Microsoft Certification Training

Archive for Microsoft – Page 4

Microsoft Certification Training

By Della Wyler
Wednesday, March 12th, 2014

IT Certifications can help IT professionals get ahead in their careers, assist those entering the IT field to land a job, and provide knowledge to accel on the job. Training for certifications ensures that that students are actually acquiring the knowledge and also ensures they will pass the certification exam. Microsoft certification training via a boot camp program, enables IT professionals to earn in-demand certifications quickly, and prepares them for the competitive job market. These programs are at a slightly faster pace to get people in and out, and back in the field.

TechSherpas is now offering an accelerated certification training program. The Certification Boot Camp program kicks off with the the MCSA certifications, which are prerequisites for the higher level and in-demand MCSE certifications. Both MCSA certification training boot camps are starting next month!

9-day MCSA: Windows Server 2012 boot camp – April 7, 201
9-day MCSA: SQL 2012 boot camp – April 25, 2014
These are prerequisites for the MCSE certifications which are scheduled to follow throughout the rest of 2014.

There are 18 boot camps in total, with multiple date options for each through the end of the year.These Microsoft Certification Boot Camps provide students the opportunity to achieve an MCSA, MCSE, or MCSD certification within a week or two. The program includes boot camps covering Microsoft’s popular areas of interest including:

Exchange Server
Lync Server
SharePoint
SQL Server
System Center
Visual Studio
Window
Windows Server
TechSherpas 365’s Microsoft Certification Boot Camps are competitively priced, and are all-inclusive to include the following:

100% Test Pass Guarantee
All course materials, practice exams and official certification exams
Onsite Pearson Vue Testing Center­
Hands-on instruction by a certified instructor
Lunch provided each day (in-classroom delivery only)
Airfare, lodging and transportation packages available
As with all other TechSherpas 365’s technical training classes, these courses are hands-on, instructor- led. Students also have the option to choose the delivery method that best suits their needs and preference. They can either take the class live from TechSherpas 365’s 8,000 sf training facility located in Tampa, FL, or they can take the instructor-led class virtually from the location of their choice, via Remote Classroom Instruction. Students who choose to take the class virtually will receive 10% off the boot camp price.

Microsoft certification training
Microsoft certification training
As a Microsoft Gold Partner for Learning Solutions, TechSherpas has the expertise to deliver quality certification boot camps. To find out more about these certification training camps and get a jump on your certification, visit the TechSherpas Boot Camp web page.

Categories : Microsoft, Training & Education
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Project Management Training

By Della Wyler
Monday, January 6th, 2014

Project Management is a highly sought after skill that encompasses many different skill-sets including, organization, leadership, and time and resource management. It’s a skill that is developed through both specialized training and experience managing successful projects and project failures. In a survey conducted by CIO.com, they found seven must-have skills for Project Managers:

1) Be highly organized and a good multi-tasker

2) Take charge and know how to lead

3) Be an effective communicator

4) Know how and when to negotiate

5) Be detail-orientated

6) Recognize and solve problems quickly

7) Possess the necessary technical skills

Project Management
Project Management
There are certifications and software tools available that help those pursuing a career in Project Management, build these seven must-have-skills. Getting a certification is important as it demonstrates your ability to understand the fundamentals and common language of project management. Once you have this knowledge it is even more important to know how to apply them to real projects, and build and learn from your project experience. Tools such as Microsoft Project allow you to apply the project management principles, be more productive, and overall be a better project manager.

The Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification
PMI’s Project Management Professional (PMP) credential demonstrates that you have the experience, education and competency to lead and direct projects. The PMP certification establishes a common language among project managers and helps each other work within a common framework. A Project Management Certification is great for any industry, and will teach you how to organize a project from beginning to end. If you have a desire to pursue a career managing projects, this certification will provide you with the solid foundation and understanding of everything you need to know to be an effective project manager. Experience comes with time, but the foundation and understanding of the basic project management principles will come from training.

Taking the PMP exam is not free. Training for the PMP will ensure that you pass the exam the first time you take it. Among the things you will learn in the PMP training class are:

The Project Management Framework
Project Scope Management
Project Time Management
Project Cost Management
Project Quality Management
Human Resource Management
Click here to learn more about the Professional Management Professional (PMP) Certification Preparation class.

Benefits of using Microsoft Project
Microsoft Project
Microsoft Project
We know experience is gained over time, and that experience is a strong quality that can make a great project manager. The great Project Managers have found that there are tools, when utilized consistently throughout the project, that make job tasks easier, making them more productive and effective project managers. These tools help them deliver their projects on time, on budget, while meeting or exceeding expectations. One of the tools out there that has helped Project Managers tremendously is Microsoft Project. The truth is, if you are a Project Manager and you are not using this tool then, you are missing out on the opportunity to really excel in the project management role. The Microsoft (MS) Project management tool can surely help develop these must-have-skills.

MS Project for Organization and Multi-Tasking
Microsoft Project helps Project Managers get organized and stay organized. The Project templates allow project managers to easily plan and manage their project for beginning to end. Task Path highlighting allows users to indicate which tasks are most important.

MS Project helps you be a team leader
The Project tool provides Project managers a platform where they can assign tasks to individual team members, as well as share and collaborate. The tool creates timelines, giving the ability to monitor the time is takes to complete a task. Project managers can learn and recognize when adjustments need to be made in order to maintain schedule and budget. A strong leader emerges when actions are taken before the project gets off track.

Effective communication with MS Project
Communication is a key contributor to project success. Projects can crumble because of the lack of communication between all parties and team members involved. Microsoft Project has great communication features that keeps everyone connected. Sharing and collaboration is easy as ever with all project information located in one central place that all team members have access to at all times. Keeping your team informed of project status, and allowing them to share input is crucial in maintaining proper communication.

Give attention to detail with the help of MS Project
This tool allows you to break down tasks as much as needed to get very detailed on the time and budget needed for each task. Over time, a Project Manager can learn from this data, and adjust and predict future schedules and budget.

Microsoft Project Training Classes
There are a number of Microsoft Project training classes you can take:

50413: Mastering Microsoft Project 2010
50552: Microsoft Project 2010 Exam Prep Bootcamp
55054: Mastering Microsoft Project 2013
91110: Microsoft Project 2013: Part 1
91111: Microsoft Project 2013: Part 2
Microsoft Project 2010 Level 1
Microsoft Project 2010 Level 2
Ultimate Microsoft Project 2013 Exam Prep Boot Camp
Project Management Principles for IT Professionals
Project Management skills are helpful in any industry, and IT professionals are amongst those who could use project management training. IT projects require tight budgets and timelines, while maintaining quality, which sadly aren’t being met. We can at the recent launch of the Obamacare website as an example of poor IT project management which led to disaster. There are training classes out there specifically for IT Professionals. These classes dive into the project management principles, but training in Microsoft Project is also recommended so you know how to implement and manage you projects better. The Project Management Principles for IT Professionals training class, not only prepares students for the CompTIA Project+ exam, but provides essential training in several areas including, but not limited to:

necessary business knowledge
interpersonal skills
discovery and analysis of problem/opportunity
developing a schedule and budget
project planning and team development
identifying variances in schedule and budget and outline corrective actions
Get more information on Project Management Principles for IT Professionals here.

Excel with Project Management Training
There are several things that make a good project management, seven must-have-skills to be exact. These skills are acquired through training and experience, as we have discussed here. If you are serious about pursuing a career where you will be managing projects, then getting the training and certifications is the first step. This will certainly push your resume to the top of the stack. Once you land the job (maybe not the one you want in the long-run), it is most important to apply these concepts and training to the real thing, and gain the invaluable experience companies are looking for. Experience is valuable and highly sought, and will come with time. Visit our website to register for a class, or contact one of our reps to get started today (866)704-9244.

Categories : IT Certifications, Microsoft, Project, Project Management, Training & Education
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Microsoft SharePoint Business Intelligence Training

By Della Wyler
Friday, October 18th, 2013

“BI is about providing the right data at the right time to the right people so that they can take the right decisions” – Nic Smith with Microsoft BI Solutions Marketing. Because of its collaboration features, SharePoint is the tool that can get important data to the right people at the right time. Data is one of the most valuable resources to an organization, and because of advances in technology, data access, entry, tracking, and analysis has become easier and more efficient over the years. Business Intelligence (BI) is a set of theories, methodologies, processes, architectures, and technologies that transform raw data into meaningful and useful information for business purposes. Microsoft SQL Server provides the necessary storage and management foundation for business data, and a set of reporting an analysis tools. Microsoft SharePoint can help users access and analyze the data, giving them the ability to make better business decisions. Analysis of data is even more important than the data itself. We can collect and collect, but it’s what we do with the data we collect that it most crucial to monitoring and improving business operations. You are probably aware of the excellent sharing and collaboration functionalities of SharePoint, but did you also know it is a great business intelligence tool, with tremendous analyzing capabilities?

 SharePoint 2010 Business Insights

 

There are several different business intelligence tools within SharePoint that are used based on the data you are analyzing and the problem you are trying to solve. The SharePoint server platform allows users to obtain information from various unstructured sources such as blogs, wikis, presentations, and documents, as well as structured sources such as reports, spreadsheets, and analytical systems. Data can be drawn from Excel, Visio services, and SQL, and published in SharePoint where users can recognize the interface, and the data can be used to make insightful business decisions.

SharePoint and Excel and PowerPivot for Excel –Used to give users browser-based access to a server-calculated version of an Excel spreadsheet. Users can view, refresh, and interact with analytic models connected to data sources, and for analysis, filtering, and presentation of locally stored data. PowerPivot for Excel and SharePoint allows users to combine native Excel 2010 functionality with the PowerPivot in-memory engine so users can interactively explore and perform calculations on large data sets. Use PowerPivot for Excel when you want to quickly manipulate millions of rows of data into a single Excel workbook for ad-hoc reports.

Excel Services – A Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 shared service that brings the power of Excel to SharePoint Server by providing server-side calculation and browser-based rendering of Excel workbooks. Excel Services can be used for: Real-time, interactive reporting to include parameterized what-if analysis, for distribution of all or part of a workbook for analysis by using SharePoint Server or the Office client applications, and as a platform for building business applications. Use Excel Services when an end user or analyst wants to share content with multiple persons across an organization. It provides a mechanism for taking authored content in Excel 2010 and making it available in a browser. Excel Services is also used when an end user or analyst has generated a model that can be widely used (such as a mortgage calculator). In both cases, Excel Services lets the author publish targeted content without making the underlying intellectual property available to consumers.

Visio Services – A new service on the Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 platform that allows users to share and view Visio diagrams. The service also enables data-driven Microsoft Visio 2010 web drawings, VDW files, to be refreshed from a variety of external data sources. Visio 2010 and Visio Services let you connect diagrams to data from multiple data sources (including Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Access, SQL Server, and SharePoint Foundation List), publish data-driven diagrams to Visio Services on SharePoint Server, and view and refresh datadriven diagrams in a browser. Visio Services and SharePoint Server integration supports visual mashups of actionable data and diagrams for an information-rich viewing experience. Data overlaid on diagram helps put information in context making it more meaningful. Datadriven diagrams help identify trends and exceptions at a glance. Use Visio Services to build a visual representation of your business structures that are bound to data. Examples include healthcare metrics on a hospital floor, retail metrics on a store layout, network health status on an IT network, organizational chart with metrics for each individual.

Performance Point Services – In SharePoint Server 2010 is a performance management service with tools to monitor and analyze business. It provides easy-to-use tools for building dashboards, scorecards, and key performance indicators (KPIs). PerformancePoint Services can help individuals across an organization makeinformed business decisions that align with company-wide objectives and strategy. You can bring together data from multiple data sources (including Analysis Services, SQL Server SharePoint lists and Excel Services) to track and monitor your data. Use the visualization Decomposition Tree is a new report type that enables you to quickly and visually break down higher-level data values from a multi-dimensional data set to understand the driving forces behind those values. Use PerformancePoint Services for creating dashboards, scorecards, and key performance indicators (KPIs) that help deliver a summarized view of business a performance. The dashboard is a point of entry to drilldown analysis for driving agility and alignment across an organization. PerformancePoint Services gives users integrated analytics for monitoring, analyzing, and reporting.

 

  • SQL Server Reporting Services – Provides a full range of ready-to-use tools and services to help you create, deploy, and manage reports for your organization, as well as programming features that enable you to extend and customize reports. The report authoring tools work with an Office type application and are fully integrated with both SQL Server tools and components as well as the SharePoint Server environment. You can build reports on top of SharePoint lists, publish reports to SharePoint Server 2007 or 2010, incorporate reports inside your portal using a reports Web Part, and fully manage your reports published in SharePoint document libraries. When to use SQL Server Reporting Services. Use SQL Server Reporting Services to deliver reports that publish at regular intervals and on-demand. It’s also suitable where report requirements are well established and customers are not always familiar with the underlying data set.

Save 10% on SharePoint Training for Business Intelligence class

This information provides some insight on how SharePoint 2010 can assist with BI and really leverage important business decisions. To get hands-on training of how these tools work, and learn how to use them within your own organization in specific situations, there is a SharePoint training class that you can take! Microsoft Official course 50429: SharePoint 2010 Business Intelligence is a 5-day instructor-led course that explores how to use SharePoint as your platform for Business Intelligence. It takes you through the SharePoint Business Intelligence Center, Excel Services, Reporting Services, Analysis Service, Performance Point and PowerPivot to implement your BI Strategies and enable your decision makers to see data in new and dynamic ways! This course will take you down a path of building a BI environment from scratch to full interactive dashboards using the Microsoft BI Stack. This course is running on 11/4/2013, so you still have plenty of time to register, and we are offering and 10% discount when you register with promo code SP10BI. You can either register online by clicking here, or you can contact a TechSherpas Rep by calling 866-704-9244.

 

Categories : Microsoft, SharePoint, Training & Education
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The Pathway to Database Expertise– Becoming an MCSE in Data Platform & Business Intelligence

By Della Wyler
Friday, August 2nd, 2013

“You can have data without information, but you cannot have information without data.” – Daniel Keys Moran. Data is everywhere we look. In this age of the internet, Google, and high tech reporting tools, businesses and people are flooded with an abundance of data. The flooding of data can be overwhelming, and difficult to analyze and take away valuable MCSE-300x300information. Isn’t data collected in order to provide information to assist with making important decisions? That’s kind of the point, right? That is precisely why data savvy people are so important to successful companies now more than ever. Data experts are needed to collect, organize, and analyze the flood of data from limitless resources.

The Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE)

One way people become experts in their particular line of work is through education and certifications. Studies show that 91% of hiring managers consider certifications as part of their hiring criteria. (Microsoft, Microsoft Certification Program Satisfaction Study, April 2012) With this being said, certification should be high on the To-Do-List to prepare yourself for success, right? Right!

Within the IT world there are several certifying organizations. Globally recognized, Microsoft is one of the largest. Microsoft offers various certification levels that fall under four main umbrellas (below). A Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE) certification allows IT professionals to prove their ability to build innovative solutions across multiple technologies, both on-premises and in the cloud. There are currently eight different MCSE certifications that fall within 2 of the 4 main umbrellas:

Client – MTA Server

  • MCSE Desktop Infrastructure
  • MCSE Server Infrastructure
  • MCSE Private Cloud
  • MCSE Communications
  • MCSE Messaging
  • MCSE SharePoint

Database

  • MCSE Data Platform
  • MCSE Business Intelligence

Developer – MCSD

The focus here is on MCSE. To get up to speed on the other levels of Microsoft certifications read the Certification blog here.

The Database Pathway – SQL Server Expert

The Database Pathway provides IT professionals with invaluable, sought after SQL Server skills. Data Platform courses teach how to demonstrate the broad skills needed to administer and build solutions for enterprise scale organizations. These courses also teach the design of database solutions for Microsoft SQL Server 2012 and the development of Microsoft SQL Server 2012 databases.

The Pathway to earn a Database or SQL Server MCSE begins the same, with an MCSA in SQL Server 2012, and then branches off into two distinctive areas. Depending on their job roles and career goals, IT professionals can choose from two different database pathways:

  • MCSE Data Platform – for database professionals who build enterprise-scale data solutions on-premises or in cloud environments
  • MCSE Business  Intelligence – for database professionals who develop and deploy business intelligence solutions and reports

 

As illustrated above, interested MCSE candidates should obtain the following certifications and training in a specific order:

  • MTA
    • Database Fundamentals (40364) – 3 Day Course
  • MCSA – SQL Server 2012
    • Querying Microsoft SQL Server 2012 (10774) – 5 Day Course
    • Administering Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Databases (10775) – 5 Day Course
    • Implementing a Data Warehouse with Microsoft SQL Server 2012 (10777) –  5 Day Course

Then choose from these two paths:

  • MCSE – Data Platform
    • Developing Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Databases (10776) – 5 Day Course
    • Designing Database Solutions for Microsoft SQL Server 2012 (20465) – 5 Day Course
  • MCSE – Business Intelligence
    • Implementing Data Models and Reports with Microsoft SQL Server 2012 (10778) – 5 Day Course
    • Designing Business Intelligence Solutions with Microsoft SQL Server 2012 (20467) – 5 Day Course

For pricing and to register for these courses visit our MCSE Database Courses page. Be sure to also check out our promotion page to receive a discount and learn how to earn free MCSE training!

TechSherpas ’ headquarters in Tampa, FL is a Prometric testing center. When you are ready to take the exam, visit the Prometric website, locate TechSherpas and select a time and date to come in and sit for your exam. The MCSE exam cost is $150.00.

Why take certified Microsoft training courses before taking the certification exam?

When you take an exam you want to be as prepared as possible. This will ensure that you won’t have to retake the exam, and more importantly, it also gives you the SQL skills that hiring managers and companies are looking for.Sixty-four percent of IT hiring managers rate certifications as having extremely high or high value in validating the skills and expertise of job candidates. (CompTIA, Employer Perceptions of IT Training and Certification, January 2011). Having a certification is one thing, and having experience and skills are a completely different thing. The truth is, hiring managers are looking for both! Getting extensive training, with hands-on labs give you more experience working within databases, in real work-place situations.

What kind of jobs and pay can I expect from this certification?

So you registered for classes, prepared for the MCSE certification exam, and passed! What’s next? What kind of job can you expect from having this credential on your resume? An MCSE certification can put you in a very good position when it comes time to find a job or lock in that promotion. It can also add some cash to your wallet as the MCSE is among the top 15 paying certifications of 2013.

Those with an MCSE certification, specifically in Data Platform or Business Intelligence make excellent candidates for the following positions:

  • Database Analyst
  • Database Designer
  • Database Administrators
  • Network Engineers
  • Database Developers
  • Systems Engineer
  • Business Intelligence Analyst

Getting MCSE certified creates a pathway for success

Becoming a database expert by earning your MCSE Database Platform or MCSE Business Intelligence will certainly open doors for you. Certification, training, and experience are three of the top four most important characteristics when selecting a candidate for a cloud-related position. (IDC/Microsoft, Climate Change: Cloud’s Impact on IT Organizations and Staffing, November 2012). Visit our website and contact us today to get started on your MCSE journey.

Categories : IT Certifications, MCSE, Microsoft, Training & Education
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One-day Microsoft training classes get you in and out with what you need

By Della Wyler
Tuesday, July 23rd, 2013

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither are mastery technological skills, but a solid foundation certainly can be. In just one day, you can learn to be more efficient through software capabilities, taking the guessing and learning curve out of your daily job functions. In just one day, you can get what you need to make your work day more productive. Among our vast selection of IT training courses, we have the one-day, wham bam, and let’s get down to business, course for you. With these courses, you will get the skills you need to wiz through daily tasks, impress your fellow peers and your boss, and help calm the storm the next time someone is a battering their keyboard. This week’s featured classes are those 1 day-ers that get you in and out, preparing you to move onto bigger and better things.

80447: Integrating Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 with Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2010
Customers make the business world go round. That is why utilizing a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system is crucial. The Microsoft Dynamics CRM system can help reduce costs, and increase productivity by automating business process that nurture customer relationships and satisfaction. There are many advantages to integrating Sharepoint with CRM. Some of the main pluses are:

The ability to share folders with all types of documents
Enterprise search
Customer/client portal
Out-if-the-box dashboards
Class 80447 is a one-day course that will explain why and how to integrate these two Microsoft technologies. By taking this one day course, you will learn the following:

The kinds of business problems SharePoint and Microsoft Dynamics CRM is designed to solve
Identify the most common scenarios where SharePoint and Dynamics CRM can be used together
Learn basic Microsoft Dynamics CRM customization techniques required to build integrated applications
Understand and Work with SharePoint Web Parts and Pages
Understand and Use SharePoint Designer Data Views to Expose Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Data
Understand how to use the Business Data Catalog with data From Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Filtered Views
Understand how to configure, publish, and view Excel spreadsheets using Excel Services
Demonstrate how to install, configure, and use the default integration between Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 and Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010.
Understand how Business Connectivity Services and Excel Services can be used to display Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 data within SharePoint.
Understand how to leverage and configure SharePoint searching capabilities to search Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 data from within SharePoint.
Explain how Microsoft SQL Server 2012, Microsoft SharePoint 2010, PowerPivot, and Power View can be used together to provide rich business intelligence solutions for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011.
Mastering Microsoft Office Word
Word processing is the use of computers to create, revise, and save documents for printing and future retrieval. Back in the day it did this in the most basic way, with a couple formatting option, bold and underline texts. Nowadays, this tool can transform a plain typed document into a colorful vivid piece of marketing art. Word! It is also a wonderful tool for creating professional business documents. Most of us use Microsoft Word on a daily basis, and don’t even fully understand all of its functionalities, and end up screaming at the screen because formatting is a little funky or you just can’t get it to do what you want. Yes, you remember that fit you had once or twice. Well these courses will solve that problem, and provide endless business solutions. You will be impressed with all the cool things this tool really can do.

50126: Microsoft Office Word 2007 Step by Step Level 1
Course 50126 is the first in a series of three Microsoft Office Word 2007 courses. It will provide you with the basic concepts required to produce basic business documents, as you will create, edit, and enhance standard business documents using Microsoft Office Word 2007.Once you have completed this course you will be able to:

Create a basic document using Microsoft Word.

  • Edit documents by locating and modifying text.
  • Format text.
  • Format paragraphs.
  • Add tables to a document.
  • Add graphic elements to a document.
  • Control a document’s page setup and its overall appearance.
  • Proof documents to make them more accurate.

50542: Learn Microsoft Word 2010 Step by Step Level 2

Course 50542 is designed for those who already have the Level 1 Skills (ability to use Microsoft Word 2010 to create, edit, format, save, and print basic business documents containing text, tables, and graphics), but need to know how to create or modify complex business documents and customized Word efficiency tools. It also aims to assist those preparing for the Microsoft Office Specialist exams for Microsoft Word 2010. You will create complex documents and build personalized efficiency tools using Microsoft Office Word 2010, and will leave with these skills:

  • Ability to manage lists.
  • Customize tables and charts
  • Customize the formatting of a document using styles and themes
  • Modify pictures in a document
  • Create customized graphic elements
  • Insert content using Quick Parts
  • Control text flow
  • Use templates to automate document creation
  • Use the mail merge function
  • Use macros to automate common tasks

Save 10% with One-day Microsoft Courses

Microsoft training classes
Save 10% on these Microsoft training courses
You are probably saying to yourself right now, “Wow that would make life much easier”, and thinking of all the things you could get done if you knew how to use these software tools at full capacity. Time is precious, as we live busy lives so these one-day courses are ideal to get valuable skills sets to make a big difference in your day to day job tasks. Just one day can make a difference in your overall productivity and success on the job.

Featured Microsoft classes are always guaranteed-to-run and offer a 10% discount when registered for the following dates:

  • 80447: Integrating Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 with Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2010 – 7/30/2013
  • 50126: Microsoft Office Word 2007 Step by Step Level 1 – 7/30/2013
  • 50542: Learn Microsoft Word 2010 Step by Step Level 2 – 7/31/2013

Remember to mention Promo code FC1day10 to receive your discount.

Categories : Featured Training Course, Microsoft, Office Word, SharePoint, Training & Education
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Windows 7 – Featured Training Classes

By Della Wyler
Thursday, July 11th, 2013

Knowledge is power. No matter how much experience you have, or how many degrees you have, there is always something new to learn. Whatever skill set you are learning, you typically start with the basics, and once those are mastered, you move to a deeper understanding, and if you’re really good can even make expert status. IT professionals are no different when it comes to mastering skill sets, and their skill sets must actually be updated frequently as technologies are constantly evolving. Windows 8 is the latest operating system released by Microsoft, but its predecessor Windows 7 is still widely utilized for both personal and business computers. In fact, it made history as the fastest selling Microsoft system back in 2009, and based on usage statistics from various organizations, usage is currently higher for Windows 7.  Because of its popularity, we are featuring two Windows 7 training classes this week for all you IT Pros. This means you can take these courses at a special rate. Microsoft courses 50292 and 6292 are courses worth exploring for those who are thinking of Windows 7 deployment, as well as those who are already using the system, but want a more solid foundation and understanding of all its functionalities.

Class 50292: Administering & Maintaining Windows 7

This is a five-day instructor-led course that will provide enterprise-level IT professionals with the knowledge and skills to successfully install, maintain, and troubleshoot Windows 7 computers. You will learn how Windows 7 allows for vast improvements to security, overall system performance, and deployment. Once you have completed this IT training course, you will achieve rock star status with the ability to provide your organization with the following solutions:

  • Successful configuration of the IT Pro tools and applications
  • Identify technical problems that can occur on your organization’s client computers
  • Discover the Windows 7 tools used to monitor and maintain those computers
  • Successfully navigate the five main troubleshooting areas: operating system, hardware, networking, security, and applications.

Class 6292: Installing & Configuring Windows 7 Client

Many organizations have converted to Windows 7, but not everyone. For those who haven’t, and are interested in learning how to do it, Class 6292 is for you. In this IT training course, you will learn about Windows 7 deployment, learn to evaluate installation and migration, investigate security features, and learn to configure for the client environment.  If you’re an IT professional looking to receive a Microsoft certification, which is highly recommended if you are pursuing a career in IT infrastructure, then this course will also prepare you for the Exam 70-680.

This three-day instructor-led course is intended for IT professionals who are interested in expanding their knowledge base and technical skills about Windows 7 Client. In this course, IT professionals will acquire a deep technical knowledge of Windows 7 technologies. They will learn how to:

  • Install, upgrade, and migrate to Windows 7 client.
  • Configure Windows 7 client for network connectivity, security, maintenance, and mobile computing.

 Upcoming Windows 7 Training Classes

Both courses, 50292 and 6292, are Guaranteed-to-Run during the week of 7/22. There is still time to register for these classes, and receive a 10% discount. You can visit the 50292 or 6292 course page to register, or contact your TechSherpas Rep. Be sure to mentioned Promo Code FCwin10 to receive your special rate for your courses running the week of 7/22.

We also offer a list of other Windows 7 & Windows 8 classes, including:

  • 50218: Windows 7 Training for Developers
  • 50331: Windows 7 Enterprise Desktop Support Technician
  • 6294: Planning and Managing Windows 7 Desktop Deployments and Environments
  • 20689: Upgrading Your Skills To MCSA Windows 8
  • 20688: Managing and Maintaining Windows 8
  • 20687: Configuring Windows 8
Categories : Featured Training Course, Microsoft, Windows 7

Windows Server 2008 Training – Manage, Maintain, and Secure Your Networks

By Della Wyler
Tuesday, June 25th, 2013

Windows Group Policy is a great tool that every IT Pro should utilize. In order to get the most out of what it has to offer, education on its various functionalities and solutions is important. IT Systems Administrators are faced with the complex challenges of managing and maintaining an organization’s IT infrastructure. This includes, but is not limited to, task such as:

  • Installing, supporting and maintaining servers or other computer systems
  • Planning for and responding to service outages and other infrastructure problems
  • Scripting or light programming
  • Project management for systems-related projects
  • Supervising or training computer operators
  • Being the consultant for computer problems beyond the knowledge of technical support staff.

To perform his or her job well, a system administrator must demonstrate a blend of technical skills and responsibility. As an administrator, Group Policy is one way to  increase your productivity on the job. It’s the infrastructure that allows administrators to implement change quickly and affect large numbers of users and computers on the object level through Active Directory.

 

Windows Server 2008 Group Policy makes things simpler

Group Policy is a feature of the Microsoft Windows family of operating systems that control the working environment of user accounts and computer accounts. It provides the centralized management and configuration of operating systems, applications, and users’ settings in an Active Directory environment. System administrators rely on it to secure and lock down their Windows environment. Understanding how to implement and manage group policy can certainly make life easier, from deploying new software, to setting printer defaults, there are so many options to simplify IT infrastructure management tasks. By using Group Policy, businesses can:

  • Reduce costs
  • Control configurations
  • Keep users productive and happy
  • Harden security

Does this sound like a solution for your business? Do you want to learn more about using Windows group policies?

 Why should you take Microsoft class #50255?

Microsoft Official Course (MOC) 50255: Managing, Maintaining, and Securing Your Networks Through Group Policy, is a 4 day course where you will discover how to consolidate the administration of an enterprise IT infrastructure with Group Policy. In this course, you will learn to control and manage computer systems and domain users running Windows Server 2003, Server 2008, XP, and Vista. You will learn to create Group Policies, implement administrative and security templates, and determine best practices when deploying software packages. Walk away with the experience and tools needed to optimize your enterprise systems and networks.

 After completing this course, students will be able to:

  • Design and deploy security policies for all your Windows 2003/2008 servers, workstations, member servers, XP, and Vista clients
  • Delegate Administrative Control of Group Policies
  • Back up and restore Group Policy Objects (GPOs) through Group Policy Management Console (GPMC)
  • Easily roll out selected software updates and operating system patches from your network environment
  • Tips for troubleshooting Group

Upcoming Windows Server Group Policy Training Classes

MOC 50255 is on our upcoming schedule, running July 8th – July 11th. There is still time to register for this class, so visit our website or contact your TechSherpas Rep. Other class dates are available.

We also offer a list of other Windows Server classes, including:

Categories : Microsoft, Windows Server
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Inside Peek – SharePoint training 50470: Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 for the Site Owner/Power User

By Della Wyler
Tuesday, June 18th, 2013

Why should you take Microsoft class 50470?

SharePoint is one of those tools that can truly change and facilitate the way we communicate with one another, especially in the job setting. This is why the demand for SharePoint savvy people has increased over the last several years. Want to land a good job in IT? Want to become a valued team member that your company can’t do without? Learn SharePoint!

 

Gain the skills you need to become a “power user” for a SharePoint site by enrolling in our two-day, instructor-led training course, 50470: Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 for the Site Owner/Power User. Learn how to create lists and sites, manage user access levels, and customize your lists and pages. This class uses the SharePoint Server 2010 version of SharePoint. While it is of equal value for users of SharePoint Foundation, it does include a few features not found in Foundation. After completing this course, students will be able to:

  • Manage Sites and Site Collections
  • Add users and groups and manage site, list, folder and item security
  • Add and configure web parts
  • Configure sites, include themes, title, description and icon
  • Configure site navigation
  • View site activity reports
  • Customize lists and libraries
  • Work with Site Columns and Site Content Types
  • Create Forms libraries
  • Configure Check out/in, Content Approval and Versioning
  • Create and modify pages and web part pages

Upcoming SharePoint Training Classes

SharePoint training class 50470 is on our upcoming Guaranteed-to-Run schedule, running July 11th – July 12th. There is still time to register for this class, so visit our website or contact your TechSherpas Rep. Other class dates are available.

We also offer a list of other SharePoint training classes, including:

  • 20331: Core Solutions of Microsoft SharePoint Server 2013
  • 55014: Upgrading Your Development Skills to SharePoint 2013
  • 10174: Configuring and Managing Microsoft SharePoint 2010
  • 10232: Designing and Developing Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 Applications
  • 50354: Microsoft SharePoint 2010 SharePoint Designer
  • 50478: SharePoint 2010 Advanced Foundation Development
  • 50352: Microsoft SharePoint 2010 Overview for End Users

For a full list of SharePoint 2013 classes, click here.

For a full list of SharePoint 2010 classes, click here.

Mention this blog post and receive 10% off your registration for 50470.

Categories : Microsoft, SharePoint
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IT Training Spotlight – 10747: Administering System Center 2012 Configuration Manager

By Della Wyler
Tuesday, May 28th, 2013

Based on current trends in the job market and world-wide technological advances, we are going to be posting an IT Training Spotlight article a couple times a month. These articles will feature one particular training class that we feel our stakeholders will find helpful in achieving their career and knowledge building goals. This month’s Training Spotlight class falls under System Center 2012. Getting trained in System Center 2012, gives you the skills needed to manage the physical and virtual IT environments across data centers, client computers, and devices. Microsoft class 10747: Administering System Center 2012 Configuration Manager covers the basis, providing the information you need for daily administration of this management tool.

What is MS System Center?

Microsoft System Center 2012 is an integrated management platform that helps you to easily and efficiently manage your datacenters, client devices, and hybrid cloud IT environments. If managing the life cycle of software is your thing, this class will interest you! Are you responsible for configuring and/or managing system center sites and supporting systems? Then System Center 2012 could make your life a bit easier. Whether you’re on the desktop or server support team, Microsoft Class 10747: Administering System Center 2012 Configuration Manager is definitely worth exploring. This class, along with 10748: Deploying System Center 2012 Configuration Manager, will help you prepare for your Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist: System Center 2012 Configuration Manager certification.

What can the Configuration Manager do for you?

“A member of the Microsoft System Center suite of management solutions, System Center 2012 Configuration Manager (SCCM) increases IT productivity and efficiency by reducing manual tasks and letting you focus on high-value projects, maximize hardware and software investments, and empower end-user productivity by providing the right software at the right time. Configuration Manager helps you deliver more effective IT services by enabling secure and scalable software deployment, compliance settings management, and comprehensive asset management of servers, desktops, laptops, and mobile devices.”- Microsoft. SCCM 2012, which is the latest version, has many upgraded features from the 2007 version, making it much more user friendly with more capabilities, including enhanced cloud and datacenter management. Just a few include:

  • User-based – The ability to associate a user with one or more devices.
  • A fan favorite – Role-based Administration (RBA) feature flattens the complex hierarchies once required to isolate access to Configuration Manager features Assignment of Client Agent settings, Inventory collection, and Remote Control settings by collection offers increased flexibility in configuration
  • Integrated Configuration Manager Set-up
  • Client and Deployment Operations such as software updates
  • Automated Remediation can be applied to desktops,  servers, mobile devices and users that are not in complaint

Why register for SCCM 10747?

So what are the goods of Microsoft class 10747? Why should you take this class? This 5-day class will NOT teach you to design and install SCCM hierarchies. It WILL however teach you the day-to-day administration skills of the Configuration Manager. Your 5-day session will be broken up into 14 modules, packed with information that will allow you to get the most out of this software, excel in your position, look like a stud, and become a valuable asset to the support team. SCCM students will get the 411 in:

  • Overview of System Center 2012 Configuration Manager
  • Discovering and Organizing Resources
  • Managing the Configuration Manager Client
  • Managing Inventory and Software Metering
  • Querying and Reporting Data
  • Managing Software Deployments by Using Packages and Programs
  • Creating and Deploying Applications
  • Managing Application Deployment
  • Deploying and Managing Software Updates
  • Implementing Endpoint Protection in System Center 2012 Configuration Manager
  • Managing Operating System Deployment
  • Managing Compliance Settings
  • Managing Mobile Devices
  • Configuring Wake On LAN, Power Management, and Remote Control

Get detailed information on each topic and find a class near you by visiting our Administering System Center 2012 Configuration Manager page.It’s recommended that you take 10747 before 10748, unless you are familiar with SCCM 2007, but this is not a requirement.

Class 10747 qualifies for our BOGO Promotion we are currently running, so grab a friend or colleague to take the class with keep the second class for yourself and take class 10748: Deploying System Center 2012 Configuration Manager to help prepare for your Microsoft certification exam 243.

 

Categories : Microsoft, System Center

Get your head out of the Clouds…or maybe not?

By Della Wyler
Tuesday, March 26th, 2013

SharePoint has earned a reputation as being an excellent business solution that can increase collaboration, effectively manage important business documents, manage workflow & processes, and promote social engagement. The way people are communicating and conducting business are constantly evolving as technology and business needs change. The new version of SharePoint 2013 has added a new capability that may serve businesses of all types and sizes quite well. SharePoint 2013 is just as much an online solution as an on-premise solution, and as technology and organizations continue to evolve it’s not inconceivable to think that all business may be conducted in the Cloud one day. Gartner Research predicts that 50% of Global 1000 companies will store customer-sensitive data in the cloud by 2016 (https://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/1862714). But, let’s just put the brakes on that thought for right now, and get a basic understanding of what business solutions in the Cloud versus on-premise look like, specifically for SharePoint.

SharePoint in the Cloud

SharePoint 2013 is taking it up a notch. Well taking it way up, to the Cloud. SharePoint in the Cloud is the managed, on-line delivery of the SharePoint technologies and servers. This can include a company’s intranet, extranet, document management, records management, or external website. This means that companies utilizing SharePoint in the Cloud can now experience the same feel, capabilities, and functions as the on-premise version of SharePoint. SharePoint in the Cloud allows an external provider to host and manage SharePoint, taking the burden of administration and maintenance off the organization’s IT department, allowing the organization to allocate those resources more effectively elsewhere. This is the premise of the Cloud. Allowing third parties, who specialize in cloud environments, to manage and maintain the IT needs of a company, leaving the company more resources to focus on the main goals & functions of the business. So what does this mean for companies using SharePoint and what should they consider before moving SharePoint to the Cloud?

Cloud vs. On-Premise

Once SharePoint has been implemented in the Cloud, companies do realize the benefits associated with the change (decreased management responsibilities for your IT team, increased flexibility in terms of scalability, infrastructure disaster recovery, and more cost effective licensing models) but first you need to decide if you should and can indeed complete the implementation of this program. You need to evaluate your resources and decide if your IT staff can complete this in-house or if it will be wiser and more cost effective to outsource it, or perhaps a little bit of both? A smooth transition is crucial for business operations to remain on point, unaffected by the decision to move to the Cloud.

Keeping up with the hardware and software of SharePoint can be a difficult task for many organizations. Maintaining the infrastructure takes time and money. One advantage of moving SharePoint to the Cloud is the savings realized in IT maintenance. The time and money spent on the challenges to start-up and maintain SharePoint can be reduced, and maybe even eliminated by hosting SharePoint on the Cloud. Be aware though, that the SharePoint provider will not take care of everything. The company still needs to make the important decisions of how they want the environment to look, it’s URL, as well as how the content is categorize, search functionalities, and the type of authentication.

Search requirements need to be discussed as they can be one of the most important functions for SharePoint users, and not all SharePoint providers allows full functionality of the search function. If this is a key function for the successful experience for your users then you may need to reconsider the migration or determine a solution that will allow you to search for both internal and external content.

As mentioned, categorizing content cannot be overlooked by the organization implementing SharePoint. This is how users are able to locate the information they are looking for. SharePoint on the Cloud can create some difficulties on this area that need to be evaluated and solutions explored.

Capture

Add up your scores, and see how you match up:

32:  You are probably already on SharePoint Online or Office 365. Enjoy the view from your cloud!

24-31: You are a strong candidate for SharePoint Online. Study carefully and understand some of the functional tradeoffs of the platform. SharePoint Online doesn’t support the following:

  • Deployment of custom solutions that require direct access to the server, such as Visual Web Parts. It does support sandboxed solutions, however.
  • PowerPivot
  • SQL Server Reporting Service Integration
  • Business Connectivity Services (originally this was a blanket restriction, but a slipstream release in 2011 added support for access to web services-based remote data in O365 BCS).
  • FAST Search Server Integration
  • Web Analytics
  • Site collections greater than 100GB

10-23:  You are somewhere in between. Understanding the platform advantages and tradeoffs is essential to figuring out your cloud strategy. Odds are good that you may use a hybrid approach in which parts of your SharePoint world remain on premises, with other aspects living on Office 365.

0-9:  If SharePoint is already living in your data center, it’s probably in the right place.

Evaluate & Decide

So are you a good candidate for SharePoint on the Cloud? Should you implement SharePoint on-premise, on the cloud, or as a combination of both? It really just depends on the organization’s specific needs, size, and type of cloud environment that is right for the organization: Software as a Service; Infrastructure as a Service, or Managed Services. The decision to stay on premise versus moving to the cloud is an important one. The organization needs to decide what control they still want to have, and what they want others to have so they can focus on other things. What is most important to you and the success of your business?

Categories : Cloud Technology, Microsoft, SharePoint
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