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)
I passed the 70-401 - Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 exam yesterday (13th June 2008). Wasn't as easy as the SMS2003 exam I have to admit. But, I passed with a score high enough to make me buzz all day. I found some of the questions to be really challenging, a lot of NAP and Software Udpates questions, a spread of what I'm calling generic question (applicable to SMS2003 and SCCM). Overall, I'd advise any SMS2003 administrator to book this exam and go take it.
I've got to admit, SCCM has grown on me and now, like with Win95 to Win2000, Win2000 to WinXP, and now WinXP to Win Vista i've getting to like it (I only go as far back as Win 95 to maintain our sanity!). SCCM OSD has a massive WOW factor, i'm truely amazed at the power of Image deployment, very slick Microsoft. Software Updates still seems hugely complicated, with loads of steps required, and reports needed to figure out where you are, but it does go a lot further than ITMU. Overal, the product has had a good tweaking and repaint. Looking forward to finding clients that will actually use it this side of 2008! I also wonder how many people will run in Native mode? Most if not all of the people I speak to will only go for Mixed mode for now. (check out the WMUG Native v Mixed mode poll!) I'd tend to agree with a mixed mode implementation to start with, then grow in to Native mode.
Anyone upgrading from SMS2003 to SCCM2007 and implementing in Native mode is hardcore
Anyways, here's the preparation guide from Microsoft for exam 70-401 get studying!