Ever wondered what happens at a ‘developer meets developer’ meeting? I have been inspired by presentations from past meetings on EL Commons and wanted to find out more. So this year I packed a few Strathclyde developments into my suitcase, put on my best techie shoes, and headed off to Chicago for the Voyager developer meets developer meeting.
I discovered a meeting full of Voyager customers interested in customising, extending and developing their systems in exciting and interesting ways. Some people have been doing this a long time, others like me are just starting out. But whatever the level of experience it seems we have much in common, often trying to achieve the same ends: system monitoring; data manipulation; mobile applications; web services; and a more context sensitive WebVoyage are just a few of the common themes.
Alongside customer presentations we heard about new and upcoming Voyager developments directly from the developers who worked on them. Just as importantly, the Voyager developers hear the customer presentations, hopefully ensuring the understanding and ideas generation goes both ways.
I came back with new ideas, confident that we have the tools and environment to develop Voyager to meet our local needs. I am really impressed by what other customers are doing in this area and am looking forward to seeing more, either at future meetings or on ELCommons.
Judith Smart, University of Strathclyde (and Voyager Product Working Group member)