NewsGator Database Architect Shares SQL Expertise in New Book

NewsGator database architect, Glenn Berry, discloses valuable insights into Microsoft SQL Server development and administration in a new book of tips, techniques, and experience-driven best practices for database development.

SQL Server MVP Deep Dives contains chapters from NewsGator's Glenn Berry as well as 52 other SQL Server MVPs (Microsoft "Most Valuable Professionals"). Glenn's chapters are "Using Database Mirroring to Become a Superhero" and "Dr. DMV: How to use Dynamic Management Views."

As Glenn says, "the SQL database is the heart and soul of many important business applications such as the NewsGator Social Sites enterprise social networking application."  Indeed, "In Social Sites, SQL is the clearinghouse for all the information an enterprise generates about people, their work, and their opportunities for sharing that information to increase productivity.  Consequently, the quality of the database administration ultimately affects the enterprises's performance, which is why the knowledge in this book is valuable."

Glenn has a long list of Microsoft certifications, including CITP, MCDBA, MCSE, MCSD, MCAD, and MCTS, and he is also an adjunct faculty member and master teacher at University College - University Denver.  

One final neat point about this book: all author royalties go to War Child International, a network of independent organizations working across the world to help children affected by war.

Congratulations, Glenn!

You can pre-order SQL Server MVP Deep Dives here.

Also, you can read the full press release here.

NewsGator Developer Authors Book Revealing Secrets for Creating Great AJAX Applications on Microsoft SharePoint Server

Dan Larson, one of the key developers of NewsGator’s Social Sites enterprise social computing software, has released a new book titled, “Developing Service-Oriented AJAX Applications on the Microsoft® Platform,” published by Microsoft Press.

Dan, a software engineer, is an expert in AJAX Web development and a Microsoft MVP for SharePoint Server (previously covered in this blog post) which is the foundation for Social Sites, NewsGator’s software for activating “Facebook for the Enterprise.” 

“NewsGator Social Sites is one of the coolest applications you’ll ever see on SharePoint, and the slick user interface is built from the ground up using the Microsoft AJAX Library, including the SharePoint AJAX Toolkit (free at www.codeplex.com/sharepointajax),” Dan says. “A service-oriented AJAX application means we can deliver a rich Internet application that performs like a desktop application, and an architecture that can harness the energy of real-time social computing for business benefit. The book describes the approach we take to software development (writing Web Services and client-side user interfaces), how we do it, and how any developer can too."

You can read the entire press release here.

Two NewsGator Employees Once Again Named Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP)

For the third consecutive year, NewsGator has two employees who have been named Microsoft Most Valuable Professionals (MVPs). This is the third year in a row that Glenn Berry, NewsGator's Database Architect, has been named a Microsoft MVP, and the fourth year in a row that Dan Larson, a Developer here, are in the ranks of those awarded that exclusive title.

The Microsoft MVP Award is an annual award that recognizes exceptional technology community leaders worldwide who actively share their high quality, real world expertise with users and Microsoft.  With fewer than 5,000 awardees worldwide, Microsoft MVP's represent a highly select group of experts.

To recognize the contributions they make, MVP's from around the world have the opportunity to meet Microsoft executives, network with peers, and position themselves as technical community leaders -- accomplished through speaking engagements and one on one customer event participation and technical content development.

In addition, Database Architect, Glenn Berry, is presenting two sessions at SQLPASS 2009 in Seattle, which is a pretty big deal in the SQL Server world.  Also, Dan Larson is the author of two books, Developing Service-Oriented AJAX Applications on the Microsoft Platform and Inside Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0.

So, congratulations to NewsGator's Glenn Berry and Dan Larson.