1.            STEM student who is certified or getting certified. 

2.            Wants a career in IT and knows the value of certification to getting a job – “it will give me an advantage against others vying for the same jobs”

3.            Is inspirational and influential and fun personality – a leader mentality who is smart and mature

CASTING DETAILS:

Microsoft Learning needs student testimonials for image of certification product.

If you, or someone you know, are a  STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) student who is gearing up for a career in IT, we want to hear from you!

We are casting students who can speak to the value of certification to getting a job in IT for for testimonial-style videos for Microsoft Learning.  The videos will appear on YouTube, Facebook and on Microsoft  websites. We are seeking students with fun personalities, are inspirational & influential and people other students can relate to. 

All ethnicities, any gender, 18 to 25 yrs old,  in the Seattle, WA area are welcomed to apply

Languages spoken:         English

Location: on a college campus in the greater Seattle, WA  area

Payment details: no pay

Timeframe: shooting will take place in September

Applications to this casting call require:

• A profile photo
• Short video of themselves talking about certification

Last month, we published a few learning snacks for those of you venturing (or considering venturing) into the realm of cloud computing. Enjoy!

Cloud Computing and Microsoft Offerings

Customer Success Stories with Microsoft Cloud Offerings

Windows Azure Platform and Interoperability

Exciting things are in the works for developer exams at Microsoft! In Beyond Multiple Choice: Lab Exam Demonstration for Developers, Developer Certification Product Planner Gerry O'Brien demonstrates a proof of concept for a lab that tests your hands-on development skills in the Visual Studio environment. The tasks prototyped in the lab are based on content from exam 70-515: TS: Web Applications Development with Microsoft .NET Framework 4.

Watch the demo, then follow this to complete a short survey and let us know what you think. (For best viewing results, hover your cursor over the black bar in the lower right corner of the video and select Watch on YouTube. You can expand to full screen from there if you like.) We're exploring the technologies and methodologies that will allow us to make labs a reality for developer exams, so we welcome your honest feedback about possible issues, improvements, and the like.

The Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document at the end of post answers common questions about the lab.

Thanks for checking it out!

One of the best things about a Learning Plan is that Microsoft has done the hard work of finding and organizing relevant resources for you. If you're one of those busy types, what could be better?

This is a great Learning Plan to help IT managers, CIOs, IT generalists and other IT decision makers learn about the latest line of Microsoft server technologies, including Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, Microsoft Exchange 2010, Microsoft Forefront, Microsoft System Center, Microsoft SQL Server, and Microsoft SharePoint 2010. Check it out and see what you can learn today.

We're offering a Windows Azure Platform One Month Pass, so you can put Windows Azure and SQL Azure through their paces. Get a pass to use the platform for a month and enjoy the learning and developer tools. It's a great way to get into Azure, for now the offer is valid in the US only and we will of course let you know of any other offers as soon as we hear about them.

You accidentally dial the wrong number, calling an old boyfriend by mistake. You compose an e-mail complaining about your boss, and somehow send it to your boss.

It’s never pretty when these things happen; and, when we make mistakes like this we usually feel like idiots. Fortunately, there’s always someone just a little worst to make us all feel just a wee bit better about our own mistakes.

Each quarter, Microsoft Learning will feature several case studies based on a compilation of recent issues. Certain facts will be changed for illustrative purposes and to conceal the identities of the parties involved. The actions described below represent Microsoft’s efforts to curb cheating, fraud & piracy to maintain the value of Microsoft Certifications.

Protecting Microsoft’s IP: Disclosing Microsoft intellectual property (IP)

Chris Preston, who worked at a test center in Dublin, Ireland, was engaged to be married soon. The closer the wedding date arrived, the more he realized he needed extra funds to cover his wedding expenses. Thinking of no better way to make a few extra Euros, Chris chose to sell Microsoft Certification exam content on a popular English tech blog. Chris knew better than to use his real name on the blog; he used an alias: IT GENIOUS (of course!). Every day for a week Chris (a.k.a IT GENIOUS) signed-into the blog using his corporate email address and posted Microsoft Certification exam content. When Microsoft discovered these leaks, we investigated. A few clicks and a few IP addresses revealed the source of the posting: Chris@litwareinc.com. Microsoft requested that the authorities bring criminal charges against him.

Microsoft takes the protection and management of our Intellectual Property seriously.  Unauthorized disclosure of confidential information has a profound business impact, and may lead to civil liability or criminal prosecution. Confidential information leaks can devalue Microsoft Certifications, and breach the trust of customers, business partners, governments and communities. Abuses of this nature are not tolerated.

All Microsoft Certification exams, including the content and wording of exam questions, are Microsoft confidential information and protected by intellectual property laws. Microsoft’s Exam Security and Integrity policy states:

Examples of misconduct and/or misuse of the Exam include, but are not limited to, the following: Copying, publishing, disclosing, transmitting, selling, offering to sell, posting, downloading, distributing in any way, or otherwise transferring, modifying, making derivative works of, reverse engineering, decompiling, disassembling or translating any Exam in whole or in part, in any form or by any means, verbal or written, electronic or mechanical, for any purpose

For general questions regarding security issues and questions, contact the Microsoft Learning - Security Team (mlsecure@microsoft.com).

If you have any information regarding piracy, exam fraud, violations or abuse, you are asked to contact Training & Certification Tips (tctips@microsoft.com)

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Theft

Here's a remarkable example of theft.

During a customer event, Microsoft Learning distributed Microsoft Certification exam vouchers to event attendees who participated in a customer survey. The fine print clearly stated that vouchers were available to survey respondents, limit one voucher per customer, and vouchers had no resale value.

Bonnie Kearney, who attended the event, returned to the survey booth multiple times over the 5-day event. She made sure different people were managing the booth and proceeded to answer the same survey over and over again. She walked away from the event with 17 vouchers. The assessed retail value of each voucher was approximately US$150.

One week later, Microsoft Learning Security was informed that Microsoft Certification exam vouchers were being sold on Proseware.com (a popular online auction website). Working with Proseware’s compliance team, Microsoft Learning Security was able to track the seller’s account.

The details of the theft were uncovered as part of a Microsoft Learning Security investigation. Bonnie admitted to fraudulently obtaining and selling “maybe 10” vouchers to out of state individuals who paid US$100 for each stolen voucher. Bonnie Kearney admitted to using the proceeds to pay for her own Desktop Support – Enterprise exam and training resources.

Bonnie was permanently banned from the Microsoft Certification Program. The matter has been referred to law enforcement.

For general questions regarding security issues and questions, contact the Microsoft Learning - Security Team (mlsecure@microsoft.com).

If you have any information regarding piracy, exam fraud, violations or abuse, you are asked to contact Training & Certification Tips (tctips@microsoft.com)

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Not So Sharp!

If you’re ever arrested for smuggling, an excuse that almost never works is “Idunno.”

Last March, Shuh San Chan (曾澍山) walked into a testing facility in China to take Exam 70-668: PRO: Microsoft SharePoint 2010, Administrator.  Before walking into the examination room, per the proctor’s instructions, Shuh San = placed his belonging in a locker… all but one…

45 minutes into the exam, the proctor noticed Shuh San pushing himself away from the desk and holding his hand towards the computer screen. Upon further observation the proctor realized that Shuh San was bold enough to sneak a cell phone into the examination room.  The cell phone was examined fully and it was confirmed that Shuh San had taken screen-shots of the exam. Shuh San’s response when approached by the proctor: “Idunno”.

This is completely against Microsoft Certification Exam policy. Shuh San’s exam was immediately stopped, the screen shots were purged from his cell phone and he was escorted out of the testing center. But it didn’t end there. Shuh San was permanently banned from the Microsoft Certification Program and is no longer eligible to participate in the program. Worst yet, Shuh San worked for A. Datum Corporation, when his employer requested validation of Microsoft Certification; Shuh San could not provide it and had to reveal that he did not receive his MCITP Certification and was no longer a Microsoft Certified Professional; a requirement of his employment.

Although this particular candidate was blatantly involved in content theft, any type of cheating is not tolerated. It erodes the value of Microsoft Certifications. “Idunno” is not an excuse. Candidates should familiarize themselves with all Microsoft Certification exam policies and procedures prior to taking a Microsoft Certification exam.

If a candidate is caught cheating, violating testing rules, or diminishing the security and integrity of the Microsoft Certification exams in any way, the candidate may be prohibited from taking any Microsoft Certification exams and/or may be decertified from the Microsoft Certification Program.  Such fraud includes, but is not limited to, the following:

1. Modifying and/or altering the original results/score report for this Exam or any other exam records
2. Violation of the current exam retake policy
3. Fraudulently impersonating another to gain access to the Exam
4. Submission of any work that is not completely your own
5. Providing or accepting improper assistance
6. Using unauthorized materials in an attempt to satisfy Exam requirements (this includes using brain-dump material and/or unauthorized publication of Exam questions with or without answers)
7. Disseminating actual Exam content
8. Possession of non-authorized items at the testing center during an Exam
9. Misconduct as determined by statistical analysis
10. Copying, publishing, disclosing, transmitting, selling, offering to sell, posting, downloading, distributing in any way, or otherwise transferring, modifying, making derivative works of, reverse engineering, decompiling, disassembling or translating any Exam in whole or in part, in any form or by any means, verbal or written, electronic or mechanical, for any purpose

For general questions regarding security issues and questions, contact the Microsoft Learning - Security Team (mlsecure@microsoft.com).

If you have any information regarding piracy, exam fraud, violations or abuse, you are asked to contact Training & Certification Tips (tctips@microsoft.com)

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The names of companies, products, people, characters, and/or data mentioned herein are fictitious and are in no way intended to represent any real individual, company, product, or event, unless otherwise noted. Complying with all applicable copyright laws is the responsibility of the user. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), or for any purpose, without the express written permission of Microsoft Corporation.

The folks at Microsoft Office are looking for a small group of U.S.-based families, students, technology influencers, small businesses, and home-based businesses (1-4 PCs) to participate in Microsoft’s Office 2010 Real Life Stories program.  

This program provides a select number of people with a copy of Microsoft Office Professional 2010 on a loaner laptop PC along with dedicated technical support and web-based training in exchange for sharing their feedback and usage with Microsoft and potentially participating in Microsoft’s marketing efforts. At the end, you’ll receive a free copy of Microsoft Office Professional 2010 for your school, work or home use.

So what's the catch? Oh, you'll need to share your experience through videos, interviews, and/or quotes. I bet you know someone who would LOVE to be featured in something like this.

For information about the program and a link to the application, go to: http://connect.microsoft.com/officecustomerstories

In case you missed the news, Windows Phone 7 cleared its last big milestone and has been released to manufacturing. Not only that, but the final version of the Windows Phone 7 developer tools will be available on September 16.

In the meantime, check out local boot camp training events (free!) or watch on demand 12 hours of comprehensive app training via the Windows Phone 7 Jump Start videos (with free course materials here). And last but not least, stay tuned to this blog for some exciting news coming in the next few weeks. I don't want to spill the beans too early (we're still finalizing the details), but we're working to bring you more live virtual training (meaning, anyone can attend regardless of location) on some pretty sweet Windows Phone 7 application development topics.

Oh, and let's not forget what's available for our iPhone developer friends: The iPhone To Windows Phone 7 Tutorial Series. It's not every day you get a chance to be part of such a massive Microsoft launch, so here's hoping we've made it a little easier for you through one or more of the above offerings. In the words of ZDNet, "Welcome back into the smartphone arena Microsoft, it looks like you have a serious challenger entering the ring..."  

Peter Laudati & Dmitry Lyalin host the edu-taining Connected Show developer podcast on cloud computing and interoperability. Check out episode #36, “Steve Marx on Azure”.  In this episode, the one and only Windows Azure Tactical Strategist, Steve Marx, joins Dmitry and Peter to give us an update on the Windows Azure platform.

Steve talks about common real world Windows Azure use patterns, including storage and compute instance configurations.  Steve uses some strategic tactics to tell us what’s in the tea leaves for the future of Azure.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN!

If you like what you hear, check out previous episodes of the Connected Show at www.connectedshow.com.  You can subscribe on iTunes or Zune.  New episodes approximately every two weeks!

Jeff Conrad and John Viescas’s Microsoft Access 2010 Inside Out (ISBN: 9780735626850; 1488 pages) is out now!  

You can find the book’s chapter-level table of contents and an introduction to this in-depth guide to Microsoft Access in this previous post.

The book includes a companion disc that includes sample database applications, bonus chapters and technical articles, and a complete ebook.

In today’s post, please enjoy a deeper look at Chapter 11, “Modifying Data with Action Queries.”

A little off topic perhaps, but I just had to share this (after I added it to my wish list). Happy Friday!

Join us live at 9:00 AM Pacific Time on Thursday, September 30, 2010 for a virtual, interactive roundtable discussion on migration strategies, standards, and support for organizations moving from Internet Explorer 6 to Internet Explorer 8.

As organizations deploy Windows 7, many still depend on web applications that were designed for Internet Explorer 6. Will they still work, and what can you do when they don’t? Join a panel of IT Professionals, Microsoft specialists and technical experts to discuss best practices to simplify and accelerate the migration to Internet Explorer 8. Topics will include an explanation of the causes of and solutions for application compatibility issues (including policy, code, and virtualization solutions), an introduction to tools, and a review of best practices. (Check out our latest blog post with the latest resources around working with IE 6 in Windows 7).

Ask your questions live during the event with our online tool - or submit your questions in advance to vrtable@microsoft.com. 

By the way, more Springboard Series Virtual Roundtables can be found here: Watch them on demand.

Windows Phone 7 gives you the power to build complex, robust applications using consistent hardware specs, a comprehensive development toolkit, and the all-new, full-service Marketplace for selling your apps. To celebrate, we’re launching two days of fast-paced learning that will help you stake your claim in this exciting new frontier. The first day takes you inside the all-new Metro interface paradigm with basic fundamentals of Windows Phone 7 application development. The next day is a hands-on app building workshop. Bring your best ideas, work at your own pace, or join a proctored group lab and create that app you’ve been dreaming about. Check out the agenda and choose one or both action-packed days. Whatever you can imagine, you’ll be ready to build awesome new apps with Windows Phone 7. Register today, before space runs out. 

IT PROs and Decision Makers may want to take a look at these webcasts (Level 200):

Title: Search Your Way to Success:  Leveraging SharePoint's Search Capabilities in Public Web Sites

Date: 9/14/10 - Time: 1 pm PST

Learning Objectives & Key Takeaways: Objective 1: Understand the key principles of enterprise search. Objective 2: Understand the evolution of search within SharePoint (2007 to 2010). Objective 3: Learn how to optimize search for SharePoint sites. Summary: The enterprise search capabilities built in to SharePoint provide an easy win for organizations seeking to achieve a quick return on their SharePoint investment. This technical deep dive will include a discussion of search configuration best practices, strategies for maximizing SharePoint’s capabilities, and simple customizations that can take your search experience to the next level. Special Offer from Ironworks: Ironworks has free certified consulting days set aside for attendees of this webinar.  Reach out to Ironworks (salescontactus@ironworks.com) to find out what consulting help you may qualify for at no cost to you. About Ironworks Consulting Ironworks is a management, IT and web consulting firm with one mission – never fail a client.  Ironworks offers expertise to clients nationwide in the practice areas of Strategy and Program Management, Business Process Improvement, User Experience, Content Management, Portal Solutions, Enterprise Search, Service-Oriented Architecture, and Business Intelligence.  Headquartered in Richmond, Va., Ironworks also operates from offices in Tysons Corner, Va., Raleigh and Charlotte, N.C., and Minneapolis, Minn.  For more information, visit http://www.ironworks.com/.

Register here

Title: Engaging Users with Content-Driven Web Sites Powered by SharePoint and FAST

Date: 9/21/10 - Time: 1 pm PST

Content: it’s what attracts visitors to your web site and, more importantly, it’s what keeps them coming back. In this webinar, we’ll see how technologies from Microsoft enable an organization to easily publish information to the web and then allow visitors to interact with the content on their sites. Specifically, we’ll cover: (1) Content management and publishing processes, (2) More than just pages: rich content in SharePoint, (3) Creating search experiences that users love, (4) Pushing content to users dynamically: using search in new way. This webinar will showcase the new capabilities of SharePoint 2010 and FAST Search for SharePoint to act as powerful engines for powering Internet growth.

Register here    

Thinking about taking a Microsoft Certification Exam?

Or perhaps one of your friends / colleagues / students is thinking of taking an exam?

What tools are available when you take an exam, how do you maneouver? 

When you take an exam you should not need to worry about any of that.

Prepare!

Here's a 'snack' that you can use to get an idea of what to expect.

The "BYTES" series of videos (filmed at Tech.Ed) are great.  However, one of the most recent releases captured my attention:  Patrick Butler Monterde, Sr. Consultant at Microsoft, discusses how NASA uses the cloud to search for Martians.  If you need a "constructive" break from the daily grind, don't miss this fascinating 5 min interview with Chris Henley and Patrick Butler Monterde as they discuss Martian landscapes, mortgages, drug studies and pizza. Learn how NASA is outsourcing workloads for free, and why Domino’s is avoiding data center meltdowns on Super Bowl Sunday, by leveraging Windows Azure. Patrick and Chris cover many possible applications for a Windows Azure platform, and compute time opportunities that extend way beyond NASA and the financial services industry. A must see!

Many of you have been involved in beta testing new versions of Microsoft’s software products. But have you ever considered getting involved earlier in the process, before all the features and functionality are locked? Microsoft’s User Research group is specifically interested in finding more CERTIFIED individuals to give feedback on new products and services.* You can get a sneak peek at the earliest versions, while providing guidance and direction for the product development. Participants may also receive a new Microsoft hardware or software gratuity for participating in specific studies.

Don't live in the Redmond area? Not a problem. Many of the usability studies can now be done remotely.

Sign up today to be eligible for an invitation to participate in a usability study, focus group, survey, or other research study.

*I’m not talking about Microsoft Learning products here, I’m talking about SQL Server, Windows client, Windows Server, Exchange, etc.--the big products, small products, and everything in between. For invitations to Microsoft Learning usability studies, make sure you fill out your Microsoft Learning SME Profile.

Here it is!  The September list - this time with product numbers!  

Please note:

1. Microsoft Official Courses (MOC) are instructor-led training courses offered by our Certified Partners.  Not all classes will be offered by all partners.  Find a training center through Class Locator and see if they will be offering the course you need.

2. Community Courses (CC) are instructor-led training courses offered by our Certified Partners wherein the content is authored by our learning community.

3. General Availability for MOC and CC is dependent on our Certified Partners, but the earliest is Ship Date + 7 days.

4. Products with no link currently don’t have a URL – search for the course in the training catalog

5. Release dates are always in flux so in the unlikely case that a product is delayed, we will try to let you know - post a comment if you can't find something

Microsoft BizTalk Server 2009

Microsoft Dynamics C5

Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009

Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step

Microsoft Office 2007 & 2010

Microsoft Exchange Server 2010

Microsoft Expression Blend

Microsoft Online Services

Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010

Microsoft SQL Server 2008

Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 & 2010

Windows Server 2003 & 2008

Windows 7