What does it take to be a Microsoft MVP?
“MVPs are passionate about Microsoft technology and recognized for their exceptional technical expertise, their willingness to help others make the most of their technology, and for making a significant and positive impact on technical communities.” – from the Microsoft website.
1E is proud to congratulate our very own MVPs, Ed Aldrich (13 consecutive years) and Ron Crumbaker (11 consecutive years), on the renewal of their status. Together, they represent two of the longest serving MVPs in the Enterprise Client Management speciality (formerly known as System Center Configuration Manager) worldwide. What does this mean in real terms, for them personally and for 1E as a company?
From their personal perspective, it is all about the basic tenets of the MVP Program. The entire concept of the MVP program is the recognition of those subject matter experts who are passionate about helping others. This is not done for any sort of self-aggrandizement or professional gain. Instead, it comes from a place of giving back to the community at large and sharing technical expertise with others and being recognized for those efforts. Occasionally one is rewarded with a personal sense of pride, coming from the sort of compliment one receives about being an MVP from someone in that community. For example, when meeting a new customer and during the introduction someone says, “Are you the MVP? Can I shake your hand? You don’t know how much you have helped me over the years, and for that I want to say Thank You”. Being an MVP is also not about personal gain. It is always about the community and the positive impacts one can make on that community, and with the Microsoft product itself through the close ties MVPs enjoy with their Product Group. The MVP is also the eyes and ears of the community at large, feeding back valuable insights into product evolution. The passion to help the community far outweighs anything any individual could personally want or do.
As a company, we here at 1E are extremely fortunate to have our MVPs on staff for a number of reasons. They provide 1E as a company the valuable benefit of insight into the Systems Management community as a whole, and help identify what their needs, problems, and desires are. This then allows us the opportunity to help give back to our community as and where we can. This is done through local User Group support; community driven conference funding and logistics support; privately sharing our technology and experience with individuals in the community that are seen having issues we have experience with; being able to bring problem information back to 1E to better guide our own product evolution or as incentive to develop free tools to help alleviate those problems; and so on. In this way, 1E can continually be better positioned to being responsive to our community and customers, helping us to meet our commitment to be the best we can possibly be as a trusted and valued vendor.