Dear Members,

As some of you may be aware, we have been facing some issues with our SPAN website at www.span.com.my for some time now.  We have not been able to customize and update the website to our exact specifications and requirements, and continue to face problems with formatting the site and keeping the contents up to date. The sending of mass emails such as these has also been intermittent and inconsistent.

We are currently in the process of deploying the website to a new server and hosting provider but it may take some time to complete. In the meantime, I have created a group for SPAN in Facebook where I believe a similar if not better environment for all of us to share and network can be evolved. All of you can create SQL related forums there for discussion and the committee can also post any announcement of events and offers there.  If you already have a Facebook account, please join the group and say hi, otherwise creating one is free :).

It is my hope that once we have a more robust online presence, participation will improve and we can all create more value within the group. See you in Facebook!

Best Wishes,
ck.

Saturday 14 June 2008, Penang 

Four Malaysian technical communities, Intel IT Technical Community Malaysia Chapter .NET SIG, ELITE, MIND and SPAN, are coming together to host a community event focusing on technical dives of Microsoft Windows Server 2008™, Visual Studio 2008™, and SQL Server 2008™.

Date: 14 June 2008, Saturday

Venue: Intel Technology Sdn. Bhd. (PG12 Auditorium)
           Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone
           Phase 3, Halaman Kampung Jawa
           11900 Penang, Malaysia

Agenda:

Come join us for the IT communities get-together and be one of the first to receive technical demos & training, product readiness resources!

Register here to reserve a seat today!

See you there!

Date & Time: Thursday, 27 March 2008 (7.00pm onwards)
Agenda:
7:00-7:15pm - Welcome & Introduction
7:15-8:15pm - Building BI Applications Using SQL Server Analysis Services (Foong Kar Lai)
8:15-8:30pm - Break & Snacks
8:30-9:30pm - Tuning & Optimizing Queries in SQL Server 2005 (CK Phua)
9:30-9:40pm - Announcements
Venue:
Microsoft Malaysia, Level 29
Tower 2, Petronas Twin Towers, KLCC.

Please send an email to ckphua@span.com.my to confirm your attendance, or leave a comment here.

SPAN is pleased to announce that we have worked out some great benefits for members wishing to attend Microsoft TechEd 2007. This special RSVP code will entitle SPAN community members to receive an exclusive TechEd ticket pricing of RM799 instead of the normal rates available today. Please take note that this pricing is applicable to community members only, so please take advantage of this special offer before the 15th of August!

*Time Limited Offer - “Mark Your Way to the USA or Europe” Contest Dear valued partners, All Microsoft affiliates will be given an extra privilege to save an additional RM500 from the actual conference fees. Pay for your conference ticket before 15 August, and you will be entitled to be in the running to win a conference trip to **VSLive! in Austin, Texas or **Tech•Ed IT Forum in Europe!! All you need to do is to: Take note of this special RSVP code: M7H4A2 Register yourself for Tech•Ed by choosing Option 3 (Registration with RSVP Code). *This offer is valid until August 15, 2007 ** Terms & Conditions Apply For more information about the contest, please click here Trade Visiting Hours The Tech•Ed Exhibition Hall is open to trade visitors on: • Day 2 (September 11, 2007) from   2.00pm – 4.00pm • Day 3 (September 12, 2007) from   2.00pm – 6.00pm Admission is free. Visitors are all welcome to view our partners’ products and solutions on showcase. Microsoft Tech•Ed SEA 2007 Conference DVD Set @ RM88 *limited stock Valued at USD195 per set, pre-order NOW for only RM88! The DVD set features streaming media files of the Tech•Ed 2007 USA Breakout Sessions and Keynote Address, plus bonus content such as manuals from Hands-on Labs and materials related to the Breakout Sessions. For more information, click here “Blog about Tech•Ed & Win!” Write anything about Microsoft Tech•Ed SEA on your blog and you could win the grand prize of a MP3 player, and many more other great prizes are up for grab! For more information, click here Get a free mock test on Microsoft Certification Tech•Ed attendees will be entitled to a FREE Microsoft Certification practice mock test during the conference days. Reservations will be available from July 1. This will be on a first-come-first-serve basis. Check out our website for more updates.     © 2007 Microsoft Corporation Terms of Use | Trademarks | Privacy Statement

It’s back! Tech•Ed SEA 2007, Microsoft’s premier & largest annual conference in the South East Asia region will be held in Malaysia this year. This is an event not to be missed!

For 4 days (September 10th-13th), you can get technical trainings, information and resources to help you build, deploy, secure, mobilize, and manage solutions. Tech•Ed SEA 2007 features:

• More Than 100 Breakout Sessions: Where you will hear about your favorite technologies from the sources who developed them.
• Hands-on Experiences: That offers opportunities to evaluate products both from Microsoft and from our most important industry partners.
• Networking with your Peers: 2,000 IT professionals & Developers with minds just like yours!

Ready for the next big hype in the world?

Come & witness how Windows Vista and 2007 Microsoft Office System makes you go “Wow” !!

Make your way to Low Yat Plaza located at Jalan Bukit Bintang the weekends on 3th & 4^th February 2007 and join in a host of activities, games and contests.

There will be an "Amazing Vista Walk Hunt" game awaiting for you!
For those who is interested, please click HERE to find out the details and rules for the game.

Be part of the history & don't miss out this COOL EVENT!!!

As a core member of TechNation, SPAN would like to invite all members to join us for an afternoon with industry speakers. Interesting IT career, and self development tips will be shared in this event. Light snacks will be served.

Date: 2 December 2006, Saturday
Time: 2:00pm – 5:00pm
Venue: Level 29, Tower 2, Petronas Twin Towers, Kuala Lumpur City Centre, 50088, Kuala Lumpur.
 

Note: No slippers or shorts allowed in Petronas Twin Towers.

Agenda (subject to change)
2:00pm – 2:15pm Welcome
2:15pm -2:45pm “Are you ready to get hired?” by Simon, Jobstreet
2:45pm – 3:15pm “Getting in to and growing in the IT industry” by Effendi, Mesiniaga
3:15pm – 3:30pm Break
3:30pm – 4:00pm “Moving from Technical to Management” by Wong Kum Wai, Ernst & Young
4:00pm – 4:30pm “How to sharpen presentation skill” by Darien Nagle, Microsoft Malaysia
4:30pm – 5:00pm Forum Discussion with speakers / Q&A

Registration: Please register in the Forums pages (under Announcements).