Hello from Las Vegas, where I’m attending the ManageFusion07 user conference for Altiris, the makers of network management software. Features for this large network management service control, monitor, and coordinate just about any type of network computing device. Yes, I said “large” but many of the companies using Altiris products work with small and medium businesses, which is why Altiris brought me out here to meet some of them. They also plan to put me to work on Thursday as one member of the “Editors Panel Luncheon.” Boy are they going to be sorry, because the topic is “Windows Vista Rollout Strategies.” Since my focus is small and medium sized companies, my advice comes straight from Monty Python and the Holy Grail: “Run away! Run away!” It helps if you jump in the air and wave your arms as you run away, as the knights do in the movie. Luckily for Altiris, at least two others on the panel will be able to contribute something of value. Wait, my advice is valuable, just not what companies selling Vista migration tools and services want to hear. The audience will hear more practical advice from Tom Henderson, one of my colleagues here in the Test Alliance. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Tom at a couple of Network World meetings and found him to be quite smart and dedicated to digging out every technical secret hiding inside a product or process. I’ll defer to Tom for all the serious details.
The other panelist I know is Michael Dortch, a writer turned expensive analyst. I haven’t seen Micheal in several years, but that’s less because he became an important analyst and more because we stopped going to the same conferences (at least I hope that’s the reason). But Michael also has a wicked sense of humor and putting the two of us on the same panel is like turning two young boys loose in a china shop. People of authority will be nervous, very nervous, as we careen around causing trouble, laughs, and maybe inflicting information on those watching. Of course, Michael probably has research to back up what he says, so it will be interesting to see if he joins me in screaming “Run away! Run away!” or actually has good news to report for Vista fans. Before I start causing trouble, I will meet with management companies supporting small companies and a few big big companies eager to explain how and why they’re using Altiris to support small and medium businesses. Should be interesting.
