Join us for the inaugural Pacific Lotus Users Group (PACLUG) event at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas on June 21-22. This event will bring together IT and LOB professionals from all over the Western United States to share ideas and tools using IBM Collaboration and Social Business solutions. This free event will provide you with the most current information about increasing your efficiency through collaboration and integrating your platforms with social business tools.  This is an event that you will not want to miss!

We have many great plans for our inaugural event. These include:
·        Expert panel discussion on “The Future of a Social Business”, which will cover topics like Web 2.0/E2.0, mobility, gamification, enterprise collaboration and much more!
·        Keynote address including demos from Alistair Rennie, GM of IBM Collaboration Solutions
·        Lab solutions area to see demos and meet with IBM subject matter experts
·        Solution Showcase including the IBM Pavilion
·        Discounted certification exams and testing area
·        Meals and receptions

Sessions and Speakers include:

• A “Day in the Life” Exceptional Work Experience – Chris Crummey, IBM (@ccrummey)
• Application Development Strategy – Presented by IBM
• Building the Next Generation Web Experience with IBM Forms with Workflow – without coding – Bob McCandless, Alphalogix (@BobMcCandless)
• Creating or Moving Your Social Portal to the Cloud – Tom Simmons, Alacrinet (@tjsimm)
• Developing Mobile Apps with XPages 8.5.2 – Lance Spellman, WorkFlow Studios (@lance_spellman)
• Discussing a Mobile Strategy for Lotus Notes/Domino – Richard Sharpe, TeamStudio (@teamstudio)
• Exceptional Web Experience / Portal in the Cloud – How to make the right business driven decisions – Steven Gerhardt, Ixion
• From Phone Calls to Mobile Web – How Bekins Brought Mobile to Trucking – Mike Ostrowski  (@mikeostrowski)
• Getting started as a social business – Don Browning, Sirius Computer Solutions (@CollabGuyDon)
• Introduction to IBM Lotus Web Content Management 7 – Naji Zeineh, Citent (@Citent)
• Leading the Way to Exceptional Customer Web Experiences – Jon Raslawski, IBM (@jrazz)
• Licensing Strategies for New Innovations – Presented by IBM
• LotusLive – Moving to the Cloud. LotusLive Hybrid infrastructure explained – Mark Harper, IBM (@k5tao)
• Messaging and Collaboration Strategy – Ed Brill, IBM (@edbrill)
• Organizing an XPages development team – Brian Benz, (@bbenz)
• Powering a Market Leading Business with Social Collaboration – Presented by IBM
• Project Vulcan in Action – Mind Meld Sold Separately – Bruce Elgort, Egluji Software (@belgort)
• Sametime from the Administrators side – Andy Higgins, IMCollaboration (@amhiggins)
• Security, DoD, and connecting it to Notes/Domino – D’Artagnan Fischer, SDDUG
• The Lotus Mobile Strategy- Presented by IBM
• Two-minute drills for Administrators – Ted Hardenburgh, Group Business Software [GBS] (@thardenb)
• Unified Communications and Collaboration Strategy and Roadmap – Presented by IBM

Total Cost:
This is a free event for all attendees. You do not need to be a part of a local users group to attend, nor do you need to register for any other conference. Since this is a FREE conference, we have limited availability to host the event. Make sure you register today and make plans to attend. Your total cost will be your travel to Las Vegas and hotel arrangements. We have a block of hotel rooms at Planet Hollywood for $99/night.

This is your opportunity to learn and network with colleagues from all over the Western United States. Register today at www.paclug.org!

Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/paclug
Friend us on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/4oej3vd  
Like our Facebook page: http://tinyurl.com/4twr9pe
LinkedIn Event page: http://events.linkedin.com/Pacific-Lotus-Users-Group-Conference/pub/646205
Lanyard social conference: http://lanyrd.com/2011/paclug/

Bringing IBM expertise to a global forum

Every year, IBM brings together leading-edge thinkers, technology gurus and business experts for more than 30 technical universities and seminars worldwide.

These events provide a forum where IT professionals can explore current and emerging technical topics, meet respected industry leaders and network with peers from around the globe.

• Upgrade your IT skills. The key to success is training; get it quickly at an IBM Technical Universities.
• Test-drive the latest technologies through hands-on labs. Roll up your sleeves and get involved with the latest systems and software.
• Hear breaking news from the original source. Get up to speed on the latest product releases, trends, tips and techniques – direct from IBM.
• Network with experts and colleagues from a variety of industries.
• Load up on great information. Get the background you need to make quick, intelligent business decisions.
• Explore a wide selection of topics. Expand your skills in the area of your choice with a variety of elective sessions for every level, from new user to expert.
• Certify your skills onsite with testing at many events.
• Get the most out of your training experience. We’ve designed cost-saving programs to meet your needs and your schedule. There are even classes on Sunday at many events.

For more information and registration

Join us and meet the experts that can help you become knowledgeable about the collaboration solutions that are specific to your industry, your business objectives and your IT operations:

• Do you have new employees wondering where the social software is?
• Are your professionals curious about how they can use email on the web from any one of their devices?
• Is your management team asking you, ‘When can you help us deliver a web channel that will drive our customers to learn more about our products and services’?
• Are your colleagues and business partners tired of having to open all sorts of different collaboration tools just to get simple work done?

Attend key sessions to get insider information on:

• Messaging & Collaboration
• Social Networking
• Web 2.0 tools
• Software as a service
• Unified Communications & Collaboration
• Portals

Take advantage of this opportunity to learn more about how IBM can help you improve your competitive advantage and thrive within the challenges presented by today’s economic environment.

Invite your colleagues to register today for an event near you: http://www.ibm.com/lotus/lcty

I look forward to seeing you at the Lotusphere Comes to You.

In a world of on-line collaboration, sometimes there’s nothing like meeting face-to-face! So we’re kicking off a new series of events aimed at helping you and your teams better understand how to embrace the power of collaboration, regardless of where you are in the process, or which Lotus software products you currently use.

Get up close and personal with our executive team and product experts for a day of interactive sessions, demos and one-on-one meetings, and even some sneak peaks of what we’ll be showing at Lotusphere in January. Come see us at one of of our upcoming events we have planned this fall. We have a lot up our sleeves!

If you want to learn how to benefit from your existing collaboration infrastructure, or maybe even looking for some new ideas — you’ll want to be here.

UPCOMING EVENTS:
* Chicago: October 6th
* New York: October 22nd
* San Francisco: November 5th

Register today at: ibm.com/software/lotus/events/smarter-collaboration/live/

Get Smart. Start the conversation. Be the visionary. Shape the future. See you there!

INTRODUCTION

Presentations and Hands-on Lab Exercises for a 1 or 2 day Proof of Technology (PoT), with materials focusing on Notes ® End User, Domino® Administration, and Domino Application Development enhancements in version 8.5.

OBJECTIVE

The Notes & Domino 8.5 Upgrade PoT is intended to provide the customer with an in-depth examination of the new capabilities of version 8.5 of the products. For existing customers, this exploration will help them assess the additional value and potential impact to their existing environment. For new customers, this exploration will not only give them a hands-on experience with a product new to them but it will also reinforce our advantages over the competition, such as the power of applications. At the conclusion of the Proof of Technology, the customer will leave with an excitement about the business problems this new version can help solve.

AUDIENCE

This Proof of Technology is targeted for IT Managers, Application Developers, System Administrators and Architects evaluating IBM Lotus Notes / Domino. No prerequisite knowledge of Notes or Domino is required; however, it is recommended that participants have an understanding of their business needs and current IT technologies.

COST

This session is offered free of charge. Complimentary refreshments including continental breakfast and lunch will be provided. However, participants

are responsible for their own business travel expenses.

SCHEDULE

For your convenience, registration and continental breakfast will begin at 8:00 AM. The session on day 1 will start at 8:30 AM and end at approximately

6:00 PM. On day 2, breakfast will start at 8:30 AM, the session will start at 9:00 AM and end at approximately 5:00 PM.

CONTACT FOR INFORMATION

This Proof of Technology is on a nomination process, please send me an email to register.

You can also see what Forterra is doing with Sametime integration into their Virtual World.  Very impressive technologies and integration!!

See you around the Sandbox!

Holli

Lotusphere Comes to you in San Francisco will be April 16th!

If you were not able to attend the conference in Florida, or if you just want to find out more about what is going on in the last month this is a great experience. LCTY is also fantastic for making face to face connections with the community. Please be sure to register early this year!

If your city is not listed, please note that the local Lotus ITS from the PNW will be working with our partners to bring one closer to you… targeted cities planned, but subject to change are Sacramento, Portland, Seattle and Salt Lake City.  Please check with your local ITS and Sales team if you do not see a city near you.

I have some great announcements coming up soon for the Pacific Northwest Lotus Community and plan to post in a few days on the details regarding events and education for you all…. Lotusphere will not stop here…. keep checking back!

One specific is that we will definitely have Lotusphere Comes to you in our territory, I have been told it will be sometime in April, the specific date to be announced…. but I promise… we have some great stuff coming up before then…. some that will be delivered from the local team, some that we will ask you… the community… to help drive… it is going to be a great year!

Holli

Also if you are on Twitter you can follow me @ http://twitter.com/hollikonig

Lotusphere 2009 Party
Wednesday, 7:30pm – 10:30pm
Universal Studios Florida®

As a Lotusphere 2009 attendee, you will have exclusive use of Universal Studios, the motion picture and television theme park built with Academy Award-winning producer/director Steven Spielberg as creative consultant. The production begins on the Hollywood Street Set! Enjoy Terminator 2: 3-D™, Shrek 4-D®, and Jimmy Neutron’s Nicktoon Blast™. Once you make your way to the New York Backlot Street Set, you will find the Revenge of the Mummy and for those with a sense of adventure, TWISTER… Ride It Out®. The fun continues in the Amity Backlot Street Set with Jaws®, Earthquake – - The Big One and Fear Factor Live®. Tired yet… we’ve got more: MEN IN BLACK™ Alien Attack™, E.T.’s Adventure and The Simpon’s. With food and drinks, music and characters, there’s something for everyone.

PLEASE NOTE: Attendees must wear their badge in its badge holder for admittance. Guest tickets for adults and children may be purchased at Conference Registration. Lotusphere attendees will have a special arrival/departure area at Universal Studios, so you are encouraged to ride the shuttle bus provided for attendees. Security will be at the park to inspect all bags upon arrival. Lockers are not available, so you are discouraged from bringing backpacks.

Don’t forget the website is up and running for Lotusphere – User name for login and registration number is password…. all links below are to the LS09 Lotus Connections Profiles… Login first and then you can click on the links below to offer friendship to the ITS gang…

Can’t wait to see you all this year!!

The IBM Lotus Technical Team – LS09 Lotus Connections Profiles

Profile for Chris Cranfill
Profile for Carla Gillespie
Profile for Holli Konig
Profile for Erik Ostly
Profile for Bruce Prout
Profile for David Rosenfeld
Profile for Corey Simpson
Profile for Sidney Tao
Profile for Greg Violette

For those of you unable to attend, we understand and will wish you were here!! However, I will be sure to keep you posted on the Lotusphere Comes to You as soon as they are announced!

Holli