Brew City HDI

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to the Brew City HDI RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

Purely Social: Riverfront Pizzeria!

Join the group for an evening of Purely social fun!  We’ll be getting together and enjoing a great view right on the river!

Check out their website for more information on the venue: http://rfpizzeria.com/ and feel free to RSVP if you can to RSVP@brewcityhdi.com so that we can forewarn the restaurant!

When: Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Time: Around 5:30pm (or whenever you can get there!)
Where:

Topic: Windows 7 Demonstration with our Microsoft Rep Dan Rey

June 16, 2009
Check in begins at 5:30PM

Thomson Reuters BETA Systems
350 N. Sunnyslope Rd.
Brookfield, WI 53005
262-789-9000 - main number

View Larger Map

RSVP via e-mail to RSVP@BrewCityHDI.com

Dan Rey, our June Meeting Presenter, is the team captain for “Team Microsoft.” He is a Big Brother to Christian. Dan and his wife Eva are participating in the Trek 100 ride which supports Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer.

Dan Rey’s pledge page.

Christian and Dan Rey

Bowl for the Kids Sake 2009: Christian, Sam, Dan and Co.

Thomson Reuters is the world’s leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals. We combine industry expertise with innovative technology to deliver critical information to leading decision makers in the financial, legal, tax and accounting, scientific, healthcare and media markets, powered by the world’s most trusted news organization. With headquarters in New York and major operations in London and Eagan, Minnesota, Thomson Reuters employs more than 50,000 people in 93 countries.  

Thomson Reuters BETA Systems provides a complete brokerage processing solution that is unparalleled in the industry. Thomson Reuters BETA Systems’ integrated line of products provide seamless front and back office processing.

Visit Our Sponsor

Kforce (NASDAQ: KFRC) is a full-service technology staffing firm providing contract, contract to hire and direct hire staffing solutions for hiring organizations and career management for job seekers.
 
At Kforce, we believe that Great People = Great Results.  By understanding what drives our specialty industries, becoming involved in our communities on a professional and personal basis, following a disciplined process of identifying quality candidates, partnering with employers to understand their core business and their employment requirements, and delivering exceptional service, we achieve great results for all concerned.
 
Kforce’s 2,000 staffing specialists operate 61 offices in 41 markets in North America and two in the Philippines, bringing the value of over 40 years of experience to your staffing and career development needs.  Contact us locally for more information at: 414-475-7200.
 
Visit Our Sponsor

Topic:  Harnessing the Power of Community
Date:   Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Time:   1 p.m. Eastern - 10 a.m. Pacific
 

In this challenging business climate, professional communities are great resources to help you navigate common challenges, share resources, and network. Rich Hand, HDI Executive Director of Membership, will share how participating in a professional community can improve both your personal and professional growth.

Learn how to leverage the technical support community. This webinar will cover the following topics:
 The value of a professional community
 Why this is the best time to be in a community
 Leveraging Resources, Value of Certifications, Local Chapters & Forums, Best Practices, Ask the Expert…
 Cost vs. Return
 How communities build careers, and much more…

Hosted and Presented By:
Rich Hand, Executive Director of Membership, HDI

This special community webinar is open to Members and Non-Members

Register online.

Topic:  New Media Discussions and Demo’s
“How to Make New Media work for you in this Recession”
 
May 19th, 2009
Check in Begins @ 5:30
 
Goodwill Industries
6055 N. 91st Street
Milwaukee, WI  53225
View Larger Map
 
RSVP via email to rsvp@brewcityhdi.com

It is that time of year again that we have positions on the Brew City HDI board up for election.  Each officer position has a two year term and to ensure there is never a full board turn over, only half of the board is up for elections each May. This year’s elections are for VP of Communication, Webmaster and Newsletter Editor/Librarian.  We have however made a few changes this year to these offices as well as created a few new positions:

• VP of Communications and Newsletter Editor will combine to make the VP of Marketing. (Librarian will continue under this role)
• Webmaster will become the VP of New Media
• New position - VP of Vendor Relations
• New position - VP of Student Relations
 
Position Descriptions:
• VP of Marketing:  Create, monitor and maintain chapter marketing activities to ensure falling within the 21/14/7/1 timeframe. Create and send all marketing materials for chapter, including newsletter, postcards, and postings to OnMilwaukee.com and other boards.  Take notes at all chapter meetings and officer meetings and submit them to the board and HDI Global.  Act as Librarian.
• VP of New Media:  Ensure chapter website is updated with meeting announcements, articles, special announcements and other pages as needed. Reach out to new members using variety of new media sources included LinkedIn, Facebook, and MySpace. 
• VP of Vendor Affairs: Secure sponsorship for meetings and special events including HDI AOY, Tech Fair, Brewers Outing and Social Outing. Maintain master list of all vendors/sponsors. Coordinates sending thank you notes to all sponsors. 
• VP of Student Relations:  Work with local colleges, universities and tech schools to increase student membership/involvement in local HDI chapter. Work with VP of Marketing to create a marketing plan specific to students.

Don’t be shy!  Nominate yourself, or your friends!!  You are encouraged to send your nominations for each position to vpfinance@brewcityhdi.com.

Call for nominations will be open until 2PM Friday May 8th.  Nominations can be submitted by anyone but voting is reserved for HDI members.  HDI members will receive their ballots on Monday May 11th and will be asked to vote by 5PM Friday May 15th.  Results of the election will then be announced at our next scheduled meeting on May 17th!

Meeting notes

Things others don’t know about some of our members

Sponsor’s corner

CNH is a majority-owned subsidiary of Fiat S.p.A., the parent company of the Fiat Group.  In addition to the CNH brands, Fiat manufactures the renowned Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Lancia, and Maserati cars, and Iveco trucks and commercial vehicles.

Chapter business

President - Please fill out your survey. 2009 schedules available.

Finance - $3200 in the bank after expenses.  Things are looking pretty good

Newsletter (Marketing) - Newsletter will have the scheduled meetings and the details about the call for nominations for new officer positions of Vendor Relations, Marketing, Student Relations, and New Media.

Webmaster (New media) - We now have a Twitter presence.  Our website has an offer about free resume copies and faxes.

Main topic - ITIL Qualification Landscape –Tony Bigonia

What is ITIL and what is the difference between versions 2 and 3

-          ITIL (Information Technology Information Library) aligns IT services to the business need

-          Holistic approach of managing services

-          Justifiable service offerings

-          Allows organizations to tailor the framework to fit the company’s need

-          It is a library of books

V2 Certifications

V3 updated approach to learning

-          More modular

-          Modernized testing

-          Greater choice of education options

The new Foundations course is still a 40 question test, but you can do the course online. There is a 2.5 day course like the last one but covers 23 processes and 5 functions. Still has the 4 process based clusters.  There are 5 days per cluster, a 90 minute test,  and can be taken online. You need 80% to pass.

There is a course called Managing across Lifecycles. There is not an online version of this class.  The nature of the give and take in the class is better suited for being there in person.

Remember that you don’t have to take the classes to take the exams.  You don’t have to take the exams to use the knowledge in your work life

Now about the classes - Bridging the gap

There is a foundations bridge and a manager bridge class.  Both have 20 question tests.

Paths

Roundtable

Q: Where do you start with the certifications- MCP, Cisco, or ITIL? Do employers value the certifications?

A: It depends: where do you want to go with your job and what does your job need you to know.  The certification will get more credit with employers if it is paired with experience in the field.

Q: Do certifications matter for new people in ITIL?
A: Only the Foundations course and that depends on you working at a company that accepts the framework of ITIL. 

Q: Has anyone taken the HDI bridge course?

A: no one at this meeting had attended.  The question wanted to know if the HDI class is the same as the class from other sources.  It is.

Q: What is the maturity level of the ITIL processes at your companies on a scale of 1 to 10?

A: 4 panelists answered and the answers were very similar

• IM and PM  6-8
• Change 3-5
• Config 2-3

Q: KCS – how important is it as a process?

A: Very.  ITIL version 3 added focus to the topic.  HDI is pushing the topic as well through the courses in KCS.  Since it is a different way of thinking about knowledge and knowledge bases, it is difficult to implement. The tools on the market have greatly improved over the last 2-3 years.  The integration of knowledge into the Incident Management data collection process is always the issue.  There is still work to be done here.

Q: Anyone have a knowledge base that works for them? 

A: TDS, UW-Madison

Giveaways this meeting Book- Escaping Adulthood by Kim and Jason,  HDI T-shirts, My life ignored by Rich Hand from HDI, Phil stress toy, teamwork poster for Kim & Jason

To get more ITIL information, see the ITSMF Local Interest Group (Wisconsin user group www.wilig.org).  Their meetings the 2^nd Tuesday of the month.

If you are looking for a job, Office Depot wants to help YOU!

Customers who visit the Design, Print & Ship center in any Office Depot store nationwide can get free resume photocopying (up to 25 single-sided pages), plus free faxing to five domestic numbers. This offer runs through May 30.

Best wishes!

Brew City HDI