Microsoft & Cisco Event (March 12th, Tirana, Albania)

As part of our activities in the region, we held a mini conference on March 12th in Tirana. this was a joint Ingram Micro, Microsoft and Cisco event, focused on networking, security and interconnectivity.

 I did a presentation on Microsoft Azure Network and its capabilities, ability to either running workloads in the cloud or enabling hybrid connectivity between the on-prem and cloud datacenters.

Copy of the presentation can be found here

Workshop: Azure Expert Training (June 12-13, Gothenburg, Sweden)

Another session on Microsoft Azure, this time for our Swedish partners

in Gothenburg. It was a 2 day training for a group of experienced IT Pros. Primary focus of the training is on Infrastructure-as-a-Service model, with demos and hands on labs focusing on predefined scenarios in operating, planning, creating and configuring the IaaS environment.

My colleague Michael Bengtsson did the Welcome and Introduction session, and then I kicked off with Azure Tech track sessions: Azure Subscription/Tenant, Azure Active Directory, Azure Portal, Resource Groups, Storage Accounts, Virtual networks and Network Interfaces (incl PIP, VPN, Gateways and Peering), Network Security Groups, Virtual Machines, VM Extensions, Scale and Availability Sets, Load Balancer, Traffic Manager. 

The reminder of the workshop focused on hands on labs on based on Blueprints - WordPress, Acrostics, Remote Desktop Services and CheckPoint.

Kudos to Marie Jofur that made this happen! :)

Webinar: Microsoft 365 and GDPR

With 25th of May closing and marking GDPR’s active implementation it is more then important to understand the new personal information protection regulation. Webinar will give you an overview of the main GDPR features, it’s impact to your business and most important data you need to understand. Main goal of this webinar is to showcase how you can use Microsoft’s productivity technology and solutions for to ensure your compliance with GDPR. We will make sure you understand what are the advantages of different Microsoft solutions that are making your way to GDPR easier and will lower your risk of non-compliance.


Additionally, you will see a live demo of usage and implementation of said technologies in day-to-day business. After this webinar, you will have better knowledge of GDPR – how to be compliant, what can you use to do it and how.
Agenda

• What is GDPR?
• How will it affect my company/organization?
• How can Microsoft 365 help to make me compliant?
• What do I need to do?
• Demo
• Next steps
• Q&A

The registration link for the event is here. The event will be held in Croatian language.

Event: Microsoft Refresh IT (March 28th, Tirana, Albania)

On March 28th, Microsoft held its "Refresh IT" conference, focused on cloud, cloud security and artificial intelligence. There was a mix of 200 people attending, from various local Partners, Customers, Students and IT enthusiast.

I did a session on "Microsoft Azure hybrid security and management", covering Backup, Disaster Recovery and Operations Management, in hybrid model. Copy of the presentation can be found on the following link

Workshop: Microsoft Azure Expert Training (March 21-22, Skopje, Macedonia)

Well, it was about time to have this workshop back home. :) With the support and hospitality of Microsoft Macedonia office, we conducted Azure Expert Track training for our local partners in Macedonia. I got a group of 15 eager to learn IT Pros, and during the 2 days we covered the Azure Fundamentals, and dug in to "secrets" of Azure IaaS platform. 

The exercises were mostly part of the Ingram Micro EasyAzure pack - EasyWeb Wordpress, EasyData File Server, EasyBackup Azure, EasyLAMP Ubuntu. This was the first time I use this format, and based on the eval input the audience liked it. We also worked on the RDS Blueprint (SBS Scenario replacement) as well as on CheckPoint NGF Blueprint. The finale was Azure Calculator usage presentation, mixed with solution scenarios discussion and real world problems brainstorming session.

They consumed a lot of information within 2 days, but we still had time to discuss, experiment and think of possible implementations within their customer base.

Workshop: Microsoft Azure Expert Training (March 14-15, Stockholm, Sweden)

 Another session on Microsoft Azure, this time for our Swedish partners. It was a 2 day training at Ingram Micro Sweden offices, with nice cozy weather conditions (it was -10, but feels like was close to -15:). The group was compiled of experienced IT Pros. Primary focus of the training is on Infrastructure-as-a-Service model, with demos and hands on labs focusing on predefined scenarios in operating, planning, creating and configuring the IaaS environment.

Day 1 was focused on Azure Fundamentals: Welcome and introduction, Azure Portal, Resource Groups, Storage Accounts, Virtual networks and Network Interfaces (incl PIP, VPN, Gateways and Peering), Network Security Groups, Virtual Machines, VM Extensions, Scale and Availability Sets, Load Balancer, Traffic Manager. We finished strong with deploying WordPress Multi-tier app and Acronis Backup Blueprints.

Day 2, after the wrap up of Day 1 and discussion, was reserved for more Blueprints - Remote Desktop Services (Small Business Server Replacement) and CheckPoint Blueprints. We spiced up things with short presentation on what's new in Microsoft azure or what's coming in near future, as well as Azure Calculator session.


Had quite a few discussion on solution designs, real world problems, and did quite a brainstorming with the group. Looking forward on seeing them progress further in the Azure model and mapping their clients needs to specific workloads and solutions.

Event: Macedonian IT Pro User Group Meet up - February 2018

Its time for our monthly IT Pro User Group meeting. Its scheduled for February 8th @ Ingram Micro Macedonia Office (starting from 17:30 till 19:30).

Our guest star is  George Dobrea, eminent Cyber Security Expert and Microsoft MVP -  Cloud Security. We are going to do an overview of Cyber Security related trends, backed up by an AMA session (Ask-me-Anything).


The event is co-organized with my colleague MVP's, Vladimir and Gorana.
See you there!

Workshop: Microsoft Azure Expert Technical Training (20-21 December, Brussels, Belgium)

Wrapped up the last (this year:), 2 days technical training on Azure (Dec 20th - 21st), organized by Ingram Micro Belgium. I got excellent group of experienced IT Pros attending this course. Primary focus is on Infrastructure-as-a-Service model, with demos and hands on labs focusing on predefined scenarios in operating, planning, creating and configuring the infrastructure and services.

Day 1 was focused on Azure Fundamentals: Welcome and introduction, Azure Portal, Resource Groups, Storage Accounts, Virtual networks and Network Interfaces (incl PIP, VPN, Gateways and Peering), Network Security Groups, Virtual Machines, VM Extensions, Scale and Availability Sets, Load Balancer, Traffic Manager.

We finished strong with deploying WordPress Multi-tier app and Acronis Backup Blueprints.

Day 2, after the wrap up of Day 1 and discussion, was reserved for more Blueprints - Remote Desktop Services (Small Business Server Replacement) and Barracuda Blueprints.
 
Had quite a few discussion on solution designs, real world problems, and did quite a brainstorming with the group. From technical perspective, they were a great bunch of people. Looking forward on seeing them progress further in the Azure model and mapping their clients needs to specific workloads and solutions.

Well, that was it for this year.

Can't wait what will 2018 bring. I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST!!! :)

Event: "The future of business is digital" (December 13th, Tirana, Albania)

In the course of continuous technological developments and the so-called industrial revolution, business faces every day more with the demand to optimize operational costs as well as the immediate need for the use of new technology solutions in business service.

Technology is a disruptive force – enabling new business models, opening new sources of revenue and shaping entire industry landscapes. Ensuring security, privacy, and compliance is key to enabling digital transformation. As people bring in devices, apps, and data into organizations today, protecting company data requires a new approach.

As part of this future vision of Ingram Micro and Microsoft, I will be conducting an cloud session, covering Microsoft Azure and Office 365 portfolio with specific business scenarios.

Agenda:
09:00 – 09:30   Registration

09:30 – 09:40   Welcome and introduction
Sokol Vladi, General Manager, Microsoft Albania

09:40 – 10:15   Culture eats digitization for breakfast
Oskar Goschl, Managing Director CEE HQ Digital Advisory Services, Microsoft

10:15 – 10:45   Break

10:45 – 11:45   Microsoft Cloud 101
Dimitar Grozdanov, Sales Engineer/Trainer, Datacenter and Cloud Services (CEE), Ingram Micro
    
11:45 – 12:45   Cyber security in cloud
Marko Kavcic, SAM and Compliance Lead, Microsoft

12:45 – 13:00   Questions and Answers (Q&A session)

Webinar: EasyAzure - Protection & Monitoring

As part of "web based activities" with colleagues from Ingram Micro Croatia, we have scheduled two Microsoft Azure Webinars, focused on EasyAzure Blueprints.

EasyAzure offers free downloadable instructions on how to build single solutions within Azure. The instructions are formatted in Blueprints: Ready-to-use and easy-to-understand product offerings, fine-tuned to be cost effective. they can be combined, as per usage scenario to achieve enterprise grade solution. EasyAzure covers three solution areas - Protection, Management and Expansion, and includes over 25 free downloadable Blueprints. New material is constantly developed, and its available as soon as it gets verified.

The specific webinars are based on Protection and Monitoring Blueprints, both in Croatian language:

- Protection (Backup): December 6th, 10:30-11:30

- Monitoring (OMS): December 11th, 14:00 -15:00

The webinars are invitation based, aimed towards local partners. 

Event: Ingram Micro Days (26-27 October, Cluj-Napoca, Romania)

Just wrapped up my session at Ingram Micro Days, in Cluj-Napoca (Romania). It  was 2 days event, supported from different vendors and our local Ingram Micro teams. First day was focused on sales aspect, where Microsoft Cloud was covered on a high level, by a joint session done by Marius Danescu (Microsoft Romania) and Mihalea Babeanu (Ingram Micro Romania).

The second day was all about technical stuff and demos. I did one hour technical session titled "Azure Fundamentals and implementation scenarios", with demos and interactive chalk talk segment.

Workshop: Microsoft Azure IaaS

It was inspiring and intense 3 days (Oct 16th - 18th) in our Utrecht Office, during our Microsoft Azure European Team meeting and workshop. Both of our sales and technical team members, in one room, discussing, brainstorming, and sharing experience and knowledge on Microsoft Azure IaaS.

I did a Microsoft Azure Security session, covering the Security, Trust, Privacy and Data Protection models within Azure, with discussion on customer/partner concerns that they might face.

Looking forward for our next workshop ....

Event: Ingram Micro Days (28-29 September, Iassi, Romania)

Just wrapped up my session at Ingram Micro Days, in Iasi (Romania). It  was 2 days event, supported from different vendors and our local teams. First day was focused on sales aspect, where Microsoft Cloud was covered on a high level, by a joint session done by Marius Danescu (Microsoft Romania) and Mihalea Babeanu (Ingram Micro Romania).

The second day was all about technical stuff and demos. I did an hour technical session titled "Azure Fundamentals and implementation scenarios", with demos and interactive chalk talk segment.

Looking forward for the next event, in Cluz (Romania).

Workshop: Overview of Microsoft Azure

On Monday, August 28th, in cooperation with Microsoft Albania, I had a chance to do an Microsoft Azure Workshop for IT Pros (SI, VAR, local resellers) - overview of the platform and services with demos of major IaaS components.

Slide deck can be viewed on the following link

Build the business of the future event

On May 30th, in cooperation with Microsoft Albania, BNT Electronics, Fujitsu and Ingram Micro, we held and event titled Build the business of the future. During the day, our 70+ attendees had a chance to hear and discuss on ways how to implement cloud technologies in a hybrid scenario thus enabling new ways of conducting business and optimizing business and technology processes. 

I had two sessions on the event, Microsoft Azure – secure, extend and scale your business and Office 365 – new way to do business and collaborate (focused on Microsoft Teams).

Cloud Marketplace launch event

On May 24th, we did a Cloud Marketplace launch event, aimed towards potential cloud resellers. On the half-day event, more than 20 people attended, where they had chance to hear about the capabilities of Ingram Micro Cloud Marketplace portal with specific focus on Microsoft Azure and Office 365. The event was done in Microsoft Croatia offices, as part of their continuous support to CSP Partners.

I had a session on partner business transformation, aiming their way on how to restructure, expand their services portfolio, and revise their cost/profitability model. An specific emphasis was done on Microsoft Azure and potential ways on how to develop their business and target SMB and mid-size companies with different packaged services.

The session material can be found on the following link.