Welcome new vSpecialists and VCE members!

Was a fun week last week – we’re onboarding so many fantastic people so fast, we’ve needed to develop a custom onboarding process.  Not enough time to do blog posts :-) 

Keith Coughlin, the vSpecialist leader for the Americas call is it the “Emersion” program.  The use of “Emersion” as opposed to “Immersion” is intentional :-)

As people are coming from all sorts of backgrounds, we are trying to cram them full of stuff and build a sense of camraderie.

In the span of a 3 month period, they:

• The standard EMC new hire and standard onboarding
• Go through UCS hands on and certification
• Everyone is brought up to a common level on VMware – VCP4 and then a subset of the VCDX prep.   We are at 2 VCDXes, with another 3 getting ready for their defenses
• EMC’s Proven Professional Technical Architect certification path for the major platforms
• Detailed custom training on RSA and Ionix
• Ultimate Power Presentation (not all of them are from career paths where presentation skills were a history)
• Given the low-down on the 2 year VMware/EMC target roadmap, and the 2 year VCE coalition target roadmap
• An intense on “how to compete in the VMware context, Chad’s rules” (hint, never go negative, and it’s all about doing our job – not responding to the bad stuff other people say.   So long as we provide knowledge, help customers and demo, demo, demo – we’re doing the right thing)

The last week (which we call “geek week”) ends with them put in the lab with all the Vblock elements which they need to construct and then demonstrate to the group like the group were customers.

It’s fun, and intense.

Here’s a shot of the Q1 newbies during a hands-on section on setup, use, and demonstration of EMC’s Ionix Unified Infrastructure Manager.   While v1 of UIM doesn’t manage storage (yet!), it does a killer job of managing UCS, MDS, Nexus and all the Cisco pieces of a vBlock.   We open up the sessions for Cisco folks, and there was a pair of Cisco Datacenter SE’s in the class at the time.  I asked them what they thought, and the comment was:

“UIM is awesome.  More Cisco folks need to know about it”…

Wait till they see UIMv2 :-)

We recently helped out a customer who makes very popular energy drinks, and they provided a case in case the class “needed wings”, which was funny (picture below) – the days were long, but everyone seemed pretty pumped.

The newbs relaxing at the end of the day…

Apparently some of them are experts in Photoshop also as they sent this picture of “the team” :-)  (you know what they say about the people behind the people – that other fellow is Wade O’Harrow – my intrepid partner in crime in this adventure :-)

If you’re interested, there are still open spots, but filling fast.

• Specifically looking for technical pre-sales folks in Silicon Valley and in NYC.  For some reasons, just can’t seem to find the right people in those two places.   I will pull out the stops for the right folks in these, the right places.
• We have open technical vSpecialists and business development vSpecialists around the Americas, EMEA and Asia-Pacific – so even if you’re not in the Bay Area or
• We’re also now starting to dedicate more people to the VCE coalition SST.   The vSpecialist is focused on VMware and EMC, inclusive of VCE, a dedicated SST member does NOTHING BUT VCE and vBlock activity.   Some of these are on the Cisco payroll, others on the EMC payroll, and some on the VMware payroll, but when on the SST, you literally are on one team, regardless of the payroll.  On this last example. Brian Gracely from NetApp just accepted a role on the VCE SST – can’t wait to work with him!

I wanted to welcome the most recent folks to join the effort and a put bit of context around them…

• Matt Leib – a consultant with broad VMware, EMC, Microsoft, Citrix skills
• Justin Lauer – former Memphis VMUG leader (vendors can’t be leaders), VMworld Speaker, Published in many places
• Ed Saipetch – a real VDI Expert (engaged with several customers right out of the gate) – blogs here: "Breathing Data"
• John Avery -  Ran MMC’s VMware environment
• Mike Lozano – a long time EMCer, expert in the area of Exchange (Exchange Ranger – or whatever Microsoft calls that these days), saw that’s it’s all about VMware, baby :-)
• Chris Cicott – A long time VMware expert
• Pandya Guarang - IBM Global Services
• Peter Keilty – a man of my own heart, with a penchant for startups, but has done big companies too  IBM, HP, EQLX, Akorri, Xiotech
• Chris Birdwell - Syscom - Technical and Sales
• Kevin Zawodzinski – an EMCer like Mike and one of the people who knows EMC’s unified platform inside and out.
• Scott Lowe (VCDX) http://blog.scottlowe.org of course… I like to think of him as providing the content that bookends Chapter 6 of Mastering vSphere 4 :-)
• Chris Fraser – Has presented at VMworld many times, and an IP storage expert (history with NetApp, but learning EMC Unified fast)
• Asif Khan – a longtime VMware and NetApp expert
• Clint Kitson – Security/Virtualization Expert – already coming out swinging working on site at large EMC/VMware customers
• Jonathan Donaldson – came from NetApp, one of the people who worked on the Secure Multitenancy CVD work with Cisco.   Has a long prior history at Cisco, and knows the service provider and SI space well – key skills as customers move to cloud models.
• Rick Scherer (VCDX) – Mr. www.vmwaretips.com and a man who not only knows technically the answer in and out, but how to self-promote incredibly well (I mean that in every possibly good way)
• Nick Weaver – incredibly strong VMware, Cisco, EMC and Microsoft talent.   Showed me how to hack dlls to manage how window dialogs appear :-)  Also the author of http://nickapedia.com/, and developer of some neat tools (vSphere mini monitor)
• Jim Ruddy - Virtera (EMC) - VMware Architect
• David Robertson – incredibly strong EMC and VMware skills – has a customer background.
• Fred Nix – a man who has done a lot of everything - “Super Monk”
• On the VCE SST, Brian Gracely just joined from NetApp, an unbelievable talent, and unique hybrid of business and technical savvy.   How many MBA/CCIEs are there out there?

We’re not even halfway done for Q1 (2 weeks left!) so much team building to do – and this is just an update on the Americas.  In EMEA, there are 25 people being brought on and 12 in APJ.

These folks join a global team, and already fit right in.   I feel fortunate to be part of the team, and call them comrades in arms :-)

Remember – if you want to leverage them, you can just leverage the Everything VMware at EMC community (EV@E) here - www.emc.com/vmwarecommunity

Most of of all…

If you are passionate about these technologies, good in front of people, like working hard when it’s something you believe in, and feel like we’re at the cusp of a wave of technological change – I want to know you.

Comments

[Jason Boche]

Scott Lowe is blogging or writing a book in that first picture. Might want to keep him on a short leash. :)

[ThatFridgeGuy]

Chad,
FYI: Justin Lauer was Memphis VMUG leader.

[Chad Sakac]

@Jason - he is tricky, that Scott :-)

Seriously, continuing his book writing (with no EMC editiorial control, except that he can't publish confidential or prioretary EMC info) is actually part of his job :-) Every vSpecialist has a super-power that we try to leverage (good for them, good for customers, good for EMC). In his case, good oversight of EMC's documentation for key docs (techbooks for example), and continuing to publish vendor-neutral books that people find useful - well, that's just goodness.

@ThatFridgeGuy - good catch, my error, spaced out as he moved to Chicago, and of course vendors cannot be VMUG leaders. Correct to say "former Memphis VMUG leader".

[duncan]

What a team.... Definitely a team of Warriors and a team that can take on any battle. Considering the people that are still in the pipeline I think you guys will have an amazing team.

[Giuseppe]

I've read your last statement and so... how can I contact you? I've read that there are opening in EMEA and so I'm very interested!

[Ausane]

I also would like to contact you. I'm an actual VMUG Leader, VMworld Europe speaker and a real virtualization evangelist. I have a customer background but i really want to get more involved in these awesome technologies. Hope to hear from you soon...

[chimezie ifediniru]

hello everyone i would be interested in joining the V specialist..i have a passion for virtualization and storage and i am willing to learn and contribute also... i live in nigeria

[Jose Ruelas]

guau!!!! You are building the greatest team around virtualization!!!!

it is amazing really, and that says a lot. I like when you say Chad's rules (provide knowledge, customers and demo, demo, demo).

regards from Mexico
Jose R

[David Robertson]

I feel extremely fortunate to be apart of this amazing team! not only great minds but great people as well! I cant wait to see what we can achieve in the coming year(s).

[Chad Sakac]

@Duncan, shhh - you have insider info :-)

@Giuseppe, @Ausane, @Chimezie - the first step is to email me. Finding my email is a "can you find your own way to answers" litmus test. It's not hard, you just need to look, and show initiative.

[Steve Jin]

Congratulations to the dream team!
>>For some reasons, just can’t seem to find the right people in those two places.
I know one reason in the valley -- most could-be vSpecialists are with VMware now.:-)

[chimezie ifediniru]

@chad, i have emailed you several times but i didn't get a response from you.i even sent you one when you were on vacation and got your auto response mail,and ever since them i have sent you series of mails and tweets..

[Keith Norbie]

Congrats on the new group. Holy crap I get excited but also get just a little concerned... Looked what happened to the Jedi :) Seriously it says a lot that you're developing a rules book to keep them from going negative. Classy. EMC Enterprise teams will put that to the test.

[Giuseppe]

I think that you have new mail :)

[Keith]

Thanks to my vSpecialist Brethren for being the professionals you are, and providing all of the "custom" training and mentorship we needed to make Emersion Training happen. You guys are the best of the best!

[Donald Poorman]

You know how I knew that picture was Photoshopped? There is NO WAY Chad is EVEN NEAR the same height as Joe T or John C. HA HA HA HA HA!

[Theubergeek]

Sounds like you have a great new team. Wish I could join you, but I live in Canada.

[Steve Anderson]

I love the quote:

If you are passionate about these technologies, good in front of people, like working hard when it’s something you believe in, and feel like we’re at the cusp of a wave of technological change – I want to know you.

This describes me perfectly, I think VCE is absolutely the future of technology for all markets. I've personally been driving the transformation of a major retail business from physical to virtual systems at all levels, and I would jump at the opportunity to share these experiences with other companies.

[Brian]

Wow, you are putting together a serious team. It would be great to work for a company that shared this level of passion and commitment.

If you need someone in Chicago are drop me a line.

[chimezie ifediniru]

@chad...sent you an email.did you get it?

[Ed]

vSpecialists need to behave when you have that v-specialist t-shirt you wear so proudly in the field (in this case - at VMworld 2011) I travelled half the globe (not to mention costs involved for fees, flight, hotel) to hear out the vmworld speakers only to hear one of you chattering and drowning out the speakers/participants interaction. Please pay respect to the folks that took the time to attend the session, especially when there are no less than 8 VCDX certified folks in a single room. If you were that good, you'd be in the panel and not in the audience. (And yes, you only need one bad apple to spoil the lot)

[Chad Sakac]

@Brian, Steve, Theubergeek - thanks and stay in touch, there's always openings and changes.

@Ed - as we've discussed via email, I'm TERRIBLY sorry, and apologize profusely. I will reinforce to the whole team humility, and respect. There's a good reason for pride and a sense of team, but NO excuse for the lack of respect for others you point out.

It's NOT how we roll, and it's not a core value. Again, my sincere apologies.