VMware vExpert 2011 – An honor

As a VMware enthusiast, not many things feel better than receiving an email welcoming you to the VMware vExpert program.

VMware certifications are a little different, in that anyone who works hard enough, and applies themselves, takes a training course, and passes a certification exam can become one.  I will say that the VCDX certification adds the additional requirement of being selected by a panel of experts after defending a design. I’m not trying to discount the VCDX certification by any means.  It is grueling from every indication I have read/seen/heard.

Where the VMware vExpert program is different, is that that certifications don’t require involvement with the VMware community.  Whether you are engaged in the VMware community or not, that engagement is not required to achieve the certification (VCP, VCAP-DCA, VCAP-DCD, & VCAP-DT).

With the VMware vExpert program, members are selected because of their community involvement. And let’s also keep in mind, that being part of the VMware vExpert program has absolutely no requirement to be the most technically adept VMware aficionado.  Being part of the VMware vExpert program is all about sharing knowledge and enthusiasm about VMware’s offerings.  Phrases like “Here’s a way to do that…”, “I ran across that situation, here’s how I handled it…”, and even “Take a look at this new direction VMware is going…” are very common among the vernacular of people picked to be VMware vExperts.

I am honored to have been selected again.  My boss at EMC sent out an email congratulating me to my team and said: “In bowling, 3 strikes in a row is called a Turkey.  I guess he’s a vExpert Turkey now.” (Or words to that effect).  Not sure if that is true, but I am very honored.

I’d like to say that whether I had received the honor or not, I’d still be talking about the products that I have a huge respect for.

A couple months ago, I was talking with a guy I work with (at another job), and we were talking about how to migrate a Windows 2003 file server to a Windows 2008 R2 file server.  We talked through the challenges in a traditional manner, and then decided to talk about how to leverage VMware to make the whole process easier.  I gave him a few pointers, talked about all the things involved, and we had a plan.  Someone else took the reins on that project, but Marcus took it upon himself to do it in is primary job.  I’m not going to go through the whole process, but you can read about Marcus’ success here: http://whomademeanexpert.com/2011/07/02/another-reason-why-vmware-rocks-or-how-i-just-performed-the-easiest-server-os-upgrade-ever/.  Cheers Marcus.

I guess my point in sharing that was… Marcus and I were in an office talking virtualization… I wasn’t sharing it on a blog post, etc…  Spreading the word, online, offline, consciously, or unconsciously is what it is all about.

Cheers, and thanks again to John Troyer and VMware for this honor.

Jase