May, 2011

Simon Davis lives in England, works in North Wales, and manages a team of software engineers whose services are in demand around the world. (Ask him about spending time in a Malaysian prison!) As an IT manager, Simon's Career Factor goal was to help his employer maintain Microsoft Gold Certified Partner status by helping himself and his team obtain or update their Microsoft Certifications. When he spoke with IT expert Stephen Ibaraki a few weeks ago, Simon discussed the key attributes of a successful IT manager, his role on the IT Manager Advisory Council, and balancing the Career Factor show with the demands of a full-time management role.

Check out Simon's interview

To get to know our readers better, we've put together this very short poll and we hope you can take a minute to fill it out.

I'm particularly interested in the last question: If you had a super power, what would it be?  I'll share the results of this question when the poll closes June 10th.

http://microsoftlearning.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_eWDq4xDRANO60qU

For the record, I would like to be able to fly and be able to time travel.

-Erwin

Microsoft Senior Instructor Brian Barry provides the tip below for developers working with FAST Search for Internet Sites (FSIS). Brian has over 6 years of experience with Enterprise Search.

Debugging IMS Flows

FAST Search Designer for Visual Studio includes a debug pane which allows inspection of all the objects in a record as it moves through the flow. For Content Transformation Services (CTS) the debug pane is very helpful. With Interaction Management Services (IMS) the Context Object is a container for all the other query and results objects. So the only object to show up in the debug pane is the context object. Double clicking on the Context Object opens it in a separate XML viewer.

I prefer viewing the XML in an XML language sensitive tool like Microsoft Internet Explorer or Visual Studio. I have created a Run Code operator to dump the Context Object to a file. It works like the Spy stage in ESP document processing, so I call it IMS Spy.

To add an IMS Spy operator to your IMS flow:

1. Add a Run Code Operator after the operator you are debugging. Rename it “IMS Spy”.
2. Open the IMS Spy operator.
3. Click on the Edit Code link
4. Find the code for the Execute method and modify it to look like the code below. You only need to replace the code between [Begin Main] and [End Main]. Do not modify any other code. Also, make sure the FSIS Service account has file write permissions on the directory where the file will be written.
5. Click OK twice to save.
6. Execute a query using your pipeline.

For more information on developing with IMS, I would recommend attending the instructor-led course FAST Search for Internet Sites for Application Developers from Microsoft through FAST University.

private static void Execute(
   object[] input, 
   object[] output,
   Microsoft.Ceres.ContentEngine.Processing.BuiltIn.RunCode.RunCodeContext context)
{
   Microsoft.Ceres.InteractionEngine.Services.Context ContextObject =
((Microsoft.Ceres.InteractionEngine.Services.Context)(input[0]));
   // [BeginMain]
   // dump the xml of the context object
   System.Xml.XmlWriter writer =
System.Xml.XmlWriter.Create(@"c:\temp\opensearch2ims.xml");
   ContextObject.WriteXml(writer);
   writer.Close();
   // [EndMain]
   output[0] = ContextObject;
}

By Brian Barry

More than 250 IT managers, IT professionals and developers have shared their stories through our ShoutIT program. Now we're sharing some of those stories with you.

In this Manager to Manager Best Practices video Vonetta Pelts discusses why she advocates a balance of practical experience and Microsoft Certification in IT candidates.

Watch Now.

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If you use Office 2010, you won’t want to miss this opportunity to download the complete ebook “First Look Microsoft Office 2010,” by Katherine Murray. This 202-page book provides way to better express yourself, create compelling documents, work with data, organize, store, and share content, and much more using Word 2010, Excel 2010, PowerPoint 2010, OneNote 2010, and Outlook 2010.

In addition, three chapters are devoted to SharePoint Workspace 2010, Publisher 2010, and Access 2010. These applications provide advanced functionalities for handling data, creating graphic designer-quality documents, along with setting up and using workspaces to collaborate, chat, and share files.

In case you missed the exam preparation session on 70-681 preseted by MCT Daniel Nerenberg, you can now view the recording on demand.

Exam Preparation Session:  TS Windows 7 and Office 2010, Deploying (Exam 70-681)

This Exam Preparation session focuses on what you need to know to get certified and pass the Windows 7 and Office 2010 Technology Specialist Microsoft Certified Professional exam (70-681). The session is led by an expert Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) who regularly presents on this topic. The presenter walks you through the objectives that are covered in the exam, and gives you some general exam taking tips and technology “gotchas” about Windows 7 and Office 2010 deployment. This session is your last step in getting ready for this exam.

Watch Now

Live Meetings for Managers – Watch Now (or Anytime)

We're on hiatus for the summer, but if you missed any of this season's Live Meetings for Managers sessions you can view on-demand any time. Check out the great presentations created specifically to help managers of IT professionals and developers understand the value of certification for their teams, take advantage of training opportunities, and ensure employees have the skills to perform at their very best.

Live Meetings for Managers:

Benefits of Virtualization  
Learn how to utilize Microsoft virtualization technologies to solve business problems with a mobile workforce and achieve rapid ROI benefits.

Virtual Training - How to Ready Your IT Staff Anywhere/Anytime Through Remote Training  
Learn about remote training options and hear about best practices for planning and executing a successful remote training initiative.

Moving to the Cloud   
Ruth Morton, Microsoft Technology Advisor, leads a discussion on Microsoft Office 365 and how cloud computing will change the game for IT managers and organizations.

Riding the Windows 7 and Office 2010 Wave   
Stephen Rose, Senior Community Manager for Windows, will show you how to weave technologies such as Windows 7, Microsoft Office 2010, the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP), and desktop virtualization technologies into a coherent desktop strategy.

What Can SharePoint Do For You? Improve Productivity, Efficiency, Agility   
Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 helps you cut training and maintenance costs, save time and effort, and focus on higher business priorities.

Renegade Retention Strategies for a Top Performing IT Staff   
As the economy improves, organizations must take steps to avoid losing their top performers

Developer Certifications (and Why Your Team Needs Them)   
Learn about new training and certifications for developers and why certification is important to your development team.

What to Expect from Windows Server 2008 R2: The Top Line View   
Find out how the long-range benefits of Windows Server 2008 R2 mesh with your organization’s future plans.

Visit the IT Manager Portal to download session PowerPoint slides, free ebooks, and additional resources. Or to view last season’s Live Meetings for Managers, including: 

Whatever happened to the MCSE? (and what’s this MCITP?)

Best Practices in IT Staff Skills Development

Get Ahead with Microsoft Software Assurance Benefits

The Business Value of Windows 7 – Training for ROI

The Truth About Certification Exams

Exam Forensics and What Microsoft Is Doing to Catch the Cheaters

If you want to get our next Live Meetings for Managers schedule as soon as its published, sign up to receive information and special offers exclusively for IT professional and developer team managers.

Eddie Boles's life journey took him from Harlem, New York to college in Berkeley, California and then a career in the Los Angeles entertainment industry. When the economic crisis hit in 2008 and production jobs dried up, Eddie and his family landed in San Diego, California with a desire to turn his interest in computers into a career. Over the course of Career Factor, Eddie got a full-time IT job, obtained his first certification, and just last week added a new life goal to his checklist: Join the Microsoft Certified community and become a trainer to help others like him.

Eddie spoke with Stephen Ibaraki this spring about his pre-IT career, how his IT training led to his participation in Career Factor, and the strength he's drawn from his fellow castmates.

Read Eddie's interview

Therefore we are hosting a one-day on-line event, on June 8, 2011, to help you get ready. We asked our Microsoft Certified Trainers (MCTs) to present Exam Crams – a one hour presentation on some of the most important topics and concepts that will be on your next exam. These sessions will be done on-line, so you don’t even need to leave your office to attend. Our trainers will focus on some of the most popular exams and technologies, such as SQL Server, Windows 7, and Windows Server. And it’s all FREE!

These sessions are no a replacement for training but a key final step to help you get ready for your next exam. Register today and you will have access to 13 different one-hour live presentations. And you can view them again and again later if you missed an important detail.

 One-hour presentation on each of the following exams:

Windows Server 2008 – Exams: 70-646, 70-640, 70-642, 70-647, 70-652
Windows 7 – Exams: 70-680, 70-685, 70-686
SQL Server – Exams: 70-432, 70-433, 70-448
Additional Window Server Exams: 70-290, 70-291

Register now as space is limited.

Or at least we want your opinion.  If you’ve taken more than one of our exams, you may have noticed that the UI has stayed… well… let’s just call it “stable”… for many, many, many years.  While tradition can be comforting, we want the best possible experience for our candidates.  We’re taking a close look at the current design and we’d like to hear your stories.

Want to participate? 

Anything you want to tell us, I want to hear it:  the good, the bad and the ugly.  What was memorable about your last exam experience?  What worked well/not so well?  Some strong opinions have been expressed on BTL and I’m hoping to hear more.  Please leave a comment here, contribute to the UI feedback forum, or send me an email.

Next, keep an eye on the blog – I’ll be posting sneak peeks at the interface and asking for feedback on some of our ideas.  Our designer will make the UI better, but this community can make it great.  I’m looking forward to your stories.

Thanks for your help!

Stephanie

Experienced IT professional Steve Molkentin began Career Factor unemployed and very much ready to get a job which made use of his skills. Over the course of the show, Steve dealt with frustration and worry but also dedicated himself to building his knowledge of the latest software releases, and in April he was proud to report that he had landed a great job!

Steve spoke with IT expert Stephen Ibaraki a few weeks ago about his journey, and he provided great advice about how to stay invested in the job search and how he expects certification to contribute to his future success.

Check out Steve's interview

Our spring cleaning turned up quite a few chapters and full e-books to share with you! Get acquainted with the latest Microsoft software with e-books covering Windows Server 2008 R2, SQL Server 2008 R2, Visual Studio 2010, Windows Phone 7, Microsoft Office 2010, and much more!

Sign up for Spring Cleaning resources

This is the fifth in a series of blog posts authored by members of the IT Manager Advisory Council. We've asked them to share their insights and opinions on topics they are passionate about related to hiring & managing employees, and maintaining skills on their teams.  If you agree or disagree and have a different perspective - chime in and contribute your views.

We are living in extraordinary times where we’ve seen the use of smart grid technology, social networking, and Wi-Fi improve the way we live, bank, and work. As a result of the giant gains we have made in new technology and in mobile application development, we have an exceptional opportunity to use technology to make learning creative and advance academic achievement.

Andrew West is my name and I work as a chief technology officer for an urban School District in the New Orleans metro area.  I’ve worked in IT higher education and K-12 for the last five years and corporate IT before that, and I’m utterly convinced that meaningful use of technology can have a powerful impact on students’ academic achievement.  

Technology in an academic environment is as important as all of the things that make schooling happen. Technology should not be relegated to just one period of the day, or lab time, or a mere assignment; but when parents, teachers, and administrators think of school, they should be thinking “technology-rich learning.”

Meaningful use
I’m not talking about something mandated by a government authority – although the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act and Title II Part D Enhancing Education Thru Technology (EETP) require having a technology plan—nor am I talking about technology for technology’s sake; I’m talking about meaningful use of information technology. I see the need for adopting a visionary concept that involves meaningfully integrating learning in a classroom where technology is a learning tool. When thinking of remediation and tutoring, technology practitioners should be thinking web-based and online learning tools. When thinking of project-based learning, students and informed teachers and parents should know how to use online research databases such as EBSCO host, etc.

At schools where I’ve been involved, we’ve implemented learning objectives in compliance with the International Society for Technology Education (ISTE) standards that include objective use and knowledge of Microsoft Applications including using Microsoft Word by 1st grade, PowerPoint by 2nd grade, and Excel by 5th. The State of North Carolina’s Department of Public Instruction has gone even further and adopted the Microsoft IT Academy this fall for every single one of the state’s 628 high schools. N.C. students will have an opportunity to earn Microsoft Officer Specialist (MOS) or Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) certifications.

Highly Qualified IT Staff in Education Systems
I firmly believe that it’s important to have an IT staff that has prior experience in an educational setting and at least a bachelor’s degree. It’s not necessary that they have a teaching certificate, but preferable that they have worked in an environment where the concepts of learning, achievement, and the best interests of the students are owned by the technology support staff and technology practitioners. I believe that as you work around children, you promote education by demonstrating a commitment to your own personal education. (Yes, certifications certainly demonstrate commitment!)

School Administrators and Stakeholders
No one can accuse teachers or professors of not working long enough or hard enough, but it is a concern that often they have trouble keeping up to date with current technology or aren’t familiar with technologies outside of their own academic space. This is a problem not only because are they likely to be out of touch with their students, but also because they cannot serve as leaders for their students.

With all hands on board, stakeholders can improve achievement and at the same time make learning fun—which means effective. Ideally, a school should form a Tech Team that is a mix of energy and authority and include: academics, parents, students, highly qualified technologists, and administrators with decision-making authority. The authority point is important, as many projects fail or fizzle when a team has responsibility but lacks authority.

8 Ways to Ensure a Technology-rich Learning Environment

·         Promote technology as the new learning tool.

·         Have a solid technology plan that includes purchase of academic software, systems, and platforms.

·         Invest in technology. Put funds aside.

·         Invest in professional development to support technology integration for teachers, administrators, and IT staff.

·         Have a robust and capable network infrastructure in place.

·         Use social media to promote the new technology-infused learning. Kids use it. Parents use it. So, too, should schools to raise interest in ways that technology can enhance learning.

·         See technology staff as leaders and innovators rather than mere break-fix techs. Experienced technologists do more than just assure uptime. They have a role to play in using technology strategically to advance academic achievement. 

·         Include IT staff “at the table” for discussions about academics.

In March of 2010, President Obama launched the first National Education Technology Plan, “Transforming American Education: Learning Powered by Technology.”  It calls for every student receiving the opportunity to learn through digital technology in school and at home. What’s been your experience in initiating technology projects in educational environments?

Andrew West (“Awestechchief” on Twitter)

The Career Factor show is nearing its end (but there's still time to enter the DIY Career Factor contest by June 15!), and the cast will be posting their final blog entries in the next few days. Join us for two final live chats next week to celebrate everything the cast has accomplished and look ahead to their next steps outside of the show.

These live chats will take place on Twitter, and use/follow the hashtag #cfchat to participate. We hope to see you there!

• Wednesday June 1, 9am PDT (check your local time)
• Thursday June 2, 6pm PDT (check your local time)

With Career Factor winding down, what better way to see how far the cast has come than by listening to them describe their journeys in their own words? Over the next few days we'll present an interview with each cast member. First up: Kevin!

A few weeks ago Kevin spoke with IT expert Stephen Ibaraki about his college job, his career aspirations, and how Microsoft Certification will help him bridge the two. Listen to the interview or read the highlights at Stephen's website.

Check out Kevin's interview

Meet our youngest WP7 Developer Hero of the week: Johnny Simmons.  At age 13 he has more apps in the marketplace than years he’s been alive!  Nice job, Johnny!

For more on the Windows Phone 7 Developer Heroes program, be sure to visit the home page.

Hello!

After reading through all the comments and feedback from my original post, we went back to the drawing board.  We have decided to make some updates to what we originally posted based on your feedback.

BUT FIRST....we want to make sure we got it right.  So, we want your feedback to confirm that we heard you correctly so we move forward in the correct way.

We agree that there was just too much complexity in the changes we were trying to communicate and so we have come up with some clear and concise definitions to start with:

• Inactive - this means that you have not done what is necessary to keep a certification active.  Specifically, this means you did not complete the recertification requirements, or other requirements we deem necessary to keep a certification active.
• Retired/Leagacy - this means we have retired the certification.  This can happen due to two reasons, the certification is based on technology that is more than two versions old (for example Windows Server 2000 is two versions old so it would be retired, but Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008 are N and N-1 and would remain active).  The second reason is that if we deem that the certifcation is no longer valid for the purposes of the program or may be replaced, this would be something we would let you know ahead of time.

OK, so now with that said, what we need your feedback on is the words we use and the way we display the above and we have 4 options to choose from as follows:

POLL HERE: http://polldaddy.com/poll/5083983/ 

Option 1 - Use word retired, but leave in Active Section

Option 2 - Use word Legacy, but remain in Active section

Option 3 - Put in Retired Section with Messaging

Option 4 - Put in Legacy section with messaging

OK, so let us know what is your favorite and we will review and make the final decision known to all of you.

Let us know before June 15th! Please vote your preference here: http://polldaddy.com/poll/5083983/

Thanks again for all your help and feedback.  We are listening and look forward to hearing from you.

Have a great day!

Microsoft Certification is gearing up for the next round of Visual Studio exams, and we want to hear from you. By completing a quick survey, you can tell us what you like, what we can do differently, and weigh in on improvements we're considering for developer exams.

Surveys need to be completed by June 1st. We'll follow up later in the month with survey highlights.

Thanks for your input!

The Career Factor cast met each other and many of their Microsoft champions at Tech•Ed North America last week, and they have photos, videos, and stories to share! Read on for a recap of new blog posts from the conference.

But first:

• Have you entered the DIY Career Factor contest? Find out how YOU could take on Windows Server 2008, Windows Phone 7, or Microsoft Office like Steve, Rabeb or Caroline. It's easy to enter and start getting the votes you'll need to win. The contest ends June 15, 2011, so enter today!
• Make sure you watch the Career Factor reunion show, which was filmed on the TechNet Edge stage during Tech•Ed. Find out what everyone learned at the conference and what advice they have for anyone following in their footsteps.

	Steve – The Job Seeker, Australia Goal: Update skills and certifications to find a new job This week: Steve posted frequently during his week at Tech•Ed. Check out his daily video recaps (see Caroline’s update) and his Tumblr blog.
	Kevin – The Student, Texas Goal: Find a post-college job as an IT Professional This week: Kevin wrote about having dinner with Microsoft employees, meeting people from a wide variety of corporations, and partying with the Canadians at Tech•Ed.
	Eddie – The Do-It-Yourself IT Pro, California Goal: Transition back into the IT industry, obtain TS and PRO level certifications This week: Eddie was sad to leave Tech•Ed early to return to work, but he treasured his experience and even discovered a new career goal!
	Rabeb – The Windows Phone 7 Developer, Tunisia Goal: Develop and release a WP7 app to the Marketplace This week: Rabeb posted a recap of the beginning of Tech•Ed and showed us her view of the exhibition hall as she explored with Kevin.
	Simon – The IT Manager, UK Goal: Get his team (including himself) certified to maintain Microsoft Partner status This week: Simon posted daily from Tech•Ed and shared thoughts about getting to know the Career Factor group over baseball, running between far-flung technology sessions, being inspired by his fellow cast members, and receiving some insight into the TS exam goals.
	Caroline – The Office Competition Contender, Canada Goal: Compete at the 2011 Certiport Worldwide Competition on Office This week: Caroline and Steve starred in their own daily TV show featuring updates about the conference and their time in Atlanta. Check out day 1, day 2 and day 3.

If you're interested in brushing up on your TS 70-681 skills in preparation for taking the exam, please join us now.

Certification Exam Preparation Session:  TS  Windows 7 and Office 2010, Deploying (70-681)

https://www.livemeeting.com/cc/microsoft/join?id=MSL052411&role=attend&pw=webcast

Did you know you can download Excel templates to create schedules, calendars, budgets, to-do lists, and much more? Check out these free Excel templates.

If you’re looking to improve your Excel skills, consider downloading a free chapter from the ebook “Microsoft Excel 2010 Data Analysis and Business Modeling,” by Wayne L. Winston. 

Another free resource for Excel is a chapter on working with graphical and multimedia elements from the ebook “2010 MOS Study Guide for Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint & Outlook Exams,” by Joan Lambert and Joyce Cox.

Simply sign up to access these and other free “Spring Cleaning” resources.  

The DIY Career Factor contest is now open! From now until June 15, 2011, you could win training and Microsoft Certification exam vouchers to help you show off your Windows Server 2008, Windows Phone 7, or Microsoft Office skills. Make your own career success and use this opportunity to earn credentials that can help you get noticed in the job search or the quest for promotion.

Here's how to enter:

1. Pick your prize package
2. Tell the world why you should win
3. Ask your friends, enemies, family members, colleagues, total strangers--anyone!--to vote for you. The entry with the most votes in each category wins that prize!

The final vote tally happens on June 15, so get started now!

Are you planning to get Microsoft Certified in Windows Server 2008 or SQL Server 2008? Add exam coaching sessions to your list! Prepare for Microsoft Certification exams 70-659 and 70-403: Windows Server 2008 Virtualization and exam 70-432: TS: Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Implementation and Maintenance with FREE online exam coaching sessions! Sign up for Spring Cleaning and take advantage of these sessions and more.

The Career Factor crew has spent the week at Tech·Ed, and they've recorded their thoughts and impressions (and video) throughout the conference. Check out the news feed, featuring updates including:

• Rooting for the home team at an Atlanta Braves game
• Staying out far too late (but enjoying every minute) talking about certification
• A video diary from Caroline and Steve
• And much, much more!

Also, be sure to watch the Career Factor reunion show, filmed live on the TechNet Edge stage and hosted by IT personality Adam Bomb and our own Dana Calleja!

Finally, in a few short hours--2pm PDT TODAY--you can enter the DIY Career Factor contest! Pick your prize, submit your entry and start gathering votes. The contest begins as Tech·Ed ends, but anyone can enter. Are you ready?

LCDS version 2.7 is now live!  The Microsoft Learning Content Development System (LCDS) is a free tool that enables the Microsoft Learning community to create high-quality, interactive, online courses and Microsoft Silverlight Learning Snacks. The LCDS allows anyone in the Microsoft Learning community to publish e-learning courses and Learning Snacks by completing the easy-to-use LCDS forms that seamlessly generate highly customized content, interactive activities, quizzes, games, assessments, animations, demos, and other multimedia.

With the LCDS, the Microsoft Learning community can:

• Develop and deliver content quickly, while it is timely and relevant.
• Deliver web content that conforms to SCORM 1.2, and which can be hosted in a learning management system.
• Upload or attach existing content. (LCDS supports multiple file formats.)
• Choose from a wide variety of forms for authoring rich e-learning content and Silverlight-based interactive components.
• Develop course structure and easily rearrange it at any time.
• Download sample courses (LCDS must be installed)
• Develop Learning Snacks on Microsoft SnackBox