Wow, It’s hard to believe that 2012 AD is coming to a close. What a year it has been for me. Personally and professionally it’s been a roller coaster. But it’s been a hell of a ride!

Looking back over my last  12 months professionally, well, the biggest thing I guess would be kicking off Ask the Expert.

That all started with this post: Wrapping-up-2011, into-2012-on the EMC Support Community
Since that post, we’ve hosted, 30 Ask the Expert events. And it was a mix of forum discussions, webinars, live events, and tweet chats. We even wrapped an event during EMC World in a luxurious suite in the Venetian in Vegas. It’s been a lot of fun. We had numerous experts, too numerous to mention here, but I am thankful to each and everyone of them. They and the Support Community members, made Ask the Expert the amazing program it has been and will continue to be.

Keep an eye on it in 2013. We are expanding the program to incorporate Ask the Expert events for new products and services. We will also continue to have events around existing products. But we will be going further by hosting more events on a wider range of products and hot topics. We will be engaging more experts, from EMC, Partners and Customers who know our products so well. It will continue to be your hot centre for EMC Support hot topics on existing and newly launched products and services. And we are always open to new experts and new topics. Its a community driven program so don’t be shy in suggesting topics and experts.

EMC World 2012 was a big highlight of the year. Our Buzz Talk was a great highlight as was the Support Community party. Getting to recognise some of the participating experts and to thank some of the legendary stalwart ECN Support Community members was very fulfilling. To meet community members in person is always great and rewarding. It was a hugely successful conference for my organisation, eServices, as we also launched the new EMC Online Support Site. It really brought home to me the level of collaboration we’ve had with customers, partners and EMC employees in a vibrant community. Did you know our ECN Support Community accounts for over 50% of the entire traffic of the EMC Community Network. with 250,000 + members of ECN it’s obviously a large Support Community. It’s extremely collaborative friendly and full of great knowledgeable helpful professionals.

And the year ends for me now as it began, with a big project getting underway.
With EMC Ask the Expert established and growing we are also focusing on EMC Elect.  As I posted recently EMC Elect is Community recognition with exclusive opportunity. Its a fantastic program recognising EMC advocates within the ECN community and out in the social sphere. Unintentionally it also has a great benefit of bringing externally socially engaged advocates together with internal EMC Support Community advocates. Something that might not have occured were it not for this project. the nomination phase has ended and Matt Brender, myself and the amazing EMC Elect Founders are now engaged in the selection process. It’s nerve wracking and exciting. Some truly amazing people have been nominated. It will be difficult deciding. But I look forward to January 15th 2013, when the 2012 EMC  Elect group will be announced. And then the fun starts.

2013 is lining up to be a very amazing and challenging year. But I am looking forward to it. It’s an opportunity I am ready and raring to take. Thanks to all those who follow my blog / ramblings. It’s been a challenge to write for all the right reasons, being really busy doing something I truly love.

So have a safe holiday , however you celebrate, and to you and yours  Go raibh maith agaibh agus Nollaig Shona Diobh! (Gaelic for “Thank you all and have a happy Christmas!” )