NH Blog

Five Mistakes IT Groups Make When Training End-Users

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:05:11 GMT

Properly educating users on new software is critical for IT departments that want to improve information security, comply with regulations and increase the return on their software investment.

Can’t find your class?

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 17:34:33 GMT

This weeks post is from Bryan Cozart (NH Sales Manager)

It seems like more and more we are getting requests for classes outside of our Microsoft Application and Server courses. While those courses remain our bread and butter I want to encourage everyone to email your account manager or email your 3^rd Party Class request to sales@nhhartford.com . We have had success adding classes to our schedule that were brought to our attention by YOU, our clients. We’ve successfully added Nokia Firewall, Cisco High End Courses, Adobe Premire and most notably VMware ESX, and newly added a HP Procurve Fundamentals Class. If you are interested in a class there is a big chance that our other clients are as well. Please do not hesitate to ask for any class and we’ll do whatever we can to run that course!

Virtualization Round 2

Fri, 16 May 2008 17:53:25 GMT

This weeks article is submitted by Bryan Cozart (Sales Manager New Horizons CLC Connecticut)

As I'm reading through numerous trade mags (CIO, Eweek, Business Week, Etc Etc) one reoccurring article is featured in each, Virtualization. In our last post we covered what virtualization was and a few of the players in the market. Since that post a few major occurances have taken place. Microsoft has put some umpf behind HyperV, Citrix bought a company XENServer and announced it as their new flagship launch into the VM marketplace and of course VMware is doing it's best to fend off stiff competition from these new major players.

So i caught myself thinking today, how does a company decide whether or not to deploy Virtual anything and which solution is the right one? Even more, is this just another IT philosophy shift that will cost companies large amounts of money only to be abandoned in the coming years? So I, being only a Sales Manager and not even in the IT department went to my best internal source, Rich T. our CIO.

I first approached Rich with this: "Quick Question. I get how VM Technology works and the reasons you might want to deploy it (add link to reason to why go virtual here) but I'm wondering how the 3 major players all stack up? To give the abridged version of the response "VMware is the best in server virtualization and they offer the best management tool (sorry to all the citrix lovers). Citrix is doing the best at this point delivering virtual desktops with their XenDesktop, but VMware is making headway." So finally I had that answer and i felt comfortable with it.

The other question i was looking for was more about the Citrix offering of Xen. I was having a hard time understanding how this virtual desktop was such a "new thing" when Citrix Presentation Server and Terminal Services and so on have been out for so long. I was then taught about the differences. XenDesktop actually gives full desktop control to multiple users whereas TS and Presentation Server were universal desktops that you couldn't really personalize or work within, never mind the fact that TS and PS were only really used for serving up applications (citrix now calls it XenAPP) not full desktop control. And numerous other reason as to how Virtual Desktops are so different from TS and Presentation Server which can be understood by doing some mere google searches. Rich also suggested the site www.brianmadden.com for some fantastic whitepapers on big virtual deployments and comparisons of virtual products.

So after getting my mind wrapped around XenDesktop, XenServer, XenApp, VMware and Hyper V and how it's beneficial to the organization from a growth and hardware savings standpoint. I asked Rich, "so do you think this virtual way of thinking is here to stay?"
My answer "Yes i sure do. With what we just talked about from a management standpoint, add in the plan New Horizons has for serving our applications virtually throughout our Northeast locations and the major undertaking of companies going "Green" (stay tuned for our next blog post), i truly believe this is here to stay. It's a technology we are testing and ultimately planning on deploying so I hope it's here to stay."

What does virtualization really boil down to? Flexible, Predictable, Manageable and Semi Affordable (when doing ROI analysis) data center/ desktop computing. If you have legacy machines, a mobile workforce, growing data center power and cooling costs and maybe a technology refresh coming your way, you may really want to take a hard look at virtualization. IT is the one field that the thought... "everyone else is doing it" actually rings true.

Check our search page for our class offerings in all of these Virtual Vendors. New Horizons Connecticut is proud to be one of the first to offer XenServer classes, VMware Classes and coming soon Hyper V classes. Give your account manager a call!

Thanks for Reading & Talk to you soon,
Bryan

PowerShell - Are you ready?

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 22:32:52 GMT

This week’s blog was written by Scott Thibodeau who is one of our technical instructors on staff. Scott has been with New Horizons for 11 years and brings a wealth of knowledge to the classroom. Scott is certified as an MCSE with a focus on Messaging.

Are you curious about some of the new features in Exchange 2007 and Windows Server 2008? Are you interested in how to get the most out of these new products?

Then one of the answers to the above two questions is PowerShell.

PowerShell? What’s that?

“Windows PowerShell™ is a new Windows command-line shell designed especially for system administrators. The shell includes an interactive prompt and a scripting environment that can be used independently or in combination.” (from Microsoft’s PowerShell Getting Started Guide.)

I recommend that anyone who will be administering either of the two products listed above get familiar with PowerShell, as in the case of Exchange 2007, some things CAN ONLY be done via the command environment.

There have been several command environments; however their limitations were based on input and an output to the screen. PowerShell is different as it is built on the .Net framework AND it’s written for administrators! It is an interactive environment because it does react to what is being done, as in an administrator can use the tab key to complete commands.

Most of what administrators will use are cmdlets (command-lets) which execute a single instruction to the system. The cmdlets can be extended by linking cmdlets together to form more complex operations.

The PowerShell environment has its own language and syntax, rather than reusing existing an languages, for the following reasons.

· Windows PowerShell needed a language for managing.NET objects,

· The language needed to provide a consistent environment for using cmdlets.

· The language needed to support complex tasks, without making simple tasks more complex.

· The language needed to be consistent with higher-level languages used in .NET programming, such as C#.

It will be helpful for anyone that will be taking any of the current and future course offerings at New Horizons for Exchange 2007 or Server 2008 to take a look at the PowerShell Getting Started Guide, as well as the Exchange PowerShell Reference Guide.

The PowerShell environment is pretty powerfull as it does have access to the file system as well, and some basic actions are centered around these commands:

Get – which only returns information as well as setting the “focus” for further actions on the item.

Set – which actually modifies some attribute on the current item

New – which creates the type of item specified

The PowerShell environment is not only limited to administrators typing commands interactively. As a matter of fact, they try NOT to be tied to the system, rather they need to be able to automate processes as much as possible, so another great feature is the ability to take a series of cmdlets and put them together into a script which can be run in the PowerShell environment.

Well, that’s a quick overview of the new PowerShell environment from Microsoft, and it’s coming to a server product near you!

More information on Microsoft PowerShell

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/technologies/management/powershell/default.mspx

Virtualization - Is this the right solution for your company?

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 20:24:43 GMT

Are you considering implementing a virtualized enviroment into your organization? More and more we are hearing from our clients that this is the direction they are heading. I thought that todays blog would be appropriate to offer some information and links that would help your orginization make an educated decision on whether implementing a virtualized enviroment is the right one. There are certainly plenty of options when it comes to implementing a virtualized enviroment some of the options include:

Parallels Workstation, Parallels Desktop for Mac, VirtualBox, Virtual Iron, Virtual PC, VMware Workstation, VMware Server (formerly GSX Server), QEMU, Adeos, Mac-on-Linux, Win4BSD, Win4Lin Pro

What is a Virtual Infrastructure?*

In essence, a virtual infrastructure is a dynamic mapping of physical resources to business needs. While a virtual machine represents the physical resources of a single computer, a virtual infrastructure represents the physical resources of the entire IT environment, aggregating x86 computers and their attached network and storage into a unified pool of IT resources.

Structurally, a virtual infrastructure consists of the following components:

Single-node hypervisors to enable full virtualization of each x86 computer.

A set of virtualization-based distributed system infrastructure services such as resource management to optimize available resources among virtual machines.

Automation solutions that provide special capabilities to optimize a particular IT process such as provisioning or disaster recovery.

By decoupling the entire software environment from its underlying hardware infrastructure, virtualization enables the aggregation of multiple servers, storage infrastructure and networks into shared pools of resources that can be delivered dynamically, securely and reliably to applications as needed. This pioneering approach enables organizations to build a computing infrastructure with high levels of utilization, availability, automation and flexibility using building blocks of inexpensive industry-standard servers.
*excerpt from www.vmware.com

Top 5 Reasons to Adopt Virtualization Software

VMWARE Total Cost of Ownership Calculator

History of Virtulization

What is a virtual Machine?

If you are interested in learning more about VMWARE ESX server New Horizons CLC of Hartford is offers a 4 day class that will give you an in depth knowledge of this product. Click here for more information

How to study for an exam.

Wed, 07 Nov 2007 18:58:24 GMT

As a VUE & Prometric Testing center for those students/clients that are looking to validate their knowledge by taking an exam, we often hear about how stressful the process can be. Many students have varying levels of anxiety when it comes time to take the exam. I read an article today that I thought would be of interest for those of you who are in the process of preparing for an exam. The article is written by Ron Colonna who has been in IT for over 18 years and has also been an MCT for 12 years. He has some great advice on how to study for an exam and what he does to prepare for exams as well since he has to take the same exams that all of you do as well.

How To Study For An Exam

Capitalize on Your Human Capital

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 12:40:12 GMT

This morning on my way to Philadelphia (4 hr train ride) I read a very interesting article on www.clomedia.com that discussed the value of having a quality learning program and the impact that this can have on your organization.
The article outlines 5 five essential guidelines that can help you build high-quality learning. If these are implemented in a systematic, outcome-oriented way, these guidelines can act as a blueprint to achieve the greatest return on performance-improvement investment.
I have attached a copy of this article with my blog entry today and encourage any of you who have responsibilty for training in your organization to take a few moments to review this article.

View the full article below:
Capitalize on your human capital

Ten Reasons to Hire and Develop Microsoft Certified Professionals

Tue, 28 Aug 2007 20:41:35 GMT

1. Improve Project Deployments
Independent research¹has shown that organizations with a majority of their teams certified by Microsoft reported significant improvements in delivering projects on time and within budget.

2. Increase Customer Satisfaction
Certified staff helps to increase customer satisfaction through improved service, higher productivity, and greater self-sufficiency.

3. Improve Support Costs
Independent research²has shown that organizations with certified staff witness less network downtime and lower dependency on unplanned support.

4. Validate Vendor Qualifications
When outsourcing projects, certification provides assurance of vendors’ technical qualifications.

5. Gain a Competitive Advantage
Employees who hold Microsoft certifications bring more advanced skill sets to provide higher levels of service and productivity, giving your business a competitive advantage.

6. Benefit by Investing in Your Staff
Organizations with successful revenue results have been shown to have invested more in certifying their internal technical teams³.

7. Increase Employee Satisfaction
Employee satisfaction and retention are higher when management facilitates employees' career goals.

8. Objectively Benchmark Your Staff’s Talent
Certification serves as a reliable benchmark for hiring and promoting staff employees, and ensures your organization is built on top-quality technical talent.

9. Reward Employee Expertise
Certification recognizes and rewards productive employees by validating their expertise. Certification also provides re-training opportunities so existing employees can work more effectively with new technologies.

10. See Objective Results of Your Training Investments
Certification provides an excellent return on training and certification investments by providing a standard method of determining training needs and measuring results.

Download the Employers Fact Sheet (PDF, 704 KB) to learn how certified professionals will help your organization.

¹ Burlington Consultants, April 2003.
² Burlington Consultants, April 2003.
³ IDC Research, Gartner Studies, IT Skills Research, 2002.

Having difficulty finding qualified employees?

Mon, 13 Aug 2007 14:42:51 GMT

New Horizons CLC of Hartford recognizes the struggle that many companies face finding highly qualified and trained personnel. In an effort to assist you with locating these top candidates we have implemented several new services that I would like to share with you.

Recently we created the position of “Career Services Coordinator” and assigned Debbie Mallick to this new position. Debbie works closely with the students enrolled in our School of Career Development and guides each one, ensuring that they position themselves for success in the workplace. She assists these students with writing highly effective cover letters, creating resumes that emphasize their experience and knowledge, and works with each student to develop effective interviewing techniques. Debbie has been a great addition to our team and is already receiving rave reviews from the students that she has worked with.

New Horizons CLC of Hartford currently trains employees from more than 4,000 companies in Connecticut and the surrounding area. We hear frequently the difficulties they face finding qualified candidates. This coupled with the tremendous recruiting costs that our clients face not only makes it difficult to find top notch employees but also a very expensive one. New Horizons has launched a brand new “Job Board” on the www.nhhartford.com website where our clients can post job openings currently available within their organizations. Clients simply have to go to our website and click on Post A Job Opening and fill out the required information. Once we receive their posting, it will be posted to our job board. Our clients are now advertising their job opening to our students. This great new service is provided free of charge and should assist our clients with finding top notch employees and do so at significant savings!

I encourage you to take a moment and visit us at www.nhhartford.com and see what other services New Horizons has to offer!

FREE TRAINING - Are you taking advantage of Microsoft Software Assurance?

Fri, 10 Aug 2007 14:21:07 GMT

I am always shocked and surprised when I talk to our clients that have Microsoft Software Assurance that are not taking advantage of the Software Assurance Training Vouchers. For those of your who are not aware of what Software Assurance below is short description:

Microsoft Software Assurance is a comprehensive maintenance offering that helps you get the most out of your software investment. It combines the latest software with phone support available 24 hour a day, partner services, training, and IT tools that help customers deploy, manage, and migrate software. With Software Assurance, you can increase worker productivity, accelerate organizational performance, and quickly realize a return on your software investment.

You can choose Software Assurance at the time of purchase and begin using your benefits immediately for the term of your license agreement.

One of the most popular benefits of MS Software Assurance is the Software Assurance Training Vouchers. With the Training Vouchers benefit, Microsoft Software Assurance customers receive training vouchers for courses from Microsoft Certified Partners for Learning Solutions (CPLS), the premier authorized training channel for delivering learning products and services on Microsoft technology.

New Horizons CLC of Hartford offers official Microsoft Learning courses and e–learning in addition to consultative learning services for IT professionals and developers.

Use the Training Vouchers benefit to do the following:

Support your software investment by preparing your IT staff to efficiently deploy, maintain, and support new technologies.

Access the instructor-led training and resources you need to prepare your IT staff to successfully deploy or migrate to Microsoft Office and Windows in your organization.

Use the expanded number of training vouchers to train more staff members across your IT organization, train current IT professionals on new skills, or fulfill other training needs—without additional cost.

Microsoft has expanded the current training voucher benefit for Software Assurance customers. If you are an Enterprise or Select Agreement customer with 30,000 or more Office Application or Windows client licenses, you will receive additional vouchers for training on select Official Microsoft Learning courses.

If you currently do not have Microsoft Software Assurance and are interested in finding out how you can get this incredible benefit please feel free to contact us at sales@nhhartford.com. If you have Microsoft Software Assurance as well as Software Assurance Training Vouchers and need more information about how to activate these benefits please contact us as sales@nhhartford.com.