About Us
since 2008 … now in Decade-2
our vision in practice since 2008 … steadfast through 2020/Covid … expanded & enhanced in 2021
to offer our community an unbiased single point of contact for Cloud Computing* — business & technology — as Cloud encompasses all computing in our connected world
from multiple perspectives (e.g., consumer/enterprise, provider/business, developer/technologist, & academia),
from multiple providers (e.g., Amazon, Google, Microsoft, RedHat, & open source foundations, such as Linux Foundation, Cloud Native Computing Foundation, etc),
from multiple professionals (i.e., those who share/talk about what they actually live/use).
to help anyone adopt/leverage Cloud & AI technologies … such as, non-Techies, Decision Makers (business & technical), Practitioners, Researchers, Students,
to nurture a vibrant & helpful (local & non-local) community … that can be self-sustaining (details of streamlined & slipstreamed launches on home page).
* Cloud Computing is the backbone of our interconnected world. Our group covers pretty much anything of importance within this world (such as, ROI, CapEx, High-Performance & High-Availability Clusters, Parallel, Distributed, Grid, BigData, Data Science, AI/ML/TensorFlow, Productivity (e.g., Microsoft365/GoogleWorkspace), Security, GDPR, Quantum, & IoT, and more) … thus the 2021 Offerings breakdown (on home page) to cater to specific/depth technology focuses and adoption/breadth business focuses.
our history & evolution (2008 … 2020)
The founders of Hybrid Decisions Corp (The Moreign Family), founded HCCUG.org™ in 2008 as another Community Effort to giveback, with the support of friends, well-wishers, and like-minded individuals (within Houston & Texas, across US, and Overseas), with Hybrid Decisions Corp as the founding Patron sponsoring all efforts in-full & upfront of HCCUG.org™/HybridCloudGroup.org™ .
click here to read more 2008 to 2020
2008 ish : HCCUG = Houston Cloud & Cluster User Group — Cloud Computing was in its infancy and was building upon Clusters (that have been around forever) … was a closed group as members were under NDA … and Microsoft's Cloud was still in its codename/pre-release phase, "Red Dog", that later became Azure.
2010 : transitioned name (HCCUG=Houston Cloud Computing User Group) — open to all, at-no-charge. and welcomed David Cravey's C++ User Group.
2017 : we revamped and blew up (from <300 in Jan to ~1K members in 1 year) and … began laying the foundation for the next wave
more meetings = more content/goodies/opportunities for our community,
more content = while other user groups expand into the mainstream Cloud offerings (e.g., Azure), we continued to forge further ahead with new/upcoming Cloud & Cloud-related, e.g., BigData & IoT, and now Applied AI/ML with TensorFlow,
more open-source = started highlighting we've been doing FOSS for a long time, and highlighting more non-Microsoft … so more options for our community.
more outreach = expanded beyond Houston … e.g, SQL Saturday Baton Rouge, Oracle Code One, Moscone, San Fransico
2018 : continued the gradual roll out of new & improved options … laying & expanding the foundation for the next wave
The explosive growth of HCCUG.org™ in 10 years coupled with the rising-demand for more services, HybridCloudGroup.org™ organization was created, and continues the core principles, such as, MEMBER PRIVACY (attendee list, food choices, etc.) and over the 10+ years, have NEVER given out our member/attendee list, even to sponsors.
clarification: Houston Cloud Computing User Group continues to function as it used to, but now under the HybridCloudGroup.org™ organization which continues to use the HCCUG.org™ Logo, URL, & alias to preserve the 10+ years of goodwill, and more (e.g., our PRO-PRIVACY reputation, and online-history google juice)
we opened limited event-level co-sponsorship to select companies like Snowflake Computing , Canonical/Ubuntu, & Zerto, and few others not mentioned here, and found some sponsors (not mentioned here) veering off … so, extremely selective of who can sponsor while being PRO-PRIVACY & BADGER-FREE.
C language focus (inherited from Tex) added by Zane Moreign with David Cravey's blessing, now, Houston C & C++ User Group
sponsored in-full & upfront the launch of Houston Google Cloud User Group (a.k.a. GDG Cloud Houston), more details here
all culminating with our 10th Anniversary & Christmas Party on Dec-13, 2018.
New event-registration program:
RSVPs on Meetup.com DO NOT COUNT.
Only those who register for the event here, on HCCUG.org site, are eligible to be confirmed and can provide their preferences, such as, food choices/dietary constraints!
Only confirmed attendees will be able to attend, obviously :-)
We strive to ensure NO WASTAGE of — (a) Food, (b) Effort, and (c) Resources, therfore, confirmed attendees are asked to notify us if no-show!
2019 : launched & managed 3 official/recognized user groups, and added the C while continuing to serve the Houston Cloud Computing User Group, while adding new services and more
new Houston TensorFlow & Applied AI/ML user group (TensorFlow.org approved) … Valentino Moreign (founder & primary organizer) … with support from Microsoft, AWS, Google, etc., … NOTE: Caliber of Speakers ⟹ 19.10.19 and 19.02.20
new Houston Kotlin user group (KotlinLang.org/JetBrains approved) … Zane Moreign (founder & primary organizer) … with support from Kotlin/JetBrains & Java Champions, etc.,
new C language focus added by Zane Moreign (inherited from Tex), with David Cravey's blessing, to David's C++ user group, now, Houston C & C++ User Group
new (from 2018) Houston PostgreSQL user group … Zane Moreign (founder & primary organizer) … with support from PostgreSQL.org leadership, who even sent PostgreSQL swag :-),
new "NETWORKING" focused programs & events:
HybridCloudLabs™ BRING YOUR LAPTOP program for hands-on topics, such as, Machine Learning, Azure, Linux, Zane's Simple_Safety™ series, etc.
Network-n-Talks™ program to focus on more time for Peer-to-Peer networking/connections/chats, while still having some focused Talk(s).
first HybridCloudNow™ conference with HybridCloudFest™ (after-event), HybridCloudConnect™, and New HybridCloudInsiders™ are in collaboration with our founding patron, HybridDecisions.com
new VARYING Monthly Cadence, multiple Venue option, multiple focus User Groups, and other venues as needd — PLUS a whole lot more!
Community Center venue: HCCUG.org @ Tracy Gee Community Center, 3599 Westcenter Dr, Houston, TX 77042
Microsoft Technology Center Venue: HCCUG.org @ Microsoft Technology Center, 750 Town and Country Blvd 1000, Houston, TX 77024
>>> THANK YOU MICROSOFT for ALL THESE YEARS!!!2020: Covid, we shifted focus to helping 1:1 in our community [details are confidential as it was 1:1 and we are pro-privacy].
… 2021 onwards … slew of launches of new & streamlined offerings with caution as SAFETY is our #1 priority for all … while continuing our vision!
Jun-11, feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Jun-12, feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Jun-13, feast of St. Anthony … an auspicious time to surface from Covid … and begin the wave of releases (see slew of Launches on our Home page)
In a world that shies away from the very values that make us …
this community effort of ours is steadily growing over 15+ years because our friends & volunteers of various Faiths support our efforts to giveback … thus personifying giveback/their-Faith … and are living examples of "Politics & Religion Divide … Faith Unites" — from Book_of_Moreign™
our founders & friends/volunteers … are folks who already giveback to the community, at no charge, without expecting anything in return! Sharing their time & decades of (L)earned experience with the community via other events & user-groups. When they giveback via our efforts, we consider them as being "for us" & "with us" and sincerely appreciate them — some mentioned below, many not mentioned!
click here to read more
▸ our founders … volunteering their time, efforts, etc.
Anthony {Tex} Moreign – founder & speaker, Hybrid Decisions Corp & HCCUG.org™
Samantha Moreign – co-founder & organizer, Hybrid Decisions Corp & HCCUG.org™
Valentino Moreign – founding member, co-organizer, and speaker
Zane Moreign – founding member, co-organizer, and speaker
▸ our friends/volunteers …
▹ those who have been there since the beginning … i.e, community leaders/advocates, US-South-Central
J Sawyer – the reason for Houston .NET User Group (hdnug) to have grown until 2020 (former Microsoftie & Microsoft MVP) and many others
Philip Wheat – HCCUG.org™ Advisor, speaker, scientist, and a whole lot more (e.g, former Microsoftie)
David Cravey – Speaker, founder of Houston C++ UG, and former Microsoft C++ MVP of the year
Tin Le – Community Leader, and our steadfast coordinator
▹ short list of those who have been there at various points in time … i.e, community leaders/advocates, Houston-area User Groups
Michael Steinberg (founder & president), directors John Hellman, Eric Heskett, and others at Houston TechFest
Victor Chataboon (chairman), Rick Garcia (president), and others at Houston SharePoint UG & SharePoint Saturday Houston
Nancy Hidy Wilson, Allen Kinsel, Joe Hellsten, Jamey Johnston, and others at Houston.PASS.org
Richard Rosenberg (steadfast supporter), Scott Wierschem (Java), Bob Tchoryk (president of Houston Investors Association), Richard Seegmiller (hdnug leader), to name a few
… and so many others, including those prefer to remain anonymous … our sincere apologies to those whom we've mistakenly not mentioned!
prior to Mar-2020/Covid, to reciprocate, we gave Talks —
at every Houston SQL Saturday, Houston TechFest, and SharePoint Saturday Houston (pre-2016)
beyond Houston … SQL Saturday Baton Rouge, Oracle Code One, Moscone, San Fransico
and listed their groups on our home page, (even if they do not link to us)
2021-H2 …
all these conferences & events are not as before
see home page for our new offerings, new programs, and a whole lot more including Data, Cloud, AI