Thanks Microosft for again awarding me as a BizTalk MVP today! It is a big honor to be in the program. This will be my third year in the MVP program.

Since I am still in the process of transitioning my blog from the old Live Spaces location, I do not yet have some of the logos for the MVP Award and links to my forums posts. I will be working on getting this added to my blog site this weekend. For anyone that is interested, here is a link to my MVP profile: https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile=F7CEAEDD-3119-4F75-B12C-A520904557C1. It mentions some of the various technical communities I am active in as well as some of the publications and speaking sessions I have done.

I realized that I have not really spoken much in a public way about the benefits of the MVP program. I am not sure if these comments about the program will hold true for all MVPs, this is just my experience. What I describe here is above and beyond all the software benefits given through the MVP program. In my mind the greater benefits are the many opportunities for career advancement and extension.

Here are a few things I love about the MVP program:

• Great opportunities to be a bridge between Microsoft and technical communities – I have advocated on both clients and Microsoft’s behalf in many discussions. This is particularly helpful because there is a lot of miscommunication.
• Early access to many products, initiatives, and planning sessions
• Many opportunities for understanding how Microsoft works and functions
• Excellent networking opportunities for connecting with other industry experts and veterans
• Being in the MVP program requires me to stay competitive and relevant. This helps me keep up to date on my technical knowledge and focused on the future.

For anyone not in the MVP program, it is definitely something to aspire to and I think it is worth all of the hard, fun work. 🙂

Thanks,