So here we are again, another year completed and this year I decided to write up and end of year review. This year has been more special to me than previous. As this year I broke into the Cloud!
> Community Update
March
At the beginning of the year, Dean Ellerby reached out and asked if I wanted to help co-manage a user group around Cloud Management along with Andy Jones and Dan Stradling. Initially starting with CMUG (Cloud Management User Group) taking the traditional format of Microsoft Teams and Meetup. After a couple of discussions, we looked at shaking it up and moving to restream.io and then taking advantage of Youtube and Live streams and rebranded to the Cloud Management Community or CMC for short.
If you want to find out when our next user group will be check out the website: https://cloudmanagement.community/
For the socials,
Twitter is @the_cmccommunity
Youtube Page is: https://www.youtube.com/c/CloudManagementCommunity
June
The Zero to Hero style platform isn’t a new thing, it does however require two people, One who is the newbie and doesn’t know the subject area very well, that being myself. then you need someone to is knowledgeable in the said area this would be the brilliant @ShabazDarr – I’d originally got the idea from Gregor Suttie and Richard Hooper doing an AKS Zero to Hero playlist.
Copying the idea, We created a 10 Part Series where we covered the end of end setup on what at the time was WVD, and how to deploy and set up the environment within Azure. AVD Zero to Hero Playlist
Finally, to wrap up June, I had the honour of speaking at the Bradford Cloud User Group alongside May Alhajr. This was my first user group presentation around Windows 10, Intune and AutoPilot and the basics of enrolling a client into Intune and the steps required to capture the device hash.
July
Great, So we’ve made it to the middle of the year, with 6 months to go. If I was totally honest here my Mental Health and general health was not brilliant around this period of time. I think everyone has suffered from aspects of the COVID Pandemic, having *touch wood* not caught it. But my Mental Health was in a massive rut. and this is where Gregor Suttie and Richard Hooper came in to save the day!
You can read the article here: https://cloudfamily.info/cloud_champions/july2021/
Then I did an interview for AzureCrazy – https://azurecrazy.com/simon-lee-inteview/
August
In August I sat down with amazing John Lunn a.k.a JonnyChipz to record a take of InConversationWith. Where we covered the shift to Online Servies such as Office365, SharePoint and how COVID helped shift to a new way of working and brought about a newly defined version of “Remote Work”
> Microsoft Certifications
This year I’ve managed to complete three exams! Which for someone who has always struggled with exams and revision this has been a massive personal achievement.
Starting back in February with MD100 – Windows Client.
For those who have not sat the exam, It covers the Installation and Configuration of Windows 10 Operating System along with integration with Intune and AzureAD.
Exam write up: MD100 – Lessons of a COVID Exam
Then in June, I completed the MD101 – Managing Modern Desktop.
Having completed this I got the official title of ‘Microsoft 365 Certified: Modern Desktop Administrator Associate’
Then following my move to the Cloud, In September I completed the beginning on my Azure track with the AZ-900 – Azure Fundamentals Exam
> Breaking Into the Cloud
This was the year I finally broke into the Cloud sector. Since September I have been working for a Dutch company ‘Intercept‘ is an Azure Expert MSP specialising in helping ISV’s move to the Microsoft Azure Cloud Stack. In the last three months, to say that I’ve completed three months already is crazy, it has been an awesome journey and everyone has been so supportive and helpful in my quest into the cloud!
Finally, Thank you to everyone who has helped with getting through this year and will see you all in 2022!
