Over its long history, SHARE has grown and adapted to the changes in and the demands of the enterprise computing industry. Our volunteers have worked hard to put on another great conference this summer, filled with technical content for enterprise computing specialists of all skill ranges and disciplines.
As we approach SHARE Pittsburgh in August, I am excited by the opportunity to provide more educational platforms to our onsite attendees. Our most coveted education platform is the Hands-On Lab. In these sessions, SHARE provides attendees with a computer and the opportunity to get their hands on a keyboard and work with the technology, while being guided by industry experts. These labs include subjects like Linux for Beginners, z/OSMF, DevOps for z Tools, and Introduction to Docker and Kubernetes on Z.
SHARE has received continuous requests to run more labs during our onsite events. In Pittsburgh, we are experimenting with ways to increase the supply of labs by encouraging the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) lab model. For this type of lab session, attendees are required to bring their own laptop to complete the exercises. Labs that are BYOD will note the acronym in their session title to help identify them.
We hope to further increase the number of hands-on experiences for attendees at future events. As always, we are open to suggestions from volunteers and attendees for ways to provide new and engaging experiences.
Popular sessions like the Hands-On Labs, or even our bi-annual events, would not be possible without the help of our many volunteers. I encourage everyone in the enterprise computing ecosystem to consider the impact they may have by volunteering with SHARE. Being part of such a passionate community is an exciting part of my career, and has helped me create new friends and helpful business connections along the way. Having been a SHARE volunteer for four years, I can say that there is never a shortage of opportunities for someone to get involved.
The benefits of volunteerism are tenfold. I have been able to grow my technical skills and learn from many mentors through SHARE. I have also had the ability to take on leadership roles that have expanded my interpersonal skills, which I can apply directly to my professional and personal life. The other added benefit of volunteering for the association is that you really get to be part of the conversation. The questions from our community are always there: Why are we doing it this way? What content should we focus on? What is next on the horizon in our industry? The value of being a volunteer is that you get a voice in how those questions are answered.
I encourage everyone to consider volunteering their time, talent and expertise through a role with SHARE. If you have any questions about volunteering, you can learn more online here.
I look forward to seeing you all in Pittsburgh.