Happy birthday to the ENIAC,
unveiled Feb. 14, 1946 at the University of Pennsylvania. Considered the first true computer, this sucker occupied a space that was 8x3x80 feet. I wonder if you had to be certified to run it?
Posted by Michael Domingo on 02/14/2010 at 11:59 AM2 comments
.NET experts, listen up! The Microsoft Learning folks will be releasing several developer-related exams into beta testing phase next month; details on registering for these exams will be available at
this blog post later. As usual, the beta exams are free, but registration is limited.
Posted by Michael Domingo on 02/11/2010 at 11:59 AM0 comments
IT spending will be fairly flat in the next year or so. And that gives Google and its "free" apps some leverage as an enterprise option. I point to two recent examples: The City of L.A. announced it was dumping GroupWise back in October for Google Apps, and Macquarie University in Australia is switching its e-mail from Exchange to Gmail. While two examples does not a trend make, consider the size of those implementations. These are not SMBs.
The Google Apps-for-Groupwise example seems all the more compelling, especially with the recent Google hacks emphasizing the huge risk that some orgs are exposing themselves to by walking the free route. Or are we all getting a little to comfortable with taking those types of risks just to save money? Post your thoughts here.
Posted by Michael Domingo on 02/11/2010 at 11:59 AM0 comments
Google has nothing to worry about for a while yet, but Microsoft's search engine continues to take bits of marketshare from the search giant.
Experian Hitwise pegs Bing at 9.4 percent, so it won't be long before Bing reaches double digits. (
ComScore's data has Bing over 10 percent.) Perhaps its enterprise search strategy will push it higher, faster.
Posted by Michael Domingo on 02/10/2010 at 11:59 AM0 comments
Let the messaging madness begin: Microsoft Learning just released an Pro-level Exchange 2010 exam at the end of last week.
Exam 70-663 PRO: Designing and Deploying Messaging Solutions with Exchange Server 2010 is currently listed as a prerequisite (along with
Exam 70-622 TS: Exchange 2010 Configuring, which went live in October) for the Microsoft Certified Master: Exchange Server 2010 title, but nothing at the Pro level as of now. Still, expect details on a Pro-Level Exchange 2010 certification in the very near future.
Posted by Michael Domingo on 02/04/2010 at 11:59 AM0 comments
In my blog last week, I asked you to chime in on Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer's effectiveness as corporate leader (one positive reply, but otherwise all I heard was crickets).
I like The Business Insider's chart showing Ballmer's leadership based on the company's stock performance. It was downhill from the start of Gates' announcement that he was retiring and has run flat since then. There was a low point about a year ago, about the time we finally started calling the financial mess a recession, so I suspect charts for most companies that day were rock bottom. Ever since, the stock has been marching upward. Microsoft will be releasing Q2 financials, which includes any real money made from Windows 7.
So, will Microsoft's stock see better days under Ballmer, or is it time for him to go?
Posted by Michael Domingo on 01/27/2010 at 11:59 AM1 comments
Windows 7 is the bright spot in Microsoft's Q2 2010 financials, as some analysts predicted it would be. Interesting fact from the financials: Microsoft sold 60 million copies of Windows 7 in its Q2. To put it another way, that's Windows 7 for nearly every person in the top 5 most populous cities on this planet
|
City |
Population
(millions) |
| Mumbai |
13.9 |
| Shanghai |
13.8 |
| Karachi |
12.9 |
| Delhi |
12.2 |
| Istanbul |
11.3 |
| Total |
64.1 |
Source: Wikipedia
Posted by Michael Domingo on 01/27/2010 at 11:59 AM0 comments
Get ready for Windows 8, which is expected in mid 2011, if this report has any truth to it.
Posted by Michael Domingo on 01/27/2010 at 11:59 AM2 comments
I couldn't believe it when I saw a picture of Steve Jobs holding an Apple iPad. Really, it looked like Jobs had shrunk next to a regular-sized iPhone. Or, maybe it's much more like the iPhone for those who subscribe to Readers' Digest Large Print Edition. Take your pick.
Having realized I'm getting much older, I'm having some difficulty reading Web sites on my iPod Touch. So, all kidding aside, the iPad would be a welcome addition to my gadget clutter, if only to save my eyesight. Short answer: Yes, I like the idea of an iPad. Do you? Tell me at [email protected] or comment here.
And vote in my iPad poll.
Posted by Michael Domingo on 01/27/2010 at 11:59 AM4 comments
Microsoft Learning
blogs about the need this year to get recertified if you have the MCSA: Security specialization and want to retain it as a valid title. The certification was accredited by ANSI last month. Recertification isn't a necessity, unless, of course, you work for an organization that requires it (the blog cites compliance with ISO 17024 as a good one). In most cases, you're safe with what you've earned so far.
But if you need to recertify, all it takes is to pass Exam 70-699: Windows Server 2003, MCSA Security Specialization Skills Update.
Recertification might be a good idea for this particular title, but does it make sense for others? And who among you has recertified due to job requirements? I'd love to hear from you at [email protected] or comment below.
The recert blog item was written by Liberty Munson, Microsoft's resident psycho ... ahem ... metrician. I had an e-mail exchange with her over the holidays, which I then edited into a Q&A that has some insights into the exam development process and exam security. Check out part 1, which was posted last week here, and then read part 2 here.
Posted by Michael Domingo on 01/21/2010 at 11:59 AM0 comments
The security folks at Google have
discovered a flaw that has been hiding in Windows since the NT days. Now, that's old. If it were human, it'd have a driver's license.
Posted by Michael Domingo on 01/21/2010 at 11:59 AM0 comments
Some people might describe Apple and Microsoft as bitter rivals, kind of like Leno vs. Letterman (you know what I mean, if you're into pop culture references). But their rivalry might really seem more like Leno vs. Conan, as both have found common ground and even helped each other at times.
Remember when Microsoft helped Apple with a $150 million loan back in 1997? Well, the modern-day version of this is some deal that BusinessWeek has been reporting on, which might put Microsoft's Bing search engine on Apple's iPhones as a default. Bing isn't Google-sized just yet, but this deal might give Bing the push it needs.
Posted by Michael Domingo on 01/20/2010 at 11:59 AM0 comments