VMworld kicked off yesterday, and despite the crowd, everything seems to
be under control. The media/analyst area is no exception. It is under
strict control (i.e. too much), making it very difficult for industry
people like myself to get information to you about what is going on at the
event. VMworld organizers will let the analysts and press in the area,
but not the vendors we need to speak to. Anyone see a problem with that?
At events like VMworld, Storage Networking World and others, there is a
show behind the show, where analyst and media people meet with vendors
to get new information or better details on their products and
solutions. The value for the reader is that we can
give you information and provide insight into the products that you may
be or should be looking at to help enhance your virtualization, storage
or networking project.
Maybe its just a personality flaw on my part, but it is difficult to have
these conversations in the coffee lounge at the Moscone center
surrounded by 500 or so attendees who just want to get their $3.50
morning cup of coffee. That is where the VMworld organizers suggested we
have our briefings. Needless to say, we will do what we can, but it makes
for a challenging work environment, at best. Ideally, there would be an area set
aside like there is at other shows where we can sit and have a
conversation with the suppliers, and where they can have enough room on the
table to show a presentation if they want and not lose their voice in
the process. We could then write this information up and post it so the
users who could not attend would get a flavor of the experience and perhaps be more inclined to attend next year's event.
Wait--there is such a room, and it is called the "Press-Analyst Area,"
and in fact, there is one at this year's VMworld, but it is going almost
entirely unused. Why? As I stated in my opening, for some reason the
good people at VMware chose to only allow media and analysts into the
room. Which is odd, because while I think a blog series of me talking to
fellow Network Computing contributor Howard Marks would be wildly
interesting and remotely entertaining, I'm not sure if you would agree.
The good news is that the analyst and media types at the event are
troopers, and we will rise to the challenge. You'll be able
to get updates here on Network Computing about what is new and
different at the event, but next year I may ask to borrow some office
space at Network Computing's parent UBM down the street. Stay
tuned and look for our updates. VMware people: if you are reading
this, can you reconsider set the press-analyst area free?
