Mentoring
Technology|Nov 1, 2019

On Being a Mentor

Mentoring is a big part of what I do professionally, but my path to being a mentor started with being mentored myself when I was still very young. It all started with my first computer, a Commodore 64, which is what got me interested in IT. My dad saw that I had this interest, and…
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Blogs|May 25, 2019

Microsoft Regional Director Renewal for 2019

Introduction I’m proud to be able to say that I was just renewed for another two-year term in the Microsoft Regional Director (RD) program. I very much love this program and, as always, am honored to be a part of it. Many folks have asked me about the RD program and what it means, so…
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Blockchain
Blogs|Jun 15, 2018

Is Blockchain Interest Really Low?

Gartner’s 2018 CIO survey had some pretty damning information when it came to blockchain technology. According to the survey, CIO’s in general have very little to no interest in blockchain technology. The media naturally noticed this and reported it as a wet blanket being thrown on the blockchain hype. Something about this though did not…
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Choices
How To|Feb 14, 2018

Choosing Between Containers and Serverless

Choosing the right tool for the job is not always as easy as it seems. Sometimes, there is more than one tool for doing something, and such is the case for cloud-based applications. In my last “Choosing between” post, I looked out how to choose between containers and virtual machines, and here the same tension…
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editorial|May 20, 2016

The Future Is Here, and It’s Chatty

Among the most-talked-about news at Google’s I/O conference this week were the announcements of two AI-related projects: Google Assistant, an upgraded digital assistant capable of conducting two-way conversations and performing tasks like ordering movie tickets, and Google Home, a competitor to Amazon’s Echo that would combine home automation with virtual assistance. Meanwhile, ZDNet leaked that Microsoft…
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editorial|Mar 8, 2016

SQL Server on Linux: A Savvy Move By Microsoft

The graphic said it all: the words SQL Server and Linux, linked together with a cheerful red heart. Microsoft’s announcement yesterday that it will bring its popular data software to Linux servers is the latest sign of its ongoing love affair with the open-source community. It’s also smart business. As Microsoft’s Azure cloud services become…
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editorial|Feb 1, 2016

Microsoft’s Q2 Earnings Point to Success of Cloud-Focused Strategy

After Microsoft reported earnings last week for the quarter ending Dec. 31, its stock jumped by more than 8 percent. That’s despite the fact that both profit and revenue fell from the previous year. Why? Investors are excited about some of the same segments of Microsoft’s business that have drawn interest from developers: cloud services…
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editorial|Dec 29, 2015

Microsoft in 2015: The Good, the Bad and the Works in Progress

‘Tis the season for year-in-review stories, and the techie blogosphere is sounding off on Microsoft’s performance in 2015. It was a banner year for Redmond, most observers agree, despite a few stumbles. Microsoft made bold forays into newer areas like virtual reality and hardware, while leveraging its strong enterprise customer base to build its cloud…
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editorial|Dec 28, 2015

What is Windows-as-a-Service, and Why Should You Care?

On December 8th, owners of the Lumia 950 received and Over-The-Air update to the Windows 10 running on their phones.  While updates like this may seem common place, this one was special because the software came directly from Microsoft with no intervention by the mobile service carriers.  While iOS users are able to update their phone…
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editorial|Dec 17, 2015

Are Microsoft’s Windows 10 Universal Aspirations Becoming Reality

Microsoft’s bold attempts to create a “universal” platform that runs on mobile, tablet, and PC seems to be picking up some steam lately as major app publishers have released or announced new Windows 10 universal apps.  Is this the beginning of a trend? Recently NetFlix released their new Windows 10 Universal app targeted for PCs…
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editorial|Nov 26, 2015

What We’re Thankful For!

Today is Thanksgiving in the USA, a time for reflection and gratitude for all of the joys in our lives.  And while our staff will be busy showing our family and friends how much we appreciate them, several of them took a few moments to say what in they are thankful for in technology. The…
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editorial|Aug 24, 2015

20 Years After Windows 95

It seems like much more than 20 years have flown by in the ever-changing world of technology since the debut of Windows 95.  That iconic release was ushered in by a $250 million campaign that included a Jay Leno at the launch event and a terrible cyber-sitcom with Jennifer Aniston and Matthew Perry learning about Windows…
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