As a writer for MC Press, I understand how the sentiments on Microsoft can be, and I just happen to be watching The Godfather while putting this article together, so I thought that keeping your friends close and your enemies closer would be a good opener for my new series on Microsoft products.
 
I've been out of the IBM arena for a few months, and I frequently have people reach out to me asking what's a good way to get started expanding their skill set to become more marketable. I've gone through a variety of changes in my professional career—from IBM i to Linux, Macintosh, and Microsoft. Currently, my focus is on Microsoft, and I'd like to share what I believe to be a good starting point using Microsoft tools, which would be Microsoft SQL Server.