Getting started with 'New Stuff'

Getting started with 'New Stuff' 21 Feb 2008 09:58

Everyone seems pretty excited by the new wave of products coming out from Microsoft so far. On the Road Trip we met with over 1000 people, and the feedback was extremely positive about what the products offer and the way they were presented. However the next step is to actually get up and running, particularly now that Windows Server 2008 and Visual Studio 2008 are already released and available for us to use.

One of the challenges for any organisation looking to make use of these technologies on a new project is to bridge the knowledge gap and get skilled up. If you came on the Road Trip hopefully your appetite has been whet and if you want more information then you have a couple of options readily on hand;

Skill up online - Always a primary option since there is a lot of good information already out there in the form of blogs and technical articles and it keeps you very current. Or you could just start by searching..
Set up a sandbox - Set up a virtual machine and simply try things out for yourself in a risk-free environment. Integrated virtualization is one of the main offerings with Windows Server 2008 through its Hyper-V role, but you can equally use Virtual PC or Virtual Server 2005 today. Note: Virtual PC is a free download! :) Additionally Microsoft provides virtual environments for training online so you dont even have to set up your own virtual machines in most cases!
Come to the March Launch Events - If you are in Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch, or if you can transport yourself there then you can come and join us for a days worth of technical sessions focused on the new products. There will be more content presented there and you can pick and choose between 2 streams. The cost is $149 but for that you will be taking home some free software which makes it a no brainer given you get the training as well :) You can register online.
Work with a technology partner - If the above isnt a possibility or isnt going to work for you or if you prefer tailored training and someone to help provide guidance and advice, then your best bet is to find people who are already experienced in these technologies to help you out. We often work with development teams to help them get up and running, and since we have just finished being part of the Road Trip and are presenting at the Launch Events, why not drop us a line if you are interested in training or assistance with .NET 3.x, SQL Server 2008 or building and deploying on the Windows Server 2008 application platform.

So there really are no excuses other than time now, so if you are keen then get hands on today!

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