New book: From IT Pro to Cloud Pro – Microsoft Office 365 and SharePoint Online

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We’re happy to announce the availability of From IT Pro to Cloud Pro – Microsoft Office 365 and SharePoint Online (ISBN 9781509304141), by Ben Curry and Brian Laws.

Purchase from these online retailers:

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Modernize your IT skills for the new world of cloud computing!

Whether you are an IT administrator, developer, or architect, cloud technologies are transforming your role. This guide brings together the knowledge you need to transition smoothly to Microsoft Office 365 cloud-only and hybrid environments. Microsoft MVP Ben Curry and leading cloud architect Brian Laws present specific, up-to-date guidance on administering key cloud technologies, including Microsoft Office 365, SharePoint Online, Azure AD, and OneDrive for Business.

Microsoft cloud technology experts Ben Curry and Brian Laws show you how to:

  • Anticipate and respond to the ways cloud technologies change your responsibilities, such as scripting key management tasks via Windows PowerShell
  • Understand today’s new mix of essential “Cloud Pro” skills related to infrastructure, scripting, security, and networking
  • Master modern cloud administration for Office 365 cloud and hybrid environments to deliver content and services, any time, on any device, from anywhere, and across organizational boundaries
  • Administer and configure SharePoint Online, including services, site collections, and hybrid features
  • Help secure client devices via Mobile Device Management for Office 365
  • Centrally manage user profiles, groups, apps, and social features
  • Bridge Office 365 and on-premises environments to share identities and data
  • Enforce governance, security, and compliance

Introduction

From the beginning of this project, Brian and I wanted to create a book that would highlight how IT Pros would need to become Cloud Pros. At the same time, we wanted to give newer Microsoft Office 365 professionals a solid guide for implementation. We knew this book couldn’t be a comprehensive guide, or it would turn into a large volume that would soon be outdated. Instead, we wanted to keep the book fresh and relevant, and only discuss topics that aren’t likely to change or are brand new. Where technologies are likely to change, we referenced the best starting points for you, the reader. Some topics are very technical in nature and highlight the technical skill needed to transition from IT Pro to Cloud Pro. Others, such as migration, are more process-focused and underscore the need for Cloud Pros to be aware of proper project planning and methodologies. The cloud requires us to be both technical and business savvy.

Although it’s focused on IT Pros, this book is for anyone who is responsible for designing, configuring, implementing, or managing an Office 365 deployment. This book will help you understand what your team is up against when it comes to your Microsoft SharePoint Online, OneDrive for Business, or hybrid deployment. Also, it will discuss additional technologies and concepts that underlie Office 365 but aren’t readily apparent, such as Azure Active Directory (Azure AD), Security & Compliance, and lots of Windows PowerShell. However, this book rarely issues prescriptive guidance—you should use the online Microsoft resources for that. Our goal is to help you think through the various design points so that you can make the right decisions for your company.

This book assumes you have a working knowledge of SharePoint Server 2013 and SharePoint Online administration, or that you have access to that information. It also assumes you have a working knowledge of Office 365 fundamentals, such as how to work with users and navigate the administration centers. We assume you understand most networking concepts, such as DNS, firewalls, routing, and proxy servers, along with the how-to of those concepts. Newer areas of technology (many of which many IT Pros lack experience with or are weak in) are covered in more technical detail than other, better-known topics.

Finally, we often “deep dive” into a single, specific area to show the logic of being a Cloud Pro. Because there isn’t room in any book to dive deeply into every area of Office 365, you should pay attention to how, in these deep dives, we go about solving problems and not just focus on how we solve that specific problem.

About the authors

BEN CURRY is founding partner, principal architect, and technology strategist at Summit 7 Systems, a Microsoft Gold Partner in cloud productivity, collaboration, and content management. He is a 10-time Microsoft MVP in SharePoint and Office 365 technologies.

BRIAN LAWS is a Cloud Architect at Summit 7 Systems, a Microsoft Gold Partner in cloud productivity, collaboration, and content management. He has been deep in SharePoint since the 2007 version and has worn the infrastructure, developer, and architecture hats. His head is usually in the Cloud, dreaming about PowerShell and automation. Outside of work, Brian tries to spend as much as he can with his wife and kids. Whenever he gets the opportunity, he enjoys reading comics, playing video games, and keeping up with his favorite shows. He’s a geek through-and-through.