QicX event – Session 3 – 19th July – Doha

We had an awesome day today at Qicx – another action packed, highly interactive session. The venue was at the Qatar Red Crescent Society, Doha. Even though attendance was not as expected due to the holiday session, the excitement was unshaken.

I did the first session, and talked about System Center Virtual Machine Manager. I took the audience around Microsoft’s Dynamic Systems Initiative, Virtualization concepts, and discussed at length the Microsoft virtualization technologies – Virtual Server 2005 R2, Windows Virtualization Server, and System Center Virtual Machine Manager along with some live demos. The audience was great and the session was very interactive.

Boutros of ICT took the stage in the second session, continuing with his series of Exchange 2007 seminars. He took the audience around the Hub transport server role and MRM in Exchange 2007 with live demos. The session was very informative and resulted in productive discussions.

The two sessions went very well, and after a great meal, we had some group discussions. The event closed with a raffle draw, where people were asked to check under their seats to see if they had won. Two lucky winners got prizes. Everybody who attended walked away with Windows Server 2008 Beta 3 DVDs and Forefront evaluation software.

Ankur, from Microsoft Consulting Services, Qatar is the founding member of QicX. He did a great job as always in arranging the whole event, inviting and managing the audience and sharing his expertise during the discussions. We think he’s cool. (yeah, we mean it!)

Oh yeah, and afterwards, we did this:
We jump-started Ankur’s 10 year old Wrangler which, in his words, “is a great car with a dead battery”.

Downloads/Resources from my presentation:

• My powerpoint slide deck
• Microsoft’s Dynamic Systems Initiative
• Microsoft SCVMM home page
• Download the SCVMM VHD image used in the presentation
• Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2

Article published on Microsoft Knowledge Base

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555937
“How to export members of an Exchange distribution group to a text file”

My first contribution to the Microsoft Knowledge Base. An article with my name on it. I look at it with the same ecstacy that an eight year old child would have had when he sees his own name in print.

System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM) Preview: 19th July, Doha

Visit to Microsoft Qatar

I was thrilled when my MVP lead Amr introduced me by email to the Microsoft Qatar team. I was even more thrilled when Ankur Kothari said that they would like to meet me.

The 'Most Valuable Professional' Award

I was thrilled when my MVP Lead Amr Al Garhy informed me that I was selected for the MVP Award in the October 2006 cycle. That would make me the first MVP in Bahrain. Today, Oct 7, I received my MVP Award Kit via DHL.

Here’s what’s in the package:

• Certificate alongwith leather holder
• Leather business card holder
• 1 GB USB flash memory with MVP logo (the type with the leather body)
• MVP branded ballpoint pen with a laser pointer
• MVP Badge
• MVP Lapel pin
• MVP memo pad
• A leather box containing the above
• 2 copies of the Microsoft Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)
• A booklet explaining the MVP benefits
• And above all… an invisible yet immense feeling of achievement!

I’m proud of my achievement and look forward to make further contributions to the technology community.