Liveblogging the IAMLUG Keynote

Chris Miller now on stage, starting the opening session…
Talking about the social interaction across Social Networks.  Flickr Groups, LinkedIn, Facebook etc…
Showing the speakers now.  Great pictures… Paul Mooney with Devil Horns
170 Delegates from Americas, 5 from non Americas 🙂
Free Wifi in rooms… very nice
Booty Sweat getting some love on stage.  WOO HOO!!!
Live streams of twitter and flickr content behind speakers all day, NICE!
Kevin Cavanaugh VP of Messaging and Collaboration coming up to speak now
Kevin IS NOT the Vegas lounge act, clarifying now…
Gartner Quote "IBM has actually leapt to the head of the email client pack b merging the traditional Notes client with Lotus Expeditor"
Butler Quote:  "Microsoft, has its SharePoint-based offering, but this does not yet offer the features and level of integration displayed by Lotus Connections."
Bloor: "Symphony has the full engineering excellence — reliability, usability, support and maintenance — that we expect of any enterprise product, especially one from IBM"
Gartner 2009 Marketscope for Instant Messaging: Sametime presence is the anchor technology that brings IBM’s collaboration and communications components together

Nemeretes: "Look at what (IBM) is doing with Quickr.  It is extremely extensible and gives organizations a lot of opportunity to customize applications, to build new functionality…"
eWeek – This is a big convenience for Lotus Notes users, who will find value in being able to access popular business tools without leaving the Notes app.  More than 43 millions professionals connect on LinkedIn, while TripIt organizes trip details, along with maps, directions and weather forecasts, into a master itinerary
Talking about the plugins and how they add into the client
Talking about 8.5.1 Traveler will support ANY ActiveSync device
Talking about Partners.  Bringing up IdeaJam from Elguji, and how a company in Singapore was in a trial of IdeaJam
Notes is still the best RAD environment for producing software.  Quote from John Vaughn!!!!  YAY @jonvon
Hurwitz: IBM is changing the conversation about collaboration and social software.  IBM Lotus will be doing this on several levels: extended collaboration, the value the openness brings to the collaboration equation, and the importance of using collaboration to optimize talent."
Talking about how Lotus Live is cheaper than Google actually…
If you sign up for LotusLive Engage, you can bring in your guests for free!
Lotus is now changing marketing tactics…
Major advertising campaign starting this week for 18 -24 months!!!
MAJOR Marketing theme starting now going for 18-24 months.  ADS on Cabs being shown now!!!
Lotus knows campaign
Door hangers… Lotus knows your check out time, Lotus knows you’ll need an umbrella today, Lotus knows theres something you should read in today’s Business Section
Lotus knows how to turn 118 countries into one relief effort
The want us to help virally since WE know Lotus better than anyone…
The want us to participate in the Jam, Create and Submit videos and assets, Blog, Twitter, Promote new IBM Lotus destination website to your employees
You know what, they ARE putting out ads, so damnit, I WILL help…
Kevin done… very nice ad campaign.  Gotta love it.
Chris back to talk a bit and now introducing Paul Steele
Paul Steele from RIM now getting ready to get on stage.  RIM and BB are a big sponsor!
Thanks to RIM and BB.  They are a big reason so much is free here at IAMLUG
Talking about how close the IBM/RIM relationship is now… certified 8.5 within 10 days of launch!
Master Service Agreement between the two companies
RIM is also an IBM Design Partner and ISV.  So they are getting very cozy
Quickr and Connections clients already on the BB (as well as Sametime etc.)  Quickr and Symphony stuff coming too
Huge relationship!
Done with the RIM stuff.  End of keynote!  Later everyone…