Azure, BizTalk, Blog, Logic Apps Leave a comment

Becoming a Unicorn

By Rob Callaway

Introduction

This blog is usually reserved for technical posts and QuickLearn Training announcements, but something happened across my Facebook feed a while back and I’ve found myself revisiting it in my mind over and over so I have some thoughts / predictions / musings that I want to express.

Some Background

I’ve been training people how to be BizTalk Server developers and administrators since 2005. That’s a pretty long time; and in that time I’ve hit the job market looking for a new position on only a couple of occasions because I really love my job.

But I know that I’m one of the lucky ones. There are plenty of people out there looking to advance their careers. Others who hate the company they work for. Plenty of people feel stuck in dead-end positions. And there’s definitely a few looking to completely start over.

What’s the Point?

This brings me to my point. If any of that sounds like you, or someone you know, check out LinkedIn’s “Top Skills That Can Get You Hired in 2017” blog post (this is the thing that I saw on my Facebook feed). In it they list the top 10 skills based on the jobs listed on LinkedIn in 2016.

Of course, as someone who specializes in integration, I was pleased as punch to see Middleware and Integration Software in the #4 spot globally. Furthermore, Cloud and Distributed Computing is in the #1 spot (not surprising).

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Naturally I couldn’t help but think of Logic Apps since it’s the convergence of those two categories. Logic Apps are in a position to change the game for a lot of organizations and people. I think we’re going to see a dramatic increase in the number of organizations / development teams looking for “cloud” developers with an integration background.

Don’t Tell Me BizTalk Is Dead, Because It’s Not

Just because that flashy new cloud-based integration platform comes rolling down the street doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten about BizTalk Server (my first love). Microsoft has increased their investment in BizTalk Server over the past 2 years, and just released BizTalk Server 2016 (I’m still waiting for Nick Hauenstein to start writing about all the new features). In the past year, Microsoft has changed its tune regarding Azure.

The new buzzword is Hybrid. I don’t want to dismiss that as a buzzword though. Hybrid (or more specifically, Hybrid Integration) is blending new Azure or cloud-based systems with existing on-premises systems. No one is going to abandon all of their on-premises investments overnight to adopt a cloud platform. The companies that are moving to the cloud are doing so slowly and deliberately one system / project at a time. No one is saying “Pack everything up Ted, we’re moving to the cloud.” Instead cloud services are used for new development.

As more workloads start running in the cloud, organizations need skilled people to connect those cloud services to data and services that live on-premises. BizTalk Server is a prime candidate to be your hybrid integration platform. Gartner estimates that by 2020, 75% of large organizations will have a hybrid integration platform. Those companies are going to need savvy integration professionals to build those platforms.

We Live in a Connected World

Our world seems to get more connected day-by-day. Mobile apps and IoT (Internet of Things) have changed the way people live their lives and neither is fading away any time soon. Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention that in the LinkedIn article, Mobile Development holds the #7 spot.

That Gartner report I referenced a second ago states that 70% of mobile app development costs are related to integration and that integration represents 50% of the cost in IoT solutions. You know that all these systems don’t magically connect to each other. Someone has to build those connections, and that someone could be you.

Becoming a Unicorn

That sea-change the cloud was supposed to bring… it’s here. Companies have started adopting cloud technologies and they aren’t going to stop. As integration professionals, we are in a unique position to capitalize on this change. But with the demand as high as it is, you’re going to have to stand out. If your skills included integration (on-premises and cloud) + cloud development + mobile development, you’d be poised to land some of the most coveted jobs.

I didn’t intend for this to be a sales pitch, but if you need help getting there, QuickLearn Training can help you out. Our courses on BizTalk Server (updated for BizTalk Server 2016 starting in January 2017) and our Cloud-Based Integration Using Azure Logic Apps course will equip you with the deep skills you need to become the elusive unicorn that companies are looking for.

On the other side of the coin, if you’re looking to get some unicorns on your team, they are hard to find and will come at a cost. Honestly, you’re probably better off making your own unicorn. Time and again I hear from customers about horror stories where they hired someone who wasn’t a good fit. Or the consultant they contracted with disappeared and now they are stuck without support. I genuinely think the best option for most teams or organizations is to find the person you want and then help them gain the skills you need.

I’m not boasting when I say that I’ve had more than a handful of students tell me that my course(s) helped them find a direction for their career; if anything it is a rather humbling experience to realize that you have played a role in changing their lives. As a trainer, I love that my job is to make other people’s lives better, and I’d like to help make yours better too.

I know that I speak for everyone here at QuickLearn Training when I say, make 2017 awesome by becoming a unicorn!

unicorn

API Apps, Azure App Service, Industry News, Logic Apps Leave a comment

QuickLearn Re-Launches Azure Logic Apps Class

By John Callaway

QuickLearn Is Excited to Announce the Availability of the Improved Logic Apps Course

July 25th was a big week for Microsoft’s Azure Logic Apps with the announcement that Logic Apps Reaches General Availability, and it was a big week for QuickLearn as well. We have been working for months on honing our expertise with Logic Apps so that we would be ready to deliver the new and improved Cloud-Based Integration Using Azure App Services course in conjunction with Microsoft’s release. This course has been expanded from the original three-day version to a five-day version that includes a full one-day workshop where attendees build a complete integration solution using Logic Apps, Azure Service Bus, and various API App connectors.

Nick Hauenstein and Rob Callaway worked tirelessly over the last few weeks putting the finishing touches on what I have to say is a killer course. The rest of the team provided support in testing and editing but those two did the heavy lifting in truly getting up to speed. Nick did a Herculean job delivering the course to a truly international audience with attendees in London, Sydney and of course our office in Kirkland.

I had the opportunity to attend the class as a student. I have been following the development of Azure App Services as I’m sure many of you have, and felt I had a pretty good handle on how they all work, but I have to admit I came away with a much better idea of how all the parts can work together. Nick has a way of building great scenarios and explaining how the available parts can be used to build a complete integration.

For those of you keeping track, the timing meant that Nick had to shift gears mid-week as Microsoft pushed the GA bits into production. It was interesting to see things work one way in one demo and literally an hour later work a different way!

We also had a real treat when Jeff Hollan, Program Manager for Azure Logic Apps dropped by and spent about an hour talking about Logic Apps and answering questions for the students. Its great being so close to the Microsoft campus, we always appreciate visits from our friends there.

What Does the Future of Integration Look Like?

I wish I had a nickel for every time a student has asked that question in class. It has been puzzling since the story coming out of Redmond has been evolving over the last few years. Fortunately, the story is a good one.

Everyone needs integration. For years if you wanted to build a robust integration solution using .NET, you really only had two options. Start from scratch and build the whole thing yourself, a very time consuming process, or buy BizTalk Server. Although BizTalk is an awesome and powerful product, the learning curve is rather steep and the cost of ownership often high. What was needed was integration for the little guys.

Azure App Service is (becoming) the solution to this problem. Azure App Service is a fully managed platform for web, mobile, and integration scenarios. Our course focuses on connecting your on-premises resources to cloud services such as Service Bus and on building complexity into your solutions via Logic Apps. Although it isn’t a replacement for BizTalk, it shares many of the capabilities and features that BizTalk developers would be familiar with.

Does that mean you don’t need BizTalk anymore? Not at all! BizTalk still provides a very powerful processing engine whether you choose to run it in Azure or on your own hardware. Azure App Services simply provide an option to do some of the things BizTalk is capable of. It is probably best suited for .NET developers who aren’t familiar with BizTalk Server but are looking to integrate with Azure resources.

From time to time I have been asked about how Microsoft Flow fits into all of this. Flow uses the same connectors and services that are built into App Services, it just doesn’t have the ability for developers to extend it using Logic Apps and API Apps. With Flow you are moving into a home that is all furnished for you. With Azure App Services you have the house and a toolbox and a pile of wood to finish it off just the way you want it.

Is This the Right Course for You?

If you happen to be new to integration and are looking for a good place to start, this course is it. On the other hand, if you are an experienced BizTalk developer and you are interested in exploring the future, this is also the course for you. The amount of crossover between the two products is surprisingly small as far as the tools that you use, although of course the concepts will seem very familiar to you.

There are still seats available for the September 19th delivery being presented by Rob Callaway at out Kirkland location (also available for remote attendance). If you are in Europe, you have two opportunities coming up. I will be delivering the class in Oslo Norway with our partner Bouvet on October 24th or you can celebrate Halloween with an American (October 31st) with our partner InfoSupport in Utrecht, Netherlands.