Quality training equals quality people

Hello and welcome to the first PTR Training eNewsletter. We hope you will find this informative and a convenient way to keep in-touch with what's happening in the IT training world.

In this issue you will find a wide and varied range of topics including details about our featured course, SQL Server Business Intelligence, and why it's such a hot topic at the moment. We also have sections on new courses that are due for release soon and the latest news at PTR. For all those of you out there that like to know a bit more than the manual, we have Techies Corner, a regular section showing how to get the most from your software, Book Corner and just to prove that we haven't lost our sense of humour we have a little something to make you smile at the end !

Happy reading and warm regards,

The PTR team

Find out what you need to know with an Introduction to SQL Server Business Intelligence

This course is aimed at IT management or Data Management/Data Analyst decision makers who would like to know a bit more about SQL Server's Business Intelligence services: Integration Services (SSIS), Analysis Services (SSAS) and Reporting Services (SSRS). It will help you to understand what SQL Server Business Intelligence can offer your organisation, the role of each of the three services and how you could implement all or some of them to satisfy your data analysis and reporting needs.

It will offer an introduction to each of the three services and through demonstrations will show each service in action. By the end of the course you will have an insight into the role of business intelligence, will be able to identify whether it has a place in your organisation's data management solutions and will be able to identify which of the services you require.

"A very enjoyable Day of Learning" - Kevin Lamch, Development Manager, Addenbrookes NHS Trust

This course has proved very popular and to spread the word we are extending our offer - Any delegate attending this introduction course will receive a 10% discount when booking onto any of the follow-on SQL Server Business Intelligence courses (Reporting Services, Analysis Services or S/BE Integration Services)

For more information on An Introduction to SQL Server Business Intelligence please click here.

To download a course booking form please right-click here to save MS Word document to your desktop.

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This section is to keep you informed of all the new up-coming courses.

Microsoft has released SQL Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 and Visual Basic 2008. New courses will be available shortly from PTR targeted at these products. If you would like us to forward details when courses are available, please click here.

Pimp my training facility!

Over the summer we have been busy making the facilities at PTR in Wokingham even better than before. To cope with extra demand we have added a new training room for up to 6 delegates. The new room features air- conditioning and one PC to each delegate as with all training rooms at PTR. We are also in the process of planning a total upgrade to the delegate lounge with a luxury, complimentary hot drinks machine and soft drinks fridge, flat-screen TV for Sky News and WiFi connectivity to allow remote contact from delegates' own laptops and PDAs. We think these improvements will enhance our existing high standard location and make our delegates more comfortable during their time with us.  

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You do say the nicest things and we think it would be a shame not to share them with you! - These are a selection of some of the more interesting comments our delegates have made over the last couple of months.

'Good course, well presented' - Ian Curran, NATS

'An excellent course, exactly what I needed'
- Andrew Skellern, Bath Spa University

'A good days investment' - Craig Gilchrist, KPMG

'Friendly, relaxed atmosphere with excellent 1 to 1 instruction'
- Pat Palmer, MacMillan Publishing

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We make no comment but merely feel we should share this wit and wisdom with you!

• 'Yeah, I remembered that this one was unique, just like all the others'
• 'C program run. C program crash. C programmer quit'
• 'Generally speaking, you aren't learning much when your mouth is moving'
• 'How does Teflon stick to the pan?'
• 'I didn't get much of an education so I have had to use my brain'
• 'I have two bosses, one of which are both idiots'
• 'I am allergic to peanuts and that is all they serve in Economy so I had to upgrade to First where they have almonds'
  

and a joke,

One of Microsoft's finest technicans was at the rifle range one day, he was given some instruction, a rifle, and bullets. He fired several shots at the target. The report came from the target area that all attempts had completely missed the target. The technician looked at his rifle, and then at the target. He looked at the rifle again, and then at the target again. He put his finger over the end of the rifle barrel and squeezed the trigger with his other hand. The end of his finger was blown off, whereupon he yelled toward the target area, "It's leaving here just fine, the trouble must be at your end'.

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In this issue...

One of our resident techies, Andrew, delights in finding new features and software shortcuts that don't always appear in the official software manuals and handbooks.

Well, it's fairly harmless and keeps him out of trouble! - Sometimes they are quite useful so in this section we'll try and pass some genius on to you with regular tips, this issue it's the dark art of keyboard shortcuts!

For all you Excel users ...
Selecting data can be a challenge when the range extends beyond what can be
seen on the screen. However, it becomes a lot easier with this shortcut:
a. Click a cell within the range
b. Press CTRL - * (asterisk) to select the entire range of data.
NOTE: If you are using a laptop without a number-pad, using SHIFT and the number 8 works for the asterisk too!

Other shortcuts in Excel:
Shift + SPACEBAR selects a row
CTRL + SPACEBAR selects a column
CTRL + [+] (the plus key) inserts a row, column or whatever you have selected
CTRL + [-] (the minus key) removes a row, column or whatever you have selected

... and not forgetting all you Word users ... to get a list of ALL keyboard shortcuts (Word 2003):
a. Go to Tools - Macro - Macros
b. Select Macros In: All Word Commands
c. From the list of commands, choose "List Commands"
d. Click Run
e. In the dialog box, choose "Current Keyboard Settings"

...to get a list of ALL keyboard shortcuts (Word 2007)
a. On the Developer Tab, click "Macros"
b. Select Macros In: All Word Commands
c. From the list of commands, choose "List Commands"
d. Click Run
e. In the dialog box, choose "Current Keyboard Settings

In the book corner we recommend books that we have found useful, well written and will enhance your training knowledge of your software. This month we thought we would support the feature course article and choose some books relating to SQL Server 2005 Business Intelligence.

Microsoft Press have a range of "Step By Step" books, which are well written and take you through a topic step by step. They come with a CD-ROM full of examples and practical exercises that are used in tutorials throughout the book so if you are completely new to a topic they will take you from no knowledge in an easy to follow tutorial approach. The following books will be useful to you if you are launching into the topic of SQL Server Business Intelligence:

Microsoft SQL Server 2005
Reporting Services Step By Step
(ISBN-13: 978-0-7356-2250-0)

Microsoft SQL Server 2005
Analysis Services Step By Step
(ISBN-13: 978-0-7356-2199-2)

Microsoft SQL Server 2005
Integration Services Step By Step
(ISBN-13: 978-0-7356-2405-4)

Another good book that serves as an excellent reference for SQL Server 2005, including the areas of Business Intelligence is the SAMS Unleashed book. The SAMS Unleashed series of books are generally well written and pretty comprehensive. The SQL Server 2005 book covers everything from installing and configuring SQL Server 2005, developing and optimising queries, through to the additional services including Reporting Services, Analysis Service and Integration Services. This book also comes with a CD-ROM containing sample databases, script, code and a PDF version of the book.

Microsoft SQL Server 2005
Unleashed
(ISBN-13: 978-0-672-32824-4)

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PTR Associates Limited
21A Peach Street,
Wokingham,
Berkshire,
RG40 1XJ
United Kingdom

Tel: 0118 979 4000
Fax: 0118 979 4035

Email: training@ptr.co.uk