Microsoft Dynamics GP Technical Airlift 2012: Partner Training

I'm pleased to say that I survived the night! The concoction of remedies I took last night had the desired effects and today I am good and ready to go.

I spent the morning trying to recover my energies and around 10:00 AM arrived at the Microsoft Campus. On the way in I came across the Dynamics Community team.



Left to right: Star-Ann Shank (Xtreme Consulting), Kim Peterson (Dynamic Communities),
Babs Coler (Microsoft), Onika Allen (Xtreme Consulting)



Tonya Anderson, Kim Peterson, Shanna Hensch, Amy Alley

After some chit chatting and catching up, I picked up my badge and super cool polo shirt with the Microsoft Dynamics GP logo to attend the Web Client Jump Start Training. This session was an 8-hour hands-on training featuring topics ranging from a full overview of the Web Client itself; IIS, SSL, and Cetificates; Firewalls, Ports, and URL reservations; the various Web Client deployment strategies; and a full hands-on lab covering all the topics discussed throughout the day.



Web Client Environmental Components topic

Beginning next week, I will ran a full series on the Web Client, outlining some of the topics covered during the session.

The Web Client session came to a full stop at midday for a 30-minute lunch, before returning to the workshop.

I spent lunch time with the Microsoft Community Team talking about some of their work. At a general level I can say expect to see some significant improvements in the Microsoft Dynamics Community website and your PartnerSource and CustomerSource experience in the future.




From left to right: Brian Graftaas (Microsoft), Nick Hoban (Xtreme Consulting), and Justin Salter (Xtreme Consulting)

Back at the Web Client Jump Start Training, it was time to wrap up some remaining topics and get right on with the hands on lab, which was pretty much a full environment configuration and installation of the Web Client. While some attendees were able to complete the installation within the hour, some others visibly had difficulties with configuring firewall ports and checking some of the settings on their virtual lab machine.



Partners at the Web Client lab

Suffice to say, it's becoming a new brave world out there. One for which all partners and customers will need to begin making some significant investments in training and educating themselves and their people on the technologies involved and deployment options available to support this product. The days of Next-Next-Finish are coming to and end very soon.


Aaron Donat, Jason Lech, and Lucas Miller delivered the Web Client all-day session

Kudos to Aaron, Jason, and Lucas for a very well conducted session.

In addition to the Jump Start Training, GPPC was also conducting a GP 2013 Partner Presales Training session that ran in parallel with the Jump Start. This session was conducted by Pam Misialek and Errol Schoenfish.

After the Jump Start Training concluded, I met up with my fellow partners from Artware in Argentina and catch up on a number of business items from past projects we had worked on. We then decided on dinner out in town and went down to Old Broadway.

Tomorrow marks the beginning of the Technical Airlift with its traditional opening sessions and breakout sessions, one of which I will be presenting at 3:45 PM CST.

Until next post!

MG.-
Mariano Gomez, MVP
IntellPartners, LLC
http://www.IntellPartners.com/