Welcome and about me :-)

Hey everybody,
I’m Phil, and I thought I’d start a technology oriented blog about my thoughts and experiences in this wonderful industry.

First up – A little about me - I am currently a Systems Engineer for a small but global IT Analyst company. I manage all aspects of the IT infrastructure globally which includes everything from PC's to servers, networking equipment, email systems, internet connectivity and web delivery systems for all of our office and customer delivery locations.

I’m also a volunteer Systems Administrator for the online dive forum DiveOz

I have just completed my MCSE on Windows Server 2003, however I plan to obtain an MCITP: Enterprise Administrator (the MCSE equivalent for Windows Server 2008)

I'm also currently studying a Masters degree (Networking and Systems Administration) via distance education with Charles Sturt University, which I aim to complete at the end of this year.

Software wise I’m very lucky in that I have grown up with Microsoft technologies – My first PC that I actively tinkered with was running DOS 6, and I have had lots of experience with every Microsoft operating since (including Vista, which I have been running on my production laptop for over a year now) – I’ll be blogging more about Vista a little later on.

From a Server Software perspective I’m familiar with most of the various applications around, including Exchange, SQL, SharePoint, IIS, ASP.NET, LiveComms Server, VirtualServer, VMWare and Hyper-V (in Windows Server 2008).

From a Server Hardware perspective I've had most experience with HP servers and solutions. I have also used Dell and IBM servers; however my preference is definitely HP. If I’m feeling particularly vocal one day, I’ll tell you why I think HP produces far superior servers than its competitors.

Outside of technology, my interests include:
- SCUBA diving – I’m a PADI Rescue Diver, but have done most of the work for the DiveMaster course (just need to do the exams if I want it).
- Extreeme Underwater Ironing
- Boating
- Motor sport - V8 Supercars
- Watching movies
- And sometimes a quiet night on the couch with a good glass of red wine

Please feel free to drop me a line about anything IT - I’m happy to share my experiences, thoughts or comments about anything, and am happy to get comments or feedback!

Over the next few weeks, I have a number of exciting technology projects coming to fruition, one of which is beta testing a new Microsoft product called LiveMesh. From the LiveMesh site "Live Mesh puts you at the center of your digital world, seamlessly connecting you to the people, devices, programs, and information you care about—available wherever you happen to be"

I’ll be posting shortly with my initial feedback.

Anyway - Hope you find this blog valuable.
Cheers,
Phil P