Confessions of an eBiz Junkie

Let's Get Social @ EMC World

EMC World... It's right around the corner. I'm going... How about you??

I sure hope you are, as EMC and ZDNet are teaming up to do something pretty cool this year. If you're reading this post, you'll probably want in.

How about a 'members only' lounge designed exclusively for our blogging (and micro-blogging) friends? You know, a place just for you... Comfortable chairs, some spare laptops if you need them, wireless access, plenty of plugs for charging up - that sort of thing.

Sounds cool, huh?

How about if we throw in exclusive access to some of the EMC leadership team?? Nothing like chatting tech with industry leaders in a private and comfortable setting.

Wow, that sounds really cool...

How about taking some time to chat with EMC'ers around how we can better engage in the 2.0 world... What would you like to see EMC doing? How can we better communicate and collaborate with one another?

Heck, I'm getting giddy just thinking about it.

Still not enough? Man, you're a tough sell...

How about we raffle off a handful of Flip cameras to club members during the first day with hopes that you 2.0 folks capture your EMC World experience on video and share it with the world?

Yeah, I thought that might do it.

You want in? Easy... All you have to do is add a comment below and you'll have access to our special Bloggers Lounge. Let us know who you are and provide a link to your blog or Twitter account so we can get to know you better before the event.

Also, if there are special things you'd be interested in (different topics to chat about, certain EMC'ers you'd like to meet, etc;), let us know in your comment. We truly want to make this YOUR event.

Spread the word and see you there!

EMC World 2009

My how the time flies. Seems like it was a few short months ago that we were talking about EMC World 2008. Well, here we are again - EMC World 2009 is fast approaching.

If you haven't registered yet, you can still take advantage of early registration discounts... A chance to connect with industry peers, chat technology and strategy with your favorite EMC'ers, and even take in a show with the Gin Blossoms. What could possibly be cooler? Well, I'm glad you asked!

We're considering creating a Bloggers Lounge for our bloggin', Twitterin', Yammerin, Utter'in, Friendfeedin'... crowd. A 'members only' place where passionate 2.0 types can get together, hang out in a comfortable and cool atmosphere, mix and mingle with like-minded folks and perhaps get some 'special perks' designed just for them.

The truth is, we appreciate the heck out of those who talk about the EMC brand... Those that blog about our products and services, or connect via Twitter or other tools to discuss better ways to innovate and collaborate with us. Our virtual network has exploded in the past couple of years, and we're in violent agreement that reaching out and saying thanks to these folks falls in the right thing to do category.

So, if you'll be @ World this year, and are interested in being part of our special little club, drop a line. You can leave something in the comments section or DM me on Twitter @LenDevanna.

I'll be there, and would VERY much like to connect and learn a bit more about you.

See you in Orlando!

UPDATE: More info on this... Come sing up for some cool here.

EMC World Begins

Today's the big day. Following a concert by the Goo Goo Dolls last night, EMC World kicks off in full swing this morning with an action packed agenda over the next few days. I'll be watching activities in real time via Twitter and following thoughts from employee and attendees alike via #EMCWorld @ Hashtags.org.

Some neat media is starting to surface. This one caught my eye and I thought you'd enjoy it. more to come over the course of the week. Of course, many more cool vids available over at the EMC Channel on YouTube.

EMC World and Twitter

Walking the halls here in Hopkinton, there's a buzz in the air... EMC World in next week. This years event will see a record crowd, with over 9,000 customers, partners, technologists, journalists and analysts assembling from across the globe.

With some late breaking conflicts, it looks like I will not be in attendance this go. Probably just as well as I'm not 100% sure the statute of limitations has expired from last year's incident.

What's most exciting to me is the focus on Social Media this time around. A year ago, SM was but a concept in the fortune 500 space. Yes, we had flavors of forums here and there - but most had yet to embrace it as a core part of their business strategy. That's changed - and demand is bubbling up all around - EMC World is no exception.

Twitter in the Enterprise

Me - "Hi. My name is Len and I have a problem.

The Crowd (in unison) - "Hi Len..."

I think I might be on the road to becoming a Twitterholic.

I have to admit, when I first signed up to Tweet, I saw it as a bit of a novelty. My first impression, and many early Tweets supported the thinking, was centered around point in time activity (I'm having eggs for breakfast or Man do I hate shiny things..." ). Not sure if I just didn't see it then or if the Twitter crowd has helped evolve the overall behavior of the community.

It's since become a critical part of my day-to-day activity. I use it to gather business intelligence, ask questions to a wide variety of subject matter experts and expand my overall network.

IMO, the opportunities afforded by Twitter to the enterprise are huge.

EMC World Bloggers Unite!

It looks like I'll be attending EMC World this year - along with fellow EMC bloggers Mark Twomey, Barry Burke, Bill Petro and Steve Todd.

I thought we'd try something a bit different this time... I'd like to round up all of the attendees who will be blogging, Twittering, Flickr'ing, Utter'ing or (insert your favorite trendy tool here) their way through the event...

I want to gauge interest from the community and will work out logistics based on how many folks sign up... If two of you sign up, Storagezilla and I will be hanging out in the parking lot of the Manadalay Bay with a six-pack of Schlitz for a meet & greet and a game of kick-the-can. Any more than that and we'll find a formal venue where we can get together and have some fun...

I've put together a Wiki for sign-ups. If you'll be @ World and want to get together for a blogger meet & greet - please sign up here (The password to update is community). We'll use this Wiki as main point of information sharing as we try to pull something together.

There's also the EMC World community for attendees. If you haven't already signed up - check it out. There's a cool 'people finder' like app that let you find peers with similar interests and get together for a chat. Discussion forums are also available to help you interact with the minds behind the event and other attendees to help shape the breakouts and talk about what you'd like to see @ the event.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Edit - One more thing, Twiiter users, be sure to follow Twitter.com/EMCWorld for real time news & info during the conference...

Welcome to EMC World - Online

EMC World is an annual event where Customers, Partners and anyone else interested in EMC get together to gain insight into the entire portfolio of software, platforms, solutions, and services. It's a unique opportunity to sit down with EMC product teams and understand where things are headed. There's something for everyone with traditional EMC topics (storage, backup, replication, etc.), security focus with the gang from RSA, ECM with Documentum and virtualization from a little group you may have heard of - VMWare.

While I always look forward to this event, something special happened this year... Something that helped validate we're on the right track. Our Events Team put some time on my calendar awhile back and told me they wanted to go social...