Category: IT Pro
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Advice for IT Pros Planning to run their Own Companies
Earlier this month one of the IT Professionals who attended a couple of my sessions over the past few years e-mailed me and told me he had ‘written my last letter of resignation, and plan to work for myself from now on.’ It is a bold and brave decision, one that I made several years…
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A Brief History of how Microsoft (and others) Changed the World… Part 2
On July 7, 2011 I posted the first instalment of what started out as a short article for BackBone Magazine, and soon developed (and continues to morph) into something else completely. You can read the first part here: https://garvis.ca/2011/07/07/a-brief-history-of-how-microsoft-and-others-changed-the-world-part-1/ This is the second part of the article, and it starts to get interesting if you…
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MCITP: Server Boot Camp, Virginia Beach
It was REALLY last minute… on Friday I got a mass e-mail from a training provider scrambling to replace a trainer who had cancelled at the last minute. By some miracle of scheduling I was available; after a few hours of back and forth e-mails I booked my flight for Sunday to be at the…
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Certifications Alone Do Not Make the Pro
An interesting post appeared in a newsgroup that I monitor today. A desktop support technician in the United Kingdom lamented a colleague who had attended a two week MCSE boot camp and indeed earned that certification. Unfortunately he later encountered a number of simple issues that he could not resolve, including one with regard to…
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Choose Your First Certification Exam Wisely
As I peruse the articles that I have written over the past ten years I occasionally come across one that is interesting or relevant today. I wrote this article when I was working with CertGuard, and it was published in November, 2006. If you are an IT Pro starting down the path to certifications, this…
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The Genesis of my Career as an IT Consultant and Trainer
I can’t believe it has been eight years… I wrote this article for TechRepublic while I was still working for IGS Security in Montreal. These articles are the genesis of my career as a computer consultant and IT Trainer and Presenter. The first article tells of how and why I began to transition from a…
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A Brief History of how Microsoft (and others) Changed the World… Part 1.
In October of last year I pitched an idea to the editor of Backbone Magazine for an article about how Microsoft changed the world. We were a month shy of the 25th anniversary of Microsoft Windows, and I thought it would be a fitting and timely piece. He asked me to write a short piece…
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I am You, You are Me.
A couple of months ago I was in the cafeteria at Microsoft and I came up with an idea for a blog article, which I then gave to Rick Claus for the IT Pro Connection. It was originally titled ‘I am You, You are Me.’ He added the rest of the title, but I didn’t…
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Gartner agrees with me… Hyper-V is for real!
In September Microsoft Canada contracted me as a Virtual Partner Technology Advisor, tasking me with evangelizing Microsoft virtualization solutions. One of the reasons I was such a good fit for the role is that I am very familiar with both Microsoft’s and VMware’s server virtualization solutions – I teach and consult on both platforms. I…
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Office 365–Complex or Options?
Last week Microsoft officially launched its cloud-based infrastructure offering, Office 365. As a virtual insider I have been using this solution for the past six months for my IT consulting firm, and frankly had forgotten that it was a beta offering. That is because while the packaging may be new, all of the applications –…
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It was Twenty Years Ago Today!
Ok, well it wasn’t, but I had the Beatles running through my head. It is amazing what can remind you of the oddest things from the past… In June, 1988 I was finishing Grade 10 and my last computer course on the Apple //e was behind me. I had made the decision to sell my…
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A Brief Comparison of Features Between VMware and Hyper-V (Guest Blogger)
A few months ago Chris Childerhose, a consultant and MCITP with a local Microsoft Partner, impressed me when the afternoon of Day 5 of my class on Windows Server Virtualization (10215A) he sat the exam 70-659 and scored a perfect 1000. He has since gone on to pass the remaining exams to earn the certification…
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Five GREAT tips to remember when taking certification exams
I just read a blog article by Christopher Harrison, the Head Geek at GeekTrainer. He points out five key things to remember when sitting certification exams. Read them, know them, live them! Then pass your exam! –M http://blog.geektrainer.com/2011/06/taking-certification-exams.html
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The Wonder that is TechEd
The quiet of the Exhibitor Hall is disturbed by the sounds of preparation. To my left there is a crew frantically working to fix something with a carpet. There is some hammering, more yammering, and the sounds of carpet tape being unfurled. To my right there are two security agents talking, but they are too…
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Cover Your A$$ – Secure Your WiFi Now!
I honestly hate saying ‘I told you so.’ For years I have been telling everyone who will listen (and a lot of people who didn’t want to) about the importance of securing wireless networks. I’ve told stories about the possible consequences, and have scared some of them into doing the right thing. Unfortunately far too…
The World According to Mitch 