Good news! Especially for those of you who have checked out these two posts:

Certification and MeasureUp Discounts 20% off Certs! 

Getting Microsoft Certified in the United Arab Emirates!

Unfortunately, there will be some change on the horizon! That 20% will soon become 10% for all vouchers generated after August 27th, 2009!  Fortunately, all vouchers generated BEFORE August 27th, 2009 will still be eligible for their original discount (Which is great for England, US and other 20% off countries! :))

I’ll generate a number of vouchers to have on hand as applicable, which I’ll definitely take care of for England and the US, and if you have any other countries you want vouchers for… let me know and I’ll be sure to keep them on hand! :)

I’m sure you’ve seen my ever so recently posted Microsoft Certification and MeasureUp Discounts 20% off Certs! which talks about how you can get 20% off on Microsoft Certification exams! Cool, right?

Well, there is one misfortune of Safari and it’s ability to actually recognize that I selected ‘u’ and scrolled down to United States – End result? I’ve generated a WHOLE bunch of vouchers for the United Arab Emirates! So if you’re in the United Arab Emirates and are looking for Microsoft Exam Certification discounts (The UAE discount is 10% off) but that’s better than full price!

Let me know and I’ll get you vouchers, and then we all win as you test and pay less!

So, Microsoft certifiers in the UAE! Come on down, let me know! email, comment, message on twitter, whichever! :)

For those of you who know me, and I know some of you do very well, you know how much I love education, learning, Certification, and most importantly.. Sharing the goods with everyone else! Well, this situation is no different!

I’m now able to take advantage of this special promotion for MCT’s which allows me to share discount vouchers with you! Discount vouchers to the tune of 10% to 20% off on Certification exams (depending upon the country)

All you need to do is let me know you want a voucher, provide an email address and country (and number of vouchers you’re looking to use) and I can supply that to you! You can reach me on Twitter @cxi, here by a comment, or sending me an email

You have no idea how excited I am to have this opportunity to share with you, so lets take advantage of it, I know I will :)  Below are the details and a brief look at what is available.

This voucher is redeemable for one Microsoft Certification Exam delivered at an Authorized Prometric Testing Center™. This voucher expires June 30, 2010. You must take your Microsoft Certification Exam prior to this date

Why you should get certified                                                     Learn more

When you earn a Microsoft Certification, you are demonstrating your knowledge and skills with Microsoft products and technologies, while validating real-world skills and job-related experiences that are used every day. Whether you are new to technology, changing jobs, or a seasoned IT professional, becoming certified helps you prove to peers and employers that you are committed to advancing your skills and that you are a candidate for new opportunities and career growth. Plus, as a Microsoft Certified Professional, you’ll have access to a vibrant, worldwide community of other certified professionals.

Save 40% on a 60 Day Online MeasureUp Practice Test      Learn more

You’ve made a great decision to certify your training and experience. Now make sure you are ready to pass the exam using a MeasureUp Practice Test. MeasureUp Practice Tests questions are written by subject matter experts and designed to test the concepts presented in the actual exam. Performance-based simulations are included in some practice tests as an additional test of the student’s capabilities.

Save 40% now using your voucher number and prepare for certification success.

¹ 2006 MCP Customer Satisfaction Survey • ² Redmond Magazine’s 2006 survey of compensation for Microsoft IT professionals • ³ IDC Study: Value of Certification: Team Certification and Organizational Performance, Nov 2006 •This voucher may not be combined with other vouchers and discounts. It is no longer valid after the expiration date; This voucher is nontransferable and is void if altered or revised in any way. It may not be redeemed for cash, credit, or refund and may only be applied towards Microsoft Certification exams. Microsoft ,Prometric™ and Authorized Prometric Testing Centers™ are not responsible for vouchers that are lost or stolen. Any resale of this voucher is expressly prohibited. Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. Prometric and the Prometric logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Prometric and its affiliated companies.

The fine print:

* Only MCTs can request MCT Rewards Discount Vouchers. You can offer MCT Rewards Discount Vouchers to students who have attended one of your instructor-led classes or one of your colleagues’ classes. You can also offer discount vouchers to people who you reach through your personal network or through your blog, website etc. These vouchers will be personalized and will include your name as the trainer that provided the discount voucher and you will receive points for each redeemed voucher. Please note that MCT Rewards Discount Vouchers may not be resold. Discounts may vary by country. For a list of discounts by country, (let me know ;))

*Heavy Breathing* Ken, I am your father, err, Sorry about that.. but welcome back the BUS, Euro-style!

That’s right! For those of you who missed it the first time, this time it’s back, and more euro than ever!   But what does this mean?

Oh, I have no idea! But my thoughts are, a rocking cross-multi-country bus tour across Europe which if you knew about the first tour at all… should ROCK!   More details will come as I find out about them!

Watch this page for updates, and find out how you can join us on the bus for a free trip to TechEd Europe! Oh, and watch my blog for my take on things too!

Booyah! Did you hear that? Booyah!

And my good friend Rick Scherer has said:

Windows 7 and Windows 2008 R2 have been RTM

The Windows Blog has said this:

Windows 7 Has Been Released to Manufacturing

While the Windows Server blog has said:

WINDOWS SERVER 2008 R2 REACHES THE RTM MILESTONE!

So what does this mean? Well, here is a little caption borrowed from the Windows Blogs

The RTM code will be delivered to our partners within the next few days who will then start preparing to deliver some amazing new products timed to hit at General Availability (GA) of Windows 7 on October 22nd. And going forward, I expect to be showcasing MANY of these new products here on The Windows Blog.

What does this mean for me? As soon as it hits TechNet (hopefully in the next 7 days) I’ll be reloading my production machine I use 99% of the time with Win7, using my SSD drive.  Oh, did I mention Booyah? yea!

*Update!* Word on the street is, TechNet subscribers get it on August 7th.. so there we go!

Press Release: Microsoft Releases Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2