On June 9-10, 2015 I was given the opportunity to attend DevOps Summit/CloudExpo at the Javits Center in New York City. These two days were also during my first week back at CA Technologies-- to say I was excited would be an understatement. During my time at the conference, I perused the booths, hobnobbed with tech gurus, and heard some amazing discussions. There’s a lot to discuss, but these are some of the highlights:
Day 1, Keynote Speaker Sandy Carter, “Geek Girls Are Chic”
The moment I entered the summit, I headed for this key note address. As a technology veteran, currently serving as IBM General Manager Cloud Ecosystem and Developers, Carter was able to condense her many years of experience into five smart career hacks. Though geared towards, women, they could be applied towards anyone in tech. My favorite quote from Carter was, “But I AM a girly girl,” the context being that it’s not necessary for women to hide their femininity in order to succeed in the male-dominated technology world.
Day 1, Speaker Session, Martin Krienke, “TMobile’s DevOps and Continuous Delivery Journey”
I was excited to hear Martin Krienke’s talk because it discussed the CA Technologies products that I work with daily. He discussed how the software and agile methodology has allowed TMoble to amass 57 million customers, and enhance a company culture of collaboration. To really drive home this message, Kreinke made use of some complex visual guides, some more serious than others! The below diagram features two pieces of paper, one reading "Development" and the other, "Operations."
Day 2, Expo Floor
A majority of my second day was spent on the expo floor, perusing the vendor booths, getting freebies, entering giveaways, and chatting with other attendees. There were games, food and product demos, it felt like the county fair!
Day 2, Speaker Session, Stefana Muller, “Women in DevOps”
My last session of the expo was a special one, my manager, Stefana_Muller was speaking about Women in DevOps. Stefana has been with CA almost 15 years, and is one of the few women who can speak to how the DevOps movement has been towards women. She gave targeted advice towards recruiters, punctuated with personal anecdotes, on how to foster a culture where women are valued and included.
Everyday: Twitter Insanity!
As an intern with a strong social media marketing background, the activity on twitter was amazing. I was engaging with the official CA Technologies Twitter (@CAinc), the conference organizers, keynote speakers, vendors, and DevOps and Cloud thought leaders throughout the entire conference.
DevOps Summit and Cloud Expo demonstrated that to facilitate creativity, it’s necessary to have fun. The expo really pushed companies to put their best foot forward, but also display the fun aspect of this fast-growing tech space. If you're interested in learning more about the sessions I attended, click here.