Virtualization Events of Interest

Virtualization is one of those areas that you need to stay sharp, as things will change on you very quickly: getting information on how to do certain tasks, what new features are now supported and a myriad of other points that compose the larger virtualization landscape. Even with all of the quick moving news from blogs and Twitter feeds, there still is value for in-person events that can provide a transfer of knowledge.

There are potentially two events in my future that I am getting excited about. The first is Gestalt IT Field Day. This is a new-concept event inspired by an HP-sponsored event, StorageWorks Tech Day. This is basically a blogger roundtable where we kick the tires on various technologies and tell you what we think. The Gestalt IT Field Day will be different in that it is not directly organized by the companies whose products are represented. I hope to attend this and provide a good virtualization slant, which I will share here of course. The current makeup of the event will provide a good perspective for end-to-end virtualization administration and management, as well as hitting on other top IT topics.

The next event that I'm excited about is something you can attend: TechMentor Orlando 2010. I had the honor last year to present three virtualization sessions at that event. The content is still being mapped out, yet I am getting excited. Should I get to present again, it will be a great time meeting and exchanging with attendees.

There is a place for events like VMworld, which is an event I enjoy. But there are plenty of events that are more cozy and accessible, an area where TechMentor excels.

Other resources exist, such as Cloudcamp, the VMware Forum series and local community activities. I hope to see you around at events like this to round out your virtualization and IT inventory.

Posted by Rick Vanover on 10/20/2009 at 12:47 PM