Microsoft Learning training is now available on YouTube!

Visit the Microsoft Learning YouTube channel and get free training on Windows 7, Microsoft Exchange Server 2010, and other Microsoft products and technologies.  You can now view Microsoft Learning training on the platform and browser of your choice.  The channel offers both standalone videos and playlists.  You can embed videos on your own web site, subscribe to the Microsoft Learning YouTube channel, and access the videos on your mobile phone.  Check out the Microsoft Learning Channel on YouTube to find out more!  Don’t forget you can still get free training through Learning Snacks here.

Video: "How To" Troubleshooting Videos from Mike Halsey

Check out the "How To" troubleshooting videos from Microsoft MVP Mike Halsey, author of "Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out" from Microsoft Press.

You’ll find them at http://www.thelongclimb.com/?cat=320.

Enjoy!

Need to make rain in the Cloud? Free Windows Azure Training on Zune & iTunes!

Late last week Microsoft announced the release of a new “Jump Start” course designed specifically for Application Architects and Developers. “Building Cloud Applications using the Windows Azure Platform” provides an in-depth illustration of how developers can leverage the Cloud using the Windows Azure Platform. For those of you looking to learn on the go, Microsoft has posted all 12 hours of these HD-quality videos to both Zune and iTunes for free (also subscribe to the Zune RSS Feed if you like), while the rest of you can watch each of these sessions here.

For those of you looking for the Key concepts like the Windows Azure Lifecycle, Storage options & SQL Azure, Diagnostics, Security and Scalability, Caching & Elasticity are getting rave reviews. Check it out!
For other Windows Azure Platform resources, check out the Windows Azure Training Portal.

Free taste of the Microsoft Certified Career Conference: Windows 7 Cram 4 Exam

Thinking about attending the Microsoft Certified Career Conference on February 17th, but want to know what you’re getting into? Here’s your chance to attend a free session that gives you a taste of what’s in store for the whole conference.

Join Microsoft Certified Trainer, Craig Brown, on Monday, January 24th for this Cram 4 Exam session that focuses on what you need to know to get certified and pass the Windows 7 Technology Specialist exam 70-680. Craig will walk you through the objectives that are covered in the exam, give you some general exam taking tips and technology “gotchas” about Windows 7. This session will be your last step in getting ready for this exam.

Take advantage of this free peek into the Microsoft Certified Career Conference. Register for this free session now!

January 24 2011 at  8am Pacific Time (What time is this in my region?)

Microsoft Certification Packs Extends Deadline

Microsoft Learning has decided to extend the deadline on the Microsoft Certification Packs. Now customers who buy a pack and take their first exam before June 30, 2011 will have until December 31, 2011 to take the rest of the exams in the pack. This will provide a longer window for customers to prepare and take their exams to achieve their certification. Microsoft Certification Packs provide aggressive discounts when customer buy more than one exam. Plus, Microsoft Certification Packs provide FREE retake exams if you fail on your first attempts. 

Customers have several choices that map nicely to Certification Paths, or just help validate knowledge:

 

Pack Size	Savings	Retakes
2 Exams	15%	Included with each exam
3 Exams	15%	Included with each exam
4 Exams	20%	Included with each exam
5 Exams	20%	Included with each exam
1 Exam	Regular Price	15% Additional Cost

 

Visit: http://www.microsoft.com/learning/career/en/us/career-offer.aspx#certification

Watch Now: Riding the Windows 7 and Office 2010 Wave

In case you missed Stephen Rose and the excellent Live Meeting for Managers regarding Windows 7 and Office 2010, you can now view the recording on demand.

Riding the Windows 7 and Office 2010 Wave
Many organizations have not touched their desktop in years, since their original Windows XP deployments. During this time many other important components have changed and progressed. Things are not as simple as replacing Windows XP with Windows 7 — you need an optimized desktop solution to easily take advantage of the new technologies and enable your desktops to be productive long into the future.  Stephen Rose will show you how to weave technologies like Windows 7, Office 2010, the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP), and desktop virtualization technologies into a coherent desktop strategy.

Watch Now.,

Now available! 70-506: TS: Silverlight 4, Development

Exam 70-506: TS: Silverlight 4, Development is now available in Prometric testing centers. This exam is intended for software developers who are creating rich Internet-based applications using Silverlight.  The exam focuses mainly on Silverlight 4, but also covers core Silverlight concepts.

Candidates for this exam are developers who create and maintain rich interactive applications (RIA) using Silverlight 4.  Candidates may have additional experience with previous Silverlight versions.

The minimally qualified candidate typically:

• Has at least six months of experience with Silverlight development

• Has at least one year of experience with Microsoft .NET development

• Has experience consuming data services

To schedule your exam, visit Prometric’s Web site.

Free Windows Azure Training Just Released!

Just before the Holidays, Microsoft hosted another new and exclusive Jump Start virtual training event, this time covering the Windows Azure Platform. What a success! “Building Cloud Applications using the Windows Azure Platform” was tailored for application architects and developers interested in leveraging the cloud.

While many of the attendees were already building a pilot project or planning to migrate an application, around 35% were searching for real-world answers as they consider whether or not the Windows Azure Platform fits their needs. They were in for a treat since all 12 hours of this training was led by two of the most respected authorities on Microsoft development technologies, David S. Platt and Manu Cohen-Yashar. Learn strategies for your cloud application lifecycle, know your options for storage in the cloud, understand the realities of Security using Azure and find out all your team should consider to truly design for scale and elasticity.

The feedback has been great, but due to the Holidays many of you weren’t able to join Microsoft back in December. So whether you were with them and want to refresh and reinforce what you learned, or you want to check it out for the first time, all 12 hours of the HD-quality videos were just released and are ready to go! Just browse this list and get started!

Session 01: Windows Azure Overview
Session 02: Introduction to Compute
Session 03: Windows Azure Lifecycle, Part 1
Session 04: Windows Azure Lifecycle, Part 2
Session 05: Windows Azure Storage, Part 1
Session 06: Windows Azure Storage, Part 2
Session 07: Introduction to SQL Azure
Session 08: Windows Azure Diagnostics
Session 09: Windows Azure Security, Part 1
Session 10: Windows Azure Security, Part 2
Session 11: Scalability, Caching & Elasticity, Part 1
Session 12: Scalability, Caching & Elasticity, Part 2, and Q&A

By the way, feel free to check out the course materials and code samples while you’re watching.

Get Access to the Windows Azure Platform for the Labs and learn about training & certification options by visiting the Windows Azure Online Portal.

2010: A Year in Numbers for Microsoft Certifications

English Exams Published:

• 4 Microsoft Office exams
• 7 Microsoft Technical Associate (MTA) exams
• 14 Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) exams
• 6 Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP)exams
• 3 Upgrade exams
• 8 Microsoft Certified Masters (MCM)exams
• 8 Microsoft Dynamics exams
• 21 beta exams (includes TS, PRO, and MOS betas; how many did you participate in?)
• Total of 67 exams published in 2010 in English

Exams Published by Language:

• Chinese: 38
• Danish: 7
• Dutch: 4
• French: 22
• German: 31
• Italian: 1
• Japanese: 33
• Korean: 8
• Polish: 1
• Portuguese: 34
• Russian: 14
• Spanish: 13
• Turkish: 1

Total publications across all languages: 278 (includes beta publications))

Exam Development:

• 157 SMEs participated in an objective domain session for an exam released in 2010
• 652 SMEs participated in the blueprinting process for an exam released in 2010
• 7270 SMEs participated in beta
• 1508 meal cards used by SMEs participating in exam development sessions in Redmond
• Average spend per meal card: $7.57 (breakfast burritos!)

SME Database (are you a member yet?):

• 1029 SMEs joined the database
• 3690 beta invitations were sent to those SMEs

Questions Created through Community Development Initiative:

• Item ideas created for 6 technologies (.NET, SharePoint Server, SQL Server, Exchange Server, Windows 7, and Windows Server) and 19 exams
• 400 items were generated by 150 SMEs

What were people being certified on in 2010?

• Across all MS certifications: Microsoft Certified Application Specialist on Office Word 2007
• Within our technical certifications: MCTS: Windows Server 2008 Active Directory Configuration
• By technology: Office 2003, Office 2007, and Windows Server 2008

New TechNet Resource Center: Outlook 2010 Resources

Learn about Outlook 2010 with resources for IT professionals, developers, and end users. CLICK HERE

Springboard Series

From exploring the latest features to assessing compatibility and customizing configurations, the Springboard Series is your destination for technical resources, free tools, and expert guidance to ease the deployment and management of the Microsoft Optimized Desktop, which comprises:

• The Windows Client operating system
• Microsoft Office products
• Windows Internet Explorer
• Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP) technologies such as Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V) and Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization (MED-V)