Working with Microsoft Azure Resources

On September 22 2014, I had the pleasure of speaking to the MSDEVMTL community about working with Microsoft Azure Resources.

Microsoft Azure Resources include Blob Storage, Table Storage, Queue Storage, Service Bus, Virtual Machines, Cloud Services and SQL Database. During my talk, I introduced a couple of tools that allow us to work with these resources. Some tools are built by Microsoft others are built by companies like Cerebrata, Cloud Berry and Zudio.

How do you Update Your Wetware?

I’m passionate about technology, but sometimes I need a wetware update. A reminder that technology needs people to change the world.

Wetware is a term drawn from the computer-related idea of hardware or software, but applied to biological life forms. Here the prefix “wet” is a reference to the water found in living creatures. Wetware is used to describe the elements equivalent to hardware and software found in a person, namely the central nervous system (CNS) and the human mind. The term wetware finds use both in works of fiction and in scholarly publications.

Communicating effectively doesn’t come easily. Surprisingly, the skills required to be heard include paying attention to others. Listening with intent and genuine interest has a greater effect than one can imagine.

As a technology enthusiast, and as a dreamer, it’s important that I remember that I need to communicate to succeed. Ideas grow and mature to fruition through collaboration and care.

Curiosity drives me to update my wetware through various activities. For one, I am an active participant in my local and worldwide community where I learn about technology. By interacting with others, I learn from their experiences and expand my understanding. I listen to podcasts and comment on blog posts. I ask and answer questions on social networks like Stackoverflow and I participate in forums.

Human interaction is at the center of my personal growth and this fact has driven me to two wonderful books. The first book that I had the pleasure of discovering is “Speaking as a Leader“. This book is rich with advice about how to move others with your vision. Using the right approach and the right tools makes a world of difference. The second book is time-tested and has captured the interest of millions. “How to Win Friends and Influence People” is a book that conveys principles through stories about people who have left their mark on history.

Both books complement each other really well. And both are rich with a wealth of wisdom that begs for a second read.

How do you update your wetware?

Microsoft Azure MVP (2014)

Being recognized for something I’m so passionate about is amazing! The past year has truly been rewarding. It was a year of change, opportunity and challenges.

I’m honored to receive the 2014 Microsoft Azure MVP award.

I joined the Microsoft Azure MVPs last July and was welcomed by a group of remarkable individuals. Inspired by our energetic community, I strive to learn and share about what it means to build applications for the cloud.

2013 was a year of change for the Microsoft Azure community. Services, Partners and Technologies have made their way to the cloud. Consumers have a rich ecosystem of services with which to compose their solutions. These are very exciting times for developers who tinker with the cloud. Competition, creativity and business opportunities create the perfect setting for a fast pace evolution. I really think that we’re only seeing the tip of the iceberg, 2014 is going inspiring!

I’d like to thank everyone who contributed over the past year. I’m very grateful for your questions, insights and opinions. The adventure has been very interesting and I truly hope that you will continue to be part of it.

Thank you for this exceptional award.

The Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) Award is our way of saying thank you to exceptional, independent community leaders who share their passion, technical expertise, and real-world knowledge of Microsoft products with others. It is part of Microsoft’s commitment to supporting and enriching technical communities. Even before the rises of the Internet and social media, people have come together to willingly offer their ideas and best practices in technical communities.

Microsoft MVP web site

What is Microsoft Azure?

Windows Azure is an ecosystem of services that can be leveraged to build reliable solutions.

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#WindowsAzure 2013 & @Brisebois

To say that 2013 was a good year would be an understatement!

This year I wrote quite a few blog posts. Your enthusiasm, support and feedback have made this blog a great resource for everyone (myself included). Visits have gone from barely 700 a month to a staggering 12,000 visits a month!

In February I joined the Canadian Windows Azure Community Experts, in July I became a Windows Azure MVP, in August I created the Montréal Windows Azure Community and I became a Windows Azure Insider. As if that wasn’t enough, Microsoft totally surprised me by putting together an awesome Global MVP Summit in November! The event was inspiring, setting the tone for another exciting year for Windows Azure developers.

It’s been a busy year! In September, with the help of Guy Barrette, I tried to summarize everything that happened in Windows Azure over the summer and we nearly ran out of time.

The Windows Azure teams are now releasing updates and features every 3 weeks… Consequently, Windows Azure is evolving at such a rapid pace, that it’s nearly impossible to keep up. That’s why I created a series of daily blog posts which try to capture your (community) interests in and around Windows Azure for a given day. I try to keep these short, but by all means please send in your suggestions. I personally use these posts to stay informed about everything Azure.

By now you might think that it’s impossible to keep this kind of cadence going, but I honestly think that the next 6 months are going to be interesting. I’m working on projects that allow me to push new aspects of Windows Azure and I will definitely try to share my lessons learned through blog posts about my adventures.

In 2013 I went from being a consumer to producing my own content. Along the way I was fortunate to meet a number of inspiring folks who keep me on my toes by questioning and by providing invaluable feedback. They work hard to make Windows Azure and Cloud technologies better for all of us.

Happy New Year, I wish you and your loved one’s all the best. Together, anything is possible.

Have You Met The Canadian Windows Azure Community Experts?

The Canadian community experts are here to help you get acquainted with Windows Azure and to help you make informed decisions. Chosen for their real world experience with Windows Azure.

This happy bunch of professionals share about their experiences through user groups, blogs, twitter, forums, stack overflow and other platforms.

Commençons l’année avec un 5 à 7 au pub l’Ile Noire! (25/09/2013)

Pour bien commencer l’année, la Communauté .NET Montréal aimerait vous rencontrer lors d’un 5 à 7 le 25 septembre au pub l’Ile Noire situé sur la rue St-Denis à Montréal.

Venez passer un bon moment entre passionnés! Ce 5 à 7, un peu informel, vous permettra de rencontrer les membres de la communauté tout en partagent une bonne bière, du scotch ou du vin (consommation à vos frais).

Profitez-en pour inviter des collègues curieux qui aimeraient en connaître plus sur la Communauté .Net Montréal car le membership n’est pas requis pour accéder à la soirée.

L’Île Noire,
c’est plus de 140 scotchs,
une quinzaine de bières en fûts,
une trentaine de vins
et une équipe de 15 joyeux lurons
à votre service…
http://www.ilenoire.com/

The Montreal Windows Azure User Group has joined the. Montreal .NET Community!

The Montreal Windows Azure User Group has joined the Montreal .NET Community!

Primarily a French speaking User Group, its mission is to bring together a community developers interested in Windows Azure in hopes creating a favorable environment for exchange, collaboration and learning.

The group mainly focuses the exchange of information about best practices, ways to use various tools and technologies in order to help developers produce robust Windows Azure solutions. The group is an independent organization and is not related to Microsoft.

The group is led by Alexandre Brisebois (Windows Azure MVP), Guy Barrette (Windows Azure MVP)
and Maxime Rouiller (ASP.NET MVP).

Le Groupe Windows Azure de Montréal se joint à la Communauté .NET Montréal

Le Groupe Windows Azure de Montréal se joint à la Communauté .NET Montréal!

Il a pour mission de regrouper au sein d’une communauté d’échange, de collaboration et d’apprentissage les développeurs qui s’intéressent à Windows Azure.

Le groupe se concentre principalement sur l’échange d’information sur les meilleures pratiques, les différentes façons d’utiliser et d’optimiser et les différents outils pouvant aider les développeurs. Le groupe est un organisme indépendant et n’est pas lié à Microsoft.

Le groupe est dirigé par Alexandre Brisebois (MVP Windows Azure), Guy Barrette (MVP Windows Azure)
et Maxime Rouiller (MVP ASP.NET).

Windows Azure MVP (2013)

Today I had the pleasure of receiving the Windows Azure MVP award! And it feels awesome to be recognized for something I’m so passionate about.

I’d like to thank everyone who contributed along the way. I know I take a lot of your time by asking you for reviews , your opinions and for your insights on various technical issues…

Be warned =) the adventure is only starting and I truly hope that you will continue to be part of it!

 

The Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) Award is our way of saying thank you to exceptional, independent community leaders who share their passion, technical expertise, and real-world knowledge of Microsoft products with others. It is part of Microsoft’s commitment to supporting and enriching technical communities. Even before the rises of the Internet and social media, people have come together to willingly offer their ideas and best practices in technical communities.

– Microsoft MVP web site