SMBNation
is a publishing and events company, targeted at the small and medium
business (SMB) channel for
partners, resellers, consulting, and the VAR community. SMB Nation
spreads the knowledge of SMB technology
trends through conferences, books, SMB PC magazine, online services,
and world-wide seminars and workshops.
Check us out online.
|
|
|
The
Place to Start-up or Start Over! |
July
24, 2016 + Issue 10-51 |
|
|
|
Tour de Cloud LAUNCHED!
One
grand tour ends (the Tour de France) and another begins, the Tour
de Cloud! You can now register for this multi-city roadshow
featuring Azure, Office 365 and Windows starting late summer
2016.
Independent.
The main asset of the Tour de Cloud is our independence. We pride
ourselves as outsiders looking in at the Azure, Office 365 and Windows
product stacks. Simply stated, no blue badge babble here but
real
world conversations that are completely transparent. In no small part
our independent view point is based on your feedback in past tours and
our recent community survey. You have spoken. We have listened.
Storytelling.
Our
Chief Storytelling Officer (CSO) Grant Thompson is a popular speaker
and subject matter expert on our past tours. He lives in the real
world, directing a thriving consulting practice and hosting business.
More importantly, for the Tour de Cloud, Grant has created completely
new Azure, Office 365 and Windows scenarios based on end-to-end
storytelling.
Translation,
you start the day as a solutions architect inside a small-medium
business (SMB) and create a solution set by lunch. In the afternoon,
you start inside an enterprise and by end-of-day, you have crafted a
complete cloud solution. It is knowledge you can take to the bank and
deploy as soon as the next day.
Stages. There are
nine confirmed stages for the Tour de Cloud.
READ
MORE HERE!
|
|
|
|
Easiest Way to Start Over!
In
a 140-character world, it is all about fast and easy combined with
short
attention spans. I get that as we explore new editorial genres at SMB
Nation in 2016 including how to start over as an MSP in an era
transforming technology business models. So I share with you perhaps
the fastest and easiest way to pivot your professional practice from
yesterday to tomorrow: Workspace as a Service (WaaS).
I
fancy myself as having two feet on the street and not just being a
talking head analyst. Ergo I am going to demo and review NetConnect, an emerging WaaS
solution, right here right now.
Logon and GO!
- First,
you will logon to the demonstration site here.
- Use
the demo account (the user name and password are auto-populated)
- Next
you will be presented with a "workspace" that is a paradigm shift of
sorts for many users. There are common applications presented including
the Microsoft Office apps.
- Open
Excel and create a spreadsheet listing your calorie schedule for a day,
as an example. Close Excel.
- You
will be returned to the WebTop.
- Click
Desktop. This is the true NetConnect experience. This is shown in
Figure 1.
- Open
Google Chrome and go to www.smbnation.com for grins. Close Google
Chrome.
- And
that is it.
Figure 1: The NetConnect experience.
Perspective
Basically
NetConnect and it is WaaS solution takes the desktop computing approach
we tried years ago at Cloud Nation to a new level. It is faster,
simpler
and cheaper than the remote desktop solution Cloud Nation promoted via
the Citrix Receiver approach. When you sign-up as a NetConnect partner here,
you can reinvent yourself in under an hour as a WaaS solution provider.
It is that easy.
Resources
You can learn more about NetConnect by watching two
webinars we recently hosted about this WaaS solution:
READ
MORE HERE!
WPC
Shout Outs!
Another year, another WPC. This conference, boasting over 16,000
attendees, recently concluded in Toronto so a few shout outs are in
order. Microsoft Professional Degree (MPD). A new twist on an old
concept was introduced and I both like it and dislike it. Microsoft has
pivoted part of its certification story to now be the attainment of a "Professional Degree" that
essentially is a glorified certification (ala
the MCSE/MCSD-era). I like the branding as it aligns with a lot of
certificate-based online offerings from accredited colleges (Harvard,
et al) and other learning institutions (such as Galvanize and Market
Motives). And I like the solutions-oriented business approach balanced
with hardcore Geek. The first offering, a data science curriculum, also
gets a "like" from me as it is an in-demand topic that is near and dear
to my heart and, quite frankly, an area that Microsoft has lagged in as
it seeks to get both more recognition and traction for Power BI.
What I dislike concerns the simple reprovisioning of existing content
from the online curriculum warehouse edX.org. This educational entity
provides the same content to a number of EDUs including
Harvard, MIT and numerous other institutions. I think it is
intellectually lazy of Microsoft to simply rebrand existing content
with its MSFT brand blessing. And I struggle to see what Microsoft's
unique value proposition is with its MPD beyond the name game.
I
am also disturbed that Microsoft is competing with some if it is
learning partners including New Horizons, SQLSoft3 and even Bigger
Brains. You will recall I explored the anti-competitive nature of
Microsoft's educational offerings in this recent blog.
Finally, I have a call into a compliance officer at a leading online
University seeking to answer my question on how Microsoft can use the
term "degree" when its not an accredited educational institution. I'll
report back...
READ MORE HERE!
|
|
|
|
|
Start-up
Nuggets
In 2016, the editorial mission of SMB Nation is to help you either
start-over (e.g. pivot to Cloud and IoT) or start-up (become a
technology pro and make the big $$$). Our approach as garnered acclaim
as fresh, innovative and helpful. So here are a few start-up nuggets
for your approval.
Startup
Grind
This
global community, active in over 200-cities, is financed by Google, and
offers a resource network and events for entrepreneurs. For example,
here is the scoop on my hometown
Seattle where I have the option to join
the local chapter, and attend events such as a lecture from Dan Lewis,
CEO of Convoy (a start-up that is disrupting the trucking, carrier and
shipper segment). He speaks this Tuesday (July 26, 2016) and has street
cred having recently closed on a $16M round led by Greylock Partners.
From
Concrete to Code
It is Alaska Startup Week back in my
home state. And it could not come at a better time.
READ MORE HERE!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Contact
Us or 206-201-2943 Monday-Friday 8am-5pm PST
|
|
|
|
|
|