Southampton SQL Server User Group

Q: Tobiasz, can we have a quick background on who you are and what you do?

A: For the last year I'm a fully independent consultant and trainer, before this I spend over nine years in the data processing centre jungle, previously I spent over five years in banking sector, before... I'm focused on data (SQL Server) and collaboration (SharePoint) with a strong focus on security, audits and licensing aspects. I'm one of few Friends of RedGate (continuously for the last four years), and a member of several other community organizations. I'm also community leader and volunteer for the last twelve-fifteen years (not only in ICT sector) and the result of my work is well recognizable: I am a SQL Server MVP (sixth year in a row), and a member of the boards of: Polish Information Processing Society and Information Systems Security Association (Polish Chapter). I moved from Poland to the UK in January this year and am actually settled in a quiet, posh area of Nottingham.

Q: What do you enjoy most about training days like the one that you are delivering?

A: I have attended many training days, and I’ve helped to organize many others. I always enjoy being focused on a specific subject, having time to listen, learn, sometimes making a short demo, exercises and - which probably is most important - having direct contact with lecturer and other students. If I have access to internet and can block connection from my clients for this day, and unlimited coffee is provided - I don't need anything more.

Q: How important do you think the cloud will be in the next three years?

A: Cloud. Some people say that it's a buzz word. We actually have had discussions in engineers group in Poland about power of Mainframes (and mainframes are the fathers of clouds), but... The world is changing, our life is changing and even I personally don't like this sentence, but: life is a constant change. We use cloud services from many years, not only Azure Services or Amazon Services, but almost whole our daily applications and services are 'cloud services'. Personally I use One Note, EverNote, DropBox, SkyDrive, One Drive, GoogleDrive, TripIt, Flickr, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, Endomondo, YouTube, iCloud, and other cloud services from TrendMicro, Symantec, Virgin Mobile, IBM, Polish Government, and UK Government. And of course Azure. In summary: it is important and will be important. And (because I always think about worst case scenario) everything will collapse when Internet will stop...

Q: What will be one of the key things that the attendees will take away from your session?

A: I will give few key things for attendees, but I hope that all delegates will have a great chance to see how easy adoption for cloud services is. I know that not too many peoples actually use cloud services like Windows Azure SQL Database (I have ascertained this knowledge from my previous sessions at user groups). But even - after four years from official premiere - they not use it. So the pre-conference seminar in Southampton is good place to start. In eight (or nine hours) they will get the best and worst practices, they can share knowledge and experience, and finally the can try how and why it works. Discovery is always exciting.