This year I volunteered, and was fortunate to be selected, to work in the VMware Hands On Labs.  As I write this I am watching the keynote in the labs, preparing for what will be a massive influx of customers and partners.  I wanted to share a bit of how exciting it is to see things from this side.

I am a huge fan of VMware’s Hands On Labs, as a partner at other manufacturers I have held this up as a model that should be emulated.  Giving customers a sandbox where they can work on your products, learn about them.  I firmly believe the best sales person is a happy and motivated customer.  Make incredibly cool products that people understand and want to use, and customers will come to you.  For years I have pitched this to customers as a way to understand what we do.

Working behind the scenes, the magic is not gone.  Watching some of the smartest people at VMware, and our partners, putting together self paced labs, and even expert led labs, where we can showcase how amazing the products are, and then send the customer back to design this in their environment is incredible.  The best part though is the interaction.  I have been able to meet so many customers, so many fellow VMware employees from around the world.  I am always excited to meet the people who actually use our software in production.  Having come from the customer side, and implemented VMware for a number of customers, it is exciting to hear the new and innovative ways virtualization is changing the face of businesses around the world.

I am going to be working in the Hands On Labs all week, supporting all of you.  So come by and check out what we are doing, take a lab, say hi, find an expert and get your questions answered.  It is a great time to learn, challenge yourself, and meet the team.  For those who aren’t at VMworld, we do have many labs available online for no charge at http://labs.hol.vmware.com/.  I encourage you to take advantage of this, get some hands on time and grow your career by gaining a better understanding of how things work.  I am at the concierge desk today, and will be running around the next couple days, so come say hi, and let me help connect you.