The "Smooth Guide" to Groove

Deployment Certification Exam Training - TechEd Barcelona

Friday 07 November 2008, 10:15 – 15:30

Hilton Diagonal Mar Hotel, Albora Room on the 1^st Floor

Tech Ed IT Forum and Tech Ed Developer registrants are invited to attend the Groove 2007 Fundamentals & Technical Training course.  Participating in this training will help prepare you for taking and passing the Microsoft Certified Technical Specialist Exam 70-555: Configuring Microsoft Office Groove 2007. 

Abstract
This course will outline Groove solutions in market, how SharePoint & Groove work together, and how to deploy and support Groove in your organization.  The training includes presentations, labs, and Q&A discussions.  The Hands on Labs will focus on the Groove client as well as installing and configuring the Groove Servers.  You will leave the class with a solid understanding of the Groove platform and its underlying services, including the unique aspects of a decentralized architecture, communications, security, data bridge, relay and management services.

Attendee Profiles
This event will have 200 – 300 level technical focus.  IT Pros, Microsoft field personnel, Developers, and anyone else interested in learning about deploying Office Groove 2007 are welcome to attend.  Please spread the word to inform your colleagues about this valuable training opportunity!

Cost
There is no additional cost for Tech Ed delegates to attend this training session.  However, you must register in advance since space is limited.  Cancellations must be received at least 48 hours before the event begins to accommodate others wanting to participate.

Attendees will be provided free access codes for all 6 of the Groove Server e-Learning courses currently available.  In addition, attendees who complete this course (who are not Microsoft employees) will receive a free voucher for the Groove certification exam.

Lunch will be provided during the session.

How to Register for This Event

Advance registration is required and space is limited, so sign up now. To register, click this link to send an email to grvte08@microsoft.com

Prior to this Event

Because we will utilize Microsoft MSL’s e-learning modules for many of the Labs and will be accessing Groove Hosted Services, a Windows Live ID is required.  If you have not created one, you should do so before the event to save time.  Click here to create a Windows Live ID.

Welcome to our wedding!

I hope you're all enjoying yourselves on this very special day.

It’s great to see so many friends and family and I can honestly say it would not have been the same without you – just a lot cheaper! And of course fewer gifts!

We should, first, join in thanking our fantastic hosts; John and Ann, for creating this most fabulous setting.  There are royal families and “A” list celebrities who would be envious of this venue.  I - above all - know of the hours, days, weeks and months of planning that have gone into creating this very special day.  Both John and Ann devote much of their free time to making this garden the subject of envy for many professional gardeners and I was very impressed with the lack of hesitation on their part to vandalise their joint, life-long project, in order to accommodate us all today!

Please except our sincere thanks. 

On a personal note I would like to say how John, Anne and the extended Leask, Vince and Gorman families very quickly made me feel at home and part of the clan. 

I am not saying that quid pro quo is a factor but John now gets extended bragging rights over his Irish connection not to mention the relief of off-loading, sorry giving away, the last of his children in marriage. Being a trusting person; I see nothing suspicious about his zeal.

The other reason we are able to enjoy this wonderful day is due, of course, to my mother Jean, who is here today with my “second mother” and life-long friend;  Joyce.   Thank you both for always being there for me.  I would like to thank my mother especially for fuelling my James Bond fantasies by telling my at an early age that she was once one of his girlfriends. This has kept the psychiatric profession in good stead for many years.

It would be churlish of me to neglect the efforts that the rest of my Irish family and friends have made to join us here today in this celebration: Thanks to my sister Orla, her husband, Brian and my nephew Dion, my son Stephen and my Granddaughter, Alycia, my life-long friend Conor, who is presiding as Best Man, his wife Liz and my godson Richard; all whom have travelled from Ireland to be here today.

Now I would like to thank the bridesmaids, pageboys and ushers for all their hard work. With some small, very small, tokens of our appreciation for their efforts in making this day so special.

So if you could all make your way up to the side you can get some free stuff.

I first met Frances in the local pub.  It makes me wonder where people will meet in the future once new labour have confined us to our homes for fear of us having a drink and a laugh!

Over a couple of years I became more and more enamoured with her; to the point of engineering “chance meetings” in the street.  In past times this was part of romance; now apparently it is referred to as “stalking”.

Tradition dictates that I should, now, tell you a funny anecdote about my bride: but I am going to break with that tradition and simply say that I now am in the enviable position of having the pleasure of waking up every day with the happiest most positive person on the planet!  And a smile that could change the world!

And look at her today – BEAUTIFUL!  BEAUTIFUL!  BEAUTIFUL! 

Almost there!  I am sure that Frances and you all will join me in toasting the Lovely Bridesmaids and the handsome ushers!

On a more solemn note, I would now like to hand over to my Best Man; Conor.  He knows far too much about me and is far too open to bribery and corruption.  Knowing that, I have paid him off, to go easy on me with his speech.  But before you have the pleasure of Conor’s dulcid tones, Fra and I would like to present him with a small gift to thank him for his efforts today.  He of course will argue that is too little and too late!

Conor!