Encompass, the community of 16,000 IT professionals employing HP technologies through the enterprise, is taking a fresh approach at the June 18-21 HP Technology Forum & Expo (HPTF) in Las Vegas by creating self-contained “communities” for learning and networking.

Supplementing the more formal technical presentations on the conference agenda will be an “Encompass Campground.” There, attendees can host their own informal “birds of a feather” sessions. Other user group networking opportunities during the conference include attending special interest group events and meeting with peers from fellow local user groups.

“Virtualization technologies are turning the IT world upside down, with huge implications for storage, server purchasing, and business continuity planning,” says Steve Davidek director of advocacy for Encompass. “Our members will flesh out new strategies for managing this change by networking with others and attending the hundreds of user-driven content sessions that Encompass has co-produced for this conference.” Davidek noted that IDC has seen enormous growth in virtualized servers, with approximately 500,000 virtualized servers shipped in 2006, up from nearly zero just three years ago.

“We greatly anticipate seeing all our fellow members and prospective members during the Las Vegas forum and expo, and will create a technology learning and networking environment unlike our attendees have seen before at other industry conferences,” says Nina Buik, Encompass president and senior vice president of MindIQ, Norcross, GA.

“Our Encompass campground, the learning and networking sessions and the chance to interface with HP developers are intended to provide unparalleled educational and peer-to-peer opportunities – and ideas our attendees can take back with them to their shops to reap significant time and money-saving benefits.”