Building a community from Zero to Infinity and Beyond? Ask Veeam

Reading Time: 5 minutes

For many years, every technology vendor tried to interact with customers, tech gurus, and tech fans in many ways, through events, gifts, or even discount codes for products or certifications.

Then comes the communities, the perfect way to gather and communicate with product’s fans and experts to share their knowledge and experience.

The idea of community is the key. For many years, technology professionals have been eager to join those communities to learn more about their favorite products. And by now, almost every product has its own community.

I’ve been in many communities. Some I am excited with, some are already obsoleted or decommissioned. But today, I am gonna talk about one community that is -in my opinion- the finest and most prestigious community you have ever seen: Veeam Community.

It started with the product

I am a Veeam customer since 2013, nearly, the first very first Veeam customer in Egypt. I had a story of how I knew about Veeam. It was an accident as I was walking in Dubai streets thinking of my issues with my current backup solution. Then I found a banner talking about the VeeamOn forum. I went back to the hotel and registered to see what’s going on. And the rest is history.

This is the way you may choose the community to be with, I have been looking into the Veeam community for years. As much as I wanted to be part of it to learn, I was eager to share my experience and thoughts about areas of improvement.

Journey as Vanguard

In 2017, I contacted Veeam to be a Veeam champion, followed by VUG leader in Egypt. Unfortunately, that didn’t work well. But kept hoping for the best.

On February 19th, 2023, a congratulatory email from Rick Vanover (Rickatron) about being a Veeam Vanguard.

Since then, I have been part of the Veeam 100 program, which is a combined program that includes the following:

1- Veeam Vanguard

The Veeam Vanguard Program fosters collaboration, offers feedback, and prioritizes collective achievements. Comprised of diverse experts from various disciplines, contribution styles, and advocacy methods, the program recognizes the foremost thought leaders in the technical communities where Veeam operates. Veeam Vanguards embody our brand’s excellence in several technology communities, leveraging their exceptional skills, dedication, and approach to online and offline activities.

2- Veeam Legends

Veeam Legends refer to individuals who are fervent about technology, innovation, and advancing their career while sharing their insights with the community. These experts are both Veeam users and industry specialists who actively participate in community initiatives, lead local Veeam User Groups, and can impact the development of Veeam’s products and solutions. In addition, Veeam Legends are always willing to lend a hand to fellow community members and engage with others.

3- Veeam MVP

The VeeaMVP program is an internal initiative designed to acknowledge and incentivize Veeam enthusiasts who enable their colleagues and the community to succeed with Veeam products, while encouraging them to continue their efforts. Being a VeeaMVP has its perks, including exclusive webinars with PM and R&D teams, guaranteed spots for deep dive trainings, invitations to the V100 Summit, and more. Individuals who hold customer-facing technical roles at Veeam, such as SEs, SAs, and Support, are eligible to participate in the program, with the exception of those who report directly to R&D. However, exceptions can be made.

Being one of Veeam 100 family

Actually, like any community, it is a mutual contribution from both sides, Veeam allows you to collaborate and contact tech gurus (including Veeam product teams) around the world in many possible ways. Opportunities to have early access to upcoming releases, and opportunities to watch/attend/speak in many of their events across the globe, virtual or physical.

On the other hand, it is on you to share your thoughts and vision about the product, collaborate with other members to expand the knowledge, Gain and provide feedback and insight on topics related to Veeam technologies, Deliver the knowledge and news to your local community,

What makes the Veeam community different?

This is the question, to understand better that community is way different than regular tech groups on Discord or so, It is about a connected network, connected people across the globe. It feels like every single day of the year you have something to learn, something to do, something to share, and something you feel proud of.

This is the value of the Veeam community, You cannot imagine the difference until you become one of them. Veeam did a great job in selecting the 100 members. Everyone is helpful and has no problem collaborating with you in any activity (even jogging in the morning 🙂 ). And of course, everyone is very professional regarding technical knowledge.

Another powerful aspect is the organizers. Kudos to the most active people I’ve ever met: Madalina Cristil, Safiya Mohamed, and Nikola Pejková. They proved that there are superheroes behind every great community. And I can’t thank them enough for what they did and what they will do.

How to start

Let’s start with the community hub, which is the home for all of us. There, you will find Veeam product updates, useful discussions, upcoming events, and the latest news. You can find it here.

Also, you will find the directories of the three categories of Veeam 100, Veeam user groups, and Veeam University.

Final thought

I strongly recommend getting involved in the communities, especially the Veeam Community, which I consider the most active and finest one now. If you are looking for innovation and keeping up to date with the trends, being able to get connected with the most powerful techies around the world, then the Veeam community is your home.