By James Vincent, SHARE President
It was a bittersweet moment for me to close the book on 2015 and all that SHARE has accomplished in my first year as president. 2015 brought us a brand-new SHARE.org, 60th anniversary celebrations at two successful events, the launch of this newsletter, an expanded video presence online and the first-ever SHARE White Pieces. What else could we possibly have in store for 2016? The answer: So much more!
The first noticeable change in 2016 is something you may or may not have caught already: a new SHARE logo. As the SHARE brand continues to progress and focus on the future of enterprise IT, my fellow board members and I felt a new look was in order. We could not be more pleased with the result. SHARE’s latest logo is a reflection of the progressive attitude our user group is armed with as we look to impact the future of the industry.
Other 2016 initiatives to come include:
- SHARE Academy – For the first time, SHARE is offering one-day, immersive education sessions on the hottest topics facing professionals today. In its first iteration, SHARE Academy will take place prior to the SHARE in San Antonio event and offers two selections on Sunday, Feb. 28: Assembler Bootcamp and IMS Immersion. Learn more about these programs.
- DevOps Education – Event education just got even better with the introduction of the DevOps in the Enterprise educational track, which will debut at SHARE in San Antonio this February. This new track will cover a variety of topics including: getting started with DevOps; basic principles of DevOps; DevOps' role in enterprise computing; lessons from the trenches: successes and challenges; and many more! Take a look at the DevOps class scheduler.
- Improved Mobile App – Soon, we will be launching a new and improved SHARE mobile app for use at the event and year-round. The new app will allow for seamless integration between mobile and desktop clients to ensure attendees’ schedules can move and update with them from device to device.
- New to z Systems: Summer 2016 – As we continue to find new ways to meet the needs of our member companies, we will be hosting the second annual New to z Systems program at SHARE in Atlanta. The program, launched in Orlando (August 2015), is aimed at helping onboard people to z technology more quickly.
- More SHARE White Pieces – In 2016, SHARE will continue its efforts to be more vocal and present in the IT industry with the release of even more white pieces and discussions around new products and solutions, challenges people are facing, and more. The 2016 white pieces will also take on new formats so keep your eyes open for these new deliverables.
It is exciting to look ahead to 2016 and all that’s in store. I cannot wait to see what 2016 brings and look forward to “SHARE”ing new memories. Happy New Year!