The World According to Mitch

I was sitting in a cafe minding my own business the other day when I overheard a couple of network administrators discussing the benefits of virtualizing their server room.  As this is a topic about which I am quite passionate I was delighted to hear the 'buzz'... the fact that organizations...

One of the great advantages to MVP Summit is the information that is made available to us; speak to any MVP and chances are they were in no fewer than a dozen sessions over the course of four days, not to mention all of the break-out sessions, the Open Space sessions on the first day, and a plethora...

So what is Essential Business Server (EBS) ?  In simple terms EBS is a complete corporate network for mid-sized companies in a box, or rather in three or four boxes depending on the version.  Let me explain: In the beginning there was the PC.  And of course Microsoft looked up at the PC...

For years I have been saying that Small Business Server was the best solution for small businesses that did not have huge IT budgets; it allowed them to take advantage of the same enterprise-level tools such as Microsoft Exchange Server, SQL Server, and SharePoint Server without having to purchase several...

This past Monday I had the opportunity to present what I call a 'Let's Get Excited' presentation to an architect audience at Microsoft Canada.  I was asked to showcase several new features of Windows Server 2008, due to launch on February 27th. While preparing for the presentation I...

One evening this week at the dinner table Theresa and I were discussing some of the steps that we took to protect Aaron (our nine year old) while he surfs the Internet.  He piped up that he did NOT like any of these measures, and I told him that he had better get used to them, because they are not...

Near the beginning of 2006, while I was administering my own mail server, I discovered a great little utility called Exclaimer Mail Utilities. I call it a “little” utility because of the size – it was less than a 20-megabyte download – but that is where the appropriate use of...

Because I am beta testing Windows Server 2008 (and have been for about a year now) I have had access to Windows Vista SP1 for a while now, but honestly I have been a bit hesitant to make the jump too quickly. When I am on tour I live by my laptop, and the thought of it conking out and needing any amount...

One of the things that has impressed me about Microsoft since I started paying attention is the lengths that it goes to with regards to encouraging IT Pros, both with community building and with helping individuals to succeed. Microsoft Canada, through its TechNet Canada Team, has been sponsoring user...

Last week I was invited to speak at the Microsoft across America event held at Miami Dade College for their CIS Faculty on the subject of Microsoft Certifications. The Q&A Session was quite lively, and I was asked one question that stuck out in my mind: If we are getting a degree why are certifications...