February is Microsoft's Training Month for Windows 2000 (Win2K). Microsoft anticipates that more than 30,000 IT professionals, technical trainers, and Value Added Providers (VAPs) will receive training in February. The official release of Win2K on February 17 kicks off several training and certification programs for the IT community. Highlights of Training Month for Win2K include discounted, 1-day, hands-on, Microsoft Official Curriculum (MOC) training courses that the Microsoft Certified Technical Education Center (CTEC) channel will deliver; Technology Week, a 1-week intensive technology training conference (held February 6 to 11 in New Orleans) to give professional technical trainers the information they need to train students on Win2K and related subjects; and four TechNet briefing sessions to optimize IT professionals' Win2K solutions. To prepare small- and medium-sized corporate customers for Win2K, Microsoft will kick off a training program on February 17, the day the product launches, to train 20,000 technology consultants and support administrators who will be deploying and supporting Win2K worldwide. The 1-day Microsoft-subsidized training is available at participating Microsoft CTECs worldwide and will provide an overview of the knowledge and skills required to install, configure, administer, and implement Windows 2000 Professional (Win2K Pro) and Windows 2000 Server (Win2K Server). For US residents, the course will cost $99 at participating Microsoft CTECs and $49 for Web-based training. To sign up, visit the Web site. Through the Microsoft Direct Access (MSDA) program, US VAP students will receive 120-day evaluation versions of the final release of Win2K Pro and Win2K Server, electronic versions of the Win2K Pro and Win2K Server Resource Kits, and copies of the Win2K Channel Readiness Kit. To deepen your knowledge of Win2K, additional MOC courses are available. For more information, visit the VAP Win2K Training site. On February 17 in cities around the world, Microsoft TechNet will deliver four new sessions on Win2K in conjunction with the Win2K product launch. These sessions are free and provide detailed how-to technical information pertinent to Win2K's deployment. Microsoft Technical Specialists deliver TechNet events, providing an opportunity to directly interact with Microsoft employees. To participate, register for sessions online at the Microsoft TechNet Events site. Win2K Resources are online at the Windows 2000 Learning Center. New MOC courses to help IT professionals deploy, support, and administer Win2K Pro and Win2K Server in the network infrastructure are also available at Microsoft CTECs worldwide. MOC Win2K courses map one-to-one with Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) exams to help prepare IT professionals for Win2K certifications. Final Win2K courseware will be available at launch time. Microsoft will also feature the e-learning curriculum for Win2K at the launch. Session participants can engage Microsoft CTECs via Web-based audio, video, and chat sessions and view simulated labs about how to implement features in Win2K. Sessions at the launch event will be based on two Win2K MOC courses: Installing the Active Directory Service, and Deploying Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional by Using Remote Installation Services. A variety of MOC courses will be available at Win2K launch time including classes for those new to IT, such as Microsoft Windows 2000 First Look; those currently supporting a different network operating system (NOS), such as Implementing a Microsoft Windows 2000 Network Infrastructure; those needing to upgrade from Windows NT, such as Updating Support Skills from Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 to Microsoft Windows 2000; and those aiming to become network architects, such as Designing a Secure Microsoft Windows 2000-Based Network. (MOC is typically available either online or via instructor-led courses at Microsoft CTECs. For more information, see the Microsoft Training and Certification Web site.)
