TCM holds high expectations for the youthful enthusiasm of those new to NonStop

For many of us, as we look back to when we were young, we have fond memories of flying kites and feeling the breeze as we ran headlong to some imaginary finish line. Coming to a standstill high upon a bluff, the excitement we felt as the breeze lifted our kite high into the sky. Chasing the best breeze oftentimes became an obsession, as there was nothing more thrilling to feel the line racing through our hands with the ascent of our beloved, colorful kite. Whether homemade or assembled from a kit it mattered little as all we wanted to achieve was lift off followed by that glorious ascent into the sky.

Chasing a helpful breeze with enough energy to lift our kite aloft may not be something we think too much about. However, it’s hard to ignore the combination of youth and the surrounding environment. A steady breeze may be all that is needed for the kite to take flight but if you hadn’t taken it outside and chased after it, a breeze by itself accomplished little. You might resort to looking longingly at what others might be doing from behind a window but the sense of accomplishment would not be realized. It takes recognition followed by action before there’s a positive achievement worth retelling.

For the HPE NonStop community, many within the community recognize too that the time for sitting behind the window observing others is long over. There is a transition under way and it has a direct bearing on the future of NonStop. It’s all too easy to maintain the status quo but with an aging population across the entire global NonStop community, it’s time to pass the torch to the next generation. More enthusiastic possibly than how the current community can be characterized, their presence within the community, whether NonStop customers or NonStop vendors, is a powerful reminder that with fifty years of history behind NonStop, a thriving future for NonStop will depend on young folks as many of us face retirement.

“It isn’t too hard to recognize the signs,” said Danial Craig, TCM Managing Director. “With each event that the TCM team attends, it matters little whether we are seated in a conference room attending a presentation or finding ourselves standing among our peers in a social setting, this aging aspect of the community is hard to miss. It is with this in mind that as a company and yes, speaking for myself, it was important to launch the Under40SIG a few years back.”

Beginning with a gathering at a NonStop TBC event as a simple get together of the “younger NonStoppers” in attendance, “it quickly developed into a simple and open session for people to vent, support, discuss and brainstorm,” said Daniel Craig. “The focus then, as it continues to be today, has been on how can we make life easier for younger people coming to the NonStop world.” It was restricted to being just a social gathering but it has now seen, “the development of a forum and website, mainly aimed at connecting people with the wealth of information and resources out there that, in general, further enhanced this gathering as one of best performing SIGs within the Connect community.”

When it comes to picking up on breezes and riding them into the heights, the comparisons to kite flying comes thick and fast. After all, for this age group, everything that they can absorb about NonStop will lift their knowledge, let them ride an experience curve and add significant value to the enterprises they serve. “When I took over as President, we did shift the focus of the Under40SIG to become more about relationships and developing networks,” said Daniel Craig. “The thinking at the time was that it took time before someone new to NonStop was able to develop contacts who they could approach for advice or who could point them in the right direction. Yes, it has been our goal to quicken the pace of this and throw people together in a fun, informal fashion so that connections could be fostered. We hosted Q & A sessions and had some fun times including a number of traditional pub crawls.”

For TCM encouraging those much younger than ourselves continues as a work in progress but already we are watching our team members develop strong connections with the community based on the skillsets that they have developed. We have witnessed those new to TCM warming to the capabilities afforded them with working on the NonStop platform. This is best illustrated by the work and subsequent achievements of our own Shiva Subramanian. If you have missed reading some of the more recent articles published here in the digital publication, NonStop Insider, as well as in The Connection, you will have missed the many references to Shiva as he actively evangelizes TCM’s expertise but just as importantly, brings that youthful enthusiasm for what makes the NonStop platform modern today.

“Shiva came on board at a young age from a DevOps background. His knowledge of NonStop was pretty limited but his energy and enthusiasm to understand the platform was outstanding,” said Daniel Craig. “He is now a very well-respected member of the community, but also is very highly regarded by influencers within HPE.” Again, if you did miss his presentations of late you will have missed how refreshing it is to see such energy coming from a younger member of the NonStop community talking about tools, utilities and services that for some older members of the NonStop community may be entirely foreign.

It has become widely recognized across the NonStop community that the new NonStop tide, rising as we watch it, isn’t lifting all boats. There are NonStop vendors fully aware of this that have stepped up their services offerings to augment the NonStop staff on site. Whether the conversation is about DevOps, Agile, or perhaps Virtualization, there is an almost laissez faire attitude towards NonStop. Happily riding their current knowledge of NonStop towards the exit, these folks truly appreciate access to those willing to extend a helping hand. It may not be as simple as looking for that breeze to lift them but in many ways, this is exactly what the services provided by TCM deliver.

As we enter the midpoint of the year, there are still a number of important NonStop events being planned. As you read this, the BITUG BIG SIG held in London will have wrapped up but all the same, we are certain that you will have learnt more about the way we are encouraging a younger generation to pursue a career focused on the NonStop platform. As summer turns to fall, TCM will be a highly visible participant at the NonStop TBC 2024 Conference where our support will be as a Platinum Sponsor. And once again, the Under 40 SIG will be an occasion not to miss.

“Whether your interest lies in knowing more about the potential impact virtualization might have on your enterprise or perhaps, it’s looking to know more about modernizing your approach to development and to deployment of new applications,” said Danial Craig, “it’s important to recognize that expertise is at hand. When it comes to the business model of TCM, it is all about ensuring your projects deliver on their promise and that in doing so, the presence of your very modern NonStop platform is recognized for what it is: the premier mission-critical, transaction-processing platform that ‘Can’t stop; won’t stop; NonStop!’”

Chasing the breeze is all important for any kite flyer. Looking for the ultimate breeze to better lift your kite is exhilarating as it is satisfying. For the NonStop community in transition and where youthful abundance is being encouraged, the breeze that is NonStop today is hard to miss. Don’t let the distractions of daily routines and the conversations of naysayers detract you from what this youthful abundance can bring to the NonStop community. It is something to behold even as their social gatherings are not to be missed.

As can be expected on occasion of these upcoming events, there will be many more conversations likely to occur following the presentations coming from TCM. Should these lead to seeking out more information about all that TCM can provide then TCM is only too willing to provide you with answers, no matter where these conversations may take us both.  And should you be among the youthful attendees new to NonStop then seek us out as we would openly welcome you to the Under40SIG. The breeze may be light and hard to detect but rest assured, we have been there and felt it and are only too happy to help you benefit from the lift these breezes provide.

nonstop@tcm.uk.com   www.tcm.uk.com