Microsoft Management Summit Surprises
Posted February 22nd, 2011 by Joe Panettieri which is featuring me and my Windows Intune Session in MMS 2011
As Microsoft Management Summit 2011 approaches (March 21-25, Las Vegas), MSPmentor is starting to hear more chatter about Windows Intune – a SaaS platform that may allow MSPs to remotely manage Windows 7 devices. Admittedly, Windows Intune won’t dominate the Microsoft conference. But the event will likely allow partners and customers to more closely evaluate Microsoft’s progress with the Windows Intune beta. Here’s why.
Microsoft will focus at least two conference sessions on Windows Intune. The first, hosted by Microsoft Group Product Manager Alex Heaton and Program Manager Nilesh Bhide, will show attendees how to set up Windows Intune to offer software updates, malware protection and asset inventory to networked Windows 7 PCs that can be located anywhere. The second session, hosted by Erdal Ozkaya, co-founder of CEO IT Training in Australia, will feature real-world demos showing how beta customers currently use Windows Intune.
Generally speaking, I think Microsoft will mainly promote Windows Intune to corporate IT managers when the SaaS service officially debuts sometime in late 2011. But Microsoft is quietly exploring how Windows Intune can potentially benefit managed services providers (MSPs) and VARs. Indeed, Microsoft quietly attended ConnectWise IT Nation in November 2010, meeting with selected MSP industry influencers to talk a bit about the Windows Intune beta.
Assuming Windows Intune works as advertised, I think it may catch on with some selected MSPs. But for broad channel success, I think Microsoft has to stretch Windows Intune beyond its Windows 7 management focus to incorporate non-Windows devices — including Apple Macintoshes
From :
https://www.mspmentor.net/2011/02/22/microsoft-management-summit-surprises-for-msps/
CISO Insight
Industry events remain one of the most effective ways for security leaders to stay current, build peer networks, and discover approaches that no vendor whitepaper can teach. The hallway conversations between sessions — where practitioners share what actually worked and what failed — consistently deliver more actionable intelligence than the formal presentations themselves.
Why Cybersecurity Events Matter for Practitioners
The cybersecurity industry moves at a pace where knowledge has a short half-life. Techniques that were cutting-edge 18 months ago may already be outdated. Threat actors evolve their tactics continuously, and defenders must keep pace. Industry events — conferences, summits, forums, and workshops — serve as concentrated knowledge-transfer mechanisms where practitioners can absorb months of industry developments in days.
Beyond the formal agenda, events create opportunities for the informal knowledge exchange that drives real operational improvement. CISOs discussing common challenges over coffee. Incident responders comparing detection approaches. Architects debating Zero Trust implementation strategies. These peer interactions produce insights that are impossible to replicate through online content alone, because they involve the contextual nuance and honest assessment that public content rarely provides.
Building a Strategic Event Calendar
For CISOs managing limited time and travel budgets, being selective about events is essential. The most valuable events combine technical depth with strategic relevance, attract genuine practitioners rather than just vendors, and provide structured networking opportunities. Regional events often deliver more value per hour than mega-conferences because the community is smaller and more focused, making it easier to find peers facing comparable challenges in similar operational contexts.
Frequently Asked Questions
How should CISOs choose which events to attend?
Prioritise events that align with your current strategic priorities, attract peers from your industry sector, and provide opportunities for genuine peer interaction beyond vendor presentations. Look for events with strong speaker curation, hands-on workshops, and structured networking. Consider mixing one or two large international events with several focused regional forums for the best balance of breadth and depth.
What is the ROI of attending cybersecurity events?
The return comes in multiple forms: peer intelligence that informs security strategy, vendor and tool evaluations based on practitioner feedback, talent pipeline development through networking, and professional development that keeps leadership skills current. CISOs who invest in event attendance consistently report that peer connections made at events prove valuable during incident response, technology evaluations, and career transitions.
Related reading: For cybersecurity leadership development, visit our CISO Career Hub or explore the Cyber Resilience Hub for frameworks and resources.