I definitely had the impression there would be only one national conference held annually but that there would be more coordination for regional EUG conferences in between.
I have been under the assumption that Perspectives has been an Epicor run conference and that EUG as a group has tried to maintain some degree of independence from Epicor. This all sort of reminds me of the old DECUS (Digital Equipment Corp User Society - back in my VAX/VMS days) where there was a high degree of cooperation between the independent user group and DEC. There was always a little push/pull on the issue of "marketing" but for the most part the benefits to each (DEC and users) were mutual as was the high level of respect. DEC benefited from close attention to "pulse" of the customers and users from DECs openness with info (plus subsidization of some group costs). The twice annual (but much larger) DECUS Symposiums were very similar to Perspectives in that many product groups under the DEC umbrella were together at one event (so in Epicor terms not just a Vantage/Sonoma focus). The main thing was the large number of user presentations on real world issues and solutions.
I think there could be a real opportunity for EUG to establish a charter under the DECUS model and combine forces with Epicor. The main downside I see users with time to be involved. DEC had a large customer base in government and academia who apparently had people with time to be involved in administering the group. Lean and struggling manufacturers may not.
For me program sharing is one more thing this Yahoo group does well. But one of the highlights of each DECUS symposium was the availability of tapes with submitted utilities and programs for purchase (on 9-track reels, pre-internet).
Bottom line with any user group is how much time and effort users are willing to put into it as opposed to just letting the vendor run the show.
Just a few recollections and impressions plus a humble opinion or two.
-Todd C.
-----Original Message-----
From: Lepley, Scott A. [mailto:sal@...]
Sent: Friday, October 24, 2003 11:36 AM
To: 'vantage@yahoogroups.com'
Cc: Steve Petska (E-mail); Shawn Sims (E-mail)
Subject: RE: [Vantage] Epicor Users Group
I noticed the merging of the conferences on the EUG website:
We have a four-day combined Epicor Users Group Forum and Epicor Perspectives
meeting each Fall and one user Forum during the coming year, two-day events
full of sessions presented both by and for users. We will rotate the user
Forum location between the eastern and western half of the U.S.
Did it seem to you, Todd, that the separate EUG user forum would cease to
happen? It probably doesn't really matter; I was just curious.
A more important question, I think, is this: What implications, if any, are
there regarding the development of Vantage? Again, from the EUG website:
As a member of the group, you will receive newsletters, discounted rates to
User Group meetings, access to other members using the software and the
opportunity for participation in Special Interest Groups to participate in
product development.
Does this mean that software change requests should now or in the future be
routed through the Vantage Special Interest Group?
Lastly, I noticed this in the EUG mission statement:
Establish standards and provide mutual agreements and policies between
Epicor Users Group and Epicor Software Corporation to facilitate the
exchange of computer programs among members.
Without knowing exactly what "computer programs" means, I again wonder what
implications, if any, this might have regarding sharing RB and Crystal
reports, Progress code, etc.
Regards,
Scott
-----Original Message-----
From: Todd Caughey [mailto:caugheyt@...]
Sent: Friday, October 24, 2003 9:33 AM
To: vantage@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [Vantage] Epicor Users Group
I didn't catch alot of details on this but apparently there will be closer
ties between the Epicor User Group and the Perspectives gathering. Instead
of two seperate conferences they will be merged starting next yeatr at
location to be determined. This will mean more user persentations instead
of mostly Epicor employee presentations. Having a Vantage liaison would be
useful in this cooperative effort.
-Todd C.
-----Original Message-----
From: Lepley, Scott A. [mailto:sal@...]
Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2003 8:20 AM
To: Online Vantage Users Group (E-mail)
Subject: [Vantage] Epicor Users Group
I noticed that the Epicor Users Group ( http://www.epicorusers.org/
< http://www.epicorusers.org/>
< http://www.epicorusers.org/ < http://www.epicorusers.org/> > ) now has a
new Vantage Liaison (Shawn Sims
from Hydromat). Has anyone heard anything about what this means for Vantage
customers in general?
Regards,
Scott
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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(1) To access the Files Section of our Yahoo!Group for Report Builder and Crystal Reports and other 'goodies', please goto: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/files/.
(2) To search through old msg's goto: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/messages
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
I have been under the assumption that Perspectives has been an Epicor run conference and that EUG as a group has tried to maintain some degree of independence from Epicor. This all sort of reminds me of the old DECUS (Digital Equipment Corp User Society - back in my VAX/VMS days) where there was a high degree of cooperation between the independent user group and DEC. There was always a little push/pull on the issue of "marketing" but for the most part the benefits to each (DEC and users) were mutual as was the high level of respect. DEC benefited from close attention to "pulse" of the customers and users from DECs openness with info (plus subsidization of some group costs). The twice annual (but much larger) DECUS Symposiums were very similar to Perspectives in that many product groups under the DEC umbrella were together at one event (so in Epicor terms not just a Vantage/Sonoma focus). The main thing was the large number of user presentations on real world issues and solutions.
I think there could be a real opportunity for EUG to establish a charter under the DECUS model and combine forces with Epicor. The main downside I see users with time to be involved. DEC had a large customer base in government and academia who apparently had people with time to be involved in administering the group. Lean and struggling manufacturers may not.
For me program sharing is one more thing this Yahoo group does well. But one of the highlights of each DECUS symposium was the availability of tapes with submitted utilities and programs for purchase (on 9-track reels, pre-internet).
Bottom line with any user group is how much time and effort users are willing to put into it as opposed to just letting the vendor run the show.
Just a few recollections and impressions plus a humble opinion or two.
-Todd C.
-----Original Message-----
From: Lepley, Scott A. [mailto:sal@...]
Sent: Friday, October 24, 2003 11:36 AM
To: 'vantage@yahoogroups.com'
Cc: Steve Petska (E-mail); Shawn Sims (E-mail)
Subject: RE: [Vantage] Epicor Users Group
I noticed the merging of the conferences on the EUG website:
We have a four-day combined Epicor Users Group Forum and Epicor Perspectives
meeting each Fall and one user Forum during the coming year, two-day events
full of sessions presented both by and for users. We will rotate the user
Forum location between the eastern and western half of the U.S.
Did it seem to you, Todd, that the separate EUG user forum would cease to
happen? It probably doesn't really matter; I was just curious.
A more important question, I think, is this: What implications, if any, are
there regarding the development of Vantage? Again, from the EUG website:
As a member of the group, you will receive newsletters, discounted rates to
User Group meetings, access to other members using the software and the
opportunity for participation in Special Interest Groups to participate in
product development.
Does this mean that software change requests should now or in the future be
routed through the Vantage Special Interest Group?
Lastly, I noticed this in the EUG mission statement:
Establish standards and provide mutual agreements and policies between
Epicor Users Group and Epicor Software Corporation to facilitate the
exchange of computer programs among members.
Without knowing exactly what "computer programs" means, I again wonder what
implications, if any, this might have regarding sharing RB and Crystal
reports, Progress code, etc.
Regards,
Scott
-----Original Message-----
From: Todd Caughey [mailto:caugheyt@...]
Sent: Friday, October 24, 2003 9:33 AM
To: vantage@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [Vantage] Epicor Users Group
I didn't catch alot of details on this but apparently there will be closer
ties between the Epicor User Group and the Perspectives gathering. Instead
of two seperate conferences they will be merged starting next yeatr at
location to be determined. This will mean more user persentations instead
of mostly Epicor employee presentations. Having a Vantage liaison would be
useful in this cooperative effort.
-Todd C.
-----Original Message-----
From: Lepley, Scott A. [mailto:sal@...]
Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2003 8:20 AM
To: Online Vantage Users Group (E-mail)
Subject: [Vantage] Epicor Users Group
I noticed that the Epicor Users Group ( http://www.epicorusers.org/
< http://www.epicorusers.org/>
< http://www.epicorusers.org/ < http://www.epicorusers.org/> > ) now has a
new Vantage Liaison (Shawn Sims
from Hydromat). Has anyone heard anything about what this means for Vantage
customers in general?
Regards,
Scott
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
ADVERTISEMENT
<http://rd.yahoo.com/M=194081.4074964.5287182.1261774/D=egroupweb/S=1705007183:HM/A=1706996/R=0/SIG=11p5b9ris/*http://www.ediets.com/start.cfm?code=30509&media=atkins> click here
<http://us.adserver.yahoo.com/l?M=194081.4074964.5287182.1261774/D=egroupmail/S=:HM/A=1706996/rand=632425235>
Useful links for the Yahoo!Groups Vantage Board are: ( Note: You must have already linked your email address to a yahoo id to enable access. )
(1) To access the Files Section of our Yahoo!Group for Report Builder and Crystal Reports and other 'goodies', please goto: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/files/.
(2) To search through old msg's goto: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/messages
(3) To view links to Vendors that provide Vantage services goto: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/links
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service <http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> .
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]