My new blog

Welcome to another Microsoft-ee blog.

In case you haven't guessed yet, my name is Johann Kruse.  I'm a Technology Specialist in Unified Communications for Microsoft in Sydney Australia - which means I am the local technical guy for anything and everything related to Exchange, LCS, Unified Messaging, VOIP, and comms/collaboration in general.

I've been in this role for about 18 months.  Prior to this I was the Network Manager at ninemsn, where I was responsible for pretty much everything IT related - Exchange, AD, routing, comms, security, architecture, telephony.. even the air-conditioning.  I've now narrowed my focus somewhat, and am lucky enough to spend my time to working with two of the most interesting, exciting and innovative communications technologies in the world - Exchange Server and Live Communications Server.

So why this blog?  Well first of all I wanted to connect more with the broader technical community and get your thoughts/feedback/etc about the goings-on in the UC world.  But mostly I am doing this because I think it will be a fun and enlightening experience.  I feel that we are about to embark on a journey, that this will be something special.

In some ways this blog post is kind of like our first date - I'm nervous and awkward, probably trying just a little too hard to be funny and impress you.  Of course you've been doing this for a while, you've seen it before - and you certainly won't be fooled so easily by a pretender like me.

Yet you are curious.  You're willing to give me a chance, spend some time to get to know me.

Maybe we can make this work.

It could become something great.  Let's give it a shot.  Let's not spend the rest of our lives thinking "What if? ...".

So anyway, time for some Exchange trivia.

When you install Exchange 2007 into an existing 2003 organisation it automatically creates some admin and routing groups for interoperability ...

Exchange Administrative Group (FYDIBOHF23SPDLT)

and

Exchange Routing Group (DWBGZMFD01QNBJR)

I know what you're thinking.  What do those letters mean?  Are they random?  What is the point of this???

Well - try shifting each letter one space backwards or forwards.  What do you get?

EXCHANGE12ROCKS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!