FREE Educational Resources For SMB IT Rookies

One of the growing trends I have witnessed the last year is the quality of documentation and revamping of free education from some the big names in the industry. Microsoft, Rackspace, Citrix, and VMware to name a few, have put their foot on the gas in an effort to ensure that as their technologies are evolving, even the less knowledgeable SMB IT folks are not left out in the cold. For some of us, these resources may be a little to basic, but for a new face to IT or an SMB that does not have a budget to send someone to high level training, these are perfect FREE resources to help you get some 101 learning and to help you with some possibly much needed "Tech Lingo" to better prepare you for those Vendor and Channel Partner meetings. Also it never hurts to make you Executive Management think you a "true" expert.

Microsoft Virtual Acadamy - MVA

Improve your IT skill set and help advance your career with a free, easy to access training portal. Learn at your own pace, focusing on Microsoft technologies, gain points and get recognition.

Rackspace Cloud University - CouldU

CloudU is a vendor-neutral curriculum designed for business owners and technical professionals who want to bolster their knowledge of the fundamentals of Cloud Computing. At CloudU, you’ll find a comprehensive series of original whitepapers, live and on-demand webinars, events, blogs, videos and e-books aimed at increasing Cloud Computing knowledge among businesses. The program is a collaborative effort between Rackspace® Hosting and industry analyst, entrepreneur and commentator Ben Kepes of Diversity Limited. The content of CloudU isn’t vendor-specific. Anyone looking at moving to the Cloud, regardless of vendor or platform, can benefit from CloudU.

VMware Training - Top Free Courses

If you do some digging there is a plethora of free training in the VMware eLearning site. You just have to know where to go find it. Here is the list of their current top 15 Free Courses.

Citrix Education - Free Training

Looking for an overview of key product features and functionality, including the benefits to your existing environment? Considering new Citrix technologies and need to understand the impact to your implementation? In less than an hour and at no cost, get answers to these questions and more with an overview of the latest Citrix products and solutions.