About OCEAN

OCEAN, the Orange County Educational Advancement Network, Inc., is an education and networking association for IT Professionals, including many who work with the IBM Power Systems platform and the IBM i operating system. OCEAN is the largest and most proactive group of its kind in the Western United States. It is a nonprofit corporation, run independently by volunteers and not affiliated with any commercial enterprise.

Mission Statement  OCEAN's primary mission is to serve as an affordable educational resource providing the latest information on both IBM and multi-platform technology. Educational sessions are presented by guest speakers at monthly meetings, webinars, special events, and the annual Technical Conference and Vendor Solutions Expo. Additionally, OCEAN provides a friendly environment for networking among members of the technology community in Orange County and the Southern California region.

Membership  OCEAN currently has more than 400 active members and a secure contact list that reaches out to more than 1000 professionals, including many in the IBM user and vendor community.  Members represent the full spectrum of IT positions including CIO/IT Director, Systems Analyst, Developer, and Infrastructure Support.  Membership is open to IT Professionals with an interest in improving their knowledge of the industry.

If you are not a member of the OCEAN User Group, you can learn more about IBM midrange technology and its association with many other technologies in Orange County by going to the MEMBERSHIP tab and adding your name to the mailing list.

Meetings  The regularly scheduled monthly meetings are held on the third Tuesday of the month from January–November from 6 PM to 8:30 PM. The annual Tech Conference is held in July. Meetings normally are held at National University, 3390 Harbor Boulevard, Costa Mesa CA 92626-1502, conveniently located off the 405 Freeway less than a mile north of the Harbor Boulevard offramp.

Meeting Themes  While the primary focus of the monthly meetings is the IBM Power Systems platform and IBM i operating system, topics cover other technical areas including Microsoft .Net, VB, PHP, WebSphere, Client-server information systems, JAVA, object-oriented development, e-Business and data warehouses, XML, Internet and Intranet applications, IT project management and IT management. Career development topics include new applications and a wide variety of emerging technologies including cloud computing, business analytics, and mobility.

Bottom Line  You can upgrade your entire IT staff’s skills by joining the largest Power Systems user group west of the Mississippi. You can also increase your value to your employer and your value as a professional through OCEAN's outstanding educational program powered by nationally-recognized technology leaders, so sign up today!