combined_knowledge

Important SharePoint Service pack 2 Announcement

Hi All , a serious bug has been discovered in SharePoint SP2 that sets the upgraded SharePoint product into an Evaluatin license key. A fix is expected within the next 48 hours but please go and read the latest announcement on this on the Team Blog and this is also where you will find the link for the hotfix when it is released. http://blogs.msdn.com/sharepoint/archive/2009/05/21/attention-important-information-on-service-pack-2.aspx

Steve Smith

posted 22 May 2009 08:02 by Steve Smith | 1 Comments

User Group Golf Day - July 23rd Ullesthorpe

Hi all , On July 23rd I have booked the 2nd Annual Golf day and User Group meeting at Ullesthorpe Hotel. http://www.bw-ullesthorpecourt.co.uk/GolfDaysattheCourt.asp . We have 25 spaces free for people wishing to take part in the event and I am going to see if we can get some of the vendors from the User Group sponsoring a prize or two as well as hopefully attend ( step forward vendors !! ) as we will also be hosting a nearest the pin and longest drive competition. The cost for the afternoon's Golf is £27.50 per person including food after Golf plus a breakfast butty before ( hence the extra £2.50 from the web price ).

Skill is not important it is a fun day out and then in the evening we can all enjoy the User Group event which I am also planning.

The first Tee times are confirmed for 11am so assume to arrive at Ullesthorpe around 10am to enjoy the pre golf snacks and tea/coffee :) , we will finish eating approx. 5.00pm in time to relax for an hour before the evening user group sessions start.

If you are interested in confirming your Golf slot please post your comment here and send a cheque for £ 27.50 made payable to Combined Knowledge Ltd, 2 The Terrace, Rugby Road, Lutterworth LE17 4BW, Leicestershire. I need confirmations and payments no later than the 30th of June as that is when we confirm the final numbers. If ou prefer to pay by credit card contact me and we can sort that out.

If you wish to book a room at the hotel for the evening please contact me ASAP as the chances are the rooms will be booked up early.

Any other questions just ask

Steve Smith

posted 21 May 2009 21:23 by Steve Smith | 20 Comments

I must be Mad but it is all in a good cause - June 10th - 14th

Hi everyone I am not normally one to post personal stuff on the user group in my Blog but I feel this is worth the cause. From June the 10th - 14th I am taking part in the Microsoft UK Challenger event as part of one of the Micrsoft teams. We are specifically a 6 man community team comprising off 2 Microsoft members, Steve Loader and David Hobbs-Mallyon plus the 4 of us from the community including Tim Leung from Vbug, David McMahon from NextGen and Gavin Osborn from Vista Squad.

http://challenger.nspcc.org.uk/thechallenge/pages/theevent.aspx

The aim of the event is raise money for the NSPCC and in all honesty it is a brutal event for mind and body as it comprises of multiple stages over the days that involves Krypton factor style challengers but over the whole day. So we could be doing 3 hour bike/running + mental challenge in the morning followed by an afternoon mental and engineering challenge followed by a midnight Navigation and run challenge. As you can imagine I have been in heavy training getting ready for this and just returned from a weekends mini comp in the Peak District to get some pre race practice. - http://challenger.nspcc.org.uk/Pages/default.aspx

So how can you help - simple. The aim is to raise as much money as we can for the NSPCC and I appreciate we are all counting the pennies in the economic climate but any amount donated is welcomed. To donate it couldn't be simpler.

Go here - http://challenger.nspcc.org.uk/fundraising/teamsites/pages/Microsoft-Team3.aspx?TeamID=24

Click Sponsor this team and follow the insructions.

More info on the actual event can be seen here http://www.ukchallenge.co.uk/ and if you have any questions for me please just ask steve@combined-knowledge.com .

Thanks

Steve Smith

posted 18 May 2009 09:07 by Steve Smith | 1 Comments

Nottingham SharePint event - April 30th

following on from the user group meeting Start time to be after SUGUK meeting so about 21:15.

Location:

The Broad Oak

Main St
Strelley, Nottingham, NG8 6PD

0115 929 3340‎

0115 929 0303‎

For more information on the meeting see this thread http://suguk.org/forums/thread/18475.aspx

Steve Smith

posted 23 April 2009 23:01 by Steve Smith | 2 Comments

First Nottingham User Group Meeting April 30th

Hi all , Here is the agenda and to sign up http://suguk.org/forums/thread/18475.aspx we are going to be having the first user group meeting in Nottingham at the end of this month on April 30th. I am just finalising the details for the venue and sessions and will update you over the next couple of days but put it in your diary for now and I hope we can get lots of you from that area involved.

Steve Smith

posted 15 April 2009 15:39 by Steve Smith | 5 Comments

SharePoint by Day - SharePint by Night - SharePoint Best practices edition

Hi everyone , a date and event for your diary. London SharePoint by Day SharePint by Night

Going to the UK SharePoint Best Practices Conference in London, UK April 6-8, 2009? No? Well, are you a SharePoint person going to be in the greater London area? We’ll be doing another SharePoint by Day, SharePint by Night in London on Wednesday, April 8, 2009 @ 7p-ish. Come join other SharePoint professionals for a good drink at The Old Star (66, Broadway, Westminster, London, SW1H 0DB).

http://www.andrewconnell.com/blog/archive/2009/02/25/SharePoint-by-Day-SharePint-by-Night-ndash-UK-Best-Practices.aspx

Everyone is welcome if you are attending the conference or not and just turn up on the night. Any questions about the event just post here. Please note you do pay for your own drinks.

By the way the final agenda including lunchtime sessions is now available on the Best Practices website http://sharepointbestpractices.co.uk if you have not signed up yet you still have time.

Steve Smith

posted 23 March 2009 15:48 by Steve Smith | 0 Comments

New BDC Book offer from two of our own

Hi everyone , I know Nick won't post this so I will. Brett and Nick have got a BDC book coming out on Manning and Manning have given us permissions to put out an early bird offer to everyone in the User Group for their book. All you need to do is go here www.manning.com/lonsdale and use the Prmomo code aupromo25 to get 25% off the price and get early acces to the book content.

Congrats Nick and Brett on your book

Steve Smith

posted 24 February 2009 15:37 by Steve Smith | 0 Comments

SharePoint user group meets OCS and Exchange community days - March 11th and 12th

Another great community event folks. This time I have teamed up with Nathan Winters from the messaging and mobility user group and we are doing a two day free community event as part of the upcoming OCS exhibition at the London Olympia on March 11th and 12th. Here is the format for the event.

Day 1 - We are doing a full build demonstration of the latest available versions of OCS, Exchange and SharePoint. This day will be showing what the products can do together and how they can benefit a business. If we are allowed to show the latest versions of OCS and Exchange we will be !!

Day 2 - So how did we build that lovely environment in day 1 ? Day 2 is all about the how we configure the products to do this rich integration.

The event is free to attend plus you get access to the rest of the OCS show into the bargain. For more information on the agenda and to register go here http://www.communitiescollaborating.org/index.html

Steve Smith

posted 04 February 2009 11:53 by Steve Smith | 3 Comments

Birmingham User Group Meeting - Tuesday February 17th

Hi all we are back in Birmingham to continue the back to basics series and user adoption theme that we started before Christmas. For more information and to sign up go here http://suguk.org/forums/thread/16933.aspx

Steve Smith

posted 04 February 2009 11:50 by Steve Smith | 0 Comments

Belfast User Group Meeting - January 19th

Hi all and Happy New Year to everyone I hope you all had a good break. I am flying over to Belfast on January 19th for the first SharePoint user group meeting. The guys over in ireland have been busy getting this setup for more details and to register go here http://nimtug.org/events/62/default.aspx

Steve Smith

posted 08 January 2009 13:27 by Steve Smith | 0 Comments

European SharePoint Best Practices Conference in London announced

Hi all

The European SharePoint best practice site is now live and ready for registrations. The dates are April 6^th – 8^th 2009 in London and the site is http://www.sharepointbestpractices.co.uk The actual agenda will be uploaded once I have all the sessions confirmed but as I get speakers confirming they are being added and we already have some top SharePoint speakers confirmed. We are limited on numbers so book early to avoid disappointment.

Any questions feel free to ask

Steve Smith

posted 08 December 2008 12:50 by Steve Smith | 0 Comments

Newcastle Chalk and Talk Meeting - December 11th

Hi All , one more meetings up in Newcaste before Christmas so would be great to see you there. Sign up and more details here http://suguk.org/forums/thread/15486.aspx

Steve Smith

posted 27 November 2008 17:36 by Steve Smith | 0 Comments

Edingburgh Meeting - November 27th

Hi everyone , we are back at the Scottish parliament for round 2 of the Edinburgh meetings with two great sessions. Please sign up with your full name here. http://suguk.org/forums/thread/15096.aspx

Steve Smith

posted 14 November 2008 20:52 by Steve Smith | 1 Comments

World Education Alliance announced

Hi all , I don't normally put work related content up here however this is big news in the SharePoint educational world so I hope you don't mind me sharing it. Last week Combined Knowledge Ltd , Mindsharp and Combined Knowledge Asia Pacific announced a formal Alliance for a global education strategy which includes our SharePoint education content and also our upcoming OCS training and other verticals beyond that such as Bi, online training and Dynamics. It is a big move and taken sometime to get the logistics in place but we are very excited about this. To read more about this Alliance announcement you can get the full story here : http://www.combined-knowledge.com/World%20Education%20Alliance.html

Steve Smith

posted 03 November 2008 13:58 by Steve Smith | 0 Comments

First Birmingham User Group Meeting - October 30th

Hi All , we have our first meeting at Birmingham on Thursday October 30th with myself and Sergey Zelenov from Microsoft presenting. 5 minutes walk from New Street station More details here - http://suguk.org/forums/thread/14430.aspx

Steve Smith

posted 17 October 2008 14:03 by Steve Smith | 3 Comments

SharePoint User Group UK