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CIOZone: How are those profiles matched? What technology are you using?
Buik: We're using Leverage Software as our social-networking platform. It finds the closest matches based on the kind of technology you use, your geographic areas—it takes lots of things into consideration. And there's a people finder. You can see people who are close matches, read their profiles and ask for a connection.

CIOZone: Will the board of Connect be meeting with HP's board and their executives on a regular basis?
Buik: We actually will be meeting with HP's executives at the HP Technology Forum & Expo.

CIOZone: The three groups together will certainly be able to lobby HP with a much bigger voice.
Buik: Oh, you bet. When HP hears that all of a sudden your membership is close to 50,000, they really open their ears. And they want to hear what you have to say. And we're thrilled that advocacy is taken on. That's another area in which you'll see a big change—how we get our message back to them. It'll be through blogging and a variety of other avenues.

CIOZone: Has the group taken a position on the HP proposed merger with EDS, the IT services company?
Buik: We are certainly excited about this. We have a lot of members who work for EDS. I think that this is going to be an opportunity for EDS now to bring some of its customers into our community. I don't think HP would have made this investment if they didn't foresee growth. And I think in the long term we're going to see significant growth out of this.

CIOZone: What's the biggest issue facing the group as you move forward?
Buik: Our greatest challenge is that HP has so many technologies. A lot of them are integrated, but some are not. Our challenge is making sure that we offer relevant content to all of our members. And that's a challenge because they're very diverse—for instance, some use OpenVMS on older technology; some are migrating to new technology. So, directing all of those needs, from a business perspective, is a challenge. But we are getting a tremendous amount of support from HP to help us in any way that they can.

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