Why Bill Nye the Science Guy would like HP Discover
I’ve been lucky this year to be able to explore two fascinating future worlds. In February I visited EPCOT Center, Disney’s Experimental Prototype City of Tomorrow, and today I am meeting customers, helping bloggers and learning much about the future of technology at HP DISCOVER in Las Vegas. The similarities between these two venues are a lot closer than you might think. For example, EPCOT is the largest of any of the Disney parks. Likewise, DISCOVER-Las Vegas is HP’s largest customer event ever, with about 10,000 in attendance. EPCOT is different from any of the other Disney Parks in that the main theme for the park is education, learning about the world and technology, just like DISCOVER.
EPCOT features numerous demos and simulators like Test Track and Mission Space. The true heartbeat of the conference is in the DISCOVER ZONE. This is where there are partner exhibits, plus the Software Pavilion, with nearly 60 demo stations. And there are so many sessions to choose from, more than 800 of them. In fact, one session featured holograms! Now that’s futuristic.
Labs, exhibits, and demos provide plenty of excitement
Likewise, DISCOVER is chock full of hands-on labs where you can dive into key technologies and ask the technical details as they arise. I can’t wait to take the helm and explore solutions for enterprise security, disaster recovery, on-demand private cloud, and much more way cool technology. I’m hoping to look at two new slick assessment tools in the next day or two—CIO Assessment and the Cloud Assessment. I’ll let you know how my “test drives” turn out.
Of course, EPCOT has an entire section of the park called Future World with a number of exhibits demonstrating future technology, such as Project Tomorrow. At DISCOVER, there are Confidential Disclosure Agreement (CDA ) Sessions that feature not-yet-announced innovations with the inside scoop on what's next in IT. If you are the kind of IT professional who thinks beyond state of the art, and if the words like "roadmap," "prototype," and "future-proof" get your attention, then CDAs are a must-do at DISCOVER. From servers to storage, power to cooling, software deployment to virtualization, SAP to 4G, these sessions encompass HP’s entire enterprise business line.
But the biggest similarity is the buzz of excitement and anticipation that you feel at both venues. I remembering seeing the large Spaceship Earth geo-sphere as I walked into EPCOT and I had the same feeling as I entered the DISCOVER exhibit hall and main stage. So much to learn, so much to see, so much to experience and so much to discover.
I’ll try to keep you posted on the highlights every day or so here at DISCOVER-Las Vegas! While it’s not as cool as being here, I shall do my best to be your guide and give you a taste of the sights, sounds, and excitement.
And if you aren’t going to make it to DISCOVER this time, or you are here but have others back at the office that could not attend, you can get a taste of the action with the HP DISCOVER Backstage Pass. It’s free and it’s fun. Although not the same as being here in person, it will be similar to viewing the action on TV. (Much like it was to watch a show on EPCOT on the Travel Channel before I traveled there.) You’ll view the keynotes speeches and then get commentary from customers and analysts. It’s a great way to get the highlights. The show starts at 8:30 a.m. Pacific time, Tuesday, June 7. Hurry, register now.
