VMblog:  As a VMworld 2017 sponsor, how can people find you this year?  How many people are you sending?

Stromasys:  We'll be at VMworld with an exhibitor-level sponsorship and a 10x10 booth. You can find us at booth 1720. We'll have five Stromasys team members at VMworld, including technical experts who can address questions about all of our product lines (PDP, VAX, Alpha, HP 3000, and SPARC).

VMblog:  And is there anything unique about this year's booth setup? 

Stromasys:  This year we are really focusing on our cloud offering. We now offer our same Charon solutions running in all major public clouds, in addition to our legacy hardware virtualization solutions running on x86 servers. Being able to run legacy applications in the cloud is a great way for businesses to modernize without sacrificing their investment in these time-tested, mission-critical applications. We'll be offering demos and can discuss questions attendees have about differences between cloud and on-prem Charon options.

VMblog:  Can you give readers a few reasons why your product or service is considered unique?

Stromasys:  Legacy system virtualization means that businesses don't have to choose between keeping risk-riddled hardware or moving to a new platform through a time-consuming and expensive migration project. Our Charon product runs on a new platform enabling the same, unchanged business applications to function as they did before. It really is a great alternative that lets businesses save money and make the most of their software investments.

VMblog:  Why should a VMworld attendee add you to their MUST SEE list?

Stromasys:  First of all, legacy applications running on a laptop or running on the cloud is really spectacular. For businesses already familiar with Charon, cloud is new and certainly worth seeing. For businesses who don't know about this option, it's a must-see because it's a great way to save your business money while addressing serious legacy hardware pain points.

VMblog:  What do you like most about sponsoring VMworld? 

Stromasys:  VMworld is a great show. It's a really smart, high-tech audience and we love getting to engage with the attendees. Because our Charon solutions run on VMware, they're really a perfect fit for businesses already using VMware in their data center. Our solutions make it possible to incorporate legacy systems right into that VMware mix in your data center.

VMblog:  Can you give VMblog readers a sneak peek as to what you will be showing off at your booth this year?

Stromasys:  Cloud cloud cloud. We'll be talking about our cloud option, and we'll be showing demos. If you visit our website with more information about our VMworld exhibit, you can sign up for a demo or a meeting, which we'll customize to be relevant for your system and environment. 

VMblog:  How does your company and product fit within the VMware ecosystem?

Stromasys:  Charon can run on VMware. It's optional, but for many companies who are already using VMware, this makes for a great way to integrate legacy applications into the rest of their IT mix.

VMblog:  What are you looking forward to most at VMworld this year?

Stromasys:  We love getting to connect with new prospects and reconnect with existing customers who attend the show. It's always a great experience to explain our solution and its benefits and hear an attendee say, "This is just what we need." That's Charon-addressing real pain points with a real, rock-solid solution.

VMblog:  How many times have you sponsored VMworld?  And what keeps you coming back?

Stromasys:  Our first VMworld sponsor year was 2011. Every year has been a great experience. Each year we meet new people and develop new relationships.

VMblog:  Do you have any memories that stand out from your first VMworld event?

Stromasys:  In 2011, we sent three people to staff our little discovery kiosk. The size of the show and the huge numbers of people were intimidating at first. But as we met and talked with more and more people, we discovered the common ground of solving complex technical problems in an efficient and cost-effective way. We continue to this day the relationships we established that year. 

VMblog:  How has exhibiting at VMworld helped your company's bottom line?

Stromasys:  We value the opportunity VMworld gives us to connect with the VMware ecosystem and reach that technical audience. We find that we are able to build our customer base with VMworld, helping more companies protect their legacy applications with Charon, as well as build brand awareness as we let attendees know who we are and how we can serve them.

VMblog:  What would you say to prospective attendees who are thinking about attending VMworld but aren't sure if it's worth it or not?

Stromasys:  VMware is the industry leader in virtualization technology and there is something for everyone at VMworld. It's THE place to get the latest information about what's going on in the VMware ecosystem and the virtualization space in general.

VMblog:  What do you hope to come away with from exhibiting at VMworld this year?

Stromasys:  We love connecting with businesses for which we can address a real need. When we come away with new customers who are excited about the possibility of reduced risk, lower maintenance costs, and improved performance, that's really great.

VMblog:  Do you have any tips for first time attendees of VMworld that you'd like to share?

Stromasys:  Be sure and sign up for the evening activities. You can meet new contacts, and have fun, too!

VMblog:  Finally, attendees always enjoy a good trade show tchotchke.  Are you guys giving away anything special or interesting this year?

Stromasys:  You'll have to visit us to see!  If you register for a demo in advance, we'll have something extra for you at the booth, too.

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Darn, it looks like they aren't giving away any secrets as to their giveaways this year... For those attending the show, do yourselves a favor and stop by Stromasys at booth 1720 to learn more and find out what they are giving away.  Even better -- take them up on their offer to schedule a customized demo in advance.