Citrix allows for flexibility and freedom

This week we’re talking about Citrix and what it can do for you and your organization.  Citrix solutions let IT provide a more people‑centric, on‑demand computing environment. Flexibility and freedom for people, and security and control for IT form the basis for business innovation and growth.

Citrix XenApp is an on-demand application delivery solution that enables any Windows® application to be virtualized, centralized, and managed in the datacenter and instantly delivered as a service to users anywhere on any device. In use by over 100 million users worldwide, XenApp delivers on the promise of proven application compatibility.

Compared to traditional application deployment technology, virtual application delivery with XenApp enables organizations to improve application management by:

• · Centralizing applications in the datacenter to reduce costs
• · Controlling and encrypting access to data and applications to improve security
• · Delivering applications instantly to users anywhere

Here are two of our most popular Citrix offerings:

Basic Administration for Citrix XenApp 6.5

Citrix XenApp 6.5 Basic Administration training course provides the foundation necessary for administrators to effectively centralize and manage applications in the datacenter and instantly deliver them as a service to users anywhere. Learners will receive training for installing and configuring Citrix XenApp 6.5 for Windows Server 2008 R2, Citrix Receiver and plug-ins, as well as for using administrative consoles and tools to configure resources, policies, server and farm settings, printers, virtualized applications and more.

-10/22/2012 10:00 am – 10/26/2012 6:00 pm

-11/12/2012 10:00 am – 11/16/2012 6:00 pm

-12/10/2012 10:00 am – 12/14/2012 6:00 pm

-01/21/2013 10:00 am – 01/25/2013 6:00 pm

Citrix XenApp 6.5 Advanced Administration

This course provides learners with the skills necessary to monitor, maintain, optimize and troubleshoot Citrix XenApp 6.5 environments running on Windows Server 2008 R2 software. Learners are introduced to the tools used to monitor the XenApp farm, record farm activity and generate reports. In addition, learners take away the skills needed to maintain data and server integrity and to scale, optimize and troubleshoot the XenApp farm. This course encourages learning by doing and includes many hands-on exercises that reinforce and expand on the course content.

-12/03/2012 10:00 am – 12/07/2012 6:00 pm

-Matt

Microsoft Second Shot is back!

Boost your IT skills with Microsoft Certification—
and get a free Second Shot!

Here at Babsim we off certification tests for all major Microsoft platforms.  Windows Server 2012, Visual Studio 2012, SQL Server 2012, etc.  Just in time for these new certifications, Microsoft’s Second Shot test initiative is back, and we could all use a safety net.

Microsoft has reinvented its certification program to validate a broader and deeper set of skills on the latest technologies. The new MCSE and MCSD certifications endorse your ability to deploy, design, and optimize technologies for critical IT roles. For a limited time, Microsoft is bringing back its hugely popular Second Shot vouchers—giving you a free extra chance to pass that exam!

Here is how it works:      

-Register for Second Shot on the Microsoft site and receive an exam voucher number.

-Using the voucher number, schedule and pay for the initial exam via Prometrics’s website, or call center or test center locations. (Candidate must have the voucher number available prior to registering.)

-Take your exam.

-If the candidate fails, they can register for a free retake exam via Prometric’s web site, call center or test center locations using the same voucher number.

Good Luck!!!

-Matt

Visual Studio 2012 is here!

We’ve already highlighted the new 2012 classes for Microsoft System Center, SQL Server and Windows Server; now let me introduce Visual Studio 2012!

Microsoft Visual Studio is a powerful IDE that ensures quality code throughout the entire application lifecycle, from design to deployment. Whether you’re developing applications for SharePoint, the web, Windows, Windows Phone, and beyond, Visual Studio is your ultimate all-in-one solution.

Experience powerful possibilities.
Discover how Visual Studio 2012 allows you to collaborate better and be more agile. Experience how it integrates best practices that accelerate development and deployment.

Add value to ALM at every point.
From strategy and planning all the way to deployment, see how Visual Studio brings continuous value to every point in the application lifecycle

You can now download the Release Candidate and try Visual Studio 2012 products for yourself!

Check out this video where Adam Cogan interviews Mark Groves from Microsoft about the next release of Visual Studio.  In the video they discuss:

- Mark Groves’ history at Microsoft
- What’s new in Visual Studio 2012
- What the best new features are
- How someone can review someone else’s code, and give actionable feedback

Don’t forget about our current 2010 Visual Studio classes.  Below are some of our most popular .NET classes.

M-10267 Introduction to Web Development with Microsoft Visual Studio 2010

This five-day instructor-led course provides knowledge and skills on developing Web applications by using Microsoft Visual Studio 2010.

M-10264 Developing Web Applications with Microsoft Visual Studio 2010

In this course, students will learn to develop advanced ASP.NET MVC and Web Forms applications using .NET Framework 4 tools and technologies. The focus will be on coding activities that enhance the performance and scalability of the Web site application. ASP.NET MVC will be introduced and compared with Web Forms so that students know when each should/could be used. This will also prepare the student for exam 70-515.

M-10262 Developing Windows Applications with Microsoft Visual Studio 2010

In this course, experienced developers who know the basics of Windows Forms development gain more advanced Windows Client design and development skills. WinForms and WPF programming models, as well as relative strengths and when to use each technology, are covered.

-Matt

Window Server 2012

Are you ready for Windows Server 2012?  It’s ok if you aren’t, because we have everything to get you started. 

Windows Server 2012 can help you provide:

Continuous Availability

New and improved features offer cost-effective, high IT service uptime. They are
designed to endure failures without disrupting services to users.

Management Efficiency

The automation of an even broader set of management tasks and the simplified deployment and virtualization of major workloads offer a path to full lights-out automation.

Cost Efficiency

Taking advantage of commodity storage, networking, and server infrastructure and increased power efficiency offer superior acquisition and operating economics.

Check out our selection of BRAND NEW Windows Server 2012 classes below and get a head start.

Administering Windows Server 2012

This version of this course 20411A utilizes pre-release software in the virtual machines for the labs.  The course is part two of a series of three courses, which provide the skills and knowledge necessary to implement a core Windows Server 2012 infrastructure in an existing enterprise environment. The three courses in total will collectively cover implementing, managing, maintaining and provisioning services and infrastructure in a Windows Server 2012 environment. While there is some cross-over in skillset and tasks across the courses, this course will primarily cover the administration tasks necessary to maintain a Windows Server 2012 infrastructure, such as user and group management, network access and data security.

11/26/12

Installing and Configuring Windows Server 2012

This version of this course 20410A utilizes pre-release software in the virtual machines for the labs.  The five day course is part one, of a series of three courses, which provide the skills and knowledge necessary to implement a core Windows Server 2012 Infrastructure in an existing enterprise environment. The three courses in total will collectively cover implementing, managing, maintaining and provisioning services and infrastructure in a Windows Server 2012 environment. While there is some cross-over in skillset and tasks across the courses this course will primarily cover the initial implementation and configuration of those core services, such as Active Directory, networking services and initial Hyper-V configuration.  This course is also preparation material, and maps directly to, Exam 70-412: Administering Windows Server 2012.

10/1/12

Upgrading Your Skills to MCSA Windows Server 2012

This version of this course, 20417A, utilizes pre-release software in the virtual machines for the labs. This five day course will cover a new features and functionality in Windows Server 2012 around Management, Networking Infrastructure, Storage, Access Control, Hyper-V, High Availability as well as Identity federation. Specific technologies covered will include Dynamic Access Control (DAC), High Availability, Failover Clustering, Microsoft Online Backup as well as changes with Active Directory, Hyper-V and Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS). It is not a Product Upgrade course, detailing the considerations for migrating and upgrading your specific environment to Windows Server 2012, rather it will update your skills to Windows Server 2012.
This course is also preparation material, and maps directly to, the Exam 70-417: Upgrading Your Skills to MCSA Windows Server 2012.

11/5/12

Configuring Advanced Windows Server 2012 Services

This version of this course 20412A utilizes pre-release software in the virtual machines for the labs.  The five day course is part three, of a series of three courses, which provides the skills and knowledge necessary to implement a core Windows Server 2012 Infrastructure in an existing enterprise environment. The three courses in total will collectively cover implementing, managing, maintaining and provisioning services and infrastructure in a Windows Server 2012 environment. While there is some cross-over in skillset and tasks across the three courses this course will primarily cover advanced configuration and services tasks necessary to deploy, manage and maintain a Windows Server 2012 infrastructure, such as identity management and identity federation, network load balancing, business continuity and disaster recovery, fault tolerance and rights management.  This course is also preparation material, and maps directly to, Exam 70-412: Configuring Advanced Windows Server 2012 Services.

-Matt

From Hotmail to Outlook

If you haven’t notice yet, Microsoft’s original e-mail machine, Hotmail, has now transitioned into a web based version of Outlook.  CBCNews reports that it will tie in efficiently with social media websites and make staying in touch with everyone much easier.  In the spirit of this news, I wanted to highlight our offerings for Outlook, Microsoft Exchange 2010, Office 365 and Microsoft Lync.  Check out some of our most popular choices below.

Microsoft Office Outlook 2010

You will use Outlook to compose and send email, schedule appointments and meetings, manage contact information, schedule tasks, and create notes.

Updating Your Skills from Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 or Exchange Server 2007 to Exchange Server 2010

There are two main reasons for the course. Firstly, this course supports the large numbers of customers still running Exchange 2003 or Exchange 2007 in upgrading their skills and environments to Exchange 2010 Service Pack 1 (SP1) and to help drive that adoption.  Secondly, this course fills in a skills gap that currently exists in the portfolio and, while the content is not driven by the exam ODs, provide further support for the exams.

Configuring, Managing, and Troubleshooting Microsoft Exchange Server 2010

This five-day, instructor-led course will provide you with the knowledge and skills to configure and manage a Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 messaging environment. This course does not require previous Exchange Server experience, but does require that students have significant experience in managing Windows Server and Active Directory directory services or Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS). This course will teach you how to configure Exchange Server 2010, as well as provide guidelines, best practices, and considerations that will help you optimize your Exchange server deployment.

Exchange 2010 Bootcamp Design, Configure, and Manage (10135/10233)

This is a combination of courses 10135 Configuring, Managing and Troubleshooting Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 and 10233 Designing and Deploying Messaging Solutions with Microsoft Exchange Server 2010. This intensive five-day, instructor-led course will provide you with the knowledge and skills to design, deploy, configure and manage an Exchange Server 2010 messaging environment. This course does not require previous Exchange Server experience, but does require that students have significant experience in managing Windows Server and Active Directory directory services or Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS). This course discusses how to design various features of Mailbox, Hub Transport, and Client Access server roles. Some features that are discussed include message transport, security, high availability, disaster recovery, upgrades. In addition, this course will teach you how to configure Exchange Server 2010, as well as provide guidelines, best practices, and considerations that will help you optimize your Exchange Server deployment.

Planning and Designing a Microsoft Lync Server 2010 Solution

This five-day instructor-led course teaches how to plan and design a Microsoft Lync Server 2010 solution to IT professionals.  The course emphasizes Voice features in Lync 2010 from a deployment perspective. In this course, students learn how to plan and design a Lync Server 2010 system.  The labs in this course utilize the Lync Server 2010 Planning Workbook and Planning Tool. This course helps the student prepare for Exam 70-665.

Deploying, Configuring, and Administering Microsoft Lync Server 2010

This five-day instructor-led course teaches IT professionals how to deploy, configure, and administer a Microsoft Lync Server 2010 solution.  The course emphasizes Lync Server 2010 Enterprise Voice features from a deployment and configuration perspective. The labs in this course build on each other to create a solution that includes IM and Presence, Conferencing, and Enterprise Voice. This course helps the student prepare for Exam70-664.

*Exclusive MegaLab Included*
A Babbage Simmel extra: an additional lab has been added to this class.

-Matt