Imagine eating good food, making new friends and listening to informative presentations, all with the sound of Italian arias in the background…sound too good to be true? Well this was the setting of the MidWest MUG (Micro Focus User Group) meeting. Members from the states of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin were able to establish new channels into Micro Focus, network and share experiences with peers, and although the arias may have been distracting at times, at least it made for good ambiance and it was great to see the revival of the MUGs, as we also saw the return of some members from years ago.

Among the topics discussed around Application Modernization were the benefits of a SOA (Service Orientated Architecture) strategy and implementation model. Whilst with Application Development we focused on Data File Management/Conversions, which addressed the ever increasing need to move files around, manage data sets, and convert to new formats.

This in-depth half-day long session will be the format for our MUGs, and it’s expected that the next meeting will draw an even larger group. Eclipse is tentatively scheduled as a topic in our next meeting, which will be in late February or early March 2008.

If you’re interested to hear about where Micro Focus is going, network, and learn from peers, MUGs are for you. Visit the MUGs microsite to learn more about upcoming meetings in your area.