New blood, fresh ideas set to reinvigorate iManifest U.S.
The next six months could be crucial in the life of iManifest, the worldwide organization formed by ISVs and other supporters of the IBM i platform.
The U.S. arm of the organization is in the process of being restructured to broaden its membership base and find new ways that the group can be helpful to the tens of thousands of people whose livelihood in some way is wrapped up in the IBM i platform.
Author and programmer Jeff Olen has been almost single-handedly running the organization in the U.S. since it was first formed more than a year ago. Now, Olen has some welcome support from Jenniefer Halversion, director of marketing at S4i Systems. Halverson has been in the industry for a number of years and has a sharp mind and good instincts when it comes to marketing fresh ideas to a mature audience.
"With the initiative as designed today, I don’t feel it meets the needs of today’s U.S. ISVs," Halverson says. "If it did, we would have more members and more interest."
The idea under consideration is to somehow get everyone—not just major ISVs—on board the iManifest bandwagon.
"I'd like to see this organization speak for everyone—the customer, the consultant, the previously employed, the developer—not just a few large companies," says Halverson.
To get it done, she is connecting the dots among the industry's influential leaders and is proposing that the group throw open its doors to new members without the burden of it costing them something. Let them try it first, and if they like it, stay on board and then start supporting the organization financially.
For a full run-down on the iManifest ideas currently in germination, join not only Halverson and Jeff Olen, but Zend Technologies' Mike Pavlak and the always popular Dr. Frank Soltis at the first iManifest webinar Tuesday, Dec. 14.
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