The Cloud Rocks: Learn Windows Azure
Onward and upward! Microsoft’s cloud computing platform is just about two years old now, but the industry as a whole is still in its adolescence, so there’s no time like the present to get involved and learn how leveraging our Platform-as-a-Service offering can enable scenarios that were previously infeasible.
Here are four ways you can get your head in the clouds over the next couple of weeks:
Learn Windows Azure (Dec 13th): learn from the masters
This event is hot off the presses! A Learn Windows Azure event, featuring Scott Guthrie, Mark Russinovich, and Dave Campbell is slated for next Tuesday, Dec. 14th. If you’re in the Seattle area and are able to attend, it’s an unparalleled opportunity to hear from the cloud-gurus at Microsoft. If not, the entire event is being streamed live on Channel 9, so you can tune in from the comfort of your own office or home and still take part in the other events below!
Windows Azure DevCamp (Dec. 8 – 14th): up close and personal
For a more local touch, join Peter, Brian, and me for one of three remaining Azure DevCamps we’re holding across the East during early December. We’ll cover the key components of the platform, and there will be plenty of time for a RockPaperAzure hackathon, where those present can win an XBox 360, Kinect, Visual Studio Pro, or a Best Buy $50 Gift Card. The event info and registration links are below – don’t miss out!
| Registration Link | Date | Time |
| Microsoft, New York City | Thur., Dec. 8th, 2011 | 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. |
| Microsoft, Malvern PA | Mon., Dec. 12th, 2011 | 2 – 9 p.m. |
| Microsoft, Chevy Chase MD | Wed., Dec. 14th, 2011 | 2 – 9 p.m. |
RockPaperAzure On-Line Tournament (through Dec. 16th): the beaches of Cancun are calling
Have some fun in the cloud and perhaps win the $5000 grand sweepstakes prize (or up to $200 in Best Buy Gift Cards) by participating in the RockPaperAzure Challenge on-line. All you need is about 20 minutes to enter for the big prize, but we invite you to spend as much time as you want crafting your killer bot for a shot at even more wealth and glory!
RockPaperAzure At Your User Group (on demand!): fun and learning among friends
Do you lead a User Group? Are you part of one? Let me know, we can set you up with a “RockPaperAzure Kit” so you can host your own local tournament, with prepared content and cool prizes of course! I’ll be visiting the two user groups below in the next couple of weeks, let me know if you’d like to do the same at your group.
User Group Location Date MaineBytes UNUM Portland ME Monday, Dec. 12th, 2011 New Hampshire .NET – Nashua Daniel Webster College Nashua NH Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2011