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Wednesday 7 August 2013

Rebuttal to Toddy Mladenov's article on sys-con.com


The following is a rebuttal to Toddy Mladenov's article from SYS-CON MEDIA.


Toddy Mladenov, I wanted to make a few points about your article.

Free Evalutaions

Free has a nice ring to it; however, you failed to mention the software is only free for 30 to 180 days. Labs are set up with one or more servers and layers of software. Configure everything is time-consuming. Testing is often prolonged, over lapping, and intermittent. Forcing IT professionals to tear down and completely rebuild such testing environments every 180 days add substantial, unnecessary work. Furthermore, the list of free evaluations doesn’t include any previous products such as Windows 7. For that matter, only Windows 8 Enterprise is available. This may seem like a small point except companies are slow to adopt new products. Many only recently migrated to Windows 7.


Pricing

As you point out, prices continue to drop. Windows 8 is certainly more affordable than Windows 7. This probably has more to do with luring reluctant customers to Windows 8. If Windows 8 was wildly popular, I doubt it would have the same price.

MSDN

Yes, TechNet subscribers can switch to MSDN. However, your statement that MSDN costs a few hundred dollars more annually is patently false. The subscription you referred to for $349 is TechNet Pro. The closest MSDN match is “Visual Studio Premium with MSDN” for $6,119. A $5,770 difference is hardly a few hundred dollars more a year. The subscription contains expensive developer tools IT professionals don’t need. I doubt they will ever claim to be developers either.


Installations And Azure

Yes, cloud services are convenient. Remember, this is about testing. Suggesting that evaluating software for a single day is sufficient draws a stark contrast between your opinion and reality.

Additionally, saying Azure costs a few bucks is disputable. The services required to perform lab testing in the cloud is certainly more than a few bucks a day. It is difficult to know how much because the fee schedule for Azure is so complex, we cannot adequately project cost.

The Problem with IT Pros

You suggested the real problem was IT pros themselves. If our roles were reversed, you would find this offensive. The world is changing as it always will, but predicting the future of IT is a fool’s errand. For proof look no further Microsoft’s projections for Window 8 and Windows Surface. Juxtapose them with Microsoft’s recent $900 million write down and its $34 billion stock sell-off (the largest in 13 years).

You allude to Microsoft knowing what’s best for us. Under the circumstances, Microsoft is hardly in a position to give us advice. From our perspective, switching to Azure is better for Microsoft not necessarily us. I’d like to remind you, companies and their IT staffs are Microsoft’s customers. You seem to have inverted the relationship. IT professionals focus on non-cloud solutions because their customers demand it. The facts don’t support your assertion that the traditional role of IT is near its end.

The public should read up on this subject and draw its own conclusions. Read comments left by nearly 9,000 IT professionals on the petition and elsewhere on the Internet. The following links will help.

Internet Discussions: http://bit.ly/15lmkGx
Petition Comments: http://chn.ge/16uLiRA
Our Blog: http://SaveTechNet.com

Respectfully,

Cody Skidmore

58 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Good job Cody. Simply put, Microsoft is alienating the very people that promote their products.

      I also liked your point about building and configuring. It took me 80+ hours to build SCCM 2012.

      Why would I want to flatten the server 6 months after building it and getting the certification?

      Delete
  2. Thanks for the rebuttal. I had just read this earlier today and it's amazing how he missed every single point we're trying to make. The image of the Jean-Luc Facepalm was planted squarely in my mind after reading it. Especially the bit about ignoring our customers wishes (as IT professionals) to not wanting anything in the cloud be it for security reasons, HIPA reasons etc. Who cares, they're our customers and don't want their data being held by another third party or can't by federal laws. One only needs to look at AWS too and see how much one failure of a cloud provider can affect everyone who's on it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think you replied to the wrong comment? Rayn (not Ryan) made no mention of "PII data".

      Your comment doesn't make any senese either. Nobody made mention of using real data in a testing situation, but you do need real software for the testing situation before you make the decision to roll it out in production. Hence the need for Technet subscriptions.

      Delete
    2. James, HIPAA (and not HIPA) includes requirements for storing and handling medical records, which are considered PII data - I would expect IT professionals to be aware of that. My reply to Ryan (thank you for the correction and apologies to him for the wrong spelling) was intended to bring him to the thinking that Technet has nothing to do with HIPAA (something that you point out).

      I thought that this forum targets to safe Technet and not to become a scene for unreasonably blame new technologies. As I mentioned in my subsequent post after Cody's rebuttal it seems that lot of IT Pros need to overcome their problems with the cloud and to look in the future.

      One last point I would like to make it that as counter-argument of Ryan's AWS point I can mention Sony's issue which was clearly a problem that I consider with bigger impact than that somebody couldn't watch their favorite show tonight. Sony didn't use the cloud - they had everything in their own datacenter, but this didn't make it more secure.

      By the way for some reason I don't see my comment anymore but this is a separate topic :)

      Delete
  3. Well written. I read Mr. Mladenov's article and I got the feeling he has very little experience in the IT support / systems management field. He speaks more from the point of someone who reviews, not who gets his hands dirty.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I have been in the IT field for 25 years now. In earlier days, Microsoft didn't offer an affordable solution to learning their software. If you didn't work for a company that could afford $3000 dollars for a week long Instructor led class, well, you were on your own. When TechNet appeared, it was a way for me to learn on my own because I did not have monies to purchase their expensive MSDN subscription.

    NOW!!! Microsoft once again is proving it has more of a "lust for money" rather than a desire to promote the people supporting their products. Can anyone say LINUX??

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Linux and Python, already looking into it. I am powershell, vbscript guy and certainly find Linux interesting. And if M$ continues we will see big shift to M$.

      And lets all promise never to move back ;-)

      Delete
    2. Microsoft's killing off of SBS already did plenty of damage in this area. SBS was a "no-brainer" solution for Millions of small businesses. The alternatives are quite expensive (including the cloud which is no savings at all.) A well planned Linux based solution works wonderful, performing faster on less expensive equipment with significantly less downtime (as nearly all Linux maintenance can be performed without a reboot.) Some businesses can even get by with a simple Synology NAS which does shared calendering, remote file access, email, etc. for a total hardware and software cost less than a single Windows server license with no CAL's! If your IT business isn't already Linux savvy, your competitors are going to eat your lunch. Remember - the vast majority of businesses in the world are small businesses - and small businesses employ more people than the enterprise.

      Larger businesses are saving a ton of money on licenses by deploying Linux based solutions where they can. There isn't a fortune 500 company out there without Linux servers in some role (with the possible exception of Microsoft itself.)

      So yeah - no better way to thumb your noses at MS than to start deploying more Linux based solutions. Trust me folks, the killing off of TechNet is just one of many moves Microsoft is making that will cost you and your business a lot more money. It's unfortunate that some fans of MS just are totally unwilling to see that.

      When MS solutions are more cost effective (not only in licensing but long term maintenance costs,) and provide the best fit, I'll use them. If not, I won't. I don't need to be a mindless cheerleader to use MS software or use them in all cases no matter the cost of level of appropriateness.

      Delete
  5. Toddy Mladenov,

    I completely agree with Cody here. His assessment is spot-on while yours is not. "whoop-de-do who that heck are you?", you might be tempted to say.

    I am a Microsoft Alumnus and holder of 22 IT Certifications (mostly, but not entirely, Microsot - most of which I earned before joining Microsoft). During my time in Premier Field Engineering, helping many more Fortune companies, and during my time in the Microsoft Charlotte, NC call center doing both Network and AD support - I can assure you my troubleshooting base was the any hours of hands on time I acquired before working for Microsoft. Access to Partner resources AND TechNet was was necessary to hone!

    Anyone who wants to become an expert troubleshooter of Microsoft software needs to have access to the full suit to observe, create, and troubleshoot how it inter-operates both within the MS space and with other vendors wares.

    Neither trial-ware, cloud-ware, nor MSDN provide an affordable option for people like me to maintain an dedicated learning lab. Any consideration otherwise is lunacy.

    Perhaps that is why even those who are already experts with Microsoft technologies keep finding themselves leaning heavier on open source products. Microsoft won over many IT professionals like myself by making it affordable for us to become experts in truly usable products. Because of the change of pace in technology, and the fact that open-source products are now more usable than ever, if Microsoft makes it more expensive to gain OR maintain skills like mine, people like me will start using more open-source sooner because we can do so cheaply.

    David Taylor
    Veteran USN/USAR - CISSP

    ReplyDelete
  6. Well done Cody ... and if he is selling out MS http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/blog/techflash/2013/07/hedge-fund-run-by-david-einhorn-sells.html

    I have been called by some to be unfair to MS, but seems like I am not the only one ...
    Plus without IT Pros, where will MS support turn to for help ???

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Your comments are so true, cant agree with you more.

      Delete
  7. Yes, this is the biggest issue. There is nearly zero software in the lower packs. I'm in communication and collaboration. I need to test Exchange migrations from 2007 to 2013. I need to test OCS to Lync migrations. I need to test Sharepoint integration with these technologies. You have to buy THE most expensive, multi thousand dollar packs just to get Exchange, AND LYNC ISN'T IN ANY OF THEM! I would gladly pay twice what I'm paying to keep the full functionality of Technet.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Very well stated! I hope Mr. Mladenov reads it, but more importantly I hope that the decision-makers at Microsoft read it and pay attention to the petition you started.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I would like to point out a couple more things.
    The original article writer appears to have no experience with working in IT. I think it is fair to assume his opinion is worth nothing.
    Secondly, as someone who HAS working in IT for over a decade, I know that the cloud concept is far from new. A similar concept has existed, in the form of citrix, for a very long time. Server based application delivery has also been around for quite some time and the trend that I have noticed is that medium and large companies have moved away from this model in favour of full desktop machines and locally installed software. In my opinion "The cloud" is only feasible as a solution for smaller businesses and even then, the flexibility and reliability of locally installed software is more appealing.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Very well put, and quite true. Unfortunately, Microsoft has always had the "mother knows best" attitude even when facts contradicted them blatantly. Killing TechNet is part of the same arrogant pattern – but they forget that IT professionals can, and will, steer their clients from Windows where servers are concerned; and Linux is free…

    ReplyDelete
  11. His bio on sys-con.com:

    "Toddy Mladenov has more than 15 years experience in software development and technology consulting at companies like Microsoft, SAP and 3Com...".

    It goes on to list his work history in development and software evangelism roles. He isn't an IT professional, so it's no wonder he doesn't understand. Developers rarely do, as attested to by a plethora of crummy software (and the associated support headaches).

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thanks Cody for well written rebuttal.
    Bruce Lamar Rosenberg

    ReplyDelete
  13. Even those of us who are not IT professionals but Hobbyists, tinkers, just plain curious have the same need for long-term evaluations and testing. Those of us with limited resources have found Technet Subscriptions to be a friendly avenue to explore the larger world of Microsoft consumer or enterprise products, past, present and preview.
    Killing Technet Subscription service is just one sign of a less friendly Microsoft.
    Bruce Lamar Rosenberg

    ReplyDelete
  14. I think Microsoft is underestimating the effectiveness of TechNet subscribers and overestimating the effectiveness of Windows 8.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Toddy's bio includes time as an MS cloud shill and he is still trying to sell the cloud to the unlearned masses.

    "Toddy Mladenov has more than 15 years experience in software development and technology consulting at companies like Microsoft, SAP and 3Com. Currently he drives the sales engineering efforts of the private-PaaS startup Apprenda and consults enterprise customers on their cloud computing and software development strategies. Before Apprenda Toddy spent more than six years working on Microsft's cloud computing platform Windows Azure, Windows Client and MSN/Windows Live. During his career at Microsoft he managed different aspects of the software development process for Windows Azure and Windows Services. He also evangelized Microsoft cloud services among open source communities like PHP and Java."

    ReplyDelete
  16. Yes, this is dictatorship, using soft words to make you swallow the pill.

    I completely agree with you.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Between Windows 8 (a nightmare to support end-users who can't figure out how to use the damn thing) and closing TechNet, it feels Microsoft is stabbing their IT-pro fans in the back.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Thanks Cody for inviting me to comment on your post! I will be happy to apologize to you if you feel offended however I cannot resist and say that most of the comments here, on my blog and I assume on SYS-CON prove my assumption that the approach IT uses for evaluation has not changed for the last already 18 years.

    To the people who think I don't have IT experience I would say that you are completely wrong. Although I consider myself developer I did and continue to do installations, configurations and maintenance of server environments for years and am aware of all the issues and needs around that but his is topic of a separate thread.

    I will address some of your points in a more detailed blog post but my overall point is that if IT Pros want to survive they should not look at themselves as the people who install and troubleshoot software. Unfortunately what I see from all the comments is that people complain that now they will not be able to troubleshoot MS software anymore now that they don't have free access. Which further proves my point.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Toddy,

      I think one of the important points missed in this debate is the role that IT professionals play in providing support locally for Microsoft products. In the absence of support such as I provide to my users, friends and associates, Microsoft products might not be in use (in some cases) or might not have left a favorable impression with users. Having low cost software installed in my environments that allows me to become familiar with the products helps me to make people more productive and get things done. No one wants to have to call some faceless tech support line when someone like me is available to assist. Microsoft should value that role we play, and should find a way to keep Technet available as a resource I (and my fellow IT professionals) can draw upon to our mutual benefit.

      Delete
    2. DrTechnical,

      I totally agree with you! And I totally agree that Microsoft should provide a way for IT Pros and partners to have access to their technology (I intentionally don't use the term "software" here) for free or for a low cost if they want to keep the ecosystem (and keep in mind those are not only IT Pros but also developers). And as many others mentioned there is always the OSS option.

      Delete
  19. Microsoft has a long history of ignoring their users and stepping all over their trainers. As an MCT (MS Certified Trainer), I watched as they gutted the program in 2001 and destroyed the integrity of the MCT program by removing almost all of the requirements to teach specific MS courses. 2/3s of all the MS certified training centers went bankrupt over the next 3 years due to this stupidity that was predicted by almost every MCT. More recently look at how they have ignored everyone, from beta testers to end users and refused to reinstate the Start menu in Windows 8.

    Microsoft has never listened to anyone outside their little circle of ass-kissers that spout the Microsoft doctrine without any regard to reality. Try nailing down any of their so-called evangelists. The only answer you will get to your complaints about problems with the design of their programs is "If you don't like it, don't upgrade". You will never get, "I will be happy to forward your concerns to the design team", let alone any followup on what the response was from the design team. I actually had an Evangelist tell me that there was no way that he was going to confront his contacts at Microsoft about the issues that I was talking to him about. He did not want to rock the boat and possibly earn a bad reputation for questioning the wisdom of their position or the accuracy of what they had told him or what he thought they had told him.

    I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you could get a Million signatures on that petition and they will still cancel Technet. But keep up the fight, who knows, I could be wrong.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Personally, I think the biggest issue is the restrictions of downloading evaluation of old versions of software that are available currently via TechNet.
    I currently have a BizSpark TechNet subscription which has enabled me to improve my skills in providing solutions for Exchange 2010.
    The link to download the evaluation version of Windows 7 - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2021579 - redirects to Windows 8.
    Useless in testing to see how Windows 7 goes in a testing environment.
    With TechNet, I can download old OS versions for testing, SP levels etc.

    ReplyDelete
  21. http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/e5d501af-d4ea-4c0f-97c0-dfcef0192888/dont-retire-technet

    ReplyDelete
  22. How about an economic argument - Without MAPS/Technet i would not have gained experience with and become an evangelist for products originally outside my experience (Dynamics CRM, LYNC, Sharpoint and Onenote for example).

    I have been the influenceer that has has brought MS to the table in hundreds of commercial opportunities.

    In a technet-less world MS will have to invest 100 time more in partner sales & support training if they want to continue getting the advantage of Thousands of IT pro's spruiking their products in the marketpalce even when their is no direct benefit to the pro concerned other then goodwill with a (potential) client. With access to Dynamics and getting experience with a mix of on premise and cloud based solutions I'd still be only recommending slaesforce to my customer.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Well put Cody, As most of my clients utilise several 3rd party vendor apps it is necessary to maintain testing environments to test the impacts of their updates and changes, and most of these applications are not suitable candidates for the "cloud"
    Perhaps we need a campaign for Small Business Server as well.

    ReplyDelete
  24. @Cody I've published my response to most of what I've seen in the comments but I would like to address also some specific points in your rebuttal.

    On the MSDN pricing the point is taken. It seems I've been fortunate enough to have employers who have always paid for MSDN and I've become spoiled.

    Software Pricing:
    I don't think Microsoft has a choice. It is not up to them to decide anymore on the price - OS X is $29 for upgrade and MS cannot afford to charge anymore $100s of dollars for Windows. Same with Office and other consumer software - you can get most of the functionality for just a few bucks on your tablet.

    Testing in the cloud:
    Well, I think you should look deeper into the opportunities there. I find it inefficient to keep full provisioned hardware and software environment that will be used only percentage of the time. I simply think this is waste of money and the cloud offers lot of opportunities here. Point on the configuration taken but isn't this the same with local environments? ;)

    The rest:
    Predicting any future is fool's errand :) I am just speculating about IT Pros future!

    I am not alluding that MS knows what is best for the IT Pros. What I think though is this is step in right direction for Microsoft. The open question is what will be their next step. And I agree that their PR is again and again screwing up.

    On the Microsoft success with Windows 8 you can look at one of my previous blog posts - maybe then you will understand my opinion for Windows 8. And if you give me ring when you come to the Pacific NW we can tell each other stories;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are wrong about pricing. OSX upgrade at $29 is not a real price, as the price of this OS is, in reality, rolled up in the very expensive hardware. The basic reason that MS decided to drop the costs of Win8 client is simply because of the unwillingness of customers to purchase it. Even at very low prices, Win8 is not popular. In fact, I would bet you here that most of the IT professionals would be ready to pay a good price for a dedicated desktop/laptop OS (which Win8 is not).

      It is purely Microsoft's choice to continue or discontinue TechNet. The choice taken (to discontinue) has nothing to do with Software pricing. In fact, if one examines the current moves by Adobe and others, prices are actually on the way up, not down. Microsoft also has the capability of re-pricing Technet if chooses to do so. Its discontinuation means only one thing. It means that Microsoft has made a decision that the IT professionals are not any longer an important element of the company's strategy for market penetration. I think that Microsoft has been drinking too much of its own BYOD Cool-Aid.

      Delete
  25. The difference between IT Pros and developers and the way they work couldn't be made more clear by Mr. Mladenov. His comment is that IT Pros mainly use the software for troubleshooting purposes and shows lack of empathy; didn't he read the other objections (study, lab, proof of concept, blogging/writing, ..)?

    ReplyDelete
  26. Dear Cody, this is ok, I dream to be free of installing and troobleshooting!
    But who proves me that we do not need to troobleshoot MS software anymore?

    (first experiences in a clouded Office 365, does not seems to follow your assumptions...)

    ReplyDelete
  27. Mr. Mkadenov

    When was the last time (if any) thay you have been exposed to real production world ?

    As to your point ... when we will have software platforms that actually work out of the box or out of the cloud so to speak we ITPros will adjust.
    Clous experience with Wave 15 for some was more like Tsunami. Azure ??? It does not even support flagship products from Microsoft for starters ... keep dreaming.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Zu,

      Can you define "exposed to production environment"? If you mean when last the last time I drove the software deployment (or patching the servers) on production environment then this was 2011. Hope this answers your question.

      On the other question my concern is that you completely ignore that there are complete businesses built in the cloud and those turn out to be very successful businesses. As I posted in my rebuttal of Cody's rebuttal the ignorance is the one that will kill the IT Pros and not what Microsoft will or will not do.

      Delete
    2. @Toddy Mladenov:
      Dear Toddy, we discussed privately, remember? - And again, I say: You really have no idea where you are talking about, aren't you?

      In the Netherlands, we have a saying, that suites your behavior as well:
      "You hear the clock ticking, but do not know where the clapper hangs."

      Which means:
      "He picked up a rumor, but do not know the half of it."

      Delete
    3. Yes, I know of a couple businesses that went to the cloud 100% to improve reliability and cut expenses. It did neither. They are paying almost 50% more on IT related expenses and have more downtime due to connectivity issues and cloud server issues. Next year they are leaving the cloud. Due to setup costs, they are taking a huge financial hit. They will never go back to the cloud, and trust me, other businesses that talk to them probably will avoid it.

      Office365 is a great example - you certainly don't go there to save money!!!

      Delete
  28. so i have over 25 years experience, a few MS subscriptions and lots of time supporting customers at their desks. i only recently installed ubuntu because i feel that MS is dictating what we should do and how we should do it. in the past MS was less worried about pirate copies of software meaning many of my customers copied their SW from the office to use at home. everyone used MS and microsoft grew. I used to tell people that windows was the only way, that they should buy an original copy, the risks of pirate SW merited an original copy. the more and more i have had to enter long strings of codes, call in when i change a motherboard to reenter more long strings of codes the less i want to stay exclusively with MS.
    I was one of the most dedicated MS techs, but price, ease of installation, and restrictive licenses make me recommend other options to my customers. I don't use technet anymore but i see this as anoth reason to push alternatives to MS. and, if a customer can pay 50 for a MS liscense, why not pay me 50 and get the OS for free?
    Who do you think i am going to recommend?

    ReplyDelete
  29. Sorry, one last point - you can argue to me that everyone will be using and should be using a block style touch interface, and that I should get with the program-- but... if I don't want it you can talk till you are blue in the face and I won't buy it. And I won't $ buy $ it either.
    In my opinion of 25 years of computer service I am the one people rely on to recommend which software to buy and if you don't make me feel good about your product, my customers won't $ buy $ it either.

    ReplyDelete
  30. I support many customers who are still running XP with various versions of Office so I have systems with different hard disks with different OSes and versions of software so when a client calls and I don't know the answer from past experience I can go to a build, check it out and if needs be talk the customer through the solution.

    If I had to do an install that matched the customer each and every time it would either make my services very expensive - if I was charging for that time or as a now part-retired professional - shell out for the 'Developer' status which again I'd have to pass the costs on to my small customer base or just treat my expertise as an expensive hobby.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Toddy

    I see business running Office 2000, Windows XP ... and sure there are many successful businesses running in the cloud Office365 or Google Apps. Unfortunately Cloud or software does not work like Lego Blocks (yet) ... so hammer and chisel are necessary ... now uneducated usage of tools like this in production could result in less than desired outcome. This TechNet story to me seems like a manifestation of more displeasure with MS attitude towards customers and ITPros than TechNet alone ... as far as Cloud push from MS I understand this I think ... someone has to pay for all the hardware and data centers. In particular after last Q4 results ... this will intensify after September 19.
    Microsoft Tornado 2013 Corporate Eddition to be deployed ... in Storm Cloud.
    Typed on the train so typos are possible.

    ReplyDelete
  32. There is no way to test real world data center scenarios "in the cloud." How can you validate any particular setup without having something that in some way mirrors your proposed live setup? Real data centers have multiple OS's in play. They have a particular networking environment. They sometimes have appliances providing some services. There are firewalls and traffic inspection(IPS) going on. You cannot just build a server in some virtual environment and if the limited test goes well, call it good enough. You would soon find yourself out of a job. Are virtual environments useful for some testing? Absolutely! Can you emulate enough of your environment to document in a change request that you performed the required testing? Maybe. Sometimes. Not always. It depends on what you are trying to validate. Stating that you can replace a real world lab with a virtual one (cloud) is ignorant and in some cases dangerous.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Exactly, what respectable company only runs MS products. Its a mixture of everything.

      We run Linux, BSD, Barracuda Appliaces and Cisco Cloupia.. so why would I want to use Azure again?

      Delete
  33. Stuartl89

    The point is that you will have to build test environment using licensed (not technet) software ... guess who wins ;)

    ReplyDelete
  34. http://blog.toddysm.com/
    After reading the latest ... I am in stuck in Azure Cloud ... trying to setup second site-to-site VPN for a bit of redundancy and functionality ... Toddy as a developer I am sure you are working on this trivial omission ... like I said before give us something that actually works and take all Technets away ... uou are getting closer ...

    ReplyDelete
  35. Toddy

    I don't know where you get the impression that IT Pros don't like developers ? Developers keep us employed.
    Same way as Microsoft's automated testing suite.
    Wait ... every single patch release seems to have a Clouse to apply in test environment ... why ?
    Again give us something that works and we will adjust.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Zu, my impression about the tensions between IT and DEV comes mostly from comments similar to Breen's above that I hear more often than you think.

      However I am a little bit confused about your comments - it seems your point is that the cloud doesn't work. Is this correct? Do you imply that the rest of the software "works"? And if so - then why do you need Technet to do this extensive testing? :) You face similar problems in the cloud that you face in your own datacenter or environment - it is a technology and it keeps all of us busy (your point again).

      Delete
    2. Toddy
      Facing similar problems in the cloud and my own datacenter...
      Yes, but in my own datacenter I can use hammer and chisel ...in the cloud not so much (yet).
      Cloud works actually pretty well given the variety of customers and use case scenarios and if applied correctly I have nothing against it. I use Cloud to make my job easier, some use anti-Cloud in a fear of losing the job. My advice to “anti-Cloud” group is fear not … business people will need you even more once you are clouded. There is a whole bunch of projects (encryption will be one – or security as such …) that will pop up … Vendor management … all sorts … Now if you are pushed to the Cloud by business community, voice your concerns, but play along. After few billing cycles, some major outages (big ones are yet to come) in larger companies CFO will clue in that having your own IT and so on … perhaps is not a bad idea.
      IT - DEV tension ... this is just fun part …
      The way I see it – we have very few highly qualified IT/Dev Pros with “horizontal” scope of knowledge, in the Cloud this is a must.
      TechNet – this is why something like this should stay for now … http://www.infoworld.com/t/microsoft-windows/microsoft-needs-your-help-fix-botched-patch-kb-2859537-225314

      Delete
  36. Man I have to stop posting ... to download Microsoft Tornado 2013 Corporate Edition click here http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-08-23/microsoft-ceo-steve-ballmer-retires-dot-what-happens-next-wont-be-pretty

    Cody - your work to save TechNet has a chance they have to change their attitude.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Brilliant rebuke. Very well said indeed.

    ReplyDelete
  38. I have used windows for 20 years and Linux for 15 years. My main desktop has always been Windows and I am a Linux Specialist. I just like Linux as a server OS using CLI than using it as a desktop.

    Technet account was the only thing that made me able to advise my clients to use MS products when Linux doenst have a good alternative. But really I dont have any problems to offer them Linux alternatives without.

    ReplyDelete
  39. I have used windows for 20 years and Linux for 15 years. My main desktop has always been Windows and I am a Linux Specialist. I just like Linux as a server OS using CLI than using it as a desktop.

    Technet account was the only thing that made me able to advise my clients to use MS products when Linux doenst have a good alternative. But really I dont have any problems to offer them Linux alternatives without.

    ReplyDelete

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