UC Unleashed

I found out today that I’ve been awarded the Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) award for the sixth straight year. I’m quite honored to receive this award, and truly enjoy the benefits it brings.

For those who are unfamiliar with the MVP award, it is recognition from Microsoft for exceptional technical leadership in the community. MVPs are awarded in only a single area of expertise (mine being Exchange). I am a regular contributor to online communities such as TechNet and Tek-Tips, print publications such as books, and blogs such as this one. I truly enjoy doing it, and it’s always nice to be recognized for the efforts. Some MVPs are public speakers at conferences and write articles in technical publications. One cannot apply to be an MVP, nor can you take a test. You have to be nominated. I still am not positive as to who originally nominated me years ago. Soliciting for an MVP award is generally frowned upon.

Among the benefits that MVPs enjoy is unmatched access to the product groups within Microsoft, access to technical information not available publicly, as well as software and support benefits. The recognition goes far and wide, including benefits from outside vendors, as well as interest from larger organizations and recruiting firms. Think I’m exaggerating? My current employer CAME TO ME while I was working elsewhere, based on online contributions and reputation in the technical community. An MVP award has a substantial positive impact on your career.

MVP awards are granted during 4 cycles each year, and an MVP award is good for one year. So, no slacking here! To stay an MVP, you must continue to contribute in the technical community. The number of MVPs always fluctuates, as some are awarded only once, some join the mother ship (Microsoft) and have to forfeit their award, and some move to different areas of expertise. From what I’ve been able to gather, there are generally around two dozen Exchange MVPs in the United States. Most of us know each other, and can reach out to one another, as well as the product group staff, when issues arise. This is truly the best benefit. Look at the various books, magazine articles, blogs, and seminars about Exchange, and nearly all are written by MVPs. This includes Jim McBee, Tony Redmond, Devin Ganger, and others. See the Blog links section on the right side of this site for links to many MVPs.

I’ve made some great friends during these years. Some are no longer MVPs, but most still are. Some have been awarded for over a dozen years – a mind boggling thought. That’s a lot of forum posts, writing, and effort. Microsoft has a Global Summit once a year in Redmond, and many of us spend a lot of time at the Summit socializing and networking, which is not only fun from a professional level, but also a personal one. There are also deep technical sessions provided by those responsible for that particular area of the product. And we always meet MVPs in other areas of interest, such as Lync, Active Directory, etc.

Rest assured that my efforts to help in the community will continue for years to come.

If you’d like more information about the MVP program, see the Most Valuable Professional Overview page. To see my MVP profile, click the MVP logo in the right side of this site.

Thanks!