While technology companies focus on getting customers through the digital transformation, Dell Technologies, Inc. is also reaching out to product users. As part of its acquisition of EMC and its subsidiary VMware Inc., Dell has maintained the VMware User Group, an independent organization for members using VMware and partner solutions.

The group of more than 130 groups and 100,000 members worldwide works together to provide knowledge sharing, training and collaboration events to help the community achieve success within this forum of peers.

“VMUG started as a handful of technology enthusiasts that were really passionate about the product, and nothing about the agreement with Dell Technologies user community is changing as far as I am concerned,” said Ben Clayton, (pictured, left) senior technical lifecycle manager of cloud at DST Systems Inc. and president of VMUG. “The real opportunity I see is that it just gives us a bigger base of users to work with and get really evangelized with different products.”

Clayton and Karen Quintos (pictured, right), executive vice president and chief customer officer at Dell, joined host Rebecca Knight (@knightrm) and guest host Keith Townsend (@CTOAdvisor) on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s mobile live streaming studio, during Dell EMC World in Las Vegas, Nevada, to talk about the importance of the user community. (* Disclosure below.)

Community magic in the digital transformation

Quintos discussed the “magic” VMUG demonstrated in the past when it brought together 130,000 users and saw first hand what they were doing and how Dell could help make the digital transformation easier.  

“We announced here today that we’re going to take this framework and we are going to take it to other parts [of the Dell portfolio]. What we are doing at VMware is really incredible, bringing these groups together and helping with their digital transformation,” she said.

Being the first to admit that the VMUG members love to get their hands dirty and play with all the knobs, Clayton believes this arrangement will provide more knobs for members to fiddle with in the user group context.

“Ultimately, I would like to keep growing the organization, and I think with the partnerships right now we have a wonderful opportunity to do that … and I think this just gives us a lot more opportunity to evolve,” Clayton said.

Watch the complete video interview below, and be sure to check out more of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s independent editorial coverage of Dell EMC World 2017. (* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for Dell EMC World. Neither Dell nor other sponsors have editorial influence on content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE