You may know that the
BIT Integration team manages the state’s virtualization infrastructure through
the use of VMware products, but did you know they are also involved locally as
well as globally through an organization for VMware users? Currently Bonnie Bauder, Dan Maxfield and
Rick Jensen are on the leadership team for the South Dakota VMUG.
So what is VMUG?
VMUG stands for the
VMware user group which is an independent, global, customer-led organization
that was created to give members the use of VMware and partner solutions
through knowledge sharing, training, collaboration, and events. There are
currently over 90,000 members worldwide and is the largest organization for
virtualization users. VMUG has a standing partnership with VMware that allows
the group and partners impact VMware products and services.
The South Dakota
chapter was started in August of 2011 and is now at over 150 members. Quarterly meetings are scheduled to learn
about new products, hear customer experiences, and network with peers in the
technology industry. Along with growing
the local chapter, Bonnie, Dan and Rick have represented the State of South
Dakota on a worldwide scale. They are each past or present committee members in
the VMUG and VMware spaces, and both Bonnie and Rick have been recognized as
vExperts for their contributions to the VMUG community.
Interested in joining
the community or learning more? Just go
to www.vmug.com and read more about the
organization or sign up to become a member.
Membership is free, and gives you access to training, community, and
events like the quarterly meetings. It is open to anyone that has an interest
in virtualization technology.
Speaking of…
The next quarterly
meeting for SD VMUG will be held on June 19th at the Emergency
Operations Center Amphitheater in the George S. Mickelson Criminal Justice
Center in Pierre. There will be
presentations by PernixData and Tintri, as well as free lunch and door
prizes. You must register as a member on
the website first, and then go to www.vmug.com/southdakota
to register for the upcoming meeting.
If you have any
questions, feel free to email Bonnie Bauder, Dan Maxfield, or Rick Jensen.
A special thanks goes out to Bonnie Bauder for providing us with this article!