Allow myself to introduce..... myself!

Many of you will now know that Nathan Mercer has moved across into a new role focussing on Windows and Devices (the gadget lover's dream role) and left behind a fairly large pair of boots that needed filling. I'm taking on that challenge and have joined the Developer and Platform Evangelism team here at Microsoft NZ as the new Infrastructure Technology Evangelist.

In my previous role I was managing the IT infrastructure for a Microsoft Partner, in addition to selling and implementing Dynamics CRM. Some of the technology we deployed included HP BladeSystem hardware, NetApp SAN storage, SonicWALL and ISA/TMG Server security products, Hyper-V and VMware virtualisation, and Lync with Enterprise Voice for telephony. In the last year we started the transition to a hybrid-cloud with Office365 SaaS and Windows Azure IaaS offerings.

At home I'm a husband, and a father to a 5 year old girl and 3 year old boy who keep me busy! I've always enjoyed New Zealand wines, especially Hawkes Bay Reds and have recently acquired a taste for craft beers - the hoppier the better. I love food of all cuisines, and in my social times love to fish and dive.

This is an exciting time in IT with the current trend towards Cloud and Hybrid-Cloud solutions, and Microsoft has invested a lot in developing its product portfolio to fit into this brave new converged world. If you're looking for a way to get hands-on with some of the new technologies - Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 R2, System Center 2012 R2, Windows Azure for IaaS - then keep an eye out for an upcoming Technet Flash when we will announce the dates of our first quarter it camps.

In the meantime, there is some great technical content available on Microsoft Virtual Academy.

So, what are my objectives in this role? Primarily, I want to keep you up to date on our technology and help you find the resources you need to continue to deliver solutions to your stakeholders. Our team will be doing this via:
            • Fortnightly TechNet Flash newsletters
            • IT Camps - free, hands-on, technical training events
            • Teched 2014 New Zealand
            • Facilitating other IT Pro events
            • This Technet Blog

If you would like to reach out to me, check me out on about.me, or follow @nzregs on twitter.

Wishing you all a safe and happy Christmas and New Year.

Regan Murphy
Infrastructure Technology Evangelist
Microsoft NZ