Well this announcement came into my email yesterday and its a mega shock with it all still sinking in!

Now here is the Oscar speech;

My thank you’s

• I thank the person that nominated me, this means I am obviously doing something right!,
• I have a special thanks to the guys that I’ve been fortunate to network with i.e. @storagebod, @ianhf and @chrismevans and the #storagebeers crew, these guys are Storage guys, however it has exposed me when it comes down to Virtualisation which has meant an increase in confidence,
• Thanks go to @stevie_chambers for his constructive critism about blog content and also for reminding me my English grammar is diabolical (which unfortunately I am aware of ,
• All the top notch people I see on a 2-3 monthly basis at London VMUGs, it is a great honor to now be a fellow vExpert with the top dogs such as @vinternals, @tom_howarth, @kiwi_si, @simon_long, @vinf_net (and the list could go on),
• @john_troyer for making vExpert what it is today, I am honored to be within the first 3-500 EVER vExperts and hope my number continues to remain the same!

So, speech is over, now I am a vExpert it means I have a duty, this duty is to provide you with some of the following (given time and brain power)

• More blog content which is focussed on my view of the futures of the technology we love and crave of Virtualisation, Unfortunately though I am a namby pamby Technical Architect which means in my day time I am not hands on, that withstanding I will endeavour to ensure that I meet most user requirements,
• Views and feedback (mainly to fellow vendors), yes I am now a vExpert but it doesn’t mean I am a salesman for VMware. To be blunt if I don’t like something I will be constructive and ensure that my opinions are known,
• I endeavour to build some reference templates within a section on my blog, these will not be technical in the operational sense but will be approaches that can be made to things such as IT Roadmap, Blueprint strategy and many other areas that I currently get involved in on a day to day basis,
• Honest advice, if you see me at a VMUG or an event then talk to me, I will be more than happy to help you or provide advice, as i’ve said this may not be to a technical level that some of the other vExperts are at but if I can’t answer your problem/barrier “I know a man who can”.

So, speech is over I am sure I have missed something/one so if I have many apologies….after receiving this vExpert award I guess the hardwork has to begin of doing all of the above and retaining it for 2011!

Dan