Alphabet Soup, or: I'm joining the MCS COE APC AOS

I recently joined the Microsoft Consulting Services Center of Excellence, Application Platform Core Area of Specialization (or MCS COE APC AOS for short, or huh? for shorter).  So, what is it?  Lets drill down a bit:

Microsoft Consulting Services (MCS):   This is the group inside Microsoft which works with customers to ensure that our technologies are successfully implemented. Or, to quote the marketing division: "Microsoft Consulting Services (MCS) provide help directly from Microsoft through every stage of the technology planning, deployment, and support process". More here. 

MCS Center of Excellence:  A (relatively) small group inside MCS which provides deep technical expertise in selected technological areas. Outsiders don't hear much about the CoE since our role is mainly supporting MCS, but we are usually at the forefront of each new technology wave- partnering with the Redmond product teams, working with early adopters, figuring out best practices, etc.

Application Platform Core AOS:  This Area of Specialization deals with .NET Enterprise Architecture engagements. Our mission is to accelerate the adoption of Microsoft products and technologies by assisting our customers, partners, and MCS practices in the design of Enterprise Applications and Architectures. 

This sounds like a fun and rewarding opportunity, especially given all the cool new Microsoft technologies which are just around the corner. I'll let y'all know how it turns out J