From one tech to another - Step into the playground of fun
Michael Friedrich
Microsoft Cloud Solutions Architect
Microsoft Australia
They say the apple never falls far from the tree, which is probably why my nine-year old son Riley is passionate about robotic Lego. I can honestly say he plays with his robotic Lego set every day, and interestingly he doesn’t like to follow the instructions – he just loves to work it all out for himself and I think that is a great skill to have.
As a Microsoft Cloud Solutions Architect for Partners I also like to build things…but my playground is Azure. For the past five years of my career I have worked with companies and partners to design solutions for their customers on Azure, and I can honestly say I feel like I have one of the best jobs in the world.
It’s the transformative nature of Azure that excites me. As digital transformation continues to drive rapid change in businesses focused on providing the best customer experiences possible, the demand for cloud-enabled solutions is only growing. And in an increasingly digital world, people, not technology will be the disrupters, which is why I’m excited that my career is focused on bringing these opportunities to life.
I stepped into the world of Azure certification about 2 years ago when I completed Implementing Microsoft Azure Infrastructure Solutions. After that I was well and truly hooked, so I decided to also complete Architecting Microsoft Azure Solutions and Developing Microsoft Azure Solutions. I found studying for certification enjoyable because, like my son with his robotic Lego, I used my Azure study-time to explore and build things. So, in the evening, as my wife watched reality TV, I sat next to her with my laptop and built things like websites, server infrastructure and automated deployments!
Obviously, my passion for Azure means I can only encourage likeminded people to consider Microsoft’s new Azure training, which offers access to self-paced online learning and opportunities for Azure certification at a deep discount. We’ve put together three training offers that combine free access to our library of flexible, online courses, discounts on our industry-standard Microsoft Certified Professional exams, and a discount on Linux certification offered through the Linux Foundation.
Microsoft’s quality courseware will provide you with practical learnings you can employ immediately, and earning technical certifications positions you for career advancement, higher salary and more interesting work. But as well as giving you the chance to become one of a rare breed of Australian Azure experts, it also means you can also have the chance to play! And that is my biggest tip for anyone contemplating Azure certification.
Use your study time as chance to step into a playground that offers a platform capable of doing great things. A place where you can build freely and deploy anywhere with a cloud you can trust. You may go into your Azure training feeling like a big kid, but you’ll come out the other end with deep skills, expertise and confidence to implement meaningful technical solutions that meet advanced customer needs. And I can’t imagine anything more fun.
Free Online Azure Courses 