Brian R Ricks receives Microsoft Certified Solutions Masters (MCSM) for Communications certification

Back in April of 2013 I took a journey with Microsoft when I decided to attend an MCSM rotation. The weeks in Redmond were definitely one of the most challenging times in my life but it has paid off. I am happy to announce that I have obtained the MCSM certification in Communications. What does this mean for me? Great question! t this point, I am not exactly sure how it will impact me but I do know that I have an even deeper level of understanding how Lync Server 2013 works and that makes me a better engineer.

Anyone that is interested in progressing their training or certification with Microsoft should definitely consider the MCSM track - there are many from AD to SQL to Lync Server. A link to the Microsoft MCSM website may be found here along with FAQs regarding the program.

New Microsoft Lync 2013 Jump Start Series

I am pleased to announce that two new Lync 2013 Jump Start sessions have been announced...and once again I will be presenting in both. The first JumpStart, titledCore Solutions of Microsoft Lync Server 2013 Jump Start will be held live on May 30th and 31st starting at 9:00am PST. Just as I presented last time with Aaron Steele for the first series once again he will be my co-presenter for the first session. The first Lync 2013 Jump Start series will present information to assist you in passing the Microsoft Exam 70-336.

It is EXTREMLEY IMPORTANT to note that the series requires/expects you to have a solid understanding and foundation of Lync 2010 as much of the content will reference the previous version and compare the old to the new.

The second JumpStart, titled Enterprise Voice & Online Services with Microsoft Lync Server 2013 Jump Start will be held live on June 13th and 14th, again at 9:00am PST. Once again, the second series will be co-presented with Rui Maximo as I did in 2010. The second Lync 2013 Jump Start series will present information to assist you in passing the Microsoft Exam 70-337.

Registration for the first session can be found at http://aka.ms/Lync336. The second session is not yet available for registration but will be coming soon tohttp://aka.ms/Lync337.

I look forward to sharing important Lync information and discussing my hair once again. Do not miss out on this live session - register today!