The strength of VMware, Inc. isn’t the technology; it’s the community. Thousands of people across the world are experimenting, innovating and sharing their discoveries. The end result is an ecosystem around VMware, not just of products, but of people. VMUG is the “VMware User Group,” an organization dedicated to expanding that ecosystem with training and personal networking.

To learn more about VMUG and how it operates, John Walls (@JohnWalls21) and John Troyer (@JTroyer), host and guest host of theCUBE, from the SiliconANGLE Media team, visited the VMworld 2016 conference in Las Vegas. There, they met with Brad Tompkins, CEO of the VMware User Group (VMUG).

From individuals to communities

The discussion opened up with a look at VMUG itself. Tompkins explained that the members of the group were individuals, not companies. The user group’s goal is education, and they do that in many ways, including local conventions and virtual events. He stressed that membership was free. “We want to include everyone in the community,” he said.

As to the success of VMUG as an organization, Tompkins ran down the reasons it has taken off. A lot of it is software, but beyond that it’s making sure people are connected to the community. Everyone sees the sharing going, along with the personal networking. He added that it’s about the community and making sure connections were happening on a local level.

Balance and the future

Managing such an organization is not easy. There’s always a balance between the group as a whole and the local level. Tompkins mentioned the importance of letting the local groups do what they need to do, but he also referred to programs to help its local partners engage with the VMware community.

The topic turned toward VMUG’s future plans. Tompkins explained that the board spends a lot of time thinking about how to evolve its conventions. It also has a program that encourages individual members to present at meetings.

He added it also runs a career corner, giving people one-on-one time to accelerate their career. To be successful, it’s more than just the technical side of things, he said.

Watch the complete video interview below, and be sure to check out more of SiliconANGLE and theCUBE’s coverage of VMworld 2016.

Photo by SiliconANGLE