Greener Pastures

Karl, Invites a nice thought topic…Picking you partners…View article...

Review and discuss amongst yourselves.

Me? Well, I face this all the time. Having been exposed as a sys admin to the other side, *nix, I am quite well aware of what's out there. I keep up with Novell, Sun, IBM, Red Hat, etc. Microsoft keeps itself relavant. How and why, I don't care about that. I know my customers are on it. Those that get to the onramp via Apple, or Linux or BSD, good for them, I'll work with them, but when it comes right down to it, Microsoft is the 800 Pound Gorilla. Are they the only game in town? No, are they always the best game in town, your mileage may vary. Level 2 Technology Consulting is a Microsoft Shop. Where another solution fits, OK, we're open, but our Microsoft Partnership could not be stronger. They listen; they work with us, and for us. Likewise we listen; we work with them, and for them. It keeps the lights on and gas in the cars. As long as they continue to be relevant, we'll continue to work with them.

Got registered for the exam 71-653 TS: Windows Small Business Server 2008, Configuring…

I guess I better hit the documentation. I have not loaded up even a beta copy since one of the VERY EARLY releases…we'll see how I do. From here, I think I have a pretty good handle on it, but want to cram the documentation into my brain!!!

The Console interface looks an aweful lot like WHS…imagine that!

Feed: MSNBC.com: Top MSNBC Headlines
Posted on: Thursday, August 21, 2008 2:43 PM
Author: MSNBC.com: Top MSNBC Headlines
Subject: Microsoft enlists Seinfeld for ad campaign

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It's about darn time Microsoft stand up for itself!

Ever been away but needed to work with ResponsePoint Administrator remotely.

With the Windows Home Server and the Advanced Administration Add-in this is simple to do. I added a shortcut to the advanced admin tab to launch the RP Administrator and viola there it is…

As WHS is built atop SBS 2003 it makes more and more sense. And given it's out-of-the-box functionality, both WHS and RP make big sense for the home of the future… I setup the RP extensions to ring our cells directly. This makes sense, as if someone is actually calling us, they want to speak to us, and if it's an automaton, then well our automaton will screen it for us. In the future we may add desk phones or wall phones or cordless phones. But to get this thing started, it's simple and easy. No extra voice mail extensions, nothing like that…

So here's what I see in the near future for advanced families and homes…In a connected closet…fiber/DSL/Cable, patch panel, firewall, switch and Wireless Access Point, Windows Vista Media Center, Windows Home Server, TV Converter box and distribution panel, Home Automation Control. In each room, xbox and flat panel, telecom.

Zunes/iPods, Windows Mobile Smart Phones / iPhones on each person…

Next is to tackle the Automobile. Currently, Microsoft is partnered up with Ford for some distribution, but I am thinking about tackling this in the near future. Add a simple PC with a Cellular uplink into the trunk, and add displays in the dash, the headrests, and more. Tie the whole thing together with software. You could upload your music/content over the internet to your car or WLAN while in the garage or via USB and away you go. Add-in a GPS/nav link, Live Search add-ins, voice recognition and text to voice for reading inbound email, work content, your kids paper, or whatever.

This is VERY cool stuff. And as I said to a partner, add-in auto-dimming of sound when a siren is approaching and/or a heads up display to PULL OVER. Likewise when change in speed limit or approaching a School Zone or Construction Zone…

This could go in so many directions, and really, actually help us in our daily lives, rather than make it more complicated or difficult.

What's your idea of the future technology?

http://www.vladville.com/2008/08/drm-because-someone-has-to-pay-for-it.html

from the comments…

This is about more than some slick recording industry execs trying to make another buck…

This is about defending Intellectual Property. Some people use their Intellectual property to build widgets. Some people become Doctors. Some people create art or software or music or…whatever. It's pretty simple the person who creates has the right to sell the product of their intellectual property, lawyers do so by the hour, mechanics by the job, the people who run the Doggie Hotel by the night…The person creating the IP also has the right to give away or sell the right to resell or re-give away the fruits of the original labor.

In the case of the musician and the record label. Record label may pay up front large sums of money for the rights to resell said musician's music for a given period or even eternity. And based on a contract they can control the distribution and consumption of the music. When I buy Music, I do not own Music, I buy the right to consume music. When I buy software, I buy the right to use the software. When I by a TV I buy the right to consume a TV feed. When you pay +/- $10 for a movie ticket, you do not buy the movie, you buy the right to consume the fruits of someone else's labors…

As a consumer, it sucks, wanting something, but not being able to have it. So people being who they are, naturally tending toward sin, we have come up with ways around these rules…We RIP the CD onto our iPod or rip a DVD onto our Media Server, and in the best of times, it is for our re-consumption, but…there are people who recognize that if it costs $15 for a DVD, and a couple hundred to get a computer that can functionally copy the DVD and maybe a little more $ to bust the copyright protection, they can turn that $15 investment into cold hard cash, again and again and again. Pretty soon that minor investment for 'personal use' becomes a lucrative endeavor, and now they can redistribute content that they don't own, don't have the right to redistribute and make large piles of dough in the process.

Yes, that's a bit extreme, and the number of people who actually do it are very small compared to the people who follow the rules…BUT the fact is they don't OWN the right to do this, somebody else does. So, back to the Olympics and the right to distribute that content, Vlad addresses that pretty wholly. Does it suck that Microsoft did not 'include' the disenfranchised in their distribution model? Perhaps, but they paid for the right to distribute it. Welcome to the free-market. The Government could act a s a watch dog to protect the rights of the disenfranchised, but..well the American Public has spoken repeatedly, that they want less government oversight…something about a Nanny-state or something? And lest you think it's a function of America…The Olympic Committee made the agreement with Microsoft to distribute the content over the net. I believe the Olympics is run by a Corporate entity, whose purpose is to promote sport. They sold the right to distribute to Microsoft, not to the US Government, or the Government of India or the Government of the Intertubes. They have a contract with Microsoft, for which they got bucket loads of money. If the Olympics wanted to protect the rights of the disenfranchised Net population, they should have gone elsewhere, or written such language into the contract. It would appear that they chose not to do that. They took the wheelbarrows full of coin and said thank you, and have a nice day.

Because SBS 2008 standard is 64 bit only, we are getting ramped up on migrations. You see there will be no in-place upgrade of SBS, so get used to it!!! There are many good resources for migrating, planning, and support. We are looking at this, and quite honestly, this may be the point we defer to other experts, specifically in the migration. New, fresh installs, we'll be all over it. But given the complexity, and the importance, we are starting to look at the prospect of teaming up for Migrations. And we'll have plenty to do!

http://search.msn.com/results.aspx?srch=105&FORM=IE7RE&q=Semi-Charmed+Life

Maybe, maybe not. We here in Dallas are truly blessed by having a very good Microsoft Team at our disposal. L2TC, read the book…

http://www.amazon.com/Partnering-Microsoft-Partnership-Software-Powerhouse/dp/1578203171/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1218388505&sr=1-1

We farm that place as much as we can. TS2 team, tPAM, Area Sales Manager, Partner Technology Specialists, you name 'em, we work 'em. It's been great, but it has come to my attention, that not all areas get the same love from their local Microsoft Team. WOW!!! The great thing about our local team is they are tremendously active, end to end. From Sales and Business generation, to closing and support they are great assets. If you are in other regions, reach out and start farming these people. Not only are they great people, but great assets. We've held events, and invariably, having an event at Microsoft, with a Microsoft Specialist, right there, it adds so much!

As L2TC migrates focus from doing to leading, we are also expanding our reach, into other geographies in the Area. We are looking for partners to bring into projects, so if you fit the bill, ring me up, ping me, or drop me a line.

How's your summer been? Ours has been rocking! It's really pretty wild. I spoke to Vlad last night, and he has a different view of the world and the IT Business from us. In terms of location, Orlando, in terms of client base, much larger and more diverse, and in terms business focus. We both see a massive thinning of the herd in the SMB IT Consultant landscape, but he seems to be seeing it on a much larger scale. So with the kids starting school in a couple of weeks, I got to thinking about what the summer was supposed to be on our business plan. And it is drastically different. Taylor, our intrepid Aggie intern, did a great Job, but it was not what we had planned for him. I really thought we'd be Marketing, Selling, doing events, calling people, but instead it has been the opposite. We have been doing the work or IT Consulting. Now I am looking at the Business Plan, and looking to bring in Partners to the jobs we have lined up. We are getting out of the doing business and into the leading business. So as the Fall sets in, and the Winter, both days of it in Texas, approaches, L2TC will become a Project Management and Solution Management shop.

A couple of weeks ago, I was talking to a another Partner, and he was telling me about their grand plans. And so I compared that to others, and ourselves, and I have to say…some people have their sh!t together, and some just plain don't. I often feel like we fall into the later category. But after talking to some people, I just can't help but think, what are we doing?!?! Every year, we sit down, and do our budget. Every year we start off with grand plans and goals, but invariably the year goes by and some things go well and others, not so much. So this year, I have changed it up. We did those things, like normal. But I am adjusting, calling an audible at the line of scrimmage if you will. While others are dropping out of the game, or , perhaps unconsciously, walking away from partnerships and consolidating their efforts, we are focusing. Consequently we are growing. Taylor is off to A&M early for Corps duty, good luck dude! And we are filling his part time gig with a couple of people. And rather than hourly across the board, we are going to results based work. After all that's what we do for clients. So employees and partners will be tasked to do things…for money

Pick up the phone…cha ching

Write a Case Study…cha ching

Bring in an Opportunity…cha ching

Follow-up on a trouble ticket…you guessed it…cha ching

Along with process, we are looking for people who are results oriented. We do things our way, yes, because we want it done. I get a haircut, I pay for the haircut. Mr. Balderas cuts my grass; he gets paid for cutting the grass. We are incenting our people to do the work we pay them for, whether as employees or as partners. Is your summer winding down, or is your year ramping up? Going into the summer, I was thinking vacations, swimming pool, xbox 360, schmoozing. Going into Fall, I am thinking year end will be on us before we know it! Time to get cracking!!!

So I have been doing a lot more over at Facebook, and I have even taken the step to integrate Twitter directly, which is pretty nice. Now I can text in updates from the Cell and it'll show up on my Twitter feed…

http://www.twitter.com/bwatters

Now can I get that linked in to my LinkedIn status?

http://www.linkedin.com/in/bwatters

If I can get that done, rock on!!! The next thing I need is a Vulcan Mind Meld between Twitter and my brain. But then again that may be a little TMI for the general public

:-s

http://www.new.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30054110&id=1340185991

I found myself starring at this hunk of Chocolate with the Chief Monkey, caught here taunting his distant wife with Cheesecake…Good luck with that. This was after having killed several cows, pigs, several liters of Coke and Diet Coke, a loaf of bread, and countless plants…

Vlad's a great guy, the topic wound through the heart of our respective business, then across the Trinity to Six Flags, and out to Las Colinas. Then it hopped on a plane to LA, Chicago, New Jersey, and then to Orlando. Oh and don't forget a side trip to Redmond. With ED being what it is, Shockey Monkey is sure to be a success. It was good to sit down with the brains, and the brawn of OWN and catch a glimpse of all that's going on…

And for any of you fuddy duddy's out there who rail against the Social Networking tools…Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, heck even Blogger, get over it!!! Like any tool, it can sure be a time suck machine. On the other hand, when in the hands of professional people, who know the difference between slacking and networking, these things can be invaluable for business. We discussed the power of social networking across the 'intertubes'. What continues to astound me is the corporate resistance to these tools.

Oh and that slice of cake…my son was still eating on it this morning…what fun!!!