Duffbert's Random Musings

1 - I'm a little surprised, but only by the timing. I had thought that it would have either happened this past year, or that they would wait until 2014. I did not think they would do the name change for the 20th. I had thought that they would give that milestone enough significance to keep the name one more year.

2 - It's getting harder and harder to justify Lotusphere expenses - and this certainly doesn't bode well for a decision to go (at least for me).

As you mentioned in your 6/30/2012 post, the content being delivered at the various LUG's are on par if not better than many of the things I sat through at Lotusphere - at a fraction of the cost. I just returned from MWLUG in Pittsburgh, and found far more content that was directly applicable to my interests than I've found at previous 'spheres. If the tracks get squeezed, there will be even fewer things to create that "gotta be there" kind of draw.

Cost is a big deal - and a "discounted" $1,995 just for the conference is getting pretty hard to swallow. And for partners who are not billing while attending, that cost is even higher for less value in return.

3 - Admittedly somewhat buried in the website...

"Within the Lotusphere technical program, a rich array of technology sessions (exactly what a Lotusphere alum would expect!)"

In other words, we are still running the same kind of content that Lotusphere has always stood for; the hope is to incorporate additional conference programs around it. I think the conference overall will be bigger as a result.

It's change, yes, but I think one that will work to everyone's advantage. I'll write more on this next week...

4 - I hope that message gets across, Ed. For customers that have not committed to a social solution yet still rely on the Notes/Domino line. We have looked to the conference formally known as Lotusphere as our yearly training.

*my thoughts and do not represent that of the company I work for*

5 - Hi, Ed... I really hope that's the case. I know that's a struggle every year, and I know many of the track managers fight tooth and nail to keep it relevant and real.

I'm working hard on trying to keep a "wait and see" attitude on the change, as it'd be very easy to go with a "gloom and doom" rant. :) As you well know, Lotusphere is an emotional topic, and I'm sure this news will evoke plenty of emotion over the next week or two.

I'll miss the conference name, as it's been a constant in my professional career since 1997. But I understand where IBM is trying to with the change. Only time will tell how the execution turned out... good, bad, or neutral.

6 - We all knew this was coming. However, I didn't think this soon. If there's one thing I discovered last year, was that very few of IBM's existing customers are thinking social business yet.

The way over middle aged CEOs just don't understand it. A perfect example of this was this year during a big session, where at lot of CEOs were present, and IBM proudly showed all the benefits of Connections. After the session, a CEO put up his hand and said: "So this is a way to share files on our network drives?" Clearly showing that he had no clue, what so ever, what was going on.

I travelled among a larger group of Norwegians, where several of them are working in production companies such as my employer, with roughly around 200 - 300 employees. Every single one of them said the same thing: "My CEO is not going to understand the benefits of this. They are going to ask me where is Lotus Notes/Domino going with the next version, before they start contemplating changing to Outlook/Exchange again." Every single one of them.

We changed CEO last year, and he really gets this. And he is pushing for us to come up with a solution like Connections. IBM was even at our offices demonstrating it. However, the rest of our top management team still don't get it. Most of them have heard of Facebook, but that's about it.

There are bigger companies in Norway who do get it. But that is in the banking segment, and I'm told by IBM soon a pretty big media company. But the social revolution will still be postponed over here.

Fortunately my boss also get it, so I will probably be allowed to go. Now I have to judge whether it's worth it.

7 - the king is dead, long live the king!

8 - If the number of technical sessions is reduced, then my Uni will definitely find it difficult to justify sending staff across to the US.

I felt last year the number of technical sessions was at an all time low and I've already started to question whether sending two members of staff is necessary.

I'm sure the LUGs are great, but we're probably similar to many companies, we can't afford to send team members across the globe (well Europe) in the hope to pick up info from LUGs. Lotusphere was a guaranteed hit. The only LUG I've been to ILUG, while entertaining and well organised, was lacking in the IBM perspective.

9 - I find it amazing, that IBM choose to follow the 'Connect' toad, considering the relative lack of interest in Connect2012. How few actually registrred for Connect?

This will harm the value proposition of Lotusphere, and attendance will not only drop, but also turn to a different breed of people. IBM will have to build a brand new community, as the yellowverse will dwindle.

Truly a shame. Lotusphere was an epic conference. Connect not so much.

Another succesful brand killed off by the IBM (lack of) Marketing machine.

But I suppose a godsend to the numerous LUGs around the world, which might get (even) more attention.

10 - This will seem a little leftfield but...

I do not work in an environment where any single vendor has dominance.

Microsoft, Sun (JAVA and Solaris), Apple, Red Hat, CentOS etc each doing their job.

What I need is a conference that works the way i do.

I realise that's not the way vendors like to work ns maybe that's why they are not the best to run conferences....

A multi-vendor conference: Integrate2014 would be much more interesting to those of engaged in the art of plumbing with software.

11 - I'm trying to decide if this will help or hurt my chances for attending. When I attended my first Lotusphere in 1996, the guy who was the Lotus Admin at the time also went. This was the time of packed sessions. He was a smoker and didn't make many sessions. They were always full when he finally made it to the room. He promptly came back and told management that LS was a big party and any information he got, he could have easily got in a book. I have fought that misconception every year. The other thing he saw was vaporware. The vaporware myth has been easy to disprove.

I have a new Admin, who has attended LS and knows how valuable LS is and that helps. When I return, I train users on great new features, but doing a Teachback on the great development things I learn is hard when I am the only developer.

One thing that worries me is the Early Bird discount disappears very fast:
Early Bird Rate $1,995 Aug 6 - Sept 24, 2012
Discount Rate $2,095 Sept 25 - Dec 03, 2012
Standard Rate $2,295 Dec 04 - Jan 25, 2013

It seems like in the past, we had longer than Sept 24 for the lowest rate. We might not know the tracks by September 24.
Our management doesn't get Social. One of the benefits of LS is the networking. Even that is hard to ROI.
Going to be interesting.

Thanks ANDY & Duffbert for killing Lotusphere.

12 - I think this is actually the right move for IBM. Instead of reducing the audience it will get bigger.. why ? .. well because is for current and new IBM customers to connect and not only for Lotus customers (Sametime, Connections are not Lotus anymore)..

I think the conference will get bigger since we will see more business people attending the Business focused sessions which at the end it is better since the c-level people are the ones who can decide if stay or migrate (and of course buy new technologies)... I hope to see lot of business and technical sessions running in parallel.

So... IBM Connect is now your opportunity to come to a conference with your boss or business executives and all get the most out of the IBM brand(s) and how they can hel your business.

Luis

13 - It is interesting to see how the comments so far have split in two: those whose business depends on being nice to IBM and those whose business does not.

14 - Hm... Hadn't thought of it in terms of "being nice" to IBM. I guess I've always split the environment into those who use the IBM software, and those who base their product on IBM software... in other words, customers and partners. Customers do not necessarily have a vested interest in remaining loyal to a vendor other than for economic or political issues. If they can find a different vendor for lower cost who can provide much the same service, there's a good chance they explore a change.

Partners are more heavily invested in a vendor, as their success is only possible if the vendor is successful. Furthermore, if their success is impacted by how close and influential they are to the vendor, then it pays them to make sure they're doing and saying all the "right things" that the vendor wants the customer base to believe.

That's the reality of life in the business world, regardless of what's being sold... software or shoes... doesn't matter.

For customers (which is where I'd fall), we want to see direction and new stuff, but we also want to know how to use what we've already heavily invested in. The further down the management chain you go, the more "how do I do x with y" content you generally want to see. I think these are the people who have reservations about the change. At least, it generally explains MY reservations. :)

Partners would, I think, see this as very positive, as they want to sell more of the "new stuff" as that's where the vendor is going. It also makes sense for them to understand and buy into vendor themes, such as social or big data or analytics or whatever. Yes, they want to have their people get the nuts and bolts information, but they know they can invest in that on their own. They need the conference to position the market and set the direction on where things are going. They also see it as face-time opportunities with the vendor to increase or maintain influence. It all makes sense to me looking at it from their perspective.

Thus... can both sides attend one conference and find a balance that allows both to walk away with the feeling that value was received? That's the main question in my book, and it won't be answered until an agenda is posted (no matter what any of us think or say prior to the event). There are always competing interests in conference content decisions anyway, and this will be no different. In fact, with the "merging" of two conference concepts, it'll probably be even more intense, and most of us will have no window to what goes on there (they are mostly internal battles that we never (and shouldn't) see). Unlimited session and topic wants meet constrained time, facility, and budget resources... I think in meteorology, this causes very bad things to happen. :)

Anyway... watching this play out over the next couple of months will be interesting, to say the least. And in March, we'll see whether "I'm pleasantly surprised" or "I told you so" becomes the prevailing attitude.

15 - I am just wondering what is happening to the exhibition? Lotusphere 2012 is the first year we could not register for the next exhibition and there are still no infos available.

16 - @tom. #14: Tom, coming from Europe to LS for many years, I can tell you, there is NO way to convince my boss (C-Level) to go to "Connect or nection or sockl (suckL) 2013" with me, because social or mail always was Lotus here, since 1996. He just is interested in me becoming better with that Lotus stuff, i. e. training facilities we do not have in europe at one place, like we had at that one LS-place. Well, 2K for a conference, then the journey, the hotel. I hope my contract can afford that for me this year for a conference that obviously (by it's name) has nothing to do with what WE do?<br />

17 - @tom. #14: Tom, coming from Europe to LS for many years, I can tell you, there is NO way to convince my boss (C-Level) to go to "Connect or nection or sockl (suckL) 2013" with me, because social or mail always was Lotus here, since 1996. He just is interested in me becoming better with that Lotus stuff, i. e. training facilities we do not have in europe at one place, like we had at that one LS-place. Well, 2K for a conference, then the journey, the hotel. I hope my contract can afford that for me this year for a conference that obviously (by it's name) has nothing to do with what WE do?&lt;br /&gt;

18 - @tom. #14: Tom, coming from Europe to LS for many years, I can tell you, there is NO way to convince my boss (C-Level) to go to "Connect or nection or sockl (suckL) 2013" with me, because social or mail always was Lotus here, since 1996. He just is interested in me becoming better with that Lotus stuff, i. e. training facilities we do not have in europe at one place, like we had at that one LS-place. Well, 2K for a conference, then the journey, the hotel. I hope my contract can afford that for me this year for a conference that obviously (by it's name) has nothing to do with what WE do?

19 - I was at some of the Connect last year. It was interesting and some sessions were quite full but as i recall it was aimed at business leaders.
In older years, the Sphere was about sales/marketing and some infrastructure because Devcon existed for the devs.
Trying to be all things for everyone is hard and as much as we all like our sphere, it was not getting easy to be in 4 different hotels/places at every session start.
Be nice if more online offerrings come up for those who can not attend, or for those of us in 1 out of 4 sessions that ran in parallel that we wanted to be.

20 - @Keith. Record and streaming for attendees would be the solutions

21 - @20... and we've asked for that for 19 years, and never gotten it. I don't foresee it happening in the next 19, to be honest.

22 - Keith -- That's not quite a full picture of the 'older years'. There were 5 Lotuspheres before there was a DevCon. The first Lotusphere was geared mainly to partners, but lots of customers showed up, too, so Lotus added a lot more technical content the next time. For the third conference they added the Business Dev day so that the main conference could concentrate even more heavily on technical content. That was also the time when development took off, because R4 was released and the tools and techniques available for developers mulitplied. There might have been a slight drop in developer content for the few years that they ran DevCons, but not by much.

23 - @21 you got some of it this year. Every session that was in the main stage room was streamed and recorded.

24 - Ok... technically we've been able to buy tapes and CD's of selected sessions for almost all the Lotusphere events. :) And yes, there was streaming of selected sessions last year.

I know what we've *wanted* is to have all the sessions recorded and made available for viewing after the event. I know the reasons why it's not been done in the past, but I must admit it's a significant value-added piece of "other conferences" I've attended. I can focus on labs or one-on-one talks with key people without feeling like I'm missing the chance to get vital content in a session that's been scheduled.

25 - Hi everyone! Here is some positioning we put front and center :) on the site today.
"Why the name change? The new name reflects an EXPANDED focus on the broader IBM social business story. The technical content for which Lotusphere is known is still predominately featured through hundreds of deep dive technology enablement sessions for all technical roles and in fact, is called the Lotusphere program within IBM Connect".

Does this help? Deep, deep, DEEP tech sessions --- including the beloved Best Practices and Show n Tell's will be back with a vengeance!

26 - Hi, Kristin... it helps *immensely*! The use of the phrase "track with IBM Connect" conjured up some unpleasant possibilities, and the new wording eliminates that.

Thanks for helping with the clarification as everyone makes the transition from the old to the new. It's appreciated.

27 - Just a note... that should have read 'use of the phrase "a track withIN the IBM Connect conference"'... :)

28 - Tom: It's your blog, however may I suggest/recommend that you create a new blog post using Kristin's comments? This post, while excellent, has moved way down/off PlanetLotus and only those that are interested in the post are still looking at the recent comments. For the vast majority, it's not on their radar. Her comments will go a long way to getting people on the fence to commit $1,995 for early registration and to sell this new old conference to budget level management. It may also generate additional attendees.

Just my two cents.

-- Gregg

29 - Point well made, Gregg... let me fix that.