#TFD16 Wrap Up: How the OpenManage Team Met 12 IT Bloggers…

…and lived to talk about it

We make no secret about the customer-focused design behind our PowerEdge servers. It’s a pretty simple approach; tell us what you need, and we’ll build it. Need servers with enough processing prowess to power deep learning? We’ve got you covered. Looking to stock your astrophysics lab with enough compute power to study black holes and unlock the secrets of the universe? Meet the R740.

So when given the opportunity to talk shop and swap ideas with some of the biggest influencers in the industry, we couldn’t pass it up. Last week we had the pleasure to host a group of 12 bloggers, analysts, authors, and IT experts as part of Tech Field Day 16. We got to share our innovations in server automation and absorb some invaluable feedback on where the industry’s headed, how demands are evolving, and where our solutions have room to grow. Here’s where the conversation went, and what we learned along the way.

Our day began with a look at our systems management portfolio from Kevin Noreen, our senior director of product management. He unpacked some of the challenges and frustrations that have crept into today’s IT infrastructure; the sluggishness of rolling out new services; the overwhelming complexity of the data center; and the disruptions and loss of revenue that results from frequent downtime. Kevin then went into how we’re focused on solving these issues by simplifying and automating the entire process with management tools that unite the PowerEdge portfolio.

We then hit the ground running with in-depth demos of iDRAC9 and OpenManage mobile from Doug Iler and Manoj Malhotra. Our TFD guests were quick to live Tweet their thoughts on the updated web-based UI, remarking on its speed and simplicity – even joking that a tool this fast couldn’t possibly be iDRAC. When they got a hands-on look at OpenManage Mobile and its anytime/anywhere capabilities, some pointed out how great power (unfortunately) often comes with great responsibility.

Our product manager for embedded management automation, Paul Rubin, then went deep into RESTful APIs, Redfish, and the unique challenges of customers he calls “the automators” – those migrating from vendor-specific consoles into the world of multi-vendor data centers who would benefit the most from automation. Paul covered how we’re working to pair the right tools with open, industry standards to bring simplicity to the most complex environments.

Brian Doty, our sr. consultant on PowerEdge management was next up with an overview on our next-generation OpenManage Enterprise tool. An update on our popular OM Essentials, released in beta back in 2011, OM Enterprise provides full lifecycle management of Dell EMC servers, as well as monitoring of 3^rd party storage, compute and networking. Like with our web-based iDRAC9, a lot of the social conversation focused on the improved interface and a bit of recognition for the empathy behind everything we do.

Our final presentation from Ray Hebert sparked the day’s most engaging conversation, with our delegates sharing their views on where the industry is headed, and our experts giving their take on how we’re responding to the changing landscape. If you watch one video from Tech Field Day 16, make it this one.

Overall, our influencers were open and honest with their feedback on what we’ve done right, and where we need to course correct. That shared knowledge and the willingness to listen and learn more is what made TFD16 such a monumental success.

Share your questions, feedback, victories, and failures with us at @DellEMCservers and let’s keep this conversation going.