EMC World 2011 #nerdherd: Lights, Camera, Action!

So EMC World 2011 has come and gone.  Now is the time that we can look back and remember.  For those of you who were unable to make it live (or watch the webcast), a video of our #nerdherd has been posted on the EMC Community Network website.  I want to thank Alan Zenreich for filming and posting the video.  If you are one of the many people who prefer a more static image, EMC’s own David Elmes did most of the photography (including the photos of our meetup you see below).  To see the rest of his work and other’s, check out the EMC World 2011 flickr stream.  Once again, thanks to everyone that made this happen and enjoy the pictures and video.

EMC World 2011: Day 2

So another day has wrapped up here at EMC World. Once again there are more keynotes, breakout sessions, and vendor booths to explore. The vLabs were in full swing and just about all of the kinks had been worked out. These are a great way to experience the products if you can’t make it to the break out sessions. If you attended multiple vLab sessions, you were able to win a special bobble head Chad and possibly get the real Chad to sign it.

The show floor was packed even more than yesterday. Vendors had all sorts of innovative products. One of my favorite products from the show floor was the battle ready VNXe.  We were told that this could withstand a bullet, but they wouldn’t let me live test it, so I’ll just have to take their word for it.

The bloggers lounge and Social City was also packed with great people. I had a nice talk with Chuck Hollis while he was working on a few blog posts. Chad dropped by the social city meet-up area to do a live webcast before rushing off to another customer meeting. If you haven’t seen all that’s going on at social city, you really need to check it out (and possibly win a pass to next year’s show). Don’t forget, tomorrow we are having the #nerdherd, so I expect you all to stop by social city on your way to lunch.

 

 

EMC World 2011: Day 1

In my previous post, I talked about the pre-conference festivities. Today was the official kick off of the show. After a quick breakfast, I started my day in the Blogger’s Lounge at Social City. If you have not seen this place, you should check it out. EMC’s Social Media team has provided an amazing space with plenty of couches, chairs, power strips, WIFI, and a Cappuccino Machine. They have made this a great place to sit down, have a great conversation, and do some blogging.

The morning kicked off with two great keynotes by Joe Tucci and Pat Gelsinger. I could go on and on about what was talked about, but everyone is covering that information, so you’ve probably already read about it. If not, feel free to check out the press releases on the EMC Website.

One of the first areas of EMC World that I checked out was the vSpecialist vLab. This is a great way to give customers a hands-on approach to trying out several of EMC’s different products. The lab setup has a large number of dual screen terminals powered by Wyse thin clients. This allowed the actual desktops and lab terminals to be thousands of miles away in Research Triangle Park. Leveraging this virtual setup, the lab can actually be deployed anywhere which will cut down on cost and setup time for future conventions.

Lunch was very good and efficient. The convention staff has really brought order to the chaos that is feeding 10,000+ people. I really have to give it up to them as there were no problems getting food and finding a place to eat.

After Lunch, since the Solutions Pavilion was not open yet, it was time for some breakout sessions. EMC World has a wide variety of presentations and hands on labs available to customers and it ranges from introductory level to advanced topics. Along with all the breakout sessions, the EMC Education Services staff are here and offering exams for half price. This is a great way to become proven and I plan on taking a specialist exam while I’m here.

Towards the end of the day, the solution pavilion opened and I was able to check out all that our partners had to offer. There is a lot going on in the area with demos of all the great products. Almost everyone is giving away an iPad 2 or a shirt. I didn’t spend too much time there at first, but I will be making another round before I leave Las Vegas.

We’re having a #nerdherd at #emcworld, and you’re invited! [UPDATED]

So it’s official, Matt Brender, Luigi Danakos, and I will be hosting a #nerdherd as part of Social City on Wednesday, May 11th from 11:45 AM to 12:30 PM. We invite you to gather with your fellow technological enthusiasts and join us in an information discussion around Unified Storage, Social Media Crowdsourcing, and EMC Certifications. Use this time to meet other individuals who are striving in the world of Big Data. I’ll see all of you there!

UPDATE: So what if you can’t be there?  We’ve got you covered.  Social City will be live streaming the meetup (and many others) on the ECN website along with a live Q&A so you can share in the discussion.

Click the calendar icon to add our event to your personal calendar!

For more information on all the events that Social City has to offer, please see the following link: https://community.emc.com/docs/DOC-10447