Category: Me

Categories
Me

Wrapping up 2023

We are right at the end of 2023, getting ready for the holidays which is a great moment to wind down and reflect a bit on the last year. And it’s been a year full of awesome things!

Conferences

I didn’t actually go to that many conferences this year, I focused on two which I found really interesting.

MVP Summit

Okay, this is not open to everyone but I was truly humbled to be invited to the MVP Summit, the infamous event all MVPs talk so much about. This time it was apparently smaller than previous years, but it was still an awesome event! Met a lot of people I’ve only seen on stage, in calls or in social media. It was a blast!

WP Ninja Summit

I was really excited to be selected as a speaker at the WP Ninja Summit 2023. I was not to happy with my own performance however since one of my two session got really really short. But I was nervous, talked fast and maybe I didnt have as much content as I anticipated. The other one went really well however, and we had great discussions in the room!

I’m really happy that we have such a great, quite large, device focused event in Europe and that it’s not only MMS that gets all the attention. Microsoft had a lot of great speakers flying in, and there were also a lot of great speakers from the community showing up.

Really hoping to go back in 2024!

Windows, Windows 365 & Intune

We have seen a lot of cool stuff during 2023, so many innovations and news that I honestly have a hard time remembering them all.

For Windows 365 I’ve been most excited about the switch and boot features. Switch makes life so much easier using Windows 365 in the everyday work, easily switching context with Win + tab.

Windows 365 Boot is another great feature that I think we will see grow as time goes. We are heading in to a more sustainability focused market, which will result in that devices will have longer life. Windows 365 Boot is a great way to extend the life of a computer!

Personal development

Leadership training

One thing that I have for many years now found interesting and want to develop my skills within is leadership. I’ve been part of one training at a previous company I worked for, targeted at leaders without direct reports which was really interesting.

I’m currently taking part in a leadership program at my current employer where 12 people have been hand picked as potential leaders in the organization based on nominations from their closest manager. I feel really fortunate that I can be a part of this, but it has also made me realize that maybe I should explore other things than just being a techie.

I’ve often gotten the feedback that “you would be such a great manager” and looking back at the trainee program I was a part during my time at Microsoft we did get a lot of leadership training (even if it was never called that).

It will be exciting to see where this takes me!

Looking forward to 2024

I’m really excited about what 2024 will bring, both from a technology perspective but almost more from a personal development perspective.

2024 will probably be the year of AI and I’m curious to see how that will actually impact the whole device management and workplace service business. I’m suspecting that it will impact it quite a lot…

Categories
Me

2022 – a short recap

Okay, I should have done a better title for this. But here we are!

So, 2022 is over and what a year it has been! I honestly don’t remember half of what has happened, but I thought I would do a few personal highlights from the year.

I’M NOW AN MVP

This was the biggest thing for me personally in 2022, that I got awarded as an MVP for my contributions around Windows and Windows 365. I’m truly honored and so grateful to be part of such an awesome group of people!

So far only a few months into the journey, and I’ve gotten to know cool people, participated in really cool events. I hope 2023 has even more to bring in this area!

The fact that during my first week as an MVP I got invited to a small exclusive Microsoft customer connection program summit completely blew me away, and I’m haven’t really been able to wrap my head around this even now.

Microsoft Ignite is back in business

One of the highlights from 2022 was that Microsoft once again hosted a physical Microsoft Ignite. It was different than past years, but it was great to be able to go to Microsoft home turf for an event again! The event being different was probably the big talk afterwards, not meeting everyone’s expectations since the focus this time was to have a hybrid event.

I’m already looking forward to the 2023 edition of Ignite, and I think I will try to be there.

Events, events, events

2022 was for me the year that events were back, and also the year that I entered the stage as a speaker, not only participating. This was a lot of fun and thank you again to Teamsdagen for having me!

There were also a lot of other events, user groups and other recorded sessions which I was invited to, which was a great experience. There are also some stuff which got recorded 2022 which will be released during 2023 which I’m really excited for!

Remote working is here to stay

2022 was also a year that once again proved that remote working and hybrid work is here to stay.

We keep talking about it being “time to go back to the offices”, but I would say it’s rather clear that this is not where the market is heading at the moment, even though some louds voices are doubting this trend. I’ve written numerous posts about this in the past, and this is something I’m still a firm believer in. Hybrid work is the future, and you should go to the office with a purpose!

Categories
Intune Me Microsoft 365

Back from vacations – what did we miss?

As all swedes, summer means well-deserved summer vacation for me. For me personally, this means that I almost completely check out from work stuff for a few weeks.

So playing catch-up with what happened during the summer is always fun! I will cover some of this news in an upcoming post, but I thought I would gather all this for you in one place to start with!

I’ve gathered some of the highlights I’ve found during the summer.

Have I become an MVP!?

So this is kind of a big deal for me, and something I’ve been working towards for a while. I’ve been awarded the MVP titles within Windows and Devices for IT, and I am part of the Windows 365 MVP team!

I’m very happy, honored, and excited to get this award since it’s been something that has been my long-term goal for a while. So this is huge for me personally!

You can find my MVP profile here: Ola Ström (microsoft.com)

Windows Autopatch

This was something that was announced as a preview this spring and went to general availability during the summer.
Windows Autopatch is a way to have Microsoft take care of patching and servicing, making sure your devices are always up to date!
I will write a blog post about this in the upcoming weeks, but until then you can read more about it here: What is Windows Autopatch? – Windows Deployment | Microsoft Docs

Ignite is back on and as a hybrid event!

Microsoft announced during the summer that they will host Ignite again where you can attend IN PERSON, but also remotely if you prefer. For me personally, attending Ignite remotely is always a challenge since it’s hard to take the needed time to dedicate to attendance due to your everyday commitments. So being able to attend in person again is great!

Ignite will be hosted in Seattle in mid-October and you can read more about it here (and sign up to get updates): Your home for Microsoft Ignite

Windows 365 updates

During the summer there have been some neat small updates to the Windows 365 service as well.

Some of the new features introduced are:

  • Support for virtualization-based workloads
  • Secure boot on Cloud PCs
  • Resize Azure AD joined Cloud PCs
  • Transfer files using windows365.microsoft.com and the web client

I will dig into some of these in upcoming blog posts!

What’s new in Windows 365 Enterprise | Microsoft Docs

Detect and manage hardware changes on Windows Autopilot devices

One thing that has been troublesome when using Windows Autopilot is how to manage hardware changes. Microsoft have now introduced support for this in the admin center.

Detect and manage hardware changes on Windows Autopilot devices | Microsoft Docs

Windows Information Protections (WIP) being depricated

With Windows 10, Microsoft introduced Windows Information Protection, WIP, which was formally known as Enterprise Data Protection (EDP). Now WIP is being sunset and transitioned over to Microsoft Purview over time. According to the blog post below things will move gradually over to Microsoft Purview. You can get started today with a free trial. If you are using E3 licenses, there will be an additional license needed but with E5s it is included.

Announcing the sunset of Windows Information Protection (WIP) – Microsoft Tech Community

Changes to Windows 10 update cycle

“Beginning with Windows 10, version 21H2, feature updates for Windows 10 release are released annually, in the second half of the calendar year, to the General Availability Channel. They will be serviced with monthly quality updates for 18 or 30 months from the date of the release, depending on the lifecycle policy.” – Windows 10 – release information | Microsoft Docs

News in Microsoft Endpoint Manager

There have been a lot of updates around macOS and Settings Catalog this summer, but also a few updates around Android, iOS, and Windows.

What’s new in Microsoft Intune | Microsoft Docs

Categories
Me Tips & Tricks

Creating a workplace at home

So, I’m about 10 months late on this topic now that we have all been from home for such a long time. The discussion is turning more towards how we can move BACK to the offices, how and when that can and will be done.

For me, this is an important topic and I thought I would share my learnings from the past 10 months regarding creating a workspace at home.

I really understand that not everyone has the living situation allowing them to set up a good working place. In our apartment we had to set up an extra workplace since both me and my girlfriend are working from home full time for a foreseeable future. This ment some compromises when it comes to optimal space since we only had one spare room, putting my workplace in the bedroom.

Please bear in mind that these are important to me and I totally understand if you don’t have the space, ambition, or willingness to go down this path.

A real desk and a chair you like

Even if it’s quite convenient to setup your office at the kitchen table, it’s far from optimal for several reason. Even though it’s nice to be close to the coffee maker, this is not good for your back and sholders.

Given that you have the space, getting a real desk and chair makes wonders. It doesn’t have to be one of those adjustable desks or expensive gaming chairs. Simple stuff from IKEA is a good start!

For me, this is the most important part. I can leave everything else out, but I need a decent desk and chair to work from home.

A monitor

Having an external monitor is important from a whole lot of aspects. You get some extra real estate while working on those spreadsheets and most importantly you end up in a more ergonomic posture, raising your line of sight. Being someone who has worked extensively from only a laptop monitor in the past, this has become important. For me, it doesn’t have to be a fancy, top-of-the-line screen, even though it does have to have okay aesthetic since it becomes a part of the interior decoration for the room.

A keyboard and mouse you enjoy

This has been one of the bigger pet peeves for me. Finding a good keyboard and mouse. I’ve also discovered I’m fussy on this topic and I have quite specific expectations.

I’ve been using the Microsoft Arc Mouse for a long time, and I really enjoy it. However, that has always been more of a “travel mouse” for when on the go or not at a real desk. It’s a bit small and not to ergonomic for my taste. I was also using an old “all-in-one” Microsoft keyboard which had a bad typing experience.

Those are now replaced with new fancy stuff, Microsoft Compact Designer Keyboard, and a Microsoft Ergonomic Bluetooth Mouse which I really like.

Since I spend a lot of time typing, the keyboard experience is important, and this keyboard feels just like a laptop keyboard (I’m NOT a fan at all of mechanic keyboards).

A webcam

This is something simple and for remote work important to have good Teams meetings. If your setup includes an external monitor, getting an external webcam will really increase your meeting experience. You will be facing the correct screen compared to using your built-in webcam from the laptop, which will not present you in profile and you will be perceived as more engaged in the meeting since you will be looking the in the correct direction.

Keep a clean desk policy

I’ve always been a fan of this, both at the office and at home. Getting stuff out of the way and de-clutter my workspace removes all distractions. It’s also nice to start the workday fresh and since my workplace is in the bedroom, clearing up the desk helps me disconnect.

Take breaks

This is the area I need to improve the most on. I’m bad at taking breaks. However, I do try to take at least one 20–30-minute walk everyday with our dog. But I tend to eat lunch in front of the computer and just go to the kitchen for refill of water or coffee, so more like micro breaks.

Be flexible

This is another area of improvement for me, I tend to not move around as much as I would like. But being flexible where you work from, just like you would at an office, makes you don’t have to stare at the same wall day in and day out. It could give you a sense of an activity-based office. My idea how I will handle 2021 is to start my day at the table dinner table in the living room and then move into my office space when I’ve finished my coffee. However, I still some way to go on that point.

For me, being flexible could also mean that you bring your workspace to new places, or even outside when winter is over. After working as a traveling consultant for several years, my essential office still fits in a backpack.

Evolve your workspace

My home workspace is always evolving and improving. As or right now I have to things I’m thinking about. Replacing the desk for an adjustable one and figure out a good lightning setup with a low fotprint to improve the lighting for Teams meetings.

I also have about a thousand ideas what I would like to do, which are not possible now due to room limitations. But I have dreams of what my home office should look like, and it doesn’t really include that much technology. It has more to do what I want my space to look like.

Categories
Me

Welcome!

So the time has come, I’ve FINALLY launched my own blog again.

I’ve had this domain and blog for several years and it has transformed over the years. Now, it will take the form of a modern workplace blog where I will share my learnings, findings, and hands-on tips on how to solve things!

My idea is to do this my own way and adding a personal touch to it.

So who am I?

You can find this under the About section as well.

I usually describe myself as a millennial since I’m born in that period and I identify a lot with the definition (and I do prefer avocado toast over diamonds).

I’ve worked within IT since 2011 and I’ve always worked with device management in some way or another. It all started back in 2011 when I worked with mobile device management at Sandvik IT Services. In 2013, I joined Microsoft’s MACH program as a consultant within devices, further developing and expanding my knowledge to also the Windows platform and more traditional management.

In 2017, I joined Sandvik IT Services once again, this times as a Service Manager over the client platform. In mid 2019 I switched role to become a Solution Architect in the modern workplace area. During this time, I helped drive the internal digital transformation with switching to modern productivity tools. I was also was involved in several big projects with the goal to modernize IT.

Since late 2019 I work as a Technical Specialist within devices at Advania, within the specialist unit Knowledge Factory.

I realised early on that to catch up with my senior colleges, it was a clever idea to focus Microsoft Intune since it was a new product in the Microsoft echo system where I could dive in and evolve faster. With that said, I do have knowledge of traditional management. I choose to view it as I understand what you have you in your legacy backpack to apply modern methods and helping you on your modernization journey.

My work life drive is quite simple (and you might find where the inspiration come from): I believe that everyone should be able to be as productive as possible with the tools they prefer in an uncomplicated way.

With that said, welcome to my new blog: Ola Ström – My modern workplace.

Categories
Me

My break-up story

(Originally published on LinkedIn)

Sandvik IT Services. It’s not you. It’s me….

I’ve decided it’s time to move on from Sandvik IT Services and do something else.

I started my professional career at Sandvik IT back in 2011. A young kid who didn’t really know what he wanted to do when he got older. I still don’t know, but now I have some sort of idea. I left Sandvik in 2013 and spent 4,5 years at Microsoft as a Windows consultant (or Workplace which it would be called today). In 2017 I decided to come back to Sandvik since some cool challenge was presented to me and an awesome manager was hiring.

During my time at Sandvik IT Services, we have done a ton of cool things.

  • Rolling out Windows 10 in a large global environment
  • Established servicing for Windows 10 and Office365 Pro Plus
  • Changed hardware vendor
  • Changed sourcing partner
  • I got an internal award for Passion to win (first ever to get the award)
  • Put Windows Autopilot in the production environment
  • Put co-management into the production environment (SCCM)
  • Established an awesome relationship with our partners and vendors
  • Been disruptors in enterprise IT, tried making it more punk
  • Established “no one remembers a coward” attitude in the team
  • Evangelized digital transformation
  • Engaged with next-generation information workers to get them to work with IT
  • Talked at conferences
  • Showed up in several of our vendor’s presentations and marketing material

There is even more cool stuff that I can’t think of right now.

I’ve really appreciated that I’ve been let to work towards my personal vision: everyone deserves a good digital workplace. During my time at Sandvik, I’ve really tried to reach this goal. Simple, effective, and smart workplace.

There is still work to be done, we can always improve.

I’ve also grown a lot as a person during my time at Sandvik. I’ve been given the possibility to explore and try new things. Pushing myself outside my comfort zone from time to time. But also realizing what I like doing and what I want to pursue. This is something I’m thankful that I was encouraged to do.

And finally. I’ve had so many awesome colleges. I will miss all off you terribly, not seeing you on a daily basis will leave a mark!

But now the time has come for me to move on and face new challenges. In mid-November, you will find me at Advania – Knowledge Factory as a Technical Specialist within Devices!