* StorTOC aims to be an online community for networked storage users
A new or at least reorganized community for storage users was launched last week by the Storage Networking Industry Association. The Storage Technology Online Community (StorTOC) was formed by the End User Council of SNIA and is intended to be an online community for users of networked storage.
StorTOC will provide education and advocacy of storage through online forums, training and user collaboration.
Annual membership costs $100 but StorTOC is offering complimentary membership this month through Dec. 30. You can apply by completing the membership application the StorTOC site. (Note: At the time of writing the Web site incorrectly states the end date of the complimentary membership. StorTOC officials have confirmed that the complimentary membership will run through December.) The SNIA will approve the applications. I filled out the form on Dec. 3 and am still waiting to see if my membership is approved.
StorTOC will offer support for local and regional user groups and Special Interest Groups. The group was created by SNIA’s End User Council, a group of end users to share ideas and address management challenges.
Here’s hoping that StorTOC will be more successful than the storage user groups that preceded it. StorTOC grows out of the StorageNetworking.org at the University of California at San Diego, which sponsored monthly Storage Networking User Groups. It also succeeds the Association of Storage Networking Professionals, which was launched by tradeshow entrepreneur Daniel Delshad in 2003.
Membership in StorTOC gives users complimentary passes to Storage Networking World conferences, as well as discounts for courses offered by SNIA education partners. Membership also includes access to academic research programs and free individual SNIA membership.
