EnergizeIT

Next week marks the beginning of EnergizeIT , Microsoft’s cross-Canada tour where we’ll be talking about some of the new tools and technologies that are coming soon. We’ll be hosting all kinds of things, including:

• User Group Connection: The Future of the Platform: We’ll show you the upcoming versions of our operating systems, Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2, some of their features, all with this question in mind: “How is this going to make my life easier?”
• EnergizeIT: From the Client to the Cloud: We’ll show you Microsoft’s “Software + Services” vision, which combines the power and richness of local software with the global reach of internet services to get the best of both worlds.
• Architecting Flexibility:   A session for architects covering Microsoft’s “Software + Services” vision and showing the infrastructure possibilities that come from choosing from on-premises, cloud computing and hybrid models.
• Windows 7 Installfest: See Windows 7 in action, see the new features and improved user interface and get the Windows 7 beta (which we’ve been running on our machines for the past little while) installed on your computer!

We’ll be sending out people from all branches of the Evangelism team: Developer Evangelists like me, as well as the IT Pro and Architect Evangelists. Unlike previous EnergizeIT events, which were held just in Toronto, we’re going to 18 major cities across Canada over the next six weeks to make sure that we reach as many Canadian developers, IT pros, architects and techies as we can, as up-close-and-personal as we can.

Best of all, it costs nothing to attend an EnergizeIT session. That’s right, it’s free! Space is limited, so you’ll have to register if you want to attend – you can do that at the EnergizeIT site.

In addition to our organized sessions, we’ll be holding Coffee and Code events in the cities we’re visiting. If you’re not familiar with Coffee and Code, it’s an informal gathering where we spend the day working out of a cafe with wifi, where you can come right up to us, join us for a coffee and talk to us, ask questions and get to know us as “your people on the inside” at Microsoft. Keep an eye on this blog or the Coffee and Code blog to find out when we’ll be hosting them in your town.

Here’s a list of the cities where we’ll be doing EnergizeIT. Please note that some of the events are completely booked – make sure you check the EnergizeIT site to see if there’s still space at the event nearest you.

I myself will be at the Kitchener, London, Mississauga and Toronto events, with Windows 7 in one hand and the accordion in the other. Hope to see you there!