutes).

But what this gadget does, it does well. It immediately figured out when I changed my firewall profile from Private to Public settings and back again during a busy road trip.

Ideally, the gadget would provide a way to adjust the firewall settings or at least link to the firewall settings dialog. All the same, it's reassuring to see what the firewall status is at a glance, without having to wade into the system settings to check.

Windows Firewall Profile (119KB)

Juice meter

9-skin Battery Meter

When you're on the road and far from an AC outlet, it's important to know how much power is left in your notebook's battery. Windows 7 includes a battery gauge in the taskbar tray, but it stays hidden during most use; you have to click on it to see the charge level.

That's where 9-skin Battery Meter comes in. It does an excellent job of putting your battery level in your face in an artistic way.

The gadget comes with nine different decorative skins (hence the name) that range from a circular gauge to something that looks like an AA battery. You can either open the gadget's Options to select one or give the gadget a double-click to bring up a new one.

The gadget glows green when the system is charging, and most of the battery gauge designs have eight elements that change color to show that the cells are running down. All turn to orange and then red for the last two segments; some add a triangular caution sign as the end nears.

Unlike many other gadgets, 9-skin Battery Meter can't be resized, although you can choose whether to have the gadget display how much time remains before the system dies.

IT recruiting a casualty of the recession

Companies have lost some talent-acquisition muscle, and they're going to feel the effects of that loss
In the face of a lousy economy, hiring freezes and expense cuts, many companies have decimated their recruiting teams. But as IT staffs ramp up efforts to fill open positions and compete for key talent, this lack of recruiting resources could hurt them.

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ON YOUR MIND: Top 5 worries keeping IT pros up at night

"As we enter into this tacit economic recovery, companies that don't have a recruiting staff can't be aggressive about getting people in. The danger for these organizations is that if you don't address the problem, it just grows and grows and grows," Capperella says. "The top quartile of companies that care about how they manage and strategically plan their talent will be fine, but that leaves 75% that will inevitably have to compete on wages."

Another danger is choosing the wrong person.

Oftentimes the effects of bad recruiting don't show up for six to 12 months, but they're painful when they do. Dealing with a chronic procrastinator, a bad communicator or a perfectionist can take its toll on the entire department. In addition, a negligent hire can expose a company to financial and reputational risk.

"The greatest risk to a company is hiring the wrong people, and the single greatest control you have over corporate risk is hiring the right people," Rowson says. "You will end up paying much more than the cost of hire for a bad hire."

In the end, the burden of a bad hire will be felt more by the manager, who has to deal with that person on a daily basis, than by the recruiter. For IT managers, it's worth investing more time and energy in recruiting. Here are a few tips to get started:
1. Get more involved in recruiting

If you're a manager, cultivate a strong partnership with HR. You'll need it -- particularly if hiring does suddenly pick up. Pick up the phone, ask a recruiter to lunch, express interest in the recruiting process and offer your expertise, Winegardner says. "Create that relationship with your business partner in recruiting and HR because it will pay dividends."
2. Get your own house in order

In an ideal world, companies should always be in recruiting mode, scouting for new talent not only in the open market but also inside their own organizations.

"A good organization is always making its first priority to understand what talent they already have and how it's deployed. Is it being rewarded properly and competitively?" Rowson says. "If don't have your own house in order, you can't go to market."

In reality, however, a lot of companies solely focus on external recruiting and ignore opportunities to optimize their existing workforce. "I see companies misfire on this all the time, but the great companies don't," Rowson says.

When companies decide it's time to recruit again, the smart ones first make sure they have their current talent deployed in the right positions, Rowson says. "Why waste even one precious dollar going to market, speculatively, to recruit until you've gotten that house in order?"
3. Deal with poor performers

Now is the time for dealing with poor performers, Rowson suggests. Some managers have held onto subpar employees rather than risk losing headcount and not being able to replace it. "It's an opportunity to confront performance issues," he says.
4. Ask for input from existing staff

The most efficient way to go about a talent search is to talk to existing staff members and ask them to weigh in on what's needed for a particular position -- the skills, experience and certifications, for instance.

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