By Joe DePasquale
“Too busy.” “More pressing matters.” “The engineers and admins will update me when they return.”
We’ve all heard these reasons before. But this conference is not just for the techies. Yes, there is plenty to dive into, and if you are a techie you can go as deep as you want, but there are strategic reasons for managers and executives to attend as well.
It All Starts at the Top
IT leadership is under pressure to meet business goals, like:
- Improving efficiency, compliance and security
- Acquisitions and mergers
- Partnerships
- Increasing enterprise growth
- Reducing enterprise costs
- Increasing profitability
- Consolidation
- Streamlining operations
These are just a few of the possible business priorities IT leaders face. They must find ways to resolve—or at least alleviate—the pain points that come with these demands. There is technology available today that can help you meet these goals – but it is not as easy as plug-and-play. The way your IT shop runs today may or may not be the way it needs to run tomorrow. Your administrators and engineers cannot implement this level of change. It needs to come from the top.
While administrators and engineers would benefit greatly from attending, believe it or not—and whether they admit it or not―they need leadership there as well. If you are a decision maker, why not have the resource with you who can help you assess what it would take to make a certain change or implement a new technology that could help you achieve your goals? If you are an administrator or engineer, wouldn’t you want the decision maker there to see the benefits of the tool(s) that can make your job more efficient or easier?
General and Break-out Sessions
The general sessions are something to experience. VMware leadership will present their vision for IT, share what they are seeing in the industry, and give an overview of the technology and services VMware has to offer.
Break-out sessions give you the option to attend a session that meets a specific interest. These tend to fill up fast, but registering early online ensures you have a seat at the sessions you care about. Sessions include—but are not limited to—subject matter experts (SMEs) reviewing the latest technology, third- party vendor integration with VMware products, and customer implementations and use cases.
TAM Customer Exclusives
If your company has a Technical Account Manager (TAM), you are entitled to several benefits while at VMworld®: TAM Day, TAM Customer Central, and Executive Briefings. TAM Day is typically held on the Sunday prior to the opening of VMworld. It is a mini-conference held for all of our TAM customers and includes an executive keynote, general and break-out sessions, lunch with SMEs, and a few customer appreciation prizes. TAM Customer Central (TCC) runs throughout VMworld and is open for all TAM customers. At TCC you will find more intimate break-out sessions, a room to hang out in, and a nightly happy hour. Executive briefings, for VP-level and above, provide the opportunity to talk to senior-level VMware executives to get their thoughts on industry direction and trending; share your opinions on technology; and find out what your peers in the industry are doing (company names will not be shared – only industry trends).
Please reach out to your TAM for additional information.
Surf Nametags – Vendors are Doing it
Keep your eyes out for company names. What a great way to find out directly from your peers what their companies are doing. They may not be able to share the particulars, but they can give you a general overview of their thoughts on certain technology. It helps to build relationships and contacts as well.
It’s Not Just about VMware
While I would like to see all technology fall under VMware, I know it is not possible. Most industry leaders are at this conference, as well as a few up-and-coming companies. Come to VMworld and find out what strategic areas are being focused on and what the emerging trends are in the industry.
Joe DePasquale is a Team Lead / Staff Technical Account Manager based in Buffalo, New York. Joe has worked with several large Enterprise customers over his past 4 years at VMware. Previously Joe held an IT Leadership position at a large financial institution.
