Software User Groups

Run by Sun customers, Sun's software user groups hold regional discussion forums for developers, system administrators, IT managers, and others who share a common interest in Sun products and technologies. Many forum presentations focus on technical topics and include talks by group members that address IT architecture, deployments, application design, and infrastructure management. These forums are informal in nature and provide an excellent place for members to interact with their peers and with Sun technical and product marketing staff.

Sun's software user groups are currently active in Europe, North America, and Asia.

Consider what you can accomplish by joining a software user group:

• Interact with your peers to solve problems and exchange ideas.
  
  
• Gain first-hand, technical insight into Sun technology and product roadmaps.
  
  
• Communicate feedback to Sun engineering teams, including product wish lists and support issues.
  
  
• Learn from real-world case studies.

Find a software user group near you.

Read what your peers are saying about the value of Sun's software user groups.

Membership is free; you need complete only a simple form. Be sure to sign up! You'll hear back promptly from the program manager.

Here are more details:

- Structure and Logistics
- Observations from Members

Structure and Logistics

Each regional user group is administered by a steering committee, usually made up of three to five members, who coordinate with a program manager from Sun to plan agendas, invite speakers, and communicate with members.

Members meet twice a year, usually in person and sometimes by phone. The agendas cover a variety of topics of interest, from technical issues, caveats, tips, product capabilities, to upcoming releases, free from marketing hype, and often include presentations from Sun. Members tend to brainstorm agendas for future meetings at the end of each meeting.

The structure of the groups vary, from a few members who meet informally after work to a large cluster of companies who congregate in conference halls. Their areas of emphasis also differ, as shaped and defined by the members.

Members are accorded access to exclusive material online, including presentations, case studies, and product roadmaps.

Observations from Members

"Broad audience. Allows us to exchange information with other people using the same product."

"I heard both good and bad stories from customers, no filtering of the bad. Very open and honest."

"If I'd known that I would get access to the thought leaders for the products, I would have brought along our senior technical people. Having that kind of access in a user group meeting is unprecedented in my experience."

"Great to have the right people from your organization to listen to the customers."

Become a member today! The software user groups are eager for your participation.