Andrew Abbate
Andrew Abbate, MCSE Andrew Abbate has been in the computer industry for more than 10 years and is a specialist in AD and Exchange migration planning and implementations, firewall and security planning and implementation, Layer 2 and 3 switching, and wide area connectivity. Andrew possesses an MCSE/MCSA as well as holding certifications from numerous firewall, hardware, and software vendors. Andrew's experiences with companies ranging from 20 to 20,000 employees have afforded him a unique perspective on IT best practices.
Andrew Abbate
Rand Morimoto, Ph.D., MVP, MCITP, CISSP, has been in the computer industry for more than 30 years and has authored, coauthored, or been a contributing writer for dozens of books on Windows, Security, Exchange, BizTalk, and Remote and Mobile Computing. Rand is the president of Convergent Computing, an IT-consulting firm in the San Francisco Bay area that has been one of the key early adopter program partners with Microsoft, implementing the latest Microsoft technologies, including Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2, System Center 2012, Windows 7, Exchange Server 2013, Windows Server 2012, and SharePoint 2010 in production environments more than 18 months before the initial product releases.
Michael Noel, MCITP, MVP, is an internationally recognized technology expert, bestselling author, and well-known public speaker on a broad range of IT topics. He authored multiple major industry books that have been translated into more than a dozen languages worldwide. Michael has presented at over one hundred technical and business conferences in more than fifty countries around the world and on all seven continents, including the first ever IT conference in Antarctica. Currently a partner at Convergent Computing (www.cco.com) in the San Francisco Bay area, Michael’s writing and extensive public-speaking experience across all seven continents leverage his real-world expertise in helping organizations realize business value from Information Technology infrastructure.
Guy Yardeni, MCITP, CISSP, MVP, is an accomplished infrastructure architect, author, and overall geek-for-hire. Guy has been working in the IT industry for more than 15 years and has extensive experience designing, implementing, and supporting enterprise technology solutions. Guy is an expert at connecting business requirements to technology solutions and driving to successful completion the technical details of the effort while maintaining overall goals and vision. Guy maintains a widely read technical blog at www.rdpfiles.com and is a Windows MVP.
Omar Droubi, MCSE, MCTS, has maintained a successful career and delivered quality work as a senior Information Technology professional for more than 20 years by keeping current with the latest technological developments and trends. As a writer, he has coauthored several Sams Publishing best-selling books, including Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Unleashed, Windows Server 2008 Unleashed, and Windows Server 2008 R2 Unleashed. Omar has also been a contributing writer and technical reviewer on several Microsoft Exchange Server books and publications. He has been deeply involved in testing, designing, and prototyping Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 for the past several years and plans to assist organizations in getting the most out of the latest features included in the products.
Andrew Abbate enjoys the position of principal consultant and partner at Convergent Computing. With nearly 20 years of experience in IT, Andrew’s area of expertise is understanding a business’s needs and translating that to process and technologies to solve real problems. Having worked with companies from the Fortune Ten to companies of 10, Andrew has a unique perspective on IT and a grasp on “big picture” consulting. Andrew has also written eight industry books on varying technologies ranging from Windows to Security to Unified Communications.
Chris Amaris, MCITP, MCTS, CISSP/ISSAP, CHS III, is the chief technology officer and cofounder of Convergent Computing. He has more than 20 years experience consulting for Fortune 500 companies, leading companies in the technology selection, design, planning, and implementation of complex information technology projects. Chris has worked with Microsoft System Center products such as Operations Manager and Configuration Manager since their original releases in 2000 and 1994. He specializes in messaging, security, performance tuning, systems management, and migration. Receiving his first Microsoft technologies certification in 1993, Chris is a current Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP) with multiple Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) certifications in System Center technologies, a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) with an Information System Security Architecture Professional (ISSAP) concentration, Certified Homeland Security (CHS III), a Novell CNE, a Banyan CBE, and a Certified Project Manager. Chris is also an author, writer, and technical editor for a number of IT books, including System Center 2012 Unleashed, Network Security for Government and Corporate Executives, Exchange 2010 Unleashed , and Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 Unleashed.
Scott Chimner
The authors, Andrew Abbate, James Walker, Kim Amaris, and Scott Chimmer all work for Convergent Computing, an IT consulting firm in the San Francisco bay area. They have written and contributed to numerous bestselling books on Microsoft servers and operating systems.
Scott Chimner
Andrew Abbate has been in the IT and consulting world for well over 15 years. His experiences in messaging, security, PKI, operational practices, and project management have granted him a unique perspective on how IT works from a “big picture” perspective. Coauthor of half a dozen books on Microsoft technologies and security, Andrew continues to work with San Francisco Bay area companies to improve their infrastructures and enable them to provide services to their users to improve productivity and security.
James Walker, MCSE, CPM, BSME, has been in the information technology industry for more than 20 years and has been a contributing author, technical editor, and technical reviewer for a number of books involving security, electronic messaging, network operating systems, and data communications. He has worked with computers in one form or another since the late 1970s and was an early adopter of Windows since version 1.0 was released in the middle 1980s. As VP Support for Pandora Networks in Sunnyvale, CA, James is involved in the technology selection, design, planning, implementation and migration, and troubleshooting of VoIP telephony, collaboration, and presence IT projects for Fortune 500 companies. After years of supporting Microsoft-based technologies, James uses his experiences as an author, primary technical editor, and contributing author for a number of Sams Publishing technology books, including Teach Yourself Exchange Server 2003 in 10 Minutes, Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Unleashed, Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Unleashed, Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Insider Solutions, and Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Delta Guide, and Addison-Wesley technology books, including Exchange 2003 Distilled.
Scott Chimner, CISSP, MCSE, MCSA, TCSE 2, A+, has been in the computer industry for more than 12 years, with a 7-year concentration on information security. Scott’s experience ranges from large-scale Ethernet cable drops and deploying networked Point-of-Sale (POS) systems for retail stores, to securely migrating offices to Microsoft solutions such as Active Directory and Exchange. Prior to joining CCO as a consultant, Scott administered several networks for a worldwide environmental engineering company and later filled the role of webmaster for a nationwide investment firm. Scott is a seasoned expert in security operations with extensive experience in system hardening, incident response, and managing network defenses. Scott has designed and implemented anti-malware, antivirus, and host intrusion prevention, and anti-spam and email filtering solutions. Scott is an ISSA member and has served as a contributing writer for books on Microsoft Exchange 2007 and Windows Server 2008.
Rand Morimoto
Chris Amaris, MCSE, CISSP/ISSAP, CHS III, is the chief technology officer and cofounder of Convergent Computing. He has more than 20 years experience consulting for Fortune 500 companies, leading companies in the technology selection, design, planning, and implementation of complex information technology projects. Chris has worked with Microsoft System Center products such as Operations Manager and Configuration Manager since their original releases in 2000 and 1994. He specializes in messaging, security, performance tuning, systems management, and migration. A Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) with an Information System Security Architecture Professional (ISSAP) concentration, Certified Homeland Security (CHS III), Windows 2003 MCSE, Novell CNE, Banyan CBE, and a Certified Project Manager, Chris is also an author and technical editor for a number of IT books, including Network Security for Government and Corporate Executives, Exchange 2010 Unleashed, and Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 Unleashed. Chris presents on messaging, systems management, security, and information technology topics worldwide.
Tyson Kopczynski, CISSP, GCIH, with more than ten years of experience in IT, has become a specialist in Active Directory, information assurance, Windows automation, PKI, and IT security practices. Tyson is also the founding author of the Windows PowerShell Unleashed series and has been a contributing author for such books as Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server 2006 Unleashed and Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 Unleashed. He has also written many detailed technical papers and guides covering various technologies. As a consultant at Convergent Computing, Tyson works with and has provided feedback for next generation Microsoft technologies since their inception and has also played a key role in expanding the automation and security practices at Convergent Computing. Tyson also holds such certifications as the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), the SANS Security Essentials Certification (GSEC), SANS Certified Incident Handler (GCIH), and the Application Platform, Active Directory, and Network Infrastructure (MCTS).
Alec Minty, MCSE, is a senior engineer for a large Internet company in the San Francisco Bay area. He has more than 10 years’ industry experience with extensive knowledge designing and implementing enterprise-class solutions for a diverse array of organizations. Alec has been an early adopter of database technologies, operations management, systems management, and security technologies. He specializes in designing, implementing, migrating, and supporting complex infrastructures for a variety of large utility, telecommunications, and engineering organizations. Alec’s experience spans the business and technology areas; he has in-depth experience in the deployment, migration, and integration of key business technologies such as SQL Server, Windows, Exchange Server, Active Directory, ISA, and Identity Management. Alec is coauthor of SQL Server 2005 Management and Administration and MOM 2005 Unleashed and is a contributing author on Exchange Server 2007 Unleashed and ISA 2004 Unleashed, all published by Sams Publishing.
Rand H. Morimoto, Ph.D., MVP, MCITP, CISSP, has been in the computer industry for more than 30 years and has authored, coauthored, or been a contributing writer for dozens of books on Windows, Security, Exchange Server, BizTalk, and Remote and Mobile Computing. Rand is the president of Convergent Computing, an IT-consulting firm in the San Francisco Bay area that has been one of the key early adopter program partners with Microsoft, implementing the latest Microsoft technologies including Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2, System Center Service Manager 2010, Windows 7, Exchange Server 2010, and SharePoint 2010 in production environments more than 18 months before the initial product releases.
Rand Morimoto
Rand H. Morimoto, Ph.D., MVP, MCITP, CISSP, has been in the computer industry
for more than 30 years and has authored, coauthored, or been a contributing
writer for dozens of books on Windows, Security, Exchange Server, BizTalk, and
Remote and Mobile Computing. Rand is the president of Convergent Computing,
an IT-consulting firm in the San Francisco Bay area that has been one of the
key early adopter program partners with Microsoft, implementing the latest Microsoft
technologies including Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2, System Center Service
Manager 2010, Windows 7, Exchange Server 2010, and SharePoint 2010 in production
environments more than 18 months before the initial product releases.
Read Rand's blog on the NetworkWorld.com Microsoft Subnet site.
James Walker
James S. Walker obtained his Ph.D. in theoretical physics from the University of Washington in 1978. He subsequently served as a post-doc at the University of Pennsylvania, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the University of California at San Diego before joining the physics faculty at Washington State University in 1983. Professor Walker's research interests include statistical mechanics, critical phenomena, and chaos. His many publications on the application of renormalization-group theory to systems ranging from absorbed mono-layers to binary-fluid mixtures have appeared in Physical Review, Physical Review Letters, Physica, and a host of other publications. He has also participated in observations on the summit of Mauna Kea, looking for evidence of extra-solar planets.
Jim Walker likes to work with students at all levels, from judging elementary school science fairs to writing research papers with graduate students, and has taught introductory physics for many years. His enjoyment of this course and his empathy for students have earned him a reputation as an innovative, enthusiastic, and effective teacher. Jim's educational publications include "Reappearing Phases" (Scientific American, May 1987) as well as articles in the American Journal of Physics and The Physics Teacher. In recognition of his contributions to the teaching of physics, Jim was recently named Boeing Distinguished Professor of Science and Mathematics Education.
When he is not writing, conducting research, teaching, or developing new classroom demonstrations and pedagogical materials, Jim enjoys amateur astronomy, bird watching, photography, juggling, unicycling, boogie boarding, and kayaking. He recently spent three weeks rafting through the Grand Canyon and hiking in various side canyons. Jim is also an avid jazz pianist and organist. He has served as ballpark organist for several Class A minor league baseball teams, including minor league affiliates of the Seattle Mariners and San Francisco Giants.
James Walker
Dan Balter, MCSE, CNE, (Venice, CA) is the Chief Technology Officer for InfoTechnology Partners, Inc. and works as a successful, independent consultant and trainer for both corporate and government clients. He is certified as a Microsoft Systems Engineer (MCSE) and held the Novell NetWare Engineer (CNE) designation for several years. Dan has authored more than 250 computer-training videos on various Microsoft technologies (including Exchange and Windows Server) and has coauthored several well-received books.
