I’d classify the below as standard migrations. However there are some engagements that are very large scale – 10K+ users (at a minimum), that involve changing many pieces concurrently (e.g. a lot of companies went from NT -> Active Directory, and at the same time moved to XP, decommissioned Notes or Novell, implemented DFS etc). Or perhaps they have changing between outsourcers, and so replacing one set of tools with another set of tools.
A project of mine is outsourcing for most of the Singapore government (SOEasy if you want to Google it). Consolidating the IT of many ministries, boards, agencies onto a single platform across desktop, network, data centre, email, messaging, file/print, provisioning, ordering, billing etc – that’s a platform transformation. You can’t even begin to architect that type of project with thinking about everything from how the base technology (e.g. Exchange or AD) is going to work, without also considering how it’s going to be operated/maintained, how the customer is going to order it/how they’re going to be billed for it. At the same time you’re designing the LAN and WAN, the desktop, the backup infrastructure, the storage infrastructure, the security policies etc: How do all those pieces fit together? How do you ensure you’re not building a bunch of isolated technology towers that don’t fit together once you’re ready to turn on the switch? Cheers Ken From: David Lum [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Saturday, 16 June 2012 1:08 AM To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: RE: Consulting (was Re: in-depth AD) I read it as a migration from one platform to another (E2K7 -> E2K10, Server 2003 -> Server 2008, etc), or changing infrastructure like going from in-house to cloud-based, etc. From: Don Kuhlman [mailto:[email protected]]<mailto:[mailto:[email protected]]> Sent: Friday, June 15, 2012 7:37 AM To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: Re: Consulting (was Re: in-depth AD) Ok, so what's our definition of "platform transformation" in this context ? Already did the google thing ;) ________________________________ From: David Lum <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> To: NT System Admin Issues <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> Sent: Friday, June 15, 2012 9:29 AM Subject: RE: Consulting (was Re: in-depth AD) “If you want to do platform transformation, then you need to know a bit about everything – there’s no way to get away from that.” It helps to have shot yourself in the foot a time or two, hopefully in a test environment. On resumes it reads “Experience”. ☺ From: Ken Schaefer [mailto:[email protected]]<mailto:[mailto:[email protected]]> Sent: Friday, June 15, 2012 3:31 AM To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: RE: Consulting (was Re: in-depth AD) I think you need to consider what you want to do. If you want to be an engineer/delivery, then you can’t be a “jack of all trades” unless you want to do SOHO/SMB consulting. In that space, there is limited complexity, and google is your friend. You want to do medium/enterprise size stuff, then you need to have some kind of speciality. Knowing a bit about everything else is also helpful. If you want to be an architect or strategist, then breadth is very important: technology is just one domain – and even within that domain, knowing a bit about information/data, networks, infrastructure, software etc. can be immensely helpful. If you want to do platform transformation, then you need to know a bit about everything – there’s no way to get away from that. Cheers Ken From: Don Kuhlman [mailto:[email protected]]<mailto:[mailto:[email protected]]> Sent: Friday, 15 June 2012 4:00 AM To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: OT: Consulting (was Re: in-depth AD) Hi folks. First off, thanks to all of you - I truly appreciate your thoughts! This all really helps and I think I see a pattern emerging. I need to stop trying to become some kind of an "expert" at everything and pick something I know and am very confident in doing. After that, spend quality time learning and honing those skills, then get involved in those communities, blog, network and get known, and then see how that works. I tend to spend too much time reading and looking over bits of everything related to IT - virtualization, storage, backup, ad, windows, security, networks, monitoring, vpn, citrix, this year it's been Linux and MAC. It makes for a good vocabulary, but not the best use of our finite amounts of time. I want re-focus and use that limited time getting really good at one or two things. Hopefully, once I do that, those referrals and work will start coming in and I can be like you all :) Don K ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ --- To manage subscriptions click here: http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ or send an email to [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ --- To manage subscriptions click here: http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ or send an email to [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ --- To manage subscriptions click here: http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ or send an email to [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ --- To manage subscriptions click here: http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ or send an email to [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ --- To manage subscriptions click here: http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ or send an email to [email protected] with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin
