Bonus Sessions / User group night

Microsoft Event: Get Your Head in the Cloud

Learn about Microsoft’s Cloud Services Offering – The Windows Azure Platform

Cloud computing is here, and that has important implications for the industry, businesses and developers. It is time to consider what should stay on-premise and how you can move it to the Cloud. Those who don’t make the move in 2010, will only get behind.

Windows Azure Platform is a cloud services solution that provides scalability and integration with the tools and technology you already use to build and deploy applications.

Bring Your Own Laptop* on Wednesday March 10th from 7pm to 9pm, and learn about Windows Azure.

Hot food will be served. The event is limited to 60 attendees only.

Special access to Windows Azure services will be provided for the event so you can deploy the provided application and submit your application for a draw prize! Once you’ve learned how to do it, you can deploy an application on your own Azure account and enter a contest for a chance to win $7000 in Canada.

Learn how to develop for the Cloud and take advantage of knowing how it can benefit your business. This session includes a Hands-on-Lab for developers that want to dive into the Microsoft Cloud Service Platform. This will introduce Windows Azure, connect you to the platform, highlight the features, maneuver within and deploy a sample application into the Cloud. It will also touch on Microsoft’s SQL Azure, a component of the Windows Azure Platform. Microsoft SQL Azure extends the capabilities of Microsoft SQL Server into the cloud as a web-based, distributed relational database.

Learn about the Windows Azure Platform and get your head into the Cloud!

Note:*To deploy the application you just need Internet access (with limited Wi-Fi access available at the event) and a modern web browser compatible with the Azure portal that can upload and download files. Additional requirements apply to take part in the full lab experience – at a minimum this includes the Tools and System Requirements listed on the Windows Azure Tools for Microsoft Visual Studio 1.1 page.

Colin Melia, DreamDigital    Colin Melia is the hands-on Principal Architect for DreamDigital, a hands-on Architect for over 17 years, a technical speaker and trainer on Microsoft technologies, as well as a user group leader in Ottawa. He has expertise in the areas of rich UI with WPF/Silverlight, cloud development with Azure and BI with SQL Server, along with in-depth knowledge of core technologies such as .NET, OData, WCF, WF, LINQ and WIF. He has developed award-winning simulation technology with rich UI, cloud-based learning portals and workflow-driven BI systems. He also created the first streaming video community site with Windows Media. Colin has worked in the finance, telecoms, e-learning, Internet communications, learning and gaming industries, with his latest business solutions currently in use by thousands of users world-wide in corporations like GE, HP, O2, Cisco, IBM, Microsoft & Reuters. Being British, the constant confusion caused by his likeness to High Grant is indeed a burden but he can live with it, and while you may have seen him moonlighting as the acerbic judge on American Idol, he’ll be sparing you the low-cut v-neck t-shirts.

Kimberly L. Tripp, SQLskills.com    "Paul and Kimberly are a husband-and-wife team who own and run SQLskills.com, a world-renowned SQL Server consulting and training company. They are both SQL Server MVPs and Microsoft Regional Directors, with over 30 years of combined experience on SQL Server. Paul worked on the SQL Server team for nine years in development and management roles, writing many of the DBCC commands, and ultimately with responsibility for core Storage Engine for SQL Server 2008. Paul writes extensively on his blog (SQLskills.com/blogs/Paul) and for TechNet Magazine, for which he is also a Contributing Editor. Kimberly worked on the SQL Server team in the early 1990s as a tester and writer before leaving to found SQLskills and embrace her passion for teaching and consulting. Kimberly has been a staple at worldwide conferences since she first presented at TechEd in 1996, and she blogs at SQLskills.com/blogs/Kimberly. They have written Microsoft whitepapers and books for SQL Server 2000, 2005 and 2008, and are regular, top-rated presenters worldwide on database maintenance, high availability, disaster recovery, performance tuning, and SQL Server internals. Together they teach the SQL MCM certification and throughout Microsoft. In their spare time they like to find frogfish in remote corners of the world. "

Paul Randal, SQLskills.com    "Paul and Kimberly are a husband-and-wife team who own and run SQLskills.com, a world-renowned SQL Server consulting and training company. They are both SQL Server MVPs and Microsoft Regional Directors, with over 30 years of combined experience on SQL Server. Paul worked on the SQL Server team for nine years in development and management roles, writing many of the DBCC commands, and ultimately with responsibility for core Storage Engine for SQL Server 2008. Paul writes extensively on his blog (SQLskills.com/blogs/Paul) and for TechNet Magazine, for which he is also a Contributing Editor. Kimberly worked on the SQL Server team in the early 1990s as a tester and writer before leaving to found SQLskills and embrace her passion for teaching and consulting. Kimberly has been a staple at worldwide conferences since she first presented at TechEd in 1996, and she blogs at SQLskills.com/blogs/Kimberly. They have written Microsoft whitepapers and books for SQL Server 2000, 2005 and 2008, and are regular, top-rated presenters worldwide on database maintenance, high availability, disaster recovery, performance tuning, and SQL Server internals. Together they teach the SQL MCM certification and throughout Microsoft. In their spare time they like to find frogfish in remote corners of the world. "