[ug-discuss] OpenSolaris User Group Growth

[Jim Grisanzio]

John J McLaughlin wrote:
>  > I wanted to start a discussion about things Sun could do to help grow 
> the UG Community
> 
> What can Sun do to help the user group grow? Here are a few of my ideas:
> 
> - Leverage technology: to make skilled Subject Matter Expects available 
> as speakers via SunBTV


Ah, good idea, but that's really only for groups that meet at Sun 
offices, right? But I get the larger issue of having subject matter 
experts available, though.


>     - Recently  I attended a Sun marketing session on the topic of 
> LDoms. It was delivered via SunBTV to the Sun office in Atlanta (and 
> others)
>     - That is a great way to make speakers available at a reasonable cost
>     - Timezone coordination is needed to make it work.
>     - Videos of sessions can be made available via OpenSolaris.org to 
> members


Videos: This is a good idea, too, and it wouldn't require that people 
get into a Sun office. We can just post the content for all to view.


>     - Local meetings can leverage the content
> 
> - Can we get John Gage, Greg Papadopoulos, Hal Stern, Ingrid Van den 
> Hoogen to be the OpenSolaris User Group advocates?
>     - Executive level sponsorship could make a big difference


Shooting a little high there, eh? :)


> - Fund a unique, valuable, professional user group publication
>     - that's where teaming with SNI (publishers of "System News for Sun 
> Users") could be of value


We spoke about this earlier today, so I'd like to explore this further.



>     - members should be encouraged to provide papers and other content 
> for the user group publication and the web site


We do this now, but some groups post presos on their own pages so you 
have to go dig.

http://www.opensolaris.org/os/community/os_user_groups/os-presentations/


> - Make the OSUG attractive to developers
>     - developers choose their target platforms. If developers choose 
> Linux or Windows, there's no opportunity for OpenSolaris
>     - people choose apps --> apps decide platforms --> good apps drive 
> volume --> developers  choose volume platforms to create new apps
> 
> - Make the OSUG attractive to application vendors (free or commercial)
>     - if people find the right apps easily on Solaris, then they have a 
> reason to use Solaris and care about OpenSolaris
>     - Sun has a whole market development organization to support ISVs 
> that could with the OpenSolaris community
> 
> - Leverage Free and Open Source s/w
>     - blastwave.org is an amazing resource for Sun and the OpenSolaris 
> community
>     - we should be constantly promoting some of the gems in that collection
> 
> - Sun Communications
>     - Can we get Sun to promote OpenSolaris.org @sun.com and in other 
> Sun e-communications


I'll have to check with the OpenSolaris marketing team.


> - OpenSolaris.org website needs help
>     - Sun's web team have done a ton of work to develop sun.com
>     - Can they help improve opensolaris.org?
>        e.g. Sun has a couple of "front pages" features to drive people 
> into the web site/ Today, those are
>           "Triple your capacity" (a product promotion)
>           "Revolutionary Technology" (Dr. Marc Trembly article)
>            "Get Exciting New Promotions Now" (well, it is Q4)
> 
> - Many people at Sun find can/will only do things in their job description
>     - field marketing people must be goaled to create and support local 
> user groups work
>     - same with sales management
>     - Sun field sales and marketing can
>        - connect OpenSolaris chapters with the users in their geo
>        - provide resources (such as meeting locations)
>        - communicate local user group events on a regular basis


Yah, I think the Sun field can be helpful. Again, I'll have to check 
with marketing since they know those avenues better than I.


> - Leverage the Partner community
>     - most of Sun's business is conducted via Partners (resellers)
>     - can Sun help motivate the Partner community to support local chapters
>     - how can one chapter work with multiple Partners? Easy! each 
> meeting can be sponsored by a different Partner
>     - e.g. change the Partner "gtm" program to provide funding to 
> support local OpenSolaris chapters
> 
> - Joint Press Releases
>     - Sun and OpenSolaris.org should do joint press releases once per 
> month.


Formal press releases are a Sun and/or marketing function, but we can 
leverage the content in our own ways.

>     - There should  be a monthly deadline for all the local chapters to 
> post
>        (a) a summary of their last meeting
>        (b) agenda for the next
>     - that material and other news from the board and marketing 
> community would make up the press release


I like this for even issuing monthly announcements on 
opensolaris-announce or for inclusion in the newsletter.


> - Sun and the OpenSolaris User group should support regular OpenSolaris 
> conference in the US
>     - e.g. spring in California and fall in New England
>     - membership required
>     - members are encouraged to present papers
>     (in the early 90's, the Sun User Group (SuG) could draw 10k to San 
> Jose)
>     - other than JavaOne, Sun has not been successful at making a 
> conference work. I think that's because they lack the grass root support
>     - It could be called OpenSolarisOne  :-)


No. No more "one" :) It makes no sense ....


>      - how about teaming with the SDN Techdays people
>         http://developers.sun.com/events/techdays/locations.jsp

Yep, we do this now with OpenSolaris Days at all the Tech Days venues 
and will continue in the upcoming year. The trick is to better integrate 
the User Groups into the operations, though.


>     - Theses conference should be made attractive to developers, 
> administrators, Partners and IT management
> 
> - Sun marketing pays a lot of attention to finding new customers. How 
> can the OpenSolaris User Group help?
>     - E.g. develop and promote material to help convert people to 
> OpenSolaris from Windows and Linux - presentations, white papers, demos 
> etc.
> 
> -johnj




Jim
-- 
Jim Grisanzio, Sr. Program Manager, OpenSolaris Engineering
http://blogs.sun.com/jimgris