Boot Camp 2016: It All Comes Down to This

Months before the Boot Camp, members from our Professional Services and Support teams start to work out a curriculum. Feedback from subject matter experts and product owners help further shape the lab exercises. We also weigh in what we think the current signups would like to see. An advanced session on a product they’ve used for years, or an introductory session for something new we think would benefit their businesses.

We also take pride in being able to deploy real devices for use at the labs. This is not an easy task considering the logistics involved. We usually only get a day or two to set everything up — usually after a long flight. Unboxing each device is the easy part. We have to crimp cables (over 100 connectors this year), and make sure that everything is working and in the right specification for the labs.

All this effort for a day in the spotlight. To show a technique, to introduce a new component. Why? I’d like to think that it demonstrates our prowess and know-how in deploying and setting up in a variety of environments. The hotel meeting room is far from ideal when you have to deploy a CMTS, dozens of CPE stations and various supporting networking devices. There are power, space, and even noise considerations that we only have a few days to work around.

This packed schedule leaves no room for technical errors. We have to get it right — no incorrect configs or poor crimping! The exercises need to be clear, and our subject matter experts have to be on point so that everyone can finish. The result is a strong showing of not just what our products and solutions can do, but also what our team of experts can do to help service providers. We hope those present at Boot Camp today saw that, and if you missed it, lookout for the next one at Incognito Community Exchange.