In The Press: Microsoft Canada's EnergizeIT aims to wow students into IT
Microsoft Canada's EnergizeIT aims to wow students into IT
https://www.connectitnews.com/canada/story.cfm?item=5766
30 May, 2008
By Liam Lahey
With over 2,000 IT community members expected to attend last Saturday's Microsoft Canada Co.'s annual EnergizeIT event at the Toronto Congress Centre, one executive says though the extraordinarily unique event is in fact a celebration of IT, the focus this year was to woo post-secondary students to consider a career in IT.
"The whole point of EnergizeIT is to celebrate and recognize and support Canada's IT profession," said Mark Relph, vice-president of the developer & platform group for the Mississauga, Ont.-based Microsoft Canada Co. "Unlike a traditional product launch, the day is all about helping people grow their skills, make connections in the community, and supporting their careers.
"It's all about information people can use in their everyday jobs and maybe try out some newer technologies they've yet to have the opportunity to."
EnergizeIT features the latest innovations in desktop, server operating system and security solutions. The event is also geared towards creating excitement around the current IT career opportunities available in Canada.
But with fewer students enrolling in science and technology courses at Canadian universities, Relph said he hoped aspiring post-secondary students would attend to get a peek at what a career in IT could ultimately lead to.
"At the very top end, the ultimate issue we're trying to tackle here is the health of Canada's IT economy," he said. "The IT staffing shortage is becoming a critical issue for corporate Canada . . . we do feel there's a sense this is a community and profession that needs to be supported and it's important for Canada's economy.
"Our hope is, students will come and see what's possible. And we do hope they'll want to go and pursue careers in this industry and help keep our economy propelling in the right direction."
Participants are also encouraged to bring along their notebooks to install and test betas of the latest Microsoft applications and tools including Expression, SQL Server, Unified Communications, Visual Studio, Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista.
Relph said the attending IT professionals -- developers, designers, architects -- would have ample opportunity to zero in on the tools required for the 'here and now' while students and IT enthusiasts could check out some the latest and greatest in consumer technologies and more interest to the individual.
"Our partner base has told us they want to spend time learning about the tools and technologies they need to work with everyday and not always looking to the next, new shiny thing, so that's a major theme," he said. "Security is also a major theme . . . it's a hot topic for any individual or organization both on the developer side and the IT side."