Friday, January 20, 2012

Thoughts on the IBMConnect Conference

I didn't see much posted aside from the obvious people in the social areas, probably because many were focused on client needs, as was I, but I did manage to get to some IBMConnect sessions.

I had looked forward to them and got to meet some great speakers and people. Unfortunately the rooms were not filled and in some cases rather sparse which leaves some questions as to its return next year.

Dr. Burns should come back next year and provide updates on what they have done in 2012. His story from the OGS and in his session his feeling is open and honest and something we all should think about. Are you in this for the money or to help people. The answer is not simple but if you want to play in the greater Social Sphere you need to be straight with people or you lose fast and we are seeing this in the marketplace lately.

While my thought was IBM may change the name of the Sphere to Connect, that was changed when I realized I was on a short list of committed people to the event. Naming being such a difficult thing in this day and age. A great idea but perhaps better to have done it not during and thus conflict with Lotusphere itself. Maybe append it before or after in the future? Also keep it to one day if it is just theorists/customers. And I would prefer not to have any IBMers speak at it, they have Lotusphere, this was expected to be about customers experiences and social leaders.

Guy Kawasaki should have been part of the OGS on one day but to run his session in parallel to so many others deprived many of the chance to hear him.

As a Business Partner I realize the IBMConnect event was not aimed at me per se. However as a BP I represent our interests which also include our clients needs and if the choice is between a technical session because of a client request and a good theory or customer reference session, theory, and unless it is in our clients vertical, will always lose to the money

Should IBM do it again, I would still attend because they did make the effort to get speakers we would want to hear and although I can't promise to be in all of them, they at least were the ones I clipped to my calendar to not miss. They were thought provoking and led to great discussions over the conference but maybe the audience that attends Lotusphere has immediate and production needs that push these sessions lower on the "must see" list.

2 comments:

  1. Didn't Alistair already announce **Lotusphere** 2013 at the OGS ? :)

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  2. Sure he did, but it's the last remaining L word which is why we wonder if it will make it to next year. Rumour had it might not have made it to this years.

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