After TechEd, what next? Some suggestions

The overflowing email inboxes are caught up, videos and photos have been shared, and the initial withdrawal symptoms are giving way to resignation: yes, for many of us SAP TechEd 2010 is a rush of memories, albeit a very rich set of memories. So now what?

Have you checked out Virtual TechEd yet? No? What are you waiting for? Not all of the sessions were taped, but it is a great first place to catch up on sessions you may have missed, either because you were not able to attend,  or due to schedule conflicts (or the irresistable urge to sleep in after a late night of networking at the piano bar!) Check it out here.

I should warn you that the tagging may not be quite complete yet for the Las Vegas recordings. I did a search on the Security, Compliance and Identity Management track, and only SCI101 and SCI104 turned up. When I removed that filter, lo and behold, SCI 100, SCI101, and SCI104 were listed.

If you did not make it to Gerlinde Zibulski’s SAP Security Overview, be sure to watch  session SCI100. I for one am very excited about the new authorization object for table names which she mentioned during that session. I know, I know, only a die-hard security administrator can get excited about the prospect of making table security even more granular than it already was. What can I say, maybe it is genetic with us. All I know is that I was aware of a number of customers who had years ago created such an object on their own, so I am glad to see that SAP saw the value in making it standard security. Gerlinde shared other exciting news as well, so I would consider that session a “do not miss” for those interested in the latest in security.

If you did attend TechEd, hopefully you remember where you stashed that flash drive with the presentation slide decks.  Here is where you can catch up on some of the sessions that were not recorded. Some of my favorite sessions covered customer use cases; there is a lot to be learned from customers who overcame the real-world challenges in their landscapes and organizations. SCI105 and SCI207 were among my favorites.

What else? SAP Inside Track Instanbul has already come and gone; is an SAP Inside Track being planned for your area? If not, why not take the lead? The community wiki lists upcoming locations and dates, and it also has tips for a successful event.

ASUG Chapters can be counted on to have a lot to offer after a big event. Sharing your learning from TechEd is a great option, too. In addition, the Call for Speakers for the ASUG 2011 Conference is already open with the new process, Notice of Intent, already reported by Jim Spath. Don’t miss out on your chance to showcase your success stories.

If you attended my working session on the Security Influence Council, don’t forget that it is not too late to get involved. SAP Installation customers can contact Influence@ASUG.com to request enrolment.

If you are “down-under,” I hope you have already made your plans to attend Mastering SAP Technologies 2011 in Sydney. I had the pleasure and privilege of being among the 6SAP Mentor Initiative who presented there this year. Now this week I have read that the program team has topped this year and booked 9 SAP Mentors as speakers for next year’s program! All I can say is, outstanding job by the Eventful folks and your program committees! Still on the fence about attending? Read about it here, and I bet you are ready to start making the case with your management on why you should attend both the Mastering SAP Technologies and the SAP Inside track event.

What else? If GRC is a big part of your life, you have probably already heard that the new release, GRC 10.0, goes into ramp up next month. Although I have been privvy to some roadmap information as part of our Influence Council, I was not able to find out much more about it during TechEd; the GRC presentations I attended were firmly entrenched in the 5.3 release. However, I have some good news: I am working on hosting a web cast on the SAP Mentor Mondays public web cast series next month covering what is new in GRC 10.0. Keep an eye on the SAP Mentor Monday page for details.