IT Training Solutions

Microsoft Technical Training with Flexible Scheduling

noreply@blogger.com (Curtis Chappell) — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 05:42:00 +0000

Would You Like to Have a Flexible Training Experience?

In the world of IT certification training, many people and companies are now finding difficult, if not impossible, to release IT staff for multiple days in a row.

Attending a standard 5 day course has become a luxury which most IT professionals have given up on...but they still require the training, so what do they do?

The other scenario many of our clients face is a reduction in IT staff due to current economical pressures, which means it is even more difficult to attend multiple days of training. With only one or two IT staff, most companies simply can’t release their people for more than one day at a time.

Due to these mounting pressures, IT Training Solutions (ITTS) has devised a very flexible way to attend Microsoft certification courses. Branded ClassRoom on Demand, ITTS now offers multi-day courses in a one-day-at-a-time solution!

ITTS takes a multi-day course and breaks it up into daily chunks. Students purchase a 2, 3 or 5-day course, but have the ability to schedule and attend these courses one day at a time as fits with their work schedule.

So if a student can attend multiple days in a row, we can accommodate that need, but if they can only come in one day per week, or one day per month, we can also accommodate that requirement.

This solution also allows us to deliver multiple courses to multiple students at the same time. This means your scheduled courses won’t be cancelled!

So if you are Brisbane-based, and would like to investigate a new way of experiencing Microsoft technical training, contact us and ask about the ClassRoom on Demand today!

It is the most flexible way to get trained in today’s market.

You can learn more about ClassRoom on Demand by Clicking Here

Visit ITTS at http://www.itts.com.au/

Value of IT Certification - Microsoft Video

noreply@blogger.com (Curtis Chappell) — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 02:02:00 +0000

Visit ITTS on www.itts.com.au

5 Ways to Get the Training You Require

noreply@blogger.com (Curtis Chappell) — Wed, 26 May 2010 06:29:00 +0000

Here are 5 Tips on How to Get Trained

Changes in technology and the IT industry happen quickly, so you must keep up to date with new trends and developments as they emerge if you hope to remain at the forefront of the field.

Pursuing training on an ongoing basis also can help your job security. The employment market is not the only place where companies look for individuals with the most advanced abilities — your current employer also appreciates workers who make the effort to keep their skills sharp and can help the firm remain competitive.

Perhaps most important, training helps ensure you are always prepared for the next step in your career. Learning new skills can allow you to take on additional projects and more demanding — and rewarding — assignments with your current organization. If you decide to explore job opportunities outside your firm, possessing up-do-date skills will increase your marketability.

Here’s how you can secure the training you seek:

Be Proactive

Above all, it’s important to remember that you must take an active role when it comes to pursuing training opportunities. Rarely will others tell you exactly what type of professional development to pursue and how to go about doing it. Before exploring potential avenues for professional development, determine in which areas you need to strengthen your skill set. Are you struggling with .NET? Are you hoping to transition to a management position and want to develop your leadership abilities? Keep in mind that the type of training you seek should align with your current job or future career goals.

Explore Internal Resources

Next, find out what resources are available within your firm that would allow you to pursue your professional development goals. Even though many firms have cut back on training budgets during the downturn, don’t assume you have to go outside your company to find the support you need. In fact, 21 percent of CIOs polled by Robert Half Technology said they plan to offer more training and professional development for their staff this year. Are there seminars, training presentations or courses available through the organization’s intranet site, for example? Also remember that many businesses provide assistance to employees by offering tuition reimbursement, subsidized membership to professional organizations or the opportunity to attend industry conferences. Speak to your manager about the internal options.

Build Your Case

To improve your chances of securing the support you seek, explain to your manager how training in a certain area could help you perform your job better or benefit the company. You might also note that you can share what you learned with others in the department. After attending a conference on information security, for instance, offer to host an informal brown bag lunch for colleagues who could also benefit from the information. If your manager is still not convinced, consider a compromise. For instance, you could volunteer to stay late or work through lunch to make up for time you’ll spend in training classes.

Strike Out on Your Own

If your company is not able to support your professional development efforts, you need to do some digging to identify avenues for skill building that you can pursue on your own. Local colleges, learning centers or even the public library may offer classes in your area of interest. Professional associations also frequently host seminars by industry experts or offer training classes and certificate programs for members. And, of course, don’t forget: Should you run out of options in your neck of the woods, you’re just a few mouse clicks away from a wealth of online classes.

Remain Committed

Once you enroll in a training program, don’t let the opportunity go to waste. Take things seriously and maintain your focus. If you’ve chosen to enroll in a certificate program, for instance, complete all the required steps to earn it. If you signed up for classes or workshops, attend them all. And afterward, try to identify immediate opportunities to put the new skills you’ve acquired into practice to further develop them.

Learn More About IT Training and Certification Here

*This post was originally published by Certification Magazine

How to Set Up Milestones in MS Project

noreply@blogger.com (Curtis Chappell) — Mon, 17 May 2010 02:15:00 +0000

Check Out This Short Video on How to Set-up Milestones in Microsoft Project

Get Trained in Microsoft Project today at http://www.itts.com.au/

10 Tips for Your Windows 7 Migration

noreply@blogger.com (Curtis Chappell) — Wed, 12 May 2010 23:11:00 +0000

Planning a Windows 7 Migration?
Whether or not a Windows 7 upgrade is inevitable for your organization, it’s almost a guarantee at some point you’ll have to manage a major OS migration. Whenever you’re faced with that battle, there are some key things you need do to ensure success.

1. Plan to be off Windows XP by Year-End 2012 — Microsoft® will support Windows XP with security fixes into April of 2014, but past experience has shown that independent software vendors (ISVs) will stop testing much earlier. “New releases of critical business software will require Windows 7 long before Microsoft support for Windows XP ends,” said Steve Kleynhans, research vice president at Gartner. “Organizations that get all of their users off Windows XP by the end of 2012 will avoid significant potential problems.”

2. Start Working on Migration Projects Now — The typical organization requires 12 to 18 months waiting, testing, and planning before it can start deploying a new client OS. There is a lot of work to be done in preparation, and delays in getting started will only result in added costs later.

3. Don’t Wait for Windows 7 SP1 to Begin Testing and Deployment — Many organizations say they plan to wait until SP1 ships to begin testing and deploying a new client OS. Gartner analysts suggest starting work now (especially if companies have skipped Windows Vista), but are planning to switch to SP1 before their actual rollout.

4. Don’t Skip Windows 7 — Gartner categorizes Windows 7 as a “polishing” release on top of the architectural change that the Windows Vista “plumbing” release delivered. Gartner analysts said polishing releases should never be skipped. Per Michael Silver, vice president and distinguished analyst at Gartner, “While organizations that skipped Windows 2000 and waited for XP had some problems spanning the gap, organizations that adopted Windows 2000 and tried to skip Windows XP, waiting for Vista, had a much harder time.”

5. Budget Carefully — Migration Costs to Vary Significantly — Gartner’s model shows that migration costs could be $1,035 to $1,930 per user to move from Windows XP to Windows 7, and $339 to $510 per user to move from Windows Vista to Windows 7 depending on an organization’s approach.

6. Conduct Reconnaissance: Take stock of your IT hardware and create a comprehensive “map” of your IT environment.

7. Create a Plan of Attack: Determine what hardware and software you need to upgrade, replace, retire, re-lease, and so on so they’re compatible with Windows 7. Also design a rollout plan and timeline that will cause the least disruption to users.

8. Brief those in Charge: Create and present reports clearly outlining required updates before migration; time and budget required for updating and upgrading; and how users will be impacted and when. You’ll also need to produce regular progress reports and updates for stakeholders along the way.

9. Bolster the Troops: No matter how smooth the migration, you will inevitably get calls from users who need help using the new features or can no longer access an non-compliant application. You need to make sure the right service and support tools and staff are in place to handle the increase of incoming inquiries.

10. Deploy: Use tried and true deployment automation tools to rollout Windows 7, with minimal time required by IT staff, and little disruption to end-users.

Visit http://www.itts.com.au/ to Learn More about Windows 7 Training

*This information was originally published in a whitepaper by Numara Software

Microsoft Discontinues the MCA Certification

noreply@blogger.com (Curtis Chappell) — Mon, 10 May 2010 05:46:00 +0000

On May 1, 2010, about five years after the program's inception, Microsoft has discontinued the more vendor-neutral arms of its Microsoft Certified Architect (MCA) program in favor of focusing on the certifications more tightly linked to Microsoft technologies. According to Microsoft, the need for broad-based IT architect certification programs is now being met by other organizations, and thus Microsoft is removing itself from that particular arena. The MCA certifications that focus on Microsoft technologies will still be offered, and in fact several additional technology designations are in the works.

Microsoft is passing the vendor-neutral architect baton to both the International Association of Software Architects (IASA) and the Open Group. Individuals who currently hold an MCA: Solutions or MCA: Infrastructure certification can elect to receive either an IASA Certified Information Technology Architect Professional (CITA-P) certification plus a 1-year membership to IASA or a 3-year membership to the Association of Open Group Enterprise Architects (AOGEA). Whichever one is chosen, Microsoft will foot the bill.

The IASA, which currently boasts about 70,000 members, is a nonprofit created in 2002 to further the profession of software architecture in the enterprise, product, education, and government sectors. As part of that, they created the Certified Information Technology Architect (CITA) program. The CITA currently has two levels - Foundation and Professional. The foundation level is based on passing an exam, while the professional level requires a board examination, submission of case studies, proof of related experience, and professional references. Transferring MCAs get fast-tracked under a new grandfathering program, which requires submission of documents and a telephone interview.

The Association of Open Group Enterprise Architects (AOGEA) is the largest professional association of certified architects. It recognizes The Open Group's two certification programs - ITAC and TOGAF - as well as FEAC (Federated Enterprise Architecture Certification) as qualifications for membership. Now it will recognize the MCA as well. Transferring MCAs are not grandfathered in to any Open Group certification; however, they will receive a 3-year membership to the AOGEA paid for by Microsoft. The Open Group's IT Architect Certification (ITAC) program has 3 levels: basic, Master, and Distinguished Certified IT Architect. The top two require passing a peer-review board exam. Individuals who wish to pursue ITAC certification will need to pay an initial assessment fee of $1250 and thereafter an ongoing annual $175 fee in order to maintain certification.

Microsoft has posted a FAQ that answers questions about selecting either the IASA or the AOEGA option. Once again, Microsoft will foot the bill for one or the other, but not both. This program will only be available through December 31, 2010. Even though the MCA: Solutions and MCA: Infrastructure certification programs are discontinued, Microsoft will still consider them to be valid certifications and continue to provide the associated benefits.

Visit www.itts.com.au to Learn More About Microsoft Certification

ITTS Launches ClassRoom on Demand

noreply@blogger.com (Curtis Chappell) — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 05:06:00 +0000

Methodology

ClassRoom on Demand is a mentored learning program which allows you to spread your Microsoft Technical training across multiple days because you are in control of your own personal schedule. Our technical ClassRoom on Demand is open 5 days a week from 8:30am-4pm, and is equipped with everything you need to learn, practice your skills and gain a Microsoft certification.

You ring ITTS, book your preferred days for training, then attend your own customised schedule.

No more worries about course dates not matching your work load!

One Day at a Time Training

Courses are broken up into one day blocks, so you can elect to:

Attend five days consecutively

Attend two days in one week and three days in another week

Or spread your training days over several weeks or months

The Choice is Yours...

Structured Training Program

ClassRoom on Demand is not a self-paced training program! Students are expected to progress through a course in the same duration as a normal training course (a 5-day course is completed over 5 days).

Students are guided through the training materials with a student guide. This student guide clearly shows which content should be studied in which order, so attendees will complete the courses in the same duration as advised by Microsoft.

Support Materials

Students Receive the Following Training Materials:

· Access to Onsite Mentor - Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT)

· Access to Training Videos

· Access to Virtualised Practice Exercises (Labs)

· Official Microsoft Courseware (MOC)

Tailored Learning

Choose to attend a complete course, or work with your Mentor to customise a training solution specifically for you.

Classroom Mentoring

As you progress through the training materials, our MCT is always available to work directly with you to guarantee you understand the content presented, and assure you go away with the skills required to successfully improve your productivity and pass the associated exam.

Extra Training Days Available

You will receive access to ClassRoom on Demand for the number of days of your course, plus one additional day for any extra review or practice required. You have the option to purchase additional days at a low daily rate.

Booking Your ClassRoom

With as little as *24-hours notice you can be training in our ClassRoom on Demand. Are you having a day off and want to up-skill? Ring and book your seat for the very next day!

Software Assurance Training Vouchers (SATV’s)

Because ClassRoom on Demand supplies you with official Microsoft training materials, your organisation can use Software Assurance Training Vouchers for this training.

Don’t know if your organisation has SATV’s?

Ring ITTS and let us help you through the process of finding and using your SATV’s or

Click Here to Learn About SATV's

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Add-On Home Learning Pack Available

The video training content and practice labs are hosted in our ClassRoom On Demand, so they are not accessible from home or the workplace. You will receive all the training materials required to learn and pass your exam, as per the course material listed under 'Support Materials'.

You can elect to purchase an Add-On Home Learning Pack** for your course, which includes a DVD with the training videos and a virtual hosted lab. These additional support materials allow you to study and review the course materials at your leisure.

Click Here to Read the ClassRoom on Demand Frequently Asked Questions

*Based on availability of seats and courseware.

**Add-On Home Learning Pack prices will vary based on specific courses and lab availablity.

Call ITTS on 1300 135 375 or email brisbane@itts.com.au

Learn More About How ClassRoom On Demand Can Help Your Technical Staff Get Trained More Efficiently!

http://www.itts.com.au/

Office 2010 Released in May - Virtual Launch

noreply@blogger.com (Curtis Chappell) — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 00:03:00 +0000

Microsoft Office 2010 News

Office 2010 and SharePoint 2010 Virtual Launch Dates Announced
Save the date!

Watch Stephen Elop, President of the Microsoft Business Division, announce the launch of Office 2010 and SharePoint 2010 on May 12, 2010 at 11 a.m. EST. The live keynote focuses on the next wave of productivity that delivers end user productivity across the PC, phone and browser, IT choice and flexibility, and a platform for developers to build innovative solutions. Join Microsoft executives, product developers, partners, and customers at the Virtual Launch Event:

• Find out how peers and partners are already seeing benefits to their business by leveraging the next wave of productivity.
• Submit your questions through live Q&A.
• Participate via blogs, tweets, social media networks, commenting, and more.

Learn About the Office 2010 Technology Guarantee
Now consumers who purchase and activate Office 2007 will be able to download Office 2010 at no additional cost when it becomes available in June 2010.

All you need to be eligible for this program – Office 2010 Technology Guarantee – is the following:

• Purchase Office 2007, or a new PC with Office 2007, and activate it between March 5, 2010 and September 30, 2010.
• Have, or create a Windows Live ID.
• Redeem your Tech Guarantee before October 31, 2010 by visiting www.office.com/techg

The Office 2010 Technology Guarantee will be fulfilled online, via download, at no additional cost.

For more information about the Office 2010 Technology Guarantee, and to sign up for an e-mail reminder when Office 2010 is available, visit www.office.com/techg

www.itts.com.au

Excel - Formulas and Functions Video

noreply@blogger.com (Curtis Chappell) — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 23:51:00 +0000

Chck Out This Short Video About the Formulas and Functions in MS Excel

You Can Visit ITTS at http://www.itts.com.au/

The Next Big Thing To Learn Is Cloud Computing

noreply@blogger.com (Curtis Chappell) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 06:29:00 +0000

Cloud Computing - The Next Big Thing To Learn

"Whenever you roll out a new technology, there are always changes to how people perceive that technology, and the ramifications to employment that technology has. Cloud computing is disruptive, allowing fewer people to do stuff that an entire IT Shop used to do.

Gigaom this morning posts the idea that cloud computing is going to have a negative influence on the IT Job market, as much as the computer had on the typewriter market. The idea is sound; the question is how do people learn enough about cloud computing to remain competitive in the market place?
There are few viable training programs out there, no degrees, and very few certificates. While Google is taking this a step further by offering education in the clouds, my own experience with Amazon Web Services has shown that even just getting started in running virtual servers in the cloud can be painful at best, or bring you to a dead stand still at worst.

There is no way to get around this, if you are in IT and you stop learning, then you are doomed to be replaced in the near future.

Today’s laid-off systems administrators, however, are not likely landing these newly formed IT 2.0 jobs. They have been too busy applying duct tape and Band-Aids to existing infrastructures to stay on top of the cutting edge. Nearly a year and a half ago, already, I heard a FedEx Corporate Services IT executive bemoan how ill-equipped his team was to deal with the division’s increasingly fabric-like infrastructure. He was neither the first nor the last to express that sentiment. Source: Gigaom

The next big thing to learn is cloud computing."

You Can Visit Us at www.itts.com.au

*This article was originally published on www.itcertificationnews.com and has been edietd fo the purpose of this blog

Hyper-V Labs - Experience a Half-Day Virtualisation Hands-on Lab

noreply@blogger.com (Curtis Chappell) — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 06:15:00 +0000

Experience a Half-Day Hyper-V Hands-On Lab

Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM) allows you to convert existing physical computers into virtual machines through a process known as physical-to-virtual (P2V) conversion.

VMM simplifies P2V by providing a task-based wizard to automate much of the conversion process. Since the P2V process is completely scriptable, you can initiate large-scale P2V conversions through Windows PowerShell. The requirements for physical source computers depend on whether you are performing an online or offline P2V.

ITTS has developed a half-day hands-on lab, where you will perform actual P2V virtualisations on real servers. Don't practice on your live production environment! Learn about implementing virtualisation best pratices, and more importantly...Learn from our mistakes!

After completing this lab you will be able to:

Install and verify the components required for SCVMM 2008 R2.
Install SCVMM 2008 R2 on a Windows 2008 R2 Hyper‑V Enabled Server
Perform an Online P2V conversion of a production Windows 2003 R2 Server
Perform an Offline P2V Conversion of a Windows 2000 Server

Hyper-V Hands-On Lab Dates in Brisbane:

Mar 26 - Times: 9am-12:30pm or 1:30pm - 4:00pm

Apr 16 - Times: 9am-12:30pm or 1:30pm - 4:00pm

May 18 - Times: 9am-12:30pm or 1:30pm - 4:00pm

Cost = $220 Inc Gst

Click Here to Register For the Hyper-V Hands-On Labs

Does Certification Really Matter in IT?

noreply@blogger.com (Curtis Chappell) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:57:00 +0000

Does Certification Matter in 2010?

"Over the last few years, it seems like technical education and corresponding credentials have begun falling by the wayside. Sure, IT administrators, technicians and other staff still need to master their respective domains. There's certainly little margin for error when you're configuring, provisioning and managing computing resources in multi-million dollar corporate data centers. So why don't industry-recognized certifications seem to matter anymore?

This worry isn't just conjecture or my own personal opinion. In late 2009, TechTarget sponsored its annual Data Center Decisions survey. The survey was designed to gather information on the technological preferences and initiatives across a cross-section of IT professionals, and it also included a few career-related questions. The career results were stunning.

Over 55% of 375 IT respondents reported that they had no certifications at all. The next most significant response was just over 17% for MCSE. After that, a little more than 4% reported CCISP, while only about 3% noted Linux+ certification. The remaining responses were split amongst a wide variety of Microsoft, Cisco, CompTIA, and other vendors' certifications. I don't know about you, but the idea that more than half of IT professionals have no professional IT credentials is beyond disturbing.

This bleak picture is even more alarming when you consider that certification was a factor in hiring or promoting only 17% of 453 respondents. Almost 83% of IT professionals were hired or promoted without any regard for their certified knowledge. Even worse, certification was a factor in compensation (salary increases or bonuses) for just 12% of 447 respondents.

This means 88% of IT professionals are compensated without any regard for their certified knowledge.

Numbers like these tell me that corporate management is not encouraging the professional development of their IT staff."

Visist ITTS at www.itts.com.au

*This post was originally published on SearchWinIT.com by Stephen Bigelow. This post has been edited for the purpose of this blog.

Our Own Steven Knight and Conditional Formatting in Excel

noreply@blogger.com (Curtis Chappell) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 05:06:00 +0000

Check out this training video produced by one of our star trainers, Mr. Steven Knight.

Steven is a guru across a myriad of applications, so tune in now to learn about conditional formatting in Excel.

Video Post | Great Keyboard Short-Cuts for Microsoft Word

noreply@blogger.com (Curtis Chappell) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 05:41:00 +0000

Visit us at www.itts.com.au

Windows 7 Tips - Customize Your Start Menu Options

noreply@blogger.com (Curtis Chappell) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 23:59:00 +0000

Windows 7 provides excellent control to customize your Start menu options.

You can choose which commands appear on the Start menu and how they are arranged. You can add options for Control Panel, Devices And Printers, Network Connections, and other key tools. You can also enable or disable personalized menus on the All Programs menu.

To change the Start menu options, follow these steps:

1. Right-click Start on the taskbar, and then click Properties. The Taskbar And Start Menu Properties dialog box is displayed with the Start Menu tab selected by default.

2. On the Start Menu tab, use the Power Button Action list to select the action to use when the power button is pressed. Options include Switch User, Log Off, Lock, Restart, Sleep, and Shut Down. In a 24x7 environment, or when multiple users log on to the same computer, switching users, logging off, or locking the system may be preferable to shutting down the computer. If you change the default action, you can shut down the computer by clicking Start and then clicking Shutdown.
3. Click Customize. This displays the Customize Start Menu dialog box.

4. Use the options in the dialog box to control the general appearance of the Start menu.

5. Click OK, and then click OK again to close the Taskbar And Start Menu Properties dialog box.

In the Customize Start Menu dialog box, most of the options control which commands appear on the Start menu and how they are arranged. Some items have the sub-options Display As A Link, Display As A Menu, and Don’t Display This Item. Display As A Link specifies that an item, such as Control Panel, will appear as a separate option that opens a window when selected. Display As A Menu specifies that an item will provide access to a submenu that allows you to choose from its related options. Don’t Display This Item removes the item from the Start menu.

Other Customize Start Menu dialog box options you’ll see include the following:

Enable Context Menus And Dragging And Dropping When this option is selected, users can right-click to display a shortcut menu and use drag and drop. Typically, you’ll want to enable this option unless there is a specific security reason to disable it.

Highlight Newly Installed Programs When this option is selected, menus for recently installed applications are highlighted, as are the menu options.

Open Submenus When I Pause On Them With The Mouse Pointer Controls the behavior of menus. When this option is selected, menus open when you point to them. Otherwise, menus open only when you click them.

Sort All Programs Menu By Name Controls whether menu items are organized alphabetically or by the order of installation. When this option is selected, menu items are sorted alphabetically. When this option is not selected, menu items are listed in the order of installation.

Use Large Icons Controls the size of icons for menu options. To reduce the size of icons used on menus, clear this option. Otherwise, select this option to display standard-size icons on menus.

Number Of Recent Programs To Display Controls the number of shortcuts to recently used programs that appear in the most frequently used list on the Start menu. Use the selection menu to assign a value from 0 to 30.The actual number of programs listed in the most frequently used list depends on the screen resolution as well as the number of items in the pinned items list, which appears above the most frequently used list on the Start menu.

Number of Recent Items To Display In Jump List Controls how many shortcuts to recently used items appear in jump lists. Jump lists are lists of recent items organized by the program that you use to open them. They can appear on the Start menu and the taskbar. Use the selection menu to assign a value from 0 to 60.

Visit Us at www.itts.com.au

* This article was originally published in the Microsoft Press book "Windows 7 Administrator’s Pocket Consultant" by William R. Stanek, and has been edited for the purpose of this blog.

Microsoft Issues Fixes for Windows Quirks

noreply@blogger.com (Curtis Chappell) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:50:00 +0000

Microsoft this week issued four specialized fixes for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 products.

The updates were released on Jan. 25 and 26 at the Microsoft Download Center. Most are targeted at Windows idiosyncrasies, and might or might not be included in Microsoft's upcoming monthly patch cycles. Users typically shouldn't install the updates unless they are experiencing problems highlighted in Microsoft's associated Knowledge Base articles.

For those in the peculiar position of having problems with software updates actually working, Microsoft re-released its "system update readiness tool" for Windows 7 and Windows Vista, as well as Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2. Versions of the tool were released late last year, but Microsoft republished them this week.

The system update readiness tool checks for inconsistencies in file, registry and in-memory data that can affect the "Windows servicing store" over time, according to Knowledge Base article 947821. The tool executes a one-time scan and attempts to verify system resources. Users with machines affected by this problem will automatically be offered the tool through Microsoft's Windows Update service.

Those having problems with Microsoft's error reporting service on Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 may want to download an update to improve the stability of the service. However, this fix is designed to address three specific issues: keyboard shortcut problems, such as with the "mute or calculator" functions; loss of an application's "notification icon"; and the appearance of a "black screen" that hangs before sleep mode. The issues are described in Knowledge Base article 977074.

The next update is designed for those users who want to restore backups made using Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 to machines running Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2. To that end, Microsoft released its "Windows NT backup restore utility." Microsoft rolled out this tool because it eliminated the removable storage manager function from Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2, according to Knowledge Base article 974674.

Finally, Microsoft released a hotfix for computers using an NVIDIA USB enhanced host controller interface and running Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2. The hotfix addresses a problem in which the computer stops responding after copying data from the computer to an external USB device. Microsoft recommends that users should not apply this hotfix unless their machines are "severely affected by this problem," according to Knowledge Base article 976972. Those who can wait should look for a fix in a forthcoming software update, Microsoft advises.

These tools and updates all can be obtained from the Microsoft Download Center. In most cases, the patches are specific to the hardware type, namely 32-bit or 64-bit computers.

Visit ITTS at http://www.itts.com.au/

*This article was originally published by http://mcpmag.com

Microsoft FUSE and Facebook Connect

noreply@blogger.com (Curtis Chappell) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 01:35:00 +0000

Microsoft has lit a FUSE

"Matt Thompson, general manager of Microsoft's (NASDAQ: MSFT) developer and platform evangelism in Silicon Valley, said the software giant is ready to make moves in the social network/collaboration space beyond its already successful SharePoint software. He said Microsoft Research has about 25 different social collaboration projects they've put under one group called FUSE Labs.

"You're going to see some innovative stuff under social collaboration," he said. "We have a vision for where this is going in the future. Video and telepresence is a key piece. And you'll see a lot more interoperability as well. This can't be a single stack."
Thompson noted that Facebook execs have said they have no plans to develop a private version or social graph for the enterprise, though they haven't ruled out working with partners -- one of which is Microsoft, which owns a stake in the social networking phenomenon.

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"Internal IT is a very fertile ground to disrupt," Thompson said. "The key is there won't be multiple social graphs. I don't think Facebook realizes the big role they have."

That said, Thompson gave Facebook big props for opening up its platform to let users take their Facebook identity with them when visiting other sites.

"Facebook Connect was a very smart thing," he said. "Facebook Connect is growing faster than Facebook.com."

Thompson also took note of Twitter, which he said he loves. Like Facebook Connect, he said a huge percentage of users use the service without Twitter.com as a starting point.

"They're delivering collaboration at 140 characters wherever the user may be," he said."

Visit Us at www.itts.com.au

*This article was originally published by http://itmanagement.earthweb.com

Queensland signs whole-of-government deal with Microsoft

noreply@blogger.com (Curtis Chappell) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 02:10:00 +0000

Up to 150,000 employees will access Microsoft software licensing through a panel of large account resellers

The Queensland Government has signed a whole-of-government deal with Microsoft to give all departments access to the vendor’s software through a selected panel of Large Account Resellers (LAR).

The three-year enterprise agreement, which was announced on Australia Day, will see all panel participants selected through a tender process.

“In addition, the arrangement gives all state and local government entities the opportunity to purchase other Microsoft solutions with various options, depending upon the needs of the agency involved,” Minister for Public Works and Information and Communications Technology, Robert Schwarten, said.

The major agreement was signed as part of the Government’s ‘Toward Q2 through ICT’ strategy, a five-year plan designed to bring the state’s ICT under whole-of-government arrangements.
Software Queensland secretary, Glenn Irvine, welcomed the move as a major boost to local businesses and the economy, but hoped more small resellers would be invited to join the panel.

“Historically, the thinking has been that you’d get better pricing by doing direct deals,” Irvine said. “While [Queensland] has historically done whole-of-government Microsoft deals through VARs, and previously Data#3 had that role, it’s good to see that they’re continuing in that vein rather than looking at a direct approach.

“From the local industry perspective, we’re seeing small VARs locally are being cut out of something like that and are being supported or at least sponsored by the Queensland Government accordingly.

“I can name a number of our members that are small resellers and have quite unique licensing model experience and are more than capable of being able to do that and manage it, so we’d love to see smaller [VARs] being included in the picture going forward.”

While the industry group secretary was unwilling to label the Queensland system as perfect, he claimed it was inclusive and beneficial for all parties involved and could be taken nationally.

“Certainly this is a model we think could be taken right across Australia,” Irvine said. “It’s far better than what we have seen before…I’d like to see how this one matures.”

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*This article was originally published by ARN.com

Advance Your Career - Get a Second Shot at Microsoft Certification

noreply@blogger.com (Curtis Chappell) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 02:23:00 +0000

Advance Your Career - Get a Second Shot at Microsoft Certification

Whether you are currently unemployed, looking for a promotion, or trying to become indispensable in your existing role, Microsoft Certifications can validate that you have the skills needed to work in the top IT professional and developer jobs in the industry.

Take advantage of our Second Shot offer and get a free retake if you do not pass an IT professional or developer Microsoft Certification exam the first time. You must take both the first and (if necessary) the retake exam before June 30, 2010.

• Register to acquire a voucher for a Second Shot (Prometric.com)

Offer details:

• Dates: January 13, 2010 – June 30, 2010.

• Details: You must register, obtain a voucher code, schedule, pay, and take the first and (if necessary) the retake exam before June 30, 2010.

• Applicable exams: This offer applies to all Microsoft Learning IT professional, developer, project management, and Microsoft Dynamics exams, including academic exams.

o Visit the Learning Catalog and search for your next exam

• Eligible countries and regions: This is a worldwide offer that is available at Prometric test centers only.

Note Only one Second Shot voucher is available per purchased exam.

How to use your Second Shot voucher:

• Go to the Prometric Web site, call center, or test center. Use your Second Shot voucher number and schedule and pay for your initial exam.

o Go to the Prometric Web site or visit the call center or test center (Prometric.com)

• Take your exam.

• If you do not pass, return to the Prometric Web site or visit the call center or test center and use the same voucher number for your free retake exam.

o Return to the Prometric Web site or visit the call center or test center (Prometric.com)

Note You must wait one day after taking your initial exam before you can register for your retake exam.

Where to find more information about this offer

• View our frequently asked questions (Microsoft Office Word file, 17.2 KB)

Find additional tools to help you pursue a career, change your job role, or become indispensable in your existing role:

• Visit the Microsoft Career Portal

*This content was taken from the Microsoft Website

Please Visit Us at www.itts.com.au

Configure Your Windows 7 System to Run Legacy Apps in a Virtualized Windows XP Environment

noreply@blogger.com (Curtis Chappell) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:20:00 +0000

“Windows XP Mode is an optional download for the Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate editions of Windows 7. It provides a licensed copy of Windows XP with Service Pack 3, saved in Virtual Machine Hard Drive Image (.vhd) format. When run in Windows Virtual PC, or another compatible program, this virtualized installation of Windows XP lets you run applications that might not run well in Windows 7. Windows XP Mode is also handy if you have an older device with a proprietary driver that hasn’t been updated for Windows Vista or Windows 7. If it worked great in Windows XP but doesn’t work in Windows 7, give it a try in Windows XP Mode.
NOTE: Windows Virtual PC requires a computer with hardware-assisted virtualization. That means the CPU has to support either Intel Virtualization Technology (Intel VT) or AMD Virtualization (AMD-V). In addition, hardware virtualization must be enabled in the BIOS. Both Intel and AMD offer an array of processor options, some that support hardware virtualization and some that do not. If you’re buying a system expressly for the purpose of running Windows XP Mode, be sure it meets these requirements.

Download and Install Windows XP Mode

Setting up Windows XP Mode requires two free downloads—first is a small download that enables the Windows Virtual PC host program, followed by a separate download that installs, configures, and activates the licensed copy of Windows XP SP3. Follow these steps:

1. Go to the Windows Virtual PC site and click Download Windows XP Mode and Windows Virtual PC.

2. Select your Windows 7 system type (32-bit or 64-bit) and language.

3. Follow the Web site’s instructions to download and install Windows Virtual PC, and then Windows XP Mode.

4. Restart your system.

5. Launch Windows XP Mode by opening the Start menu, choosing All Programs, clicking Windows Virtual PC, and then clicking Windows XP Mode.

6. Accept the license agreement and enter a password for the default administrative account. If you select Remember Credentials (Recommended) in this dialog box, whenever you launch Windows XP Mode from your Windows 7 desktop or Start menu, you’ll be logged on automatically with the saved credentials.

7. Allow the setup process to complete, then customize and secure your new Windows XP installation to suit your needs and preferences. If you create additional user accounts, be aware that the system will let you create accounts without passwords but won’t let you log on to those accounts.

By default, Windows Virtual PC shares your computer’s optical drives with Windows 7. But while the virtual environment is running, AutoRun is disabled. To install an application from a CD or DVD in Windows XP Mode, you must run the virtual environment, insert the disc, open My Computer in Windows XP, and run the application’s setup program.

After you have installed a program in this manner, you can run it “seamlessly” by launching it from the Windows 7 Start menu. It will have a Start-menu shortcut in the Windows XP Mode Applications folder. Applications installed in Windows XP Mode and launched from the Windows 7 Start menu run on the Windows 7 desktop, without visible elements of Windows XP Mode. Note that the applications take longer to launch, because the virtual environment must be initialized.”

From the Microsoft Press book Windows 7 Inside Out by Ed Bott, Carl Siechert, and Craig Stinson.

*This article was originally published on Technet and has been edited for the purpose of this blog.

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Microsoft Learning Releases Labs Online Training Product.

noreply@blogger.com (Curtis Chappell) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 03:43:00 +0000

On January 15th, Microsoft Learning released their Labs Online training product.

This is great news for any Microsoft training partner (CPLS) for many reasons, several of which are highlighted in the summary below…

“The Benefits of Labs Online for Training Partners:

• Reduce training delivery costs

Microsoft Learning Labs Online greatly reduce time spent on setting up labs and downloading lab images, giving you a chance to better utilize staff and instructors’ time. In addition, expensive hardware is not required to run Labs Online – reducing hardware upgrade costs and initial set-up costs of building new classrooms or training centers.
• Increase sales potential by enabling distance learning

With Microsoft Learning Labs Online, you are no longer restricted to delivering training in physical classrooms– extend training offerings to virtual classrooms and expand your customer base.

• Realize greater flexibility through on-demand service

As an on-demand service, Microsoft Learning Labs Online gives you the flexibility to add students any time before a class starts with minimal effort to install additional labs. Instructors may test labs and prepare for training anytime, anywhere. Students can access labs outside of class time up to four weeks to reinforce classroom learning.

Labs Online is a product line that the folks in Microsoft Learning are quite excited about and we hope you share our excitement. We are already hard at work in creating the next release of Labs Online.”

IT Training Solutions’ General Manager, Curtis Chappell, has been appointed as a member of the Microsoft Lab Advisory Council. Curtis comments, “ITTS has been at the forefront of implementing distance learning in Australia, and Labs Online allows us the flexibility to deliver courses across the country and region. This will be of real value to our clients in remote areas. From a business management perspective, these hosted labs will save us from having to invest in 64-bit equipment in our classrooms!”

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Office 2010 - Pros and Cons - Should You Upgrade?

noreply@blogger.com (Curtis Chappell) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 02:25:00 +0000

"With Office 2010 set to launch in June, businesses of all sizes are considering if it is worth the money and hassle to upgrade, especially for small and midsize companies that never moved from Office 2003 to Office 2007.

The Pros:

It Breaks Down Old Boundaries

Forrester lists three features in Office 2010 that make it "boundary breaking": The use of SharePoint Workspace (formerly known as Groove) to share and edit SharePoint content both online and offline; easing enterprise security fears by making Office Web Apps available privately as part of a company's license agreement; and integrating social media tools from sites such as LinkedIn in Outlook through Outlook Social Connector.

These new integration features -- if they work smoothly -- give Microsoft an upper hand over more established online productivity suites like Google Apps and Zoho, according to the Forrester report.

Simplified Suite Options for Enterprises

There are seven total editions of Office 2010, but for volume licensing customers (mostly enterprise-size companies), Microsoft has reduced that amount to two: Standard and Professional Plus. This is half as many as Office 2007 (Ultimate and Enterprise editions have been eliminated).

Office Professional Plus 2010 will include OneNote, SharePoint Workspace (formerly Groove) and Office Web Apps. Office Standard 2010 will include Publisher, OneNote and Office Web Apps. Pricing is not yet available for these non-retail versions.

Forrester states in the report that having fewer volume-licensing suites will reduce confusion and make it easier for enterprise customers to "understand the distinctions between each offering and choose the right suite to meet their organization's needs."

With the volume-licensed editions, businesses with a Software Assurance agreement can host Office Web Apps in a private cloud within the company's firewall, and then give workers access to the apps via the Web. "This should appeal to enterprise buyers wanting to retain more control of security and access," writes McLeish.

The report also notes that Google has plans to provide Google Apps in a private cloud, while Zoho currently offers private cloud installations through partner VMware.

There's a Slew of New Features

The Office 2010 upgrade may be worth it for companies simply because there's a lot of new stuff.

Forrester highlights user interface enhancements such as more command options in Backstage view (the Office logo button used to access Backstage view in Office 2007 has been changed to a "File" tab in Office 2010), as well as more memory with the 64-bit version, links from Word to OneNote, and a feature in Excel called Sparklines that provides bar and line graphs next to data.

The report also cites security improvements to force password complexity, a protected mode for viewing downloaded files, and more control of e-mail threads in Outlook.

For a look at what else is new in Office 2010, click here.

The Cons

Drawbacks of 64-bit Office

Running the 64-bit version of Office 2010 will have benefits such as utilizing more data and memory, and allowing much larger Excel workbooks, but there are some disadvantages.

Forrester points out that ActiveX controls and DLLs (dynamic link libraries) that were written for 32-bit Office will not work in 64-bit Office. The workaround for resolving these issues is to obtain 64-bit compatible controls and add-ins or to install the 32-bit version of Office 2010.

Also, databases that have had source code removed (such as .mde, .ade, and .accde files) cannot be moved between 32-bit and 64-bit editions of Office 2010.

Click here for more on the advantages and disadvantages of Office 2010.

Technology Integration May Be Clunky

Microsoft had to reengineer the Groove collaboration software from its 2005 acquisition of Groove Networks to rebrand it as SharePoint Workspace. Also, Outlook Social Connector will integrate social networking tools from sites like LinkedIn into Outlook for the first time. So don't expect either feature to be clean and seamless out of the gates, writes McLeish.

Forrester predicts that Microsoft will refine these new collaboration tools in SharePoint and Outlook, but will "continue to face challenges making its broad feature set in Office clean and easy to use."

Programming Code Changes in Office 2010

For developers, the VBA (visual basic for applications) language has been upgraded to support 64-bit, and the Office 2010 Object Model has been updated. So those businesses moving from Office 2003 to Office 2010 may have to deal with old, incompatible programming code.

Outlook may be the most affected as Object Model changes have led to a rewritten MAPI interface and tweaks to the navigation pane. Any business doing large migrations of content in Outlook using macros will have to test to see if they need to rewrite code.

"The key is to plan and test for code compatibility," says McLeish. "No one in IT wants to be the cause of a business disruption because of broken code.""

*This article was originally published on cio.com.au. The post has been edited for the purpose of this blog.

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Five Tips For Deploying Windows 7 – Real World Case Study - BMW

noreply@blogger.com (Curtis Chappell) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 00:08:00 +0000

"BMW, with over 85,000 employees worldwide, deployed Windows 7 to 500 employees in 2009 and expects to increase that to 5000 users by October 2010, with a view to have all 85,000 employees using Windows 7 by late 2011.

Being an early adopter and migrating that many people from eight-year-old Windows XP to Windows 7 is a monumental task, but one that many enterprises now face. At BMW, Bernhard Huber is taking a deliberate and systematic approach to Windows 7 deployments, rolling it out in phases.

IT executive Bernhard Huber, offers five tips below for deploying Windows 7 within your organisation:

1. Make application compatibility the first priority. Your first step should be to figure out which applications to run natively on Windows 7, which to run using the Application Toolkit and which to run using technologies such as App-V or Med-V, Huber says. App-V and Med-V are two virtualization technologies included in MDOP (Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack), Microsoft's desktop software suite for SA (software assurance) customers designed to help manage enterprise IT environments.

2. Use SCCM (System Center Configuration Manager) for image creation and deployment. SCCM is Microsoft's systems software for managing groups of Windows PCs, and in addition to aiding with operating system deployment, SCCM provides remote control, patch management, software distribution, and hardware and software inventory.

3. Start with basic group policy settings but then update. After basic policies are set, Huber underscores that enterprise IT managers can update group policies (rules administered by IT about what users can and can't do on a company's network) easier through another MDOP technology called AGPM (Advanced Group Policy Management). AGPM allows IT managers to develop, review, and modify group policies without affecting employee desktops.

4. Work with ISVs early and often. For the most critical application compatibility, Huber says to get in contact with the ISV (independent software provider) at the beginning of the planning phase and express the necessity that their applications be compatible with Windows 7.

5. Align Windows 7 and Windows 2008 R2 deployment timing. Microsoft has been extolling the "better together" benefits of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. Huber says that deploying Windows Server 2008 R2 will help his company leverage "the full potential of Windows 7." Two desirable networking features for Huber that require both Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 are DirectAccess, a networking tool that eliminates the need for a VPN (virtual private network), and BranchCache, which speeds up networks in remote offices by caching files locally."

*This article was originally published cio.com.au. This article has been edited for the purpose of this blog.

Four Options for Free Storage in the Cloud

noreply@blogger.com (Curtis Chappell) — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 04:43:00 +0000

Here Are Four Options for Free Storage in the Cloud:

DropBox
Google's DropBox offers 2GB of free online storage. Other options include 50GB for $9.99 per month, or 100GB for $19.99 per month. When put your files in a DropBox folder in one computer, they're uploaded to the site's secure servers. Google Docs has a 250MB file size limit, but DropBox has no such limitation. You can access your files from other computers (Windows, Mac, or Linux) or mobile devices that run DropBox too.

Box.Net
Targeted at the corporate crowd, Box.Net is a little less generous in the storage department.

The site's free option provides 1GB of online storage with a 25MB file-size limit. For $10 per month, you get 5GB of storage and a 1GB file size limit. The $15 per month plan includes 10GB of storage, with the same 1-gig file cutoff. Pricier plans for enterprise customers (with unlimited storage) are available too.
Microsoft Live Mesh
Live Mesh is another cloud service that lets you sync files across multiple computers (Windows and Mac), smartphones, and other mobile devices.

You get 5GB of free storage, but Live Mesh won't share or sync files and folders stored on removable media, including USB, flash, or external hard drives. Live Mesh offers a lot of synchronization options, and supports remote control of any PC in your mesh.

Windows Live SkyDrive
Microsoft's SkyDrive may lack the sophisticated sync-and-share features of its Live Mesh sibling, but it compensates for it by offering a whopping 25GB of free online storage.

SkyDrive supports public, private, and shared folders. Until recently, SkyDrive didn't integrate well with other Microsoft apps, but that's changing. For instance, the new Office 2010 beta lets you save a document on your PC directly to your SkyDrive online account. Will Google Docs, or the long-rumored but unannounced Google Gdrive online storage service, someday match or surpass SkyDrive's generous 25-gig offering?

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Twitter Trials New Business Feature

noreply@blogger.com (Curtis Chappell) — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 01:39:00 +0000

Twitter Trials New Business Feature

Twitter has announced a trial of a new functionality aimed specifically at business users, indicating a shift toward commercialising the service.

The micro-blogging platform is currently beta testing the new ‘Contributors’ feature, which allows business users to manage how its employees are identified under their Twitter account.

More than one tweep can tweet from a single twitter account. Or in English, multiple users are now able to be credited in the by-line, freeing up the precious 140 character limit and making business to consumer communication more personal.
Some businesses have found it difficult to engage social media users as their presence can be seen as artificially commericalising the medium. Twitter says the new feature bridges this gap as it enables users to engage in more authentic conversations with businesses.

Stuart Tucker, General Manager of Aussie Home Loans Marketing & Products division, raised the growing relevance of social media to business strategy in the recent Broadband Futures conference.

“You avoid it at your peril,” Tucker told the forum, “You can kid yourself that it is just for kids.”

Read full article here...