Some of you have probably noticed in my signature that I am part of a group at Microsoft called the “MCS US Centers of Excellence - Deployment AOS“. But what exactly does that mean? Well, first of all in typical Microsoft form there are a few acronyms that should be defined:
MCS. Microsoft Consulting Services, the arm of Microsoft that assists customers with the implementation of Microsoft products.
US Centers of Excellence. A specialized organization within MCS staffed with consultants with specific areas of deep technical expertise.
Deployment AOS. One of the teams within the US Centers of Excellence, the “Deployment Area of Speciality”, focused solely on assisting customers deploy Windows and Office.
So what other “Areas of Speciality” (AOS) teams exist within the US Centers of Excellence organization? There are several, focused in two main areas: application development and infrastructure. On the application development front, the teams are:
- Application Platform Core, focused on helping companies develop .NET and web services solutions.
- Database, assisting customers with SQL Server, including Business Intelligence (BI) systems, application migration from other DBMS systems, .NET integration, and general database operational efficiency.
- Integration, using .NET and other Microsoft technologies to integrate with ERP, CRP, and similar software.
- Knowledge Worker, focused on developing solutions using Windows and Office (including Project Server) as a Smart Client.
- Portals, focused on SharePoint Portal Server and Windows SharePoint Services.
For infrastructure, there are:
- Deployment, my team, focused on the deployment of Windows and Office.
- Management and operations, working primarily with SMS 2003, Microsoft Operations Manager 2005, and general operational efficiency items.
- Messaging, focused on Microsoft Exchange and related technologies.
- OS and directory, working with Active Directory, Microsoft Identity Integration Server, and related technologies.
So what does the Deployment AOS team do? Well, we focus on different types of customer engagements:
- Architectural Design Sessions, where we spend 2-3 days with a customer teaching them about Microsoft deployment tools, techniques, and best practices, as well as products related to those areas (e.g. SMS).
- Proof of Concept sessions, where we spend 2-3 weeks in a lab environment building the deployment solutions alongside the customer, effectively transferring our knowledge to them so that they can continue the process without our assistance.
- Full engagements ranging from two weeks to three months where we work with the customer (and partners whenever possible) to solve particular deployment problems.
So who is on this team? Currently, the team consists of the following individuals:
Christian Tracey
Doug Davis
Steve Campbell
Michael Niehaus
Adam Gordon
Shawn Wall
Tony Richardson
Paul Spencer
Michael McGuire
Chris Bush
Jon Markarian
It's a great group of people to work with - all have a wealth of experience with Windows and Office deployments, SMS, Active Directory, and many other technologies.
Interested in knowing more about the Deployment AOS, the COE teams, or MCS in general? Interested in having someone from the team work with you? Just have general questions? Feel free to contact me at any time:
Michael Niehaus
Senior Consultant
US Community of Excellence Deployment Area of Specialty
Microsoft Consulting Services
mniehaus@microsoft.com (e-mail and MSN Instant Messenger)
(281) 770-1676 (cell)