Editor’s note: The following post was written by MVP Lead Martine Thiphaine
Under the motto “Digital is Business!“ the 2013 TechDays France event was held February 12-14. Attendees gathered at the prestigious Palais des Congrès in Paris, where the event boasted presentations by 59 MVPs from around Europe and an attendance of over 17,500 with roughly 30,000 viewers on the internet.
The sessions focused on the newest Microsoft products and technologies such as Office 2013, Windows Phone 8, Windows Server 2012, System Center 2012, SQL Server 2012 and of course Windows 8. A variety of sessions showcased how Microsoft products help to solve current IT problems such as enterprise security in the era of BYOD, interoperability, cloud and datacenter optimization, cost reduction, enterprise application development and internal social networks. MVPs played an important role in the event, as 59 of MVPs spoke in 85 different sessions!
C# MVP Matthieu Mezil, delivered a popular level-400 session entitled, “Meta-programming” while Windows Embedded MVP Salah Amer surprised attendees with his augmented-reality helmet, dubbed almost instantly “the Iron Man helmet” by the French IT press.
MVPs could be found at booths and tables sharing their expertise with attendees. At the Office booth, several MVPs explained the new version of Office while at the Server & Cloud booth, SQL Server 2012, Windows Azure, Windows Server 2012 and System Center 2012 were the center of attention. The Development and Digital Experiences booth showcased Kinect for Windows SDK along with information about developing for Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8.
The event was covered by French IT press in several articles: “Programmez!” showcased amongst others the futuristic application of augmented reality realized by Salah Amer, while ITPro Magazine interviewed several MVPs for a video series which is being published on their website. Salah´s special helmet has also been featured in an article on 01net.com and another on pcimpact.com.
TechDays France 2013 has come to an end but we´re already anxious to see what MVPs will present next year - amazing things happen when combining great technologies with exceptional experts. Congratulations !