Tuesday, April 20, 2010

COLLABORATE: The Vendor Edition

No conference would be complete without the vendors.

I don't have exact numbers, but there seem to be quite a few. If I had to guess, it would be around 100.

So far, I've mostly visited the ones where I know someone, but today I will try to get around and meet more of them so there is no bias in my reporting.

Some may dislike the vendors, and I may have said the same at one point in time, but I have come around (or turned to the darkside). Back in 2004 I raised 50K to start my own business and managed, somehow, to keep it going for almost 2.5 years. I understand that the marketing and sales part is very, very difficult.

If you are one of those vendor haters...I'll just say they give away cool stuff, mostly. There are a few iPads, Kindles and other such cool devices being raffled off. Just give them your contact information and your good to go.

Here's a list, and pictures, of the ones I have visited so far.

BEZZOTECH



Website
Bezzotech is a St. Paul-based software consulting and development firm, specializing in Oracle's Enterprise Content Management product suite, formerly Stellent.

The name Bezzotech is derived from the word Bezzo, which is a 17th century Italian coin. This name is a constant reminder that technology is worthless unless it can deliver genuine value to its users.

Originally implementRadvantage, The acquisition of Bezzotech Inc, has fused two of the most respected and experienced Oracle Enterprise Content Management solution providers in the industry into THE Premier Oracle ECM Solution Provider.

implementRadvantage was founded by Jason Clarkin, who has been a leader in delivering Oracle Enterprise Content Management Solutions to clients around the world over the past decade. An avid contributor to the ECM community, he is a moderator of the "intradoc user group" - a user group focused on Oracle Enterprise Content Management. He is also a speaker, sharing his knowledge of Content Management at such conferences as Crescendo & Collaborate. implementRadvantage has grown into a full service consulting company, attracting some of the most experienced and knowledgeable ECM talent in the industry.

Bezzotech Inc was founded by Brian "Bex" Huff, who was a senior software developer for Stellent, before it was acquired by Oracle. He is the author of The Definitive Guide To Stellent Content Server Development, and was awarded the title Oracle ACE Director by Oracle for his work in the developer community.

This combination of talent has created a ECM "Dream Team", that can be put to work for you today!
SEEBURGER
(Everyone seems to be going all caps huh?)



Website

I got to torture these guys for awhile, threatening them with the telling of one of my most favorite stories. I think I needed a few more beers though. When I initially read their press release and I saw mention of EDI, I about threw up...I had the wonderful experience of working with some of the healthcare 820 and 835 formats. Thankfully, their software would save me from such torture.
SEEBURGER is a leading provider of global business integration solutions designed to optimize transactions throughout the extended enterprise by automating trading relationships with all partners, regardless of their size and technical resources. Launched in 1986 to provide integration solutions to the automotive industry in Germany, the company today serves more than 7,800 customers in 50+ countries and more than 15 industries through its flagship B2B Gateway and related products and services. SEEBURGER has global offices in Europe, Asia Pacific and North America.
fishbowl



This is where the famous Billy Cripe went to after leaving Oracle. Guess what he was wearing today?



There is no easy "About Us" section for me to copy and paste in here, check out their site for more information. I did receive a brief demo of their iPad application which was very cool.

I'll write about more in Part II and Part III.

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