SNIA Creates Storage Technology Online Community (stortoc.com)

The End User Council (EUC) of the Storage Networking Industry Association announced the formation of the Storage Technology Online Community (StorTOC). StorTOC is the only online site both built and managed by end users as a solely end user collaborative community for networked storage.

StorTOC expands upon the success of the EUC by providing new opportunities for end user leadership, education, advocacy, collaboration and sharing of best practices. Professionals involved in storage and networking technology have the opportunity here as nowhere else to network exclusively with their end user peers and privately share the storage and networking issues they grapple with every day. In addition, the StorTOC site provides educational training opportunities, professional development through industry association membership, collaboration with technology and industry organizations and public speaking opportunities at conferences and events. Members will also have access to academic research studies that offer unique participation and sponsorship opportunities.

“StorTOC delivers the kind of peer-developed resources Information Technology professionals need in their daily operations,” said Laurence Whittaker, EUC Chair. “As an example, posted on the site is an End User Council-developed survey revisiting the top ten pain points of storage end users. The new survey found that storage ‘Reliability/Availability’ emerged as the top pain point, with the former #1 pain point of ‘Cost’ falling to fourth place,” Whittaker stated. “Examining and discussing these kinds of findings among peers can assist in future strategies and ventures.”

End users already recognize the value of StorTOC. “StorTOC delivers ‘feet on the street’ knowledge and experience in an exciting online venue,” said Marty LeFebvre, Application Hosting Leader, TCS. “It’s a natural extension of the End User Council legacy of providing value to the end user community.”

Users can preview StorTOC with a complimentary membership until December 30, 2008. It includies online forums, professional development opportunities and support for local/regional user groups and Special Interest Groups (SIGs).

StorTOC as a community of IT professionals aligns with the SNIA, the industry leading storage networking authority, to leverage industry educational and standards initiatives. StorTOC and the SNIA practice a joint organizational relationship with the same goal in mind: advancing the development of storage technology and solutions for storing and managing the massive volumes of information generated by today’s businesses.

“The SNIA is pleased to welcome StorTOC as a comprehensive community that offers many opportunities to work with storage and data protection professionals,” said Wayne M. Adams, Chair of the Storage Networking Industry Association. “StorTOC community participants have the ability to exchange experiences, valuable expertise and best practices that further propel standards-based interoperable storage networking solutions into all reaches of the data center located anywhere in the world.”