28Jul
21Jan
Understanding file server migrations to Microsoft 365
In my opinion, there is only one viable migration path to move data from old file servers to Microsoft 365: it has to be a user-engaged migration. IT people always ask me about tools--stuff like the SharePoint migration tool or Microsoft's recent acquisition of mover.io, and there are even fancier...
25Nov
Unpopular opinion: Do not restrict users from creating Teams (Office 365 Groups)
I realize that advocating for no (or very limited) boundaries on who can create Teams puts me in the minority. When I look out across the community, I mostly see consultants in this space suggesting the opposite is a superior approach for various reasons--that the privilege should be constrained heavily....
21Nov
When would I recommend Windows Virtual Desktop to a customer?
Call me crazy: I don't see the value in a Remote Desktop or Virtual Desktop experience for its own sake. The purpose of this kind of solution is to provide centralized management and remote access to specifically Windows-based applications. In short: Remove your dependency on Windows, and you've removed the...
25Apr
Two philosophies for deploying Microsoft Teams in an organization
IT admins throughout the world subscribe to one of two worldviews today: Control mindset: IT's job is to control and restrict, and of course, to protect the clueless users from all of those scary threats out there in the world today (including themselves)Empower mindset: IT's job is to educate and...
02Feb
The Four Causes of Technology
Aristotle, in his work The Metaphysics, enumerates a number of “causes” which describe the essence of a thing. Your business’s technology is a thing. If we want to gain a good understanding of what this thing is, then we should be able to describe this thing--in its essence--we should be able to...
29Dec
Resourcefulness, Initiative and Grit
When faced with some problem, most of us (let's be honest) are habituated toward shopping for and purchasing some product that "solves" our problem. But the marketplace is not lacking in products. What is lacking, I believe, is spirit. When I was just a young boy, I thought that owning a...
20Oct
The Promise of Technology is also the Danger
Who would deny the promise of technology? Technology does allow us to achieve feats that would have seemed like fantasy even a few decades ago--nobody denies that. Furthermore, each iteration of new technology makes the one before it instantly obsolete, or at least, they appear lackluster. That which seemed impossible yesterday is possible...
19Sep
The Measure of Success
How do you measure success? In the world of consulting, we live and die by the billable hour. Utilization. But I haven't watched that metric for myself--ever. I've been told to, of course. But as with many conventions, I generally ignore it. These days, I'm lucky enough to work for a company that...
25Jul