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CS Degree? Constant Learners and Self-SysAdmins Are Required: Written on Tue, 03/31/09 - 10:22am; I enjoy the conversation sparked by the Network World article Does A Computer Science Degree Matter Anymore? I've hired lots of software developers and IT professionals and whether they have a degree or not isn't usually a top factor. When you can, developing a technical screening questionnaire...; Read More
IBM Steps On American Workers - Future IT Managers Replace IBM: Written on Fri, 03/27/09 - 12:06pm; That great sucking sound isn't NAFTA, it's IBM (and their empty headed executives) thumbing their nose at 5k of IBM's productive, loyal North American workers, while IBM sucks their jobs right from under them and the American economy. Layoffs are layoffs, most companies have been forced...; Read More
Reach Out And Touch Windows 7: Written on Thu, 03/26/09 - 2:50am; Something you haven't heard a great deal about in Windows 7 is the added support for touch user interfaces. The touch interface was demonstrated at the 2008 PDC conference but the presenters didn't go into any detail about how apps would be designed for touch, they showed some apps that benefit...; Read More
Microsoft: The Platform and Open Source Company?: Written on Wed, 03/25/09 - 7:53am; We keep seeing some mighty strange talk from Microsoft these days. Not only is Microsoft a platform company now for Microsoft-based applications through the Azure platform, but Microsoft is embarking on two new strategies: be the web platform and cozying up to open source, from Linux right up to and...; Read More
Standards Compliant IE8 + IE7 Compatibility Mode: Blessing or Curse?: Written on Fri, 03/20/09 - 10:23am; Microsoft is heralding IE8 as the first standards compliant browser. But Internet Explorer 8 has to live in a world that isn’t fully web standards compliant, partly because of IE’s own non-compliant and “unique feature” past sins. Implementation of web coding standards seem about as precise...; Read More
iPhone OS 3.0: Microsoft Gets p00ned Again: Written on Wed, 03/18/09 - 11:02am; Apple’s not resting on their laurels after reportedly selling 30 million iPhone devices. They’re not making thinks in the mobile space any easier for Microsoft and Google, nor should they. The announcements about the iPhone OS 3.0 beta were both broad and sweeping. The upgrade to the iPhone’s...; Read More
IT Security: Who Watches The Watchers?: Written on Mon, 03/16/09 - 4:05am; The situation with D.C.'s IT security is huge mess. Yusuf Acar, acting chief security officer following Vivek Kundra's exit to take the Federal CIO position, is now in the hands of the FBI on bribery charges from an alleged under the table deal with security vendor AITC.; Read More
Top 5 "Must Have" Features For Windows Marketplace: Written on Fri, 03/13/09 - 4:48pm; Microsoft is remaking the Windows Marketplace site. Previously it was simply a way to buy Microsoft software. Now it looks like Microsoft intends to create their own online equivalent of the Apple Store and reference site. What all will be in Windows Marketplace? Microsoft's not letting those secrets...; Read More
Microsoft Era of 'Take It Or Leave It' Is Over: Written on Wed, 03/11/09 - 2:16am; Even mighty Microsoft can’t muscle customers in this challenging economy. We’ve finally seen a crack in Microsoft’s ability to command whatever license fees they see fit from customers, with the drop in prices for Microsoft Office 2007 Enterprise Subscription Agreements. ESA pricing dropped...; Read More
Fed CIO Vivek Kundra: Google Apps or Office Live?: Written on Tue, 03/10/09 - 3:37am; The nation finally has a CIO, Vivek Kundra, former CTO for the District of Columbia. Most of what I’ve learned of his background has been his work as the D.C. CTO, of which one of his major initiatives was to promote D.C. moving to Google Apps. From this interview on the O’Reilly Radar blog, it...; Read More
Windows 7 Post-Beta Leaks - Why You Should Care: Written on Fri, 03/06/09 - 2:00pm; If you're a BitTorrent user you might have noticed that another Windows 7 post-beta build (7048) has been circulating in the wild for curious downloaders.; Read More
Economy Spotlights H-1B Visa Hiring Debate For Microsoft: Written on Thu, 03/05/09 - 3:03am; Apologies for being away the last few days. I've been having back problems that made it difficult to work at a computer for very long. Anyway, time to get back to business. Tough economic times brings with it the ire of nationalism and whether companies should make decisions that are not only in...; Read More

About Converging on Microsoft

Mitchell Ashley has a diverse background in software development, network engineering, information security, mobility, collaborative technologies, and IT management and operations. An early adopter of social media in business, he began blogging about security and information technologies in 2006 at theconvergingnetwork.com. Mitchell is VP of Information Technology at CableLabs in Louisville, CO, and previously held positions as CIO, CTO and VP Engineering at prior companies.

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