CRM 2011 courses are here

Following Microsoft release of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011, the awaited successor of CRM 4.0, Firebrand Training has launched Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 and Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Online accelerated courses. Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 improves productivity, promote collaboration within the cloud, and enhance customers' experience. It brings many advantages over its predecessor. New features include: 

• Improved Microsoft Office interface - CRM 2011 now looks and feels like Office 2010. It's fully integrated with Office, meaning that you can seemlessly send an email via Outlook, or edit a document in SharePoint - all without leaving the CRM environment.

• Improved dashboards and data visualisation - Quickly create and share charts with superior intelligence.

• CRM 2011 is ready for the cloud - We have 8-day and 6-day versions of the course, meaning that you can choose to specialise in the online version of CRM 2011, and save two days out of the office. The Windows Azure platform will allow you to develop and deploy powerful tools, such as Microsoft Visual Studio.

Authtoken Thieves

According to a research carried out by the University of Ulm, Germany, 99% of android phones are vulnerable to data theft. Hackers can get and use digital tokens, stored in the memory of the mobile devices for 14 days after the user enters his password for online services. The problem appears to be connected to the authentication protocol called ClientLogin, present in version of the Android 2.3.3 and earlier.

IT Security is a major issue in the era of Virtualization and Cloud Computing. It’s a fast-paced sector which requires professionals to be constantly up to date with developments and hackers’ activities. IT Security Certification is the guarantee that you own the knowledge and the capacities to be engaged in the battle against the latest breed of criminals.

FirebrandTraining has observed an increasing interest for IT Security Certifications, such as EC-Council’s Certified Ethical Hacker. Companies must secure defends to preserve users from data theft. Certified IT Security professional are there to do that.

The Unexpected DOES Happen

A business continuity plan is the security issue in the building of your business. You always hope not to use it, but it is good sense to have it. Unfortunately not all the managers think in this way, until an outage starts costing £10,000 an hour. Then it’s too late.

Robert Chapman, CEO of Firebrand Training, suggests three steps to build the perfect business continuity plan:

1. Senior management must get involved. The collaboration of senior managers in handling the crisis is determinant to communicate with employees and to select a course of action.
2. Put in a crisis management team and select the activities that must be carried out, in preparation for a crisis.
3. Talk to everyone. When a crisis burst out the rumour mill begins to turn and once activated it’s really difficult to stop. To avoid this, tell the story before some one makes it up instead.

Nowadays, thanks to cloud-computing, we can keep informed any time, any where. A quick reaction, planned in advance, and communication with all the stakeholders are extremely important in order to avoid reputation damage and money losses. Complete control over situations is utopia, the unexpected does happen, so better get prepared.

The Praise of Stupidity

Why employers start sweating hearing “IT training” from their staff? Because their brain is immediately redirected toward two magic words: budget and time out of the office. Software Quality Connection has published an article explaining the reasons why IT managers prefer stupid developers.

1. The budget. No surprises: IT courses have a price. But sometimes it’s the only option if the company wants to keep in pace with IT innovations and be competitive on the long run.
2. Time out of office. While you are training you won’t be likely to sit at your desk and keep carrying out your tasks. Whereas a loss for your company in terms of work done, which, traduced in IT managers jargon, means a loss of profit.

In 2001 Robert Chapman and Stefano Capaldo, inspired by the Accelerated Learning method, founded Firebrand Training. This method allows reducing the time out of office and its effectiveness is proven by more than 25.000 successful stories of certification and quality awards. IT training can take 2 days now and generate important ROI. Still praising stupidity?

ISACA and EC-Council collaborate to advance IT security profession

Two major actors in the IT Security industry, ISACA and EC-Council, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU). Both involved in the optimization of IT certification and education, these nonprofits organizations are to raise the bar of IT Security training and offer effective solutions to all companies.

Illegal activities on the web are increasing – you have heard about Sony and Fox recently - and hackers are becoming more skilled everyday. IT security needs to keep in pace with the fast-changing environment. The collaboration between ISACA and EC-Council, who has recently signed an agreement also with (ISC)2, other IT Security organization, give an opportunity to the IT professionals to gather, meet, discuss and design new strategies against virtual criminals.

The battle is running through the wire and alliances between IT certification providers are extremely important to advance the information security profession and secure the defences against hacking attacks. Companies need certified skilled experts to avoid reputation damage and, most importantly, to protect individuals’ data and information.

Understanding Cloud Computing

We have talked about Cloud computing, but let’s stop a second. What does it mean? How does it affect our everyday activities? In a recent article Nasa Tech Briefs provides a useful set of definitions and an explanation on how virtualization can change the IT Industry.

Cloud computing enhances energy-, cost- and space-efficiency. It’s a green networking initiative that enables multiple users to access several systems at any time. Resources, such as infrastructures, applications and data are deployed via the Internet and accessible from everywhere.

In the IT training industry, new IT certifications have been designed to meet the in demand for certified experts in cloud computing. Microsoft and VMware®, certified Firebrand Training partners, are among the major actors in the run towards virtualization and they offer different solutions to networking professionals.

It's cloudy on Microsoft

The public beta version of Microsoft Office 365 has been opened in mid-April and it is love at first sight for many IT professionals. 

The service provides anywhere, anytime access to applications and services, such as the familiar Office desktop suite, Powerpoint, Word, Excel, Outlook, and the communications and collaboration services, Exchange, Lync and Sharepoint.

EWeek Europe offers a first look of the new Microsoft solution. Microsoft 365 contains features able to answer the demand for flexibility and security of cloud-based computer services while adapting to the needs of all types of business.

As an IT training provider and certified Microsoft partner, Firebrand Training believes that this high quality standards product is a driving force towards IT progress.