I was kicking around downtown Dallas this weekend, going through the Market Center district looking for a relatively famous camera store. After laying down some money, I wandered past the Hilton Anatole and had to stop in. For those not in the know, this was the site of last year’s Interchange. It’s the annual meeting (one in the US, one overseas) for all users of Ivanti products. And what a great time we had last year. Everybody you ran into was friendly and willing to talk and share information. And if you’re like me (not a huge world traveler), you would have been floored with the art collection spread throughout the entire hotel complex. There’s a long story about the collection – you can read about it at their official web site. One of the most famous pieces there, besides the two sections of the Berlin Wall, is the world renowned “Touchdown Buddha”. He kept a watchful eye over all of us last year, so I spent about 15 minutes talking with him again to ask his opinion of last year’s event.
This year’s Interchange is almost upon us. It comes quickly – the 29th of April – and it’s being held in Nashville. So, without further babbling, here is Touchdown Buddha’s list of reasons why you need to attend this year’s event:
- First, everybody who is anybody at Ivanti will be there. Product Development Managers, Sales Representatives, User Interface experts, even some of the actual developers of the code. And it isn’t as if they keep to themselves. No, they mingle and talk with everybody. They want to understand your experiences, learn about how their products are used, and listen to positive suggestions as to how to make the product more robust and useful. You may think that Ivanti is just another huge company with no humans at the top, but I’ll attest to the fact that they’re all real and willing to get out there. And if you treat ’em nice, you might just be surprised how nice they can treat you, too!
- Second, your Ivanti Partners will be there too. Yup – Dataseti is going to be there in full force, ready to talk to you about your environment and what can be done to help you over the next rise in the road. Whether it’s an upgrade or an additional package or integration, this is the best place to get face-to-face time with us. We’ve got a large booth this year, but you’ll also see us strolling around, trying to meet up with everyone. If you’ve got a hankering, we can even put some one-on-one undisturbed time with you on the calendar so that we can really dig into your situation and come up with ideas.
- Third, it’s gonna be in Nashville. That means the Johnny Cash Museum, The Grand Ole Opry, and more barbecue than you can shake a fiddle at. Oh, and it’s only three and a half hours from Dollywood!
- Fourth, and probably most important, everybody else who uses these Ivanti products will be there. Meet your peers – other people who have used these products in their environments. Talk to them over lunch and dinner about their success stories. Share some of your victories, too. Here’s where the real networking comes in, so make sure to bring your business cards. Try not to go home without making some new friends at other companies. It’ll give you something to talk to your boss about (“Hey, I spoke with those amazing ISM guys at MIkey’s Clam Shack and IT Support, and you gotta hear how they manage the clam shucking operation with ISM Change Management!”). Pro tip: bring a notebook where you can keep track of the things you’ve learned and people you’ve met.
- Fifth, and finally, this is the best place to hear about what is coming down the pipeline. No more guessing or waiting for webinars. It’s all laid out for you – the master roadmap. You will be able to go home after this week and talk with authority about what’s going to be in the next update/release. If you have the desire to live on the bleeding edge, you may even be able to volunteer as a pilot site for the next version.
Interchange, at the core, is all about the interchange of information. From Ivanti to you, from you to your Ivanti Partner (and to Ivanti as well!). If you want to come and still haven’t purchased a ticket, call us ASAP and we can get you a discount seat. Make sure you stop by the Dataseti booth while you’re there and tell ’em that Touchdown Buddha sent you.
-Jeffrey Bromberger, Consultant – CISA, CRISC
Contact the consulting team at consultants@dataseti.com
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