I'm Robert Marshall, director and senior consultant at SMSMarshall Ltd who's specialism is in the Microsoft System Center 2012 Configuration Manager product and all of its dependent products covering all aspects from Architecture, Implementation, Migration to Break-Fix.
I've been using computers for over 30 years, beginning as a programmer and now a senior consultant in an enterprise product. I only count my career as starting 17 years ago when I began my first serious role as a deployment engineer. I've seen 8 bit through to 64 bit, the rise and constant refinement of the GUI, the rise of the Internet from land-line based modem access to the powerful broadband connections we have today, mobile phones come into existence, and I've seen Microsoft evolve from a handful of employees to the company it is now while pretty much tinkering with every OS they have released; As well as seeing an industry that has evolved around those humble beginnings to become what we have today. You could call me an IT Dinosaur but I'm still as mentally able as I was back then, perhaps even more adept now since I've had broad exposure to so much and seen trends come and go. I'm a keen technical puzzle solver, which sets me apart as I love to solve gnarly problems around my area of specialism.
I like to share, i do so by blogging here, and helping out when I can as a moderator and answering questions when I have time on the TechNet Social forums for ConfigMgr 2012 and ConfigMgr 2007. I am a guest poster on TechNet UK Flash magazine and an MVP since 2009 (Most Valuable Professional) in the ECM (Enterprise Client Management) exclusively dedicated to ConfigMgr. the MVP status helps me to help others in more depth due to the closeness to the product group and access to other MVP's the program affords me.
The blogs pretty much about ConfigMgr, but on the odd occasion I also use it as a platform to express my random urges to post something I've stumbled across, be it technical or non-technical, and which I imagine would entertain you or what not as equally as it did me.
(2013)
First hot holiday of the year just around the corner!
I'm almost packed, for a 7 day holiday to the Maldives. We fly this Sunday, with 12 a hour flight ahead of us. We leave late at night, so we should be able to get a good few hours of snoozing in before we have to grind our way through the in-flight movies, read books and generally idle the time away. Once we arrive we'll be flown via a sea-plane to the island itself. Cannot wait!
We'll be staying on an island called Meedhupparu (aka The Island that someone saw) [WIKIPEDIA:Meedhupparu] which is in the Raa\Baa atols (pretty much in the north section of the Maldives). You can walk around the entire island in 30 minutes LOL!
Here's a video to feast your eyes on, so you glow with envy hehe: http://www.holidaywatchdog.com/Meedhupparu_Island_Resort-Video-Clip-1454.html
7 days may not be enough time, it's all I could take off work at the moment, so we'll be trying to squeeze in as much beach time as possible, with trips across to other islands and POI's, along of course, with some [WIKIPEDIA:Scuba] diving!
There is great diving to be had around the Raa\Baa atoll, and my good friend Mr Scambler ([WIKIPEDIA:Bsac] diver) egged me on to get trained up so I could do some cool diving out there. I found a local dive club, and just finished the first half of a [WIKIPEDIA:PADI] Open water Diver Referral course ... 2 dives in a pool here, and 4 dives in open water once I arrive on the island. Scuba diving is so much fun, getting the basics, and understanding theory has been great. But, the real fun is yet to start!
We cannot wait to check out Manta's, every-colour-you-can-imagine fish, coral, and hopefully a few (friendly!) sharks!
When I get back, i'll be sure to upload the pics somewhere and link from here.