As children we are enthralled by the stories that we hear. Stories teach us and fire our imaginations to what is possible in this world. And as adults, we're not much different. It's one thing to hear about a process, product or idea, but hearing the story of the trials and triumphs that accompanied the implementation of that process, product or idea is what sticks with us and gives our imagination flight as to the possibilities within our own situation. Case studies are like stories and there are a whole host of them that Microsoft has put together on a variety of technologies and solutions. There are 79 just on private cloud implementations and a number on Windows Azure have been highlighted on the Windows Azure site. However, there is nothing quite like hearing the story right from the author, or in this case, right from one of the people in the story. In July, Mary Jo Foley was on the show and talked about Microsoft's cloud offerings from an industry perspective. For our next show, we thought it would be interesting to talk to a few folks who have actually been working on cloud solutions using Microsoft technologies either internally or for their customers. Hosts Jonathan Rozenblit and Ruth Morton chat with Bruce Johnson and John White about public and private cloud implementations they've done for their companies and for their clients. They also share stories of the barriers they had to overcome and the successes they enjoyed. Resources Sign up for a Windows Azure 90-day FREE trial to see Windows Azure Virtual Machines in action Learn more about Windows Azure Virtual Machines Download evals of Private Cloud: System Center and Windows Server Podcast This episode will be available as a podcast shortly. Listen Now - COMING SOON Download as MP3 - COMING SOON Subscribe with Zune >> Subscribe with RSS Feed >> Subscribe with iTunes >> About AlignIT Manager Tech Talk The AlignIT Manager Talk is a monthly live streamed video series hosted by Ruth Morto

Apps enable a new level of customer engagement and are ushering a new wave of business for new and existing organizations. Are you thinking of app opportunities for your organization? The opportunity may or may not be obvious, but it is there. Hosts Ruth Morton and Jonathan Rozenblit explore the motivations behind enabling business through Apps. Resources Visit W00t – a site centered around building apps. The Windows Phone Dev Center will get you started building applications for Windows Phone. The Windows 8 Dev Center will get you started building applications for Windows 8. Jean-Luc DavidJean-Luc David is the CTO for Digiflare, an interactive agency that helps brands discover new opportunities to enhance and expand their businesses through interactive experiences through the web, mobile, connected TVs, and emerging digital platforms. Prior to Digiflare, Jean-Luc was the Senior Manager for the Yellow Pages Group API & Mobile team and worked at Microsoft in the Developer & Platform Evangelism group. Podcast This episode will be available as a podcast shortly. Listen Now - COMING SOONDownload as MP3 - COMING SOONSubscribe with Zune >> Subscribe with RSS Feed >> Subscribe with iTunes >> About AlignIT Manager Tech Talk The AlignIT Manager Talk is a monthly live streamed video series hosted by Ruth Morton (LinkedIn) and Jonathan Rozenblit (LinkedIn). Each Tech Talk episode airs on the 2nd Thursday of the month from 12:00pm to 12:30pm EST. The show focuses on a range of topics for both infrastructure and development managers and is interactive, taking questions via a live chat and providing answers on air About AlignIT The AlignIT program is dedicated to keeping IT leaders informed about what really matters in business and technology. We do that through in-person events, web casts, our blog and of course, this podcast series. You can find more information about the Align IT program at www.alignit.ca. If you have comments, suggestions, and ideas

Some of the best conversations happen when you least expect them – after that important meeting has finished, before the official interview starts, in the cafeteria over lunch or coffee. Jonathan and Ruth noticed it was the same with the AlignIT broadcast. So for the last few months they decided to keep the cameras rolling after the live broadcast was finished and here is the result – some very relaxed, very passionate, very real conversations with their expert guests. Hosts Ruth Morton and Jonathan Rozenblit review some of the conversations they've had with their guests "off the air" and unplugged, so to speak. Resources Download evaluation software from the Evaluation Center Learn more about Microsoft Public Cloud solutions Learn more about the Microsoft Private Cloud platform For anything and everything development, always start with MSDN. Podcast This episode is also available as a podcast. Listen Now >> Download as MP3 >> Subscribe with Zune >> Subscribe with RSS Feed >> Subscribe with iTunes >> About AlignIT Manager Tech Talk The AlignIT Manager Talk is a monthly live streamed video series hosted by Ruth Morton (LinkedIn) and Jonathan Rozenblit (LinkedIn). Each Tech Talk episode airs on the 2nd Thursday of the month from 12:00pm to 12:30pm EST. The show focuses on a range of topics for both infrastructure and development managers and is interactive, taking questions via a live chat and providing answers on air About AlignIT The AlignIT program is dedicated to keeping IT leaders informed about what really matters in business and technology. We do that through in-person events, web casts, our blog and of course, this podcast series. You can find more information about the Align IT program at www.alignit.ca. If you have comments, suggestions, and ideas for future topics please let us know by connecting with us via email, Twitter, or LinkedIn. Visit the AlignIT site >>Follow AlignIT on Twitter >> Join the convers

Recent surveys indicate that while cloud computing is a top priority for Canadian CIOs, assurance in cloud services remains the principle inhibitor for adoption. 2012 is proving to be the year of accelerating adoption as organizations gain a deeper appreciation of cloud services and how they can be adopted in a trusted manner. Host Jonathan Rozenblit, and guest, John Weigelt, National Technology Officer for Microsoft Canada, as they explore the security and privacy considerations of Cloud Computing. Resources Read detailed information on Windows Azure's security, privacy, and compliance practices Read detailed information on Office 365's security, privacy, and compliance practices For more on this and similar topics, read John Weigelt's blog John Weigelt As the National Technology Officer for Microsoft Canada, John Weigelt is responsible for driving Microsoft Canada's strategic policy and technology efforts. In this role, Mr. Weigelt helps business and governments innovate with technology while avoiding the unintended consequences that might arise. He leads Canadian outreach for Economic Development, Environmental Sustainability, Accessibility, Privacy, Security, Critical Infrastructure Protection, Government 3.0, Interoperability and other policy related activities. Podcast This episode is also available as a podcast. Listen Now >>Download as MP3 >> Subscribe with Zune >> Subscribe with RSS Feed >> Subscribe with iTunes >> About AlignIT Manager Tech Talk The AlignIT Manager Talk is a monthly live streamed video series hosted by Ruth Morton (LinkedIn) and Jonathan Rozenblit (LinkedIn). Each Tech Talk episode airs on the 2nd Thursday of the month from 12:00pm to 12:30pm EST. The show focuses on a range of topics for both infrastructure and development managers and is interactive, taking questions via a live chat and providing answers on air About AlignIT The AlignIT program is dedicated to keeping IT leaders informed about what really m

The recent beta release of Visual Studio 11 and Team Foundation Server, as well as the discounts available for upgrades will have you contemplating whether you will make a case for an upgrade. What will you gain by upgrading and what will it mean to you, to the dev teams, to the infrastructure teams, and to the business stakeholders? What are the pros and cons of making this move and do they make it worthwhile? Make the right decision for your team. Join Ruth Morton, Jonathan Rozenblit, and guests, ObjectSharp partners Dave Lloyd and Barry Gervin for the debate. Resources To see the changes for yourself, download Visual Studio 11 Beta and give it a try. Take advantage of current prices and discounts before things change with the next release. Watch Adam Gallant's DEV380 – What's New in Visual Studio 11 Beta on TechDays Online. Dave LloydDave Lloyd is a founding partner of ObjectSharp. He has 25+ years of experience in the IT industry designing and building software solutions for a large number of clients in varying industries. Dave is a seasoned project manager with a great deal of experience implementing process into development teams, from small and large ISV's to in house development teams. Dave has also spent time during his career implementing test solutions for clients. Working with the most current automated test tools and implementing successful test environments. Dave brings to the table 20+ years of teaching experience. Because of Dave's experience in the many roles of a software development team it's only natural that he would gravitate toward Team Foundation Server and the ALM (Application Lifecycle Management) world. A lot of Dave's assignments involve helping teams with their development process and to better utilize Team Foundation Server to enhance their Software Development Lifecycle. Dave has received the Microsoft MVP award for ALM. Barry GervinBarry Gervin is a founding Partner of ObjectSharp. As a Principal Consultant and Instructor with

There's no denying that virtualization has transformed our datacentres and redefined how we do IT, giving us more capacity and savings. Now, private cloud capabilities take us one step further providing the agility IT needs to truly provide IT as a service. The beauty of a private cloud is that it takes characteristics of a public cloud (resource pooling, elasticity, self-service, and pay per use) and combines those characteristics with management and security built on dedicated resources to provide services to a select group. System Center 2012 brings you that single pane of glass you need to manage your applications and services across your public, private, hybrid or traditional infrastructure. Within the System Center suite, Endpoint Protection provides give you control and security while Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 provides world-class virtualization through Hyper-V. In this Tech Talk, we're joined by Islam Gomaa, IT Manager for E-Academy, Inc., and William Bressette, Network Architect for Horn IT Solutions, to discuss the challenges of managing a private cloud and the capabilities of System Center 2012, an integral part of Microsoft's Private Cloud solution. Resources Download Private Cloud evaluation software (System Center 2012 + Window Server 2008 R2) https://aka.ms/sceval Find free online training modules on Private Cloud https://aka.ms/mvacademy Islam GomaaIslam Gomaa is a Data Protection Manager MVP from Ottawa, Canada, specializing in System Center Products, disaster recovery and system infrastructure running on the Microsoft server technology stack. Islam brings over 12 years of expertise in helping organizations align their business goals using Microsoft technology and deploying Microsoft-based solutions for the private and public sector. He is also a member of the Windows Springboard Technical Expert Panel [STEP] for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 having delivered STEP presentations in Ottawa. He has authored several webcasts on Data Protect

Windows Phone goes beyond email and calendaring to deliver productivity to the enterprise. Mobile access to corporate applications like Office and SharePoint come out of the box, but line of business can be extended to the phone using skills and tools your infrastructure and developer teams already have. Ruth Morton, Jonathan Rozenblit, and guest Paul Laberge, Developer Advisor at Microsoft Canada and Windows Phone expert discuss how you can leverage Windows Phone to extend your applications and enable a mobile workforce. Resources See it for yourself. Download the SDKs, samples, documentation, videos, and more. To learn more about Windows Phone, deeper content, etc, check out TechDays Online. Learn more about Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2012 and download the Release Candidate for evaluation. Featured Guest: Paul Laberge Paul is a Developer Advisor with Microsoft Canada, based in Mississauga, Ontario. Paul brings over 12 years of technical experience working with some of the largest North American Fortune 500 companies to the role and has been with Microsoft for almost 5 years. His experience includes being a lead developer, development manager, lead application architect and IT management for a wide variety of technical solutions. Currently, Paul leads Microsoft's developer engagement around Windows Phone 7 and in that role, he can be found working with mobile developers of all walks of life, speaking at events, providing information on various social networks and, of course, driving the great Canadian developer ecosystem to building amazing Windows Phone apps. Paul is also passionate about Microsoft's cloud computing strategy and HTML5 as a way to drive great cross-platform experiences. Podcast This episode is also available as a podcast. Listen Now >>Download as MP3 >> Subscribe with Zune >> Subscribe with RSS Feed >>Subscribe with iTunes >> About AlignIT Manager Tech Talk The AlignIT Manager Talk is a monthly li

With any big change to your IT infrastructure comes risk, but of course you're hoping that the rewards will out weigh those risks. In fact, you're doing more than just hoping – you're planning, strategizing, and putting your organization in a good position to mitigate those risks. Deploying a new operating system throughout a company can be disruptive and complex because so much is dependant on that OS – the applications running on top of the OS, the drivers that allow peripherals like printers to work, to name but a few. If all goes well, the operating system should be invisible to the end user but if all doesn't go well...well, we've all been there. It sucks. A good plan that's well executed can result in an organization having use of technology that can help achieve higher productivity, better collaboration and more opportunities for innovative ideas. This episode of Manager Tech Talk is all about putting together a good plan for Windows deployment success. Ruth Morton and Jonathan Rozenblit and guest Dave Kawula, Senior Consultant with 1E, talk about the benefits and challenges of deploying Windows 7. They explore what tools are available and what "gotcha's" to watch out for. Plus: Ruth, Jonathan, and Dave share tales from deployments past. Featured Guest: Dave Kawula Dave Kawula is an MCSE and CNE with over fifteen years of experience in the IT industry. His background includes data communications networks within multi-server LAN/WAN environments. He has experience with project management, network strategic planning, network design and integration. He has led the architecture for NT, SMS/SCCM, Exchange and Internet Gateways, including managing migration paths and issues as well as implementation. He has supported a variety of network infrastructures as well as architecting and defining technical standards. Resources Springboard - for all your deployment needs App Compat Toolkit Managing Shims Enterprise Desktop Virtualization (MED-V) All about licensi

It is that time of the year. You are most likely sitting down with each of your team members and are helping them with their personal development plans. On this episode of AlignIT Manager Tech Talk, Ruth Morton and Jonathan Rozenblit talk with Stuart Ngai about the importance of training as part of personal development, as well as when and how training can and should be weaved into employees' busy schedules. Resources Free online training at the Microsoft Virtual Academy Get Microsoft virtualization certified Download the Own Your Own Future eBook Download trial software at the Microsoft Evaluation Center Featured Guest: Stuart Ngai Stuart Ngai, Director of Technology Solutions at VERAX, is an IT professional with over 25 years of experience. As a development manager, lead enterprise architect, and a Senior Leadership Member, Stuart has led the delivery of many leading edge systems through several technology eras and guided many IT professionals in enriching and re-energizing their careers. With 7 years teaching software courses at Seneca College of Applied Sciences followed by another 7 years teaching software engineering courses for the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering at the University of Toronto, personal development through perpetual training has been a theme in which Stuart helped many IT professionals to achieve and sustain their career growth. Stuart is a certified P. Eng. and PMP with a Masters degree in Engineering from McGill University and a management degree from McGill's School of Management. He has been with the software consulting firm VERAX Solutions Corporation in Toronto since 1993 focusing on building strong delivery teams and delivering results to their customers in the financial sector. Podcast This episode is also available as a podcast. Listen Now >>Download as MP3 >> Subscribe with Zune >> Subscribe with RSS Feed >> Subscribe with iTunes >> About AlignIT Manager Tech Talk The AlignIT Manager Talk is

Don’t you wish sometimes that you had a crystal ball showing you what technology is coming down the pipe and if it’s going to disrupt your status quo? It would just make life so much easier. No more guessing what the CIO is going to insist be deployed ASAP just because he read about it in PC magazine. You’d be ready for it already. No more jumping through hoops because a competing company is harnessing IT innovations allowing them to steal your customers and undercut your business. You’d be doing it already. Ok well, we can’t quite show you the future, but we can give you 30 minutes with Mary Jo Foley. Mary Jo has been covering the tech industry for over 25 years focusing specifically on Microsoft and Microsoft technologies for most of that time. She has had a front row seat, watching, observing and chronicling new advances and innovations as they’ve unfolded, putting her in a unique position to be able to understand how certain trends will likely impact the industry. Mary Jo joins Jonathan Rozenblit and Ruth Morton for a special edition of the AlignIT Manager Tech Talk. In this episode, Mary Jo talk about what’s new at Microsoft and in tech. Featured Guest: Mary Jo Foley Mary Jo Foley has been a tech journalist for more than 25 years. She has worked for a variety of tech publications and Web sites, including PCWeek/eWeek, CRN and ZDNet. She is the editor of the "All About Microsoft" blog on ZDNet, and the author of the book "Microsoft 2.0: How Microsoft Plans to Stay Relevant in the Post-Gates Era" (John Wiley & Sons). She also is the co-host of the Windows Weekly show on the TWiT network and a frequent commentator and speaker on all things Microsoft-related on TV, radio, podcasts and at industry events. Podcast This episode is also available as a podcast. Listen Now >> Download as MP3 >> Subscribe with Zune >>Subscribe with RSS Feed >>Subscribe with iTunes >> About AlignIT Manager Tech Talk The AlignIT Manag