Microsoft Canada asked if we could post the following to our fellow IT Professionals and we agreed. Many of the links to Microsoft resources are ones that we use on a regular basis.
Note that we edited the original to reduce the amount of marketing fluff. :0)
Our comments are italicized.
NSAT IT Pro Messaging for the Community
1) Help and Support from Microsoft
The following links are a great resource that Microsoft provides to help us find the answers that we need. One of the things that we notice, especially from the MVP perspective, is that if we don’t go and post our issues/problems on forums or phone in to initiate a support incident with PSS that the issue/problem may slip under the radar . . . even if we see it _a lot_ at other forums like Experts-Exchange.
So, when it comes to situations that Microsoft needs to address, they _are_ listening. We need to do our part to follow through.
Help and Resources
- Microsoft Product Solution Center – Get product support information for the majority of Microsoft products.
- Microsoft Answers – Ask questions and get answers from real people, or search for answers others have received.
- Microsoft Fix it Solution Center – Find automated solutions for your issues.
- @MicrosoftHelps – Follow Microsoft Customer Service and Support on Twitter. Experienced customer service agents respond to your questions in real-time tweets.
- Enterprise Business Center – Access resources for enterprise customers.
- Microsoft Small Business Center – Find resources for small and medium-sized businesses.
Other Resources You May Find Useful
- Microsoft Virtual Academy - For Free Training To Help Improve Your IT Skill Set.
- TechNet Evaluation Center - Try some of the latest Microsoft products like Office 365, Windows Intune or System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012 for free, before you buy.
- TechNet Newsletter - Sign Up To Receive The Latest IT News and Developments, Product Releases, Expert Insights and Support Services with Microsoft's complimentary biweekly newsletter for industry professionals.
2) Security – How to Help Keep Your PC Protected
Even though we wear many hats, keeping our client’s networks secure is a priority. There are many ways about keeping a network secure, but since our primary foundations are Windows Server and Desktop based we need to be aware of Microsoft’s resources for us in the Security field.
If you feel your system has been compromised or has a computer virus – you can call Microsoft's Security and Virus FREE support line at 1-866-727-2338.
Security Resources
- Microsoft Security Essentials – Free Anti-Malware software from Microsoft, great for Small Businesses and Home PCs alike.
- Security Bulletins by the Regular IT Guy – A monthly podcast to help simplify details about the monthly Security patch releases.
- Security TechCenter – Find top tasks, get the latest news, find a wiki article or download a featured tool.
- Windows Update Services – Businesses of all sizes can help manage and control the rollout of updates in their organizations.
Other Resources You May Find Useful
- Springboard Series - Your destination for technical resources, free tools and expert guidance to ease the deployment and management of your Windows-based client infrastructure.
- AlignIT Manager Tech Talk Series - A monthly streamed video series with a range of topics for both infrastructure and development managers. Ask questions and participate real-time or watch the on-demand recording.
- Microsoft Virtual Academy - For Free Training To Help Improve Your IT Skill Set.
- TechNet Evaluation Center - Try some of the latest Microsoft products like Office 365, Windows Intune or System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012 for free, before you buy.
3) Licensing Simplified – at Home and at Work
Licensing. Microsoft Licensing. This is probably one of the biggest areas of struggle for all of us that provide Microsoft based solutions. Just when we think we have what we need in the way of information and direction on how to license a particular solution the SPUR changes or something else changes to throw a monkey wrench in the mix.The links below will help to mitigate those experiences. :)
To add to the links below, the number one licensing site that we visit is the following:
The above linked licensing tool gives us access to all of Microsoft’s licensing programs, the ability to pick and choose which products we are trying to license, and the necessary guidelines for choosing the right program.
FYI: We always license our clients using Open Value Agreement (not subscription) as it provides the best value over the long haul for our clients. Payback is seen in the fourth through six year in SA renewal over OEM.
The link in the paragraph below is to the following blog post:
Speaking of licensing – I often get asked if I can back up our claims at a more cost effective Virtualization solution for your server rooms. I dug up a great – no nonsense breakdown on recent licensing changes in the industry and how our offering stacks up.
Licensing Resources
- Licensing FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions About Product Licensing.
- The SMB How to Buy Portal: receive clear purchasing and licensing information that is easy to understand in order to help facilitate quick decision making.
- Microsoft License Advisor (MLA): Use MLA to research Microsoft Volume Licensing products, programs and pricing.
- Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC) – Already have a volume License? Use the VLSC to get you easy access to all your licensing information in one location.
- Windows 7 Comparison: Compare versions of Windows and find out which one is right for you.
- Office 2010 Comparison: Find out which Office suite is right for you.
Other Resources You May Find Useful
- TechNet Cloud Hub - Get the latest news and find great resources to help you jump into the Cloud.
- TechNet Evaluation Center - Try some of the latest Microsoft products like Office 365, Windows Intune or System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012 for free, before you buy.
- Microsoft Virtual Academy - For free training to help improve your IT skill set.
4) Free Online Training and Resources from Microsoft
Training. It is the key to our success. We utilize Microsoft’s resources as well as other third party vendor’s training sites on a regular basis.
Knowledge in untrained hands is a dangerous thing. Being trained, evaluated, and certified on the products we work with goes beyond employability. It is a matter of necessity as we are _responsible_ for our client’s IT solutions.
Having a lab capable of running the various IT solutions we implement is also critical to our success. By building out the solutions in a lab setting we can blow them up, attempt to destroy them, pressure test them, and so much more without killing a production environment.
A TechNet subscription whether direct from them or via the Microsoft Action Pack Subscription is an important part of an IT Solution Provider’s in-house licensing and Microsoft products based lab.
Microsoft has a number of great resources to help you in areas of professional development and access to software. The Microsoft Virtual Academy contains some fantastic FREE online training on hot topics for IT Professionals. Once you’ve stopped by and tried out a course or two — head on over to the Microsoft Eval Center to download copies of their server products to try out in your lab environment. And while you’re at it, check out this free Microsoft Office 365 ebook by Katherine Murray, it shows you how you can use cloud computing to help get more done and help improve ease of collaboration.
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Hopefully there will be some nuggets of information in the above to help!
Thanks for reading. :)
Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book
*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.
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