Interview with Steve Garrison of Force10 Networks

Interview with Steve Garrison of Force10 Networks at Gestalt IT’s Networking Tech Field Day 2010. This was recorded at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA on September 16, 2010.

In the interview, Steve Garrison of Force10 Networks explains the company’s motivation for participating in Tech Field Day, emphasizing its value as a unique and cost-effective way to engage the blogger community. He details how the event allows them to connect directly with a targeted group of influential bloggers—twelve at once—providing Force10 an opportunity to both understand the interests of the blogging community and share the company’s own narrative, including its capabilities, market positioning, and differentiators.

Garrison highlights the benefits of the event’s informal and technical format, which moves away from traditional presentations like PowerPoint and flashy marketing in favor of deep technical dialogue and whiteboard sessions. These sessions are meant to resonate with Force10’s core audience, which includes IT professionals and technical decision-makers who use their gear and contribute to the company’s growing user community. This direct engagement enables Force10 to better communicate their real-world solutions and technical strengths in a more authentic and effective manner.

He concludes by commending the overall experience and the collaborative atmosphere cultivated by Steve, Claire, and the bloggers. According to Garrison, the combination of marketing, genuine industry dialogue, and personal connection not only made the event productive for Force10 but also enjoyable. For him, the ability to discuss industry movements while forming meaningful relationships marked the day as a significant success.