CIAOPS - Need to Know podcasts

Episode 13 - Lee Hickin

I join Lee Hickin from Microsoft Australia to talk about Office365 in more depth. We look at the current Microsoft BPOS offering as well as the new features that Office365 will provide. We also discuss the implementation of Office365 in an SMB environment and what resellers should be doing to get ready. If you are looking to better understand what Microsoft Online Services is going to provide then you should listen to this podcast. Show links: Office365 Beta Service descriptions - http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=6c6ecc6c-64f5-490a-bca3-8835c9a4a2ea

Episode 12 - Brad Clarke

In this Episode I speak with Brad Clarke from Microsoft Australia about Office365. We cover how it will be a major upgrade from BPOS and what the major components of Office365 will be. We speak about why customers should use it and why resellers should look at becoming familiar with what it has to offer. Finally we look at how to prepare for the upcoming release of Office365 and how to take advantage of community contacts (not only for Office365) to assist your business, especially tools like Linkedin.

Episode 11 - Dana Epp

This episode features noted security professional, Microsoft Security MVP and creator of security software Dana Epp speaking about the vulnerabilities of wireless technology. This includes his recent SMB Nation 2010 Fall presentation and the reasons why wireless is always more insecure that wired systems. Dana also discusses the concepts of selling security to customers, how you should monitor security and what needs to be done in the event of something untoward being detected. Dana also gives his feedback on why the concept of 'community' is so important, especially to SMB segment. Information about the security products Dana creates is available at http://www.scorpionsoft.com/.

Episode 10 - George Sierchio

In this episode I speak with George Sierchio from www.­consultantscoach­.­com about running a business like you are going to sell it. In other words it is all about what exit strategy you have planned for yourself. Even if you never plan to sell the business unforeseen circumstances may arise that dictate otherwise. A smart part of any business planning to understand how the business will operate without the business owner. To maximize the value of any business you need to create a business that will run without the business owner. This planning needs to start as soon as possible and be updated on a regular basis. This way if the need ever arises not only is there a plan in place the opportunity to maximize return on what has already been invest in the business will be recognized. For anyone who owns a business then this is a must listen to episode.

Episode 9 - Jeff Alexander

In this episode I speak with Jeff Alexander (http://blogs.technet.com/b/jeffa36/) a technology evangalist from Microsoft Australia. We speak about the upcoming release of a the new Home Server product currently known as Vail as well as the upcoming hybrid edition of Small Business Server known as Aurora (now known as SBS 2011 Essentials). We also sepak about the newly released Windows Phone 7 and impact that may have on the mobile device market. If you are a business or a technology professional who works with these products then this episode is well worth a listen to get the latest information about these upcoming products from Microsoft.

Episode 8 - Richard Tubb

In this episode I'm joined by Richard Tubb from www.jamescash.co.uk to discuss the challenges of merging a business. Richard has extensive experience in doing just that having merged his business (Netlink) with another provider to form www.jamescash.co.uk. Given that Richard also makes extensive use of the latest social networking tools we discuss how these can be effectively used in a business. We also look at the importance of focusing on what you are good at in business to get the most from your efforts. You can follow Richard via his blog at - http://www.tubblog.co.uk.

Episode 7 - Vlad Masek

In this episode I speak with the owner of OwnWebNow Vlad Maek and get his opinions on the changes cloud technology will bring to the marketplace. We look closely at the SMB market space and how technology businesses need to focus on what they can do well rather than trying to do everything. We speak about some of the upcoming Microsoft hybrid server products and whether they will succeed in the market. You can follow Vlad via his blog at - http://www.vladville.com.

Episode 6 - Radek Tkaczyk

This episode covers the latest in virtualization, especially from VMWare, with Radek Tkaczyk from www.vmvault.com.au. We run over what virtualization is and why it is important today. We take an indept look at the VMWare product range as well as some new releases from VMWare. If you want to learn more about virtualization and VMWare then you should listen to this podcast.

Episode 5 - Mark O'Shea

In this episode you'll hear from Mark O'Shea of Microsoft Australia about the Australian Partner conference (from a Microsoft perspective), the upcoming versions of Small Business Server (SBS 7 and Aurora) as well as Microsoft InTune. There is some great insight into these new products from someone who has been working with Small Business Server since version 4.0. You can follow Mark's blog at - http://blogs.technet.com/b/ausptasmb/

Episode 4 - Peter Vane

Here I speak with Peter Vane owner of ITWest (http://www.itwest.biz) about the changes that cloud technology will bring to managed services for technology businesses. We then consider the reactions clients will have and their uptake of cloud services. Throughout we look closely at what changes and challenges will confront technology providers with the coming of cloud technologies.