It was great to represent VMUG at KubeCon North America 2026! Events like KubeCon provide an excellent opportunity to connect with the broader technology community, learn about emerging solutions, and better understand where the industry is heading.

One of our primary goals at the conference was to meet with new vendors, explore emerging technologies, and identify potential content and solutions that we can bring back to our members. As VMUG continues to evolve, we want to ensure we are delivering on our Better Technologist promise by providing opportunities for our members to expand their knowledge, develop new skills, and stay ahead of the ever-changing technology landscape.

VMware and Broadcom Are All In on Kubernetes

One thing that was difficult to miss throughout the conference was the presence of VMware by Broadcom. Their booth was buzzing with activity all week, and it was clear that VMware is making significant investments in VKS (VMware Kubernetes Service) KubeVM and the surrounding ecosystem.

Kubernetes and modern application platforms are becoming increasingly important parts of enterprise infrastructure. The continued investment in VKS and related solutions creates exciting opportunities for organizations already invested in the VMware ecosystem to expand their capabilities without having to look outside their existing infrastructure investments.

For VMUG, this represents an important opportunity. Our members have spent years developing expertise in virtualization and infrastructure management. Now, they have an opportunity to build on those skills and explore the technologies that are shaping the next generation of infrastructure.

New Technologies Mean New Learning Opportunities

As more technologies make their way into the VMware ecosystem, the opportunities for our community to learn and grow continue to expand.

Whether it’s Kubernetes, application modernization, automation, AI, security, or the infrastructure supporting these solutions, there are more topics than ever that our members can benefit from understanding.

Our goal isn’t simply to focus on one product or platform. It’s about helping our members become better technologists by understanding how all these technologies work together and how they can be applied to solve real-world challenges.

We want to bring new voices, new vendors, and new perspectives into the VMUG community while continuing to provide the technical content our members have come to expect.

Anyone Can Present!

One of the most important messages I want to leave with everyone is that anyone can present! I’m not trying to butter you up or anything.

You don’t need to be a product expert, a professional speaker, or someone who has been presenting at conferences for years. You simply need to have something worth sharing.

Have you recently implemented a new technology? Solved a challenging problem? Built an automation solution? Learned something the hard way that could help someone else? Those are exactly the types of experiences our community wants to hear about.

VMUG is built around community knowledge sharing. Some of the most valuable presentations come from people sharing their real-world experiences, including what worked, what didn’t, and what they learned along the way.

If you’ve ever considered presenting, now is a great time to take that next step!

Here are two opportunities to get involved:

• VMUG 2027 – Speaking Opportunities – Submit your ideas and share your experiences with the VMUG community through local events, VMUG Connect, virtual presentations, and other opportunities.
• VMware Explore 2027 – Call for Proposals – Share your technical knowledge and real-world experiences with the broader VMware ecosystem. Submissions are open through December 11, 2026.

Looking Ahead

KubeCon reinforced that our industry is continuing to evolve, and the boundaries between traditional infrastructure, cloud-native technologies, and modern application platforms are becoming less distinct.

VMUG has an exciting opportunity to help our members navigate that evolution. By expanding the conversations we have, introducing new technologies and vendors, and encouraging more members to share their experiences, we can continue building a community that delivers real value.

I’m excited about what lies ahead and look forward to bringing some of these new ideas, connections, and opportunities back to the VMUG community.

Keep learning, keep sharing, and keep becoming a Better Technologist!