IT/Dev Connections 2016 Speaker Highlight: Andrew Higginbotham

Part of an ongoing series, we're highlighting the excellent speakers we have handpicked to present phenomenal and extremely valuable content at the IT/Dev Connections conference. Want more? Get the Insider’s Scoop About IT/Dev Connections 2016 on September 8!

This speaker highlight is Andrew Higginbotham.

Andrew's IT/Dev Connection sessions:

Recently, we asked Andrew to give us a little information about himself. Here's what he shared:

ITDC: Give us a brief introduction to you.

Andrew: Andrew Higginbotham. I live and work in Austin Texas for Dell Global Support & Deployment. I'm a Microsoft MVP and Microsoft Certified Master in Exchange Server. I specialize in Microsoft Exchange support but also work frequently with Active Directory, Virtualization, Performance, Clustering, and Office 365. 

ITDC: Describe the sessions you are presenting and why you feel the topic is important.

Andrew:  Exchange Performance Disaster Recovery and Migration Troubleshooting

This session was inspired by topics discussed in the "Exchange Server Troubleshooting Companion that I co-wrote with Paul Cunningham of ExchangeServerPro.com. The tips and lessons learned are taken from years of real-world experience helping customers resolve complex issues. The contents should help Admins/Consultants/Support Engineers alike gain valuable skills needed in times of crisis and to avoid them to begin with.

Exchange Virtualization Mistakes to Avoid

Similarly, to my first session, this session pulls from years of experience assisting customers who have encountered issues resulting from poorly implemented virtual infrastructures. Exchange being the mission critical and time/latency-sensitive application that it is, properly virtualizing it is a must. Learn from the mistakes of others and deploy virtualized Exchange the correct way.

Office 365 Migration and Administration for Small Businesses

Smaller customers moving from solutions such as Small Business Server or Windows Server Essentials are likely to be looking at Office 365 as their long-term business solution. In this session I'll discuss common problems small businesses face, how to navigate them on the road to Office 365, and how O365 can help them operate their businesses better. This session will not only be useful for Small Business owners, but especially for Consulting/Outsourcing organizations which specialize in smaller clients. 

ITDC: What should attendees expect to be able to take away from your sessions?

Andrew: I've spent much of my career operating in the Support world, and I hope to take the lessons learned from past customer escalations and give attendees valuable tools to use themselves. 

ITDC: What is your primary reason to be excited about IT/Dev Connections?

Andrew: Speakers from all branches of the IT industry, Consultants, Engineers, Developers, and business owners. Each with their own experiences waiting to give candid input about the products we all work with that's not affected by the corporate messaging of the vendor.

ITDC: What is the one key technology you believe is changing the technology industry right now?

Andrew: Microsoft Cloud. So many Microsoft technologies are being developed around the discoveries made within Azure and O365.

ITDC: Assuming attendees want to know, what’s your favorite, non-technical hobby or pastime? What’s one thing that totally irks you.

Andrew: When not working, I enjoy golf and American football. As someone who is technically a millennial (I'm 30 and been working in IT since I was 16), I'm not a fan of being lumped together in statements around supposedly how we (millennials) all think and behave. 

IT/Dev Connections runs from October 10 – October 13, at the ARIA Resort in Las Vegas. IT/Dev Connections has been designed specifically for IT, DevOps, and Developers. You can read all about what IT/Dev Connections offers you HERE.

And, there's still time to register!  Here's some important resources to check out:

Registration

Topic Tracks

Full Sessions Catalog

Pre-conference Workshops

Travel and Lodging Information

FAQ