VMworld makes its return to San Francisco, and is sure to stretch the recently expanded Moscone Center to its limits. Folks from all over, whether vCommunity vets or flocking first-timers will start streaming in, either in-person or on-line, to catch the latest and greatest technology infrastructure buzz.
If You're Going to San Francisco
So, what should we expect to hear about this year? The recent spate of acquisitions will likely be mentioned. It's early days yet there, however we may be given some hints regarding VMware's intended positioning of the new tech and talent within their product portfolio.
There's also some interesting chatter about developments in the core products. That's right, allegedly vSphere's getting a bit more than its typical stock refresh. I'm curious to see just what VMware has in store to show us.
Don't be surprised if there are more cloud-y announcements. VMware's been explicitly positioning themselves as the must-have cloud infrastructure abstraction and consumption layer for some time now. We'll likely find more partnerships touted and cloud features flaunted. The recent HCX Enterprise release will likely be among the cumulus chatter.
You're Gonna Meet Some Gentle People There
As always, VMworld's best experienced by having lots of great conversations and interactions with people. The hallway track tends to be more interactive and more personal than the sessions, though they have their place too. There's also some decent information to be mined from the Solutions Exchange. The vendors staff their booths with some of the brightest minds in the industry. It's not just about the bright lights and tchotchkes.
The VMware {code} Hackathon's still going strong for those who want to get creative Monday evening. You can likely still sign up on the VMware {code} site if you're interested, so come out and join us if you can. Hot tip about the Hackathon: You don't have to be a coder, or even know how to code. You just have to show up and participate. I may have some Canadian caffeine cocoa bars on hand at the Hackathon for people to try out… just sayin'.
People in Motion
And with that, I must retire in order to rest up for the Bridge to Bridge 5k run first thing in the morning. I hope to see some other conference going folk there, and perhaps I won't be the only one rocking a #vFit shirt.
I hope you're ready to have a wonderful week, whether you're here at the conference or following along at home. If you are here you're encourage, as always, to stop and say hi.