Of course, for most of us, HP Discover starts the summer season, with all attendees being immersed into the 120 degree heat of the Vegas strip, and the thought provoking ideas shared at the conference. For the Vivit Board and organization, we started the summer off hot at HP Discover, but also with a new synergy caused by having four new board members and our new Engagement Director, Lisa Nordhoff, coming onboard. As new talent rolls in with new ideas, we are fortunate to have the opportunity to enhance our foundation of community, advocacy and education. At HP Discover in June, the Vivit Board met for two days on the strategic plan for the next three years.
Vivit is the independent HP Software User Group, with 15,800 members in 75 local user groups in 26 countries and 17 virtual special interest groups covering everything from products, to hot topics, to industry best practices. Over the last year, global membership has grown by 13%, and Vivit has seen a 25% increase in local user group meetings. Our membership is composed of 50% practitioners and 50% IT decision makers. Why is our user group nearly 50% IT decision makers? Our membership has grown up in the IT industry from practitioner to engineer/analyst to management as an engaged Vivit member with 60% of our members having used HP Software for more than five years.
Over the last five years, the Vivit organization has changed, grown and adapted to align with the new style of IT. We are a progressive group of thought leaders who have a passion for leading and participating in the conversation. We are participatory, servant leaders who come together to collaborate through community, education and advocacy.
Vivit's Strategic Focus is to Build a Community Platform Where Relevant Conversations Happen. The Vivit Strategic Plan for the next three years includes continuing to build and enhance our core foundation, the 75 local user groups in 26 countries, where members come together and experience the magic of Vivit - the conversation. Vivit will be increasing the opportunities for relevant conversation by hosting SIG webinars and Virtual Summits, on such hot topics as Mobility, Security and Privacy, Converged Cloud and Big Data. Conversations that are relevant to you as either a practitioner or IT decision maker because each day you are challenged to grow and adapt to the new style of IT.
As a community of really smart people, we are fortunate to be the place where the best and brightest people hangout. Our community is made up of practitioners, third party partners, and HP themselves. This November, we will be launching our first, two Virtual Summits. The first Virtual Summit on November 6 & 7 will be on Mobility and Converged Cloud. The second Virtual Summit on November 20 & 21 will be on Security and Big Data. Each Summit will be kicked off by an HP Fellow giving a keynote presentation on the latest strategic insight coming out of HP Labs on the related topics. Each day will have a Birds of a Feather Session led by the HP Fellow and the Session Speakers, giving you an opportunity to bounce your greatest challenges and deepest questions off of some really smart people for out of the box thinking. I hope you take the time to check out our new Community Platform where the conversations that you want and need to be part will continue to happen.
As the Vivit President, I am proud to introduce to you these new strategic changes that Vivit will be pursuing in the next three years. As always, we welcome your feedback, but most of all we welcome your participation and hope to inspire your collaboration in the community we call Vivit. Come join us!
