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Sep 01
Published: September 01, 2010 08:09 AM by  Bill English   Powered by: Mindsharp and Summit 7

I met some people this past week at the Best Practices Conference who didn't know how to find my contact information, so I thought I'd blog it.

Email: bill@mindsharp.com
Twitter: @minnesotabill
LinkedIn: Bill English
FaceBook: Bill English

Phone: 763-458-3722 (I'm terrible at returning phone calls – FYI.)

www.mindsharp.com

Please don't confuse me with the New Zealand politician named Bill English.

 

Thanks!

Aug 30
Published: August 30, 2010 20:08 PM by  Bill English   Powered by: Mindsharp and Summit 7

When I was learning basic networking back in the late 90's, I was introduced to a fun, yet insightful RFC that contained the 12 Fundamental Truths of Networking (RFC 1925). In this post, I'd like to correlate those truths with SharePoint. You can decide whether or not I'm serious in this post.

Truth #1: It Has to Work.

SharePoint is no different. It has to work. But "work" can mean different things. I'd suggest that "work" is defined by resolving the problems outlined in the business requirements for the SharePoint implementation.

Truth #2: No matter how hard you push and no matter what the priority, you can't increase the speed of light.

(2a) (corollary). No matter how hard you try, you can't make a baby in much less than 9 months. Trying to speed this up *might* make it slower, but it won't make it happen any quicker.

SharePoint's implementation can be accomplished at a certain pace. Going faster than what your culture can handle in your SharePoint implementation will only result in frustration and friction. Be aware – people learn at a certain pace. Putting pressure on them to learn faster won't help your cause at all and might backfire in passive resistance.

Truth #3: With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine.

The SharePoint correlation is that while you can "muscle" and "force" things to happen that are not natural, the results will likely be that which you don't want. If you have to force people to use SharePoint, your energies and efforts will likely be better focused on something other than "muscling" people to use SharePoint.

Truth #4: Some things in life can never be fully appreciated nor understood unless experienced firsthand. Some things in networking can never be fully understood by someone who neither builds commercial networking equipment nor runs an operational network.

A SharePoint correlation is that even though you might have experienced the power and advantages of SharePoint, you can't expect others in your organization to "but-in" without using the product first. Simply telling them how great SharePoint is won't help all that much in your deployment. Training and education will be needed.

Truth #5: It is always possible to agglutinate multiple separate problems into a single complex interdependent solution. In most cases this is a bad idea.

If you know what "agglutinate" means without looking it up, the correlation to SharePoint will be self-evident. J

Truth #6: It is easier to move a problem around (for example, by moving the problem to a different part of the overall network architecture) than it is to solve it.

A SharePoint correlation might be that moving content from a file server to SharePoint simply because you *can* doesn't mean you're solving a Findability problem.

(6a) (corollary). It is always possible to add another level of indirection.

Truth #7: Good, Fast, Cheap: Pick any two (you can't have all three).

In any software implementation, including SharePoint, this rule applies. For example, if you want SharePoint stood up swiftly and with little cost, it will be a bad implementation.

Truth #8: It is more complicated than you think.

Ask anyone who has implemented SharePoint as an enterprise service offering without robust training for their end-users and you'll understand how this networking truth applies to SharePoint. Don't drink the Kool-Aid that SharePoint is so intuitive that your end-users don't need training. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Truth #9: For all resources, whatever it is, you need more. (9a) (corollary) Every networking problem always takes longer to solve than it seems like it should.

For those in organizations whose users are clamoring for SharePoint, be aware that it will take longer than you'd like to get SharePoint rolled out. For sure, it will take longer than your users will like. But sticking to your methods and processes for the rollout will pay big dividends down the road.

Truth #10: One size never fits all.

This is why planning and design efforts for SharePoint are so important. Every SharePoint implementation I've ever been a part of is unlike any other I've ever done. SharePoint is the poster-child for "one size never fits all". If you have 3 months to deploy SharePoint, be sure to take at least 6 weeks for business analysis, planning and design before you even build a POC, let alone a production environment.

Truth #11: Every old idea will be proposed again with a different name and a different presentation, regardless of whether it works.

As the Bible says, there is nothing new under the sun. The core concepts in SharePoint are not new – just the code and access vectors on how those concepts are implemented.

Truth #12: In protocol design, perfection has been reached not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.

In SharePoint design, perfection has been reached when the features of SharePoint are implemented in such a way as to meet the business requirements for the implementation.

Aug 20
Published: August 20, 2010 20:08 PM by  Bill English   Powered by: Mindsharp and Summit 7

Day 4 of UST's Project Management Course was nearly all lecture on topics (such as communication) that could have been highly condenced. Amy was our instructor and she went over systems thinking and explain how *everything* is a system. She claimed ignorance on what the largest system is and noted that everytime we think we've found the smallest system, that we seem to find another one even smaller. I wonder if it occurred to her and to anyone else in the class that the "largest system" is God Himself and that He transcends every other system within His domain.

She also explained that we all have different "truths" based on our "mental models". I decided not to challenge the obvious flaws in this thinking since the debate would not have contributed toward greater project management skills. But her statements were so obviously self-defeating that one wonders if she has ever applied the postulations to her own statements. For example, if we each have our own "truths", I wonder if her statement is just a reflection of her own "truth" and that her statement need not be "truth" for me. It's pretty difficult to have intelligent conversations about anything if people don't have some shared "truth". One also wonders if her postulation that we all have our own mental models that shape/form our own views of the world (really a world-view, but she didn't use this phrase) is not just another one of her mental models that can't be proven right or wrong.

It's like the self-defeating statement: "Everything in life is meaningless". Well, if everything is meaningless, then so is the statement "everything in life is meaningless", which results in the person really having said nothing.

She did apply the ideas to project management well. I found the applications worthwhile to bear in mind, but I didn't buy into the root ideas to the extent she did. Of course, this might just be another mental model and my truth at work. J

I didn't take much away from Thursday. Overall, I didn't learn much and found it was a good day to partially listen and do work on my laptop at the same time.

Bill English, MVP

Aug 19
Published: August 19, 2010 08:08 AM by  Bill English   Powered by: Mindsharp and Summit 7

Day 3 at UST's Project Management Course was, by far, the most helpful day. The morning consisted of going over communication skills – something I was well educated in during my Master's work at TEDS and my subsequent work as a Psychologist in Minnesota for nine years. So I kinda zoned out during those presentations. Not the fault of the Instructor (Amy). She did a good job presenting the materials.

The afternoon was presented by Dr. Owens, who dove deep into Network Diagramming. I found this to be very helpful. It finally conceptualized for me the basics of how a project plan is put in place and some ideas on how to know if a project manager is padding the task durations or not.

Overall, Day 3 was good, helpful and more on target with what I was hoping to gain from the class.

Bill English, MVP

Aug 18
Published: August 18, 2010 08:08 AM by  Bill English   Powered by: Mindsharp and Summit 7

Day 2 at UST's Project Management Course was taught by Amy Vejar. We covered some leadership topics regarding project management. Amy taught that good leaders check their character (courage, trustworthiness and credibility) and their actions (set expectations, lead by example and demonstrate/exercise accountability). We also covered the WBS and how to build out a solid task list with durations attached to those tasks. She also showed an interesting (and inspiring) 1 hour video on those in Tyler, TX who built a house under 3 hours. There were a number of lessons for project management that were derived from the video.

Amy's teaching style is relaxed, pleasant and soothing. She is an admitted introvert behaving as an extrovert. I think she is talented, smart, well-educated and highly experienced. She was not full lecture – instead she gave us exercises at our tables for discussion and reflection.

My main take-aways from Day 2:

  1. Who I am as a person is more important to my leadership effectiveness than any single technique I might employ
  2. Some of what I'm doing presently contributes to a failed leadership style, so I have some immediate behaviors I need to change in order to be a more effective leader
  3. That trust is difficult to build, but easy to burn (I used to teach that as a psychologist)

Overall – Day 2 was pretty good. On to Day 3!

Bill English, MVP

Aug 17
Published: August 17, 2010 09:08 AM by  Bill English   Powered by: Mindsharp and Summit 7

I'm taking a 5-day "Mini-Master on Project Management" at the University of St. Thomas. Since this is my first formal education on PM, I thought I'd write my first-impressions about the course and more about how the information I'm learning interacts with a SharePoint implementation.

My first day was taught by Ernest L. Owens. Dr. Owens taught on the subjects of requirements, scoping plus project initiation and project feasibility. His main points, throughout the day, seemed to be:

  1. A project is an entity, not a collection of tasks
  2. A project may be used to initiate a new process, but while the process will persist, the project will end. The project and the process are two different things.
  3. Core PM skills are as follows:
    1. Effective communications
    2. Interviewing
    3. Facilitations
    4. Problem solving
    5. Gathering information
    6. Assessment/Gap analysis
    7. Writing
    8. Negotiating
    9. Presentations
    10. Decision making
    11. Selling/marketing
  4. Projects should be tied to and support the mission and strategy of the organization
  5. 80% of an organization's costs are incurred by 20% of its' projects (opinion – no data to support this)
  6. Stakeholders are anyone who is influenced or who influences a project (pretty much everyone)
  7. Everything is political. (I suppose that is a political statement?)
  8. There are different types of power and PM's should know when and how to use each one

My main take-away of Dr. Owen's Monday presentation of his materials is that the PM starts out in an inherently power-less position and has to work to understand the power structures, personalities, organization culture, mission and strategy and how to manipulate (which is not inherently negative or wrong in his thinking) to get what the PM needs in order to succeed. Project Management is mainly about managing people and psychosis (my words, not his) rather than tasks and goals. Dr. Owen is an obviously smart, intelligent, well-read and highly education individual. He has a pleasant personality and can take a joke (something I admire). His opinions are strong, which I expect at the graduate level, but perhaps not in a certificate class (as opposed to a degree-based class). In my opinion, He spent an undo amount of time discussing futuristic concepts and seemed to enjoy introducing potentially polarizing topics into the class (war in Iraq, gay marriage, general politics) as avenues to make his point. I did agree with him that "competent people will have conflict". Perhaps he was using potentially conflict-producing topics to help us become accustomed with conflict in general. And while PMs do need to manage conflict and be comfortable with it, I'm not sure that his pedagogical method is effective in the absence of a well-formed relationship between himself and his students. I found his Barbeque Debacle to be very helpful and insightful.

How this interacts with a SharePoint implementation is unclear to me at this point. For sure, there are power issues when SharePoint is implemented, but I usually recommend that these issues be resolved by tying the SharePoint implementation to the organization's strategies and goals. My thinking of tying the project to the organization's strategies and goals confirmed in class.

Overall, good first day, but I would have appreciated more focus on the concepts of requirements gathering and a better explanation of why the scopes are developed after the project charter. Looking forward to day two.

Bill English, MVP

Aug 12
Published: August 12, 2010 10:08 AM by  Bill English   Powered by: Mindsharp and Summit 7

We're having a number of ATE panels at the Best Practices Conference. Check them out. This gives you, the attendee, a chance to ask any question you wish and/or engage in a serious discussion of any topic on your mind (other than topics like "Why do Mosquitos Bite People?"). Some find these ATE sessions are the best part of the conference.

Ask the Expert (ATE) Panel Sessions

Q: Still haven't found the answer to your question?
A:  Bring them to the experts, and receive the direct answers you came for!

 

ATE Project Managment  Wednesday 1:30-2:45    UserVersity CoffeeLounge  (Exhibit Hall)

Experts:  Peter Serzo, Dux Raymond Sy, Laura Rogers, Sarah Haase, David Wang

 

ATE Workflow   Wednesday 3:00-4:15    UserVersity CoffeeLounge  (Exhibit Hall)

Experts:  Mike Fitzmaurice, Asif Remani, Robert Bogue, Chris Beckett

 

ATE Development   Wednesday 4:30-5:15    UserVersity CoffeeLounge  (Exhibit Hall)

Experts: Michael Herman, Todd Bleeker, Mirjam Van Olst, Ben Robb, Andrew Woodward, Maurice Prather

 

ATE EU Adoption   Thursday 8:00-9:9:15    UserVersity CoffeeLounge  (Exhibit Hall)

Experts: Bill English, Virgil Carroll, Kay McClure, Jennifer Mason

 

ATE Administration   Thursday 9:30-10:45    UserVersity CoffeeLounge  (Exhibit Hall)

Experts: Bert van der Steeg, Mike Watson, Spencer Harbar, Steve Smith

 

ATE Security   Thursday 11:00- 12:15    UserVersity CoffeeLounge  (Exhibit Hall)

Experts: Rick Taylor, Mark Ferraz, Michael Noel, Brett Lonsdale

 

ATE Information Architecture Thursday  1:30 – 2:45  UserVersity CoffeeLounge  (Exhibit Hall)

Experts: Ben Curry Zlatan Dzinic, Paul Stork, Paul Swider, Ruven Gotz

 

ATE Branding  Thursday  3:00 – 4:15  UserVersity CoffeeLounge  (Exhibit Hall)

Experts: Cathy Dew, Mark Rackley, Christina Wheeler

 

ATE InfoPath Thursday  4:30 – 5:15  UserVersity CoffeeLounge  (Exhibit Hall)

Experts: Darvish Shadravan, Lori Gowin, Eric Harlan

Aug 12
Published: August 12, 2010 10:08 AM by  Bill English   Powered by: Mindsharp and Summit 7

This year, we're giving our sponsors a chance to showcase their products and services so that you, the consumer in the SharePoint space, can have an opportunity to learn more about the SharePoint ecosystem in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere. So, here are the sponsors, their abstracts and their session times. Be sure to prioritize attending these sessions if you need more from SharePoint than what comes out of the box.

 

UserVersity     Tuesday    11:00am 12:15    Reston Suites A

Presenter: Kevin Stirtz

12 Power Tools to Make Your SharePoint Training Stick

"If you build it they will use it."   The idea that building something remarkable is all you need to do to get people to use it might work for Kevin Costner, but the rest of us know a different experience. We all understand the challenge of getting employees to use the wonderful new tools SharePoint offers.  It can be frustrating.

This session will help!    We'll talk about 12 powerful ways you can make your SharePoint training more fun, more exciting and more effective. You'll learn proven tactics and ideas to motivate employees to WANT to learn new SharePoint skills. And, you'll get tips to help you build an affordable learning program that delivers the knowledge your employees need to be more productive. When you use the right tools, your SharePoint training can be fast, affordable and effective. This session will show you how.

Kevin Stirtz has been involved in adult learning and training since the 90's. He is an author, a certified trainer and a former board member of the National Speakers Association. Stirtz has trained thousands of people in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific (where they said he resembled a certain American actor – can you guess who?). He manages UserVersity, a leading provider of SharePoint end user training and services to improve end user adoption.

 

Summit 7 Systems   Tuesday 1:30 – 2:45    Reston Suites A

Presenter: Scott Edwards

Why SharePoint Projects Fail and How You Can Succeed!

TECHNICAL LEVEL: Intermediate
AUDIENCE: Project managers, business analysts, architects, developers, IT administrators

SharePoint's such a big product -- where do you start? If you are new to SharePoint Server, or have struggled with failed implementations in the past, then session is for you. Come see real-world examples of why implementations fail and what you can do about it how to design and architect SharePoint Server to ensure success! Design lifecycles, mapping requirements to the product stack, suggestions on key areas to focus during your design, and metrics for success will be presented. This session is targeted at those who want to know the real deal on why many SharePoint projects fail. You'll leave this session with the basics of building a SharePoint Server implementation plan.

MindSharp   Tuesday 3:00-4:15   Reston Suites A

Are You Struggling with Training?

Interactive Session!

Mindsharp, leaders in SharePoint training, invite you to an interactive session trading ideas and trends on SharePoint training. This session will familiar. We'll take a look ize you with who Mindsharp is from its renowned curriculum to its MVP class trainers. More importantly, we will spend time asking your feedback on how training is best delivered; classroom, online, or on-demand for your company's needs. Mindsharp trainers will be in attendance.

CommVault  Tuesday 4:30 – 5:15   Reston Suites A

Presenter: Randy De Meno

DATA MOVEMENT, STORAGE, ARCHIVING, SEARCH AND RECOVERY
CommVault will discuss and demonstrate numerous ways to enhance the overall management and usability of SharePoint. This will include live demonstrations of SharePoint and the ability to

  • archive & recall data Seamless Search using FAST for the heterogeneous enterprise
  • Backup and granularly restore data
  • Disaster Recovery practices
  • The ability to assist and accelerate upgrades to SharePoint 2010 by making SharePoint data "release independent" will be showcased

Key management of SharePoint's environment (Windows Server, Active Directory, Exchange) will also be touched upon and demonstrated.

 

Nintex   Wednesday 8-9:15am    Reston Suites A

Speaker: Mike Fitzmaurice

Nintex Workflow 2010: SharePoint Workflow for Everyone

A 100% demo-intensive walkthrough of Nintex Workflow 2010, a product that extends and enhances SharePoint's native workflow technology to address the needs of casual users, professional designers/developers, and IT professionals alike. The design experience is easy for new users to learn and easy for professionals to deliver results quickly. Over 100 workflow tools are in the box for modeling complex logic, connecting to LOB data and applications, and automating a wide variety of SharePoint content and services. Being built on SharePoint's native workflow technology means almost no additional software/hardware footprint or burden on IT.

AvePoint  Wednesday 9:30-10:45    Reston Suites A

Best Practices for Content Lifecycle Management with Microsoft SharePoint

Microsoft SharePoint is the industry's most versatile and powerful enterprise-class collaboration system.  But in order to leverage SharePoint as a true enterprise content management platform, an intelligent, well governed content lifecycle strategy is required.  Such a strategy must define the platform's information and systems architecture, and diligently govern the process of content authorship, storage, delivery, auditing, and dispensation, without overburdening system or staff resources.  During this session, we will discuss best practices for designing a well governed and scalable content lifecycle strategy that ensures diligent content management, efficiently integrates legacy content and storage systems, and delivers both the transparency and accountability required of an enterprise-class content management system.  
Presented by: Tom Lin, VP of Strategic Alliances, AvePoint

Bamboo Solutions  Wednesday 4:30- 5:15  Reston Suites A

Process Automation Options for SharePoint

Level 100

Session Audience:  Project Managers, Business Analysts

All organizations are made up of people, processes, and data. SharePoint has proven itself a great tool for collaboration, allowing users to easily share and interact with data, but what about using it to automate business processes? Process automation can mean cost savings, increased accountability, better tracking, decreased failure rates, and increased speed, but only if deployed correctly. So, what are your options if you want to use workflows in SharePoint, and how do you pick the right workflow tool to meet your needs? Come find out what SharePoint offers out-of-the-box, and how it differs from what you get with SharePoint Designer, Visual Studio, and third-party tools. In this session, we'll discuss:

         How workflows can save (or cost) you time/money

         Benefits and drawbacks of out-of-the-box with SharePoint workflows, SharePoint Designer, and Visual Studio

         When third-party solutions make sense

         How to choose the right workflow tool for your business needs

         High level overview of Bamboo's Workflow Conductor

Bamboo Solutions is a leading provider of Web Parts and add-ons for Microsoft SharePoint, and has recently entered the workflow market with its new Workflow Conductor product, which allows for the creation and management of custom workflows in SharePoint.


Aug 09
Published: August 09, 2010 20:08 PM by  Bill English   Powered by: Mindsharp and Summit 7

If you live in or around the Washington DC area, you might want to consider attending the keynote address at the Best Practices Conference in Reston, VA, on Tuesday, August 24 for free. If you do, you can also stay for the seminar on How to Organize Information in SharePoint 2010, presented by yours truly. Your free registration will include lunch and afternoon refreshments. So, you can attend and hear the keynote address, learn how to organize information in SharePoint, get a free lunch and spend the entire day away from the office!

Now what can be better than this?

There is a catch: you must register for this free event. We have room for several hundred people to attend this seminar, so I hope to see you there!

Bill English, MVP
Mindsharp

Jul 20
Published: July 20, 2010 14:07 PM by  Bill English   Powered by: Mindsharp and Summit 7

The SharePoint Best Practices Conference is only five weeks away now. For those of you who are considering coming to this event or who are trying to get approval, let me give you some reasons to come to this conference in August.

Reason #1: Great Speakers + Great Sessions = Clarity, Direction and Confidence

This conference will have roughly 130 sessions with over 55 unique speakers. After listening to, talking to and interacting with the speakers and exhibitors, you'll walk away with the Best Practices that will give you Clarity, Direction and Confidence for your SharePoint deployment. We'll have a large representation of MVPs, MCMs and Microsoft personnel for any SharePoint conference this year. Check out whose speaking. Our roster is impressive with some of the top names in the industry coming to this event:

Brian Alderman, MCSE, MCT, Mindsharp
Chris Beckett, MCM
Darrin Bishop, Author and Speaker; The Darrin Bishop Group
Todd Bleeker, MVP, PH.D., Mindsharp
Robert Bogue, MVP, MCSE, MSCA:Security, ThorProjects
Virgil Carroll, MCT, MCTS, High Monkey Consulting
Penny Coventry, MVP
Brian Culver, MCM, MCPD; Expert Point Solutions
Ben Curry, MVP; Summit 7 Systems
Cathy Dew, Senior Consultant; Summit 7 Systems
Michael Doyle, SharePoint Architect; Waggener Edstrom
Shannon Duffy, Enterprise BI Consultant; Kimberly Clark
Mark Eichenberger, Business Productivity Architect, Microsoft
Bill English, MVP, Mindsharp
Damon Erickson, Consultant, BlackBlade
Zlatan Dzinic, MVP
Keith Fowler, Consultant, BlackBlade
Daniel Galant, MCT, MCSE, Mindsharp
Karuana Gatimu, Principle, SharePointStrategist.com
Ruven Gotz, Consultant, Ideaca
Lori Gowin, MCSE, MCP, Summit 7 Systems
Sarah Hasse, Collaboration Manager, Best Buy
Spencer Harbar, MCM, MCTS, MCSD.NET, MCSD, MCSE, MCAD, APM, Combined Knowledge
Eric Harlan, SharePoint Premier Field Engineer, Microsoft
Michael Herman, Principle Consultant, Syntergy
Rebecca Isserman, MCP, MCAD, MCTS, Gig Werks
Steven Jenkins, Senior Developer, Summit 7 Systems
Jennifer Koenig, Enterprise BI Consultant, Kimberly Clark
Brett Lonsdale, Principle, LightningTools
David Mann, MVP
Jennifer Mason, Senior SharePoint Consultant, SharePoint 911
Kay McClure, Instructor, Mindsharp
Mark Miller, Founder, EndUserSharePoint.com
Agnes Molnar, MVP, LM Solutions
Michael Noel, MVP, Convergent Computing
Joel Oleson, Senior Product Manager, Quest
Mirjam van Olst, MCM, MVP, Macaw
Wes Preston, MVP, Inetium
Mark Rackley, SharePoint Architect, UNFI
Asif Rehmani, MVP, Critical Path Training
Tom Resing, MCM
Ben Robb, MVP, CTO, cScape
Laura Rogers, Consultant, SharePoint 911
Eugene Rosenfeld, MVP, CTO, BlackBlade
Paul Schaeflein, MVP, MCT, MCTS
Peter Serzo, MCTS, MCSD.NET, MCP, Trillium Teamologies
Darvish Shadravan, MCTS, MCSE, CISSP, Microsoft
Steve Smith, MVP, Combined Knowledge
Bert Jan Van Der Steeg, Co-Owner, Companio
Paul Stork, MVP, Shared Squared
Paul Swider, MCT, MCTS
Dux Raymond Sy, PMP, Innovative-e
Rick Taylor, MCSE, MCT, Perficient
David Wang, MCSCA
Andrew Woodward, MVP, 21apps
John Holliday, MVP
Peter Abreu, SharePoint Information Group
Roger Taylor, SharePoint Information Group

What's interesting is that the following is true of this year's speaker lineup:

  • 6 MCM's
  • 17 MVP's
  • 5 different SharePoint training companies are represented
  • Nearly 40 speakers are consultants in the SharePoint space with a wide exposure to a number of different scenarios
  • 5 Microsoft speakers

Reason #2: There is something for nearly everyone in your organization*

Our session schedule is packed with insights and topics that you'll want to learn about. We have several strong tracks for this conference:

  • Project Manager/CIO/Business track, 21 sessions
  • SharePoint Developer Track, 35 sessions
  • SharePoint IT Pro Track, 29 sessions
  • SharePoint Information Worker Track, 15 sessions
  • 4 Post conference workshops

We purposefully limit the number of attendees at the Best Practices Conference so that each person who attends has a better chance to rub shoulders with the speakers. To help jumpstart the conversations, we'll have over 10 "Ask the Expert" panels, where you can ask open-ended questions about any topic related to SharePoint and know that you'll get the best answers from the experts in the SharePoint industry.

Reason #3: Learn about the SharePoint Ecosystem to help propel your implementation forward

We'll have close to 30 exhibitors who will be sharing their products and knowledge that can enhance your SharePoint deployment. If you need to add some additional functionality to your deployment, many of those exhibiting will be able to help you understand exactly what you need to fulfill your needs and requirements. I want to thank our sponsors for stepping up to the late to help underwrite the cost of this event. Without them, this conference could not become a reality. Please be sure to patronize their products and services:

 

 


 

 

We also have a strong exhibitor lineup, including:

 

 

 

 

 

Reason #4: this conference has strong community support

We'll have on-site, live videos created and streamed via the Women in SharePoint group. I want to thank them in advance for their help, support and enthusiasm they are bringing to this event. Other community sponsors include:

We've been experiencing a steady number of registrations for the conference. We're not close to calling this conference sold out, but we are expecting a sharp increase in registrations over the next 7-21 days. If you're considering attending, I would highly advise you to register now, while there are still openings. If/When we do reach our "sold out" number, we'll be unable to accommodate more people at this conference.

Reason #5: Get Ready for SharePoint 2010 by learning its' Best Practices

Now, some may not be coming because this conference is mainly focused on SharePoint 2010. Let me be clear: the best way to get ready for SharePoint 2010 is to fully understand the best practices for this product so that, when you're ready to migrate or upgrade from 2007 to 2010, you can know that you're moving into an environment built on the industry's best practices. Even if you're not planning on moving to SharePoint 2010 until sometime in 2011, you'll want to ensure that you take the best practices and incorporate them into your upgrade plan. Some 2010 Best Practices may require you to change/modify your SharePoint 2007 or SharePoint 2003 implementation. Knowing what these modifications are will help you experience a more smooth upgrade to SharePoint 2010.

Reason #6: Deep-Dive Post Conference Sessions will help you be successful in your SharePoint 2010 deployments

Be sure to consider coming to the post conference as well. We'll have four different post-con tracks that will drill down into areas like upgrade, building SharePoint in the cloud, defining business and technical requirements for your deployment and so forth.

If you want to stay abreast of the latest information on SharePoint 2010 and how to move from SharePoint 2007 to SharePoint 2010, then the SharePoint Best Practices Conference is the place for you to be. I look forward to seeing you at the conference!

Bill English, MVP
The SharePoint Best Practices Conference

 

*On Tuesday, the first day of the conference, we'll offer a Day-Long Session that is FREE to anyone who wishes to attend, taught by Bill English, on how to Organize Information in SharePoint 2010. Because this session is FREE on Tuesday, you can attend the Keynote for FREE as well. But you do need to sign-up/register for this event at the Best Practices Conference web site. Only the KeyNote and the 6 hour session on How to Organizing Information in SharePoint 2010 are offered for FREE.


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