 Windows Networking StrategiesThis newsletter is sponsored by Meru NetworksNetwork World's Windows Networking Strategies Newsletter, 08/01/07Directory Experts Conference attendees rate their Active Directory prioritiesBy Dave KearnsI’m not shy about telling people that the NetPro Directory Experts Conference (DEC) is THE place to be for anyone involved with Microsoft’s Active Directory and its related technologies, including CardSpace, Identity Lifecycle Manager, Active Directory Federation Services and Rights Management Services. One thing I look forward to is the results of the survey NetPro conducts among the attendees. I’ve now got this year’s results in my hands, but you can get your own copy and see what your peers have to say. This year 314 of the 675 attendees completed the survey. And while their answers are interesting, it’s the comparisons to the 2005 and 2006 surveys that I find fascinating. For example, when asked how many users they supported, 89% of this year’s respondents answered 5,000 or more. Last year, 84% of respondents selected that answer, and 83% in 2005. That could mean that the average attendee is now coming from a larger company or (more likely, I think) that each of you now has to support more people (and often on a lower budget!). But the survey also supports the contention that we’re all becoming a bit more specialized in our coverage areas. In 2005, 14% reported that they were administratively responsible for “the entire network.” This dropped to 13% last year and to 8% this year. One area that seems to be at least partially responsible for this trend is security: in 2005, 54% reported they were responsible for security; that dropped to 45% last year and only 39% this year. The conclusion is that separate security organizations are being implemented at more and more enterprises all the time.
Something that hasn’t changed, though, is the respondents’ prioritization of the “most important day-to-day requirements for Active Directory,” No. 1 and No. 2 priorities – for the third year in a row – are “auditing AD changes” and “monitoring AD health.” Even as the tools to do these things have improved, we evidently still feel the need to keep watching closely over what’s happening. The survey wasn’t only about job responsibilities, though – job satisfaction questions revealed some surprising answers, maybe even a recipe for the ideal job. As the final report put it: When it comes to job satisfaction, company type, job experience, and specific job responsibilities all matter. So if you want to improve your job satisfaction, consider the following findings: * Type of organization – The happiest respondents work for a software vendor - 85% report they are satisfied or highly satisfied, the rest are average in satisfaction. * Job experience – Confidence in your abilities and years of real-life experience can relieve stress. Those with more than 10 years of job experience report an 82% level of satisfaction. * Responsibilities – The challenge of figuring out and implementing user needs is rewarding. Systems/business analysts report an 81% level of satisfaction, taking first place by job title. There’s a whole lot more fascinating insights in the 26-page report. Download your own copy now. Editor's Note: We regret to let you know that we will no longer be publishing the Windows Networking Strategies newsletter. The last newsletter will be mailed on Aug. 8. To keep you abreast of Microsoft news, starting the week of Aug. 13, you will begin receiving the Microsoft News Alert newsletter, which mails every Tuesday and Thursday. We thank you for supporting Network World newsletters.
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| Contact the author: Dave Kearns is a writer and consultant in Silicon Valley. He's written a number of books including the (sadly) now out of print "Peter Norton's Complete Guide to Networks." His musings can be found at Virtual Quill. Kearns is the author of two Network World Newsletters: Windows Networking Strategies, and Identity Management. Comments about these newsletters should be sent to him at these respective addresses: windows@vquill.com, identity@vquill.com . Kearns provides content services to network vendors: books, manuals, white papers, lectures and seminars, marketing, technical marketing and support documents. Virtual Quill provides "words to sell by..." Find out more by e-mail. This newsletter is sponsored by Meru NetworksARCHIVEArchive of the Windows Networking Strategies Newsletter. BONUS FEATUREIT PRODUCT RESEARCH AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Get detailed information on thousands of products, conduct side-by-side comparisons and read product test and review results with Network World’s IT Buyer’s Guides. Find the best solution faster than ever with over 100 distinct categories across the security, storage, management, wireless, infrastructure and convergence markets. Click here for details. PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE International subscribers, click here. SUBSCRIPTION SERVICESTo subscribe or unsubscribe to any Network World newsletter, change your e-mail address or contact us, click here. This message was sent to: networking.world@gmail.com. Please use this address when modifying your subscription. Advertising information: Write to Associate Publisher Online Susan Cardoza Network World, Inc., 118 Turnpike Road, Southborough, MA 01772 Copyright Network World, Inc., 2007 |
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