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LANINGHAM: I'm Scott Laningham, talking with IBM Champions.
Joining me this time is Martina Riedel, a senior consultant
with ReleaseTEAM, an IBM Business Partner.
She joins us to talk about working with IBM Rational software and on being an IBM Champion.
Martina, thanks for joining us.
RIEDEL: Thanks for having me.
LANINGHAM: It's good to see you again.
RIEDEL: Yes, it's definitely good to see you again.
LANINGHAM: I say "again" because we met last summer in Orlando
at the Rational Innovate conference.
And we'll talk about that in a second.
But first, I wonder if you should bring people back up to date just a little bit
about ReleaseTEAM, what you all do.
RIEDEL: Yes, ReleaseTEAM is a Business Partner with IBM and we specialize in services
for Rational tools, especially RTC and ClearCase and ClearQuest and also Build Forge.
And we have been really busy.
It's been a good year and a good second half of the year.
So RTC is really kicking off and we're getting lots of requests for RTC services.
LANINGHAM: That's fantastic.
And RTC, Rational Team Concert, again.
Basically Rational Team Concert is really about helping people organize
and manage the entire development environment, right?
RIEDEL: It's about the ALM and Application Lifecycle Management,
and so that's what we're doing all the way, we start with requirements and we end with testing
and have all those good source control software configuration management in between.
So it's really an exciting time and good to see that our product is maturing
and it's interesting to watch it mature.
It's been...
LANINGHAM: A very popular product, isn't it?
RIEDEL: It's coming of age.
LANINGHAM: Well, you know, I mention that we spoke at Innovate.
That's where we met.
And that's in Orlando every summer in June.
We had a nice conversation.
And I wonder what's been happening with you since then.
I mean, that was a good six, eight months ago.
So what's been up since then with you?
RIEDEL: I've been getting to know the latest version of RTC that they released back then.
And I've been engaged in service gigs with customers and rolling out ClearCase, ClearQuest
and also RTC and helping folks with their processes.
So software configuration management, a lot of it is also about processes.
And it's one of those sciences or sections of software development
that is really not taught out of school a lot.
So it's an evolving art in many ways, one that's very essential to software development.
LANINGHAM: I know that community is, of course, with the IBM Champions,
is a big part of your involvement there, recognizing you as leaders
and big participants in community.
And I wonder if you could talk a little bit about that,
because I know you have some special ways that you involve yourself in the CCM community
and how it's helped establish you as an expert in that area.
RIEDEL: Yes, on developerWorks, we have the forums, and I am one of the moderators
on the ClearCase and ClearQuest forums,
and I'm one of the people who answers a lot of questions.
There is a handful of us and most are not IBMers.
So this is a true user community that has been running for a long time.
It's more the old ClearCase community
that through all the sales of ClearCase has been living on.
So if you want to know about ClearCase and ClearQuest,
the developerWorks forums is where to go and get answers.
And having established myself there back in 2000 or even before then, that's what got me my job
at ReleaseTEAM and it's made me well known.
And it helps with getting gigs now for ReleaseTEAM.
So, yes, it helps folks and it also makes us well known throughout the community.
So it establishes our credibility.
So it's a good give and take.
It's definitely well worth the time spent there.
LANINGHAM: So clearly, involvement in social communities
and social business communities is really what we're talking about here,
is a great way to build your own reputation and to make powerful,
meaningful connections with other people.
I'm sure there are some that don't amount to a great deal, but the more you participate,
the more people see what you have to offer as an expert
and the more they trust you, really, isn't it about that?
RIEDEL: Absolutely.
It's always fun to finally meet somebody person to person who you've known
from the forums for many years often.
And finally at Innovate make the connection or somewhere else at other events sometimes.
And it helps if somebody has been around the block a little bit and they know you.
It just helps so much that there is some connection already there
when you start working together closer.
LANINGHAM: I wonder if you could tell the listeners a little bit
about how you found your particular niche in development and with Rational software
and how that all came together for you to end up where you work in CCM.
RIEDEL: Yes, well, Rational is really, I got bought.
I have been doing ClearCase since before ClearCase was Rational back the old Atria days,
and I started life as a software tools developer.
So I've always been in the support of developers.
And back in the old days, we actually needed to develop tools.
So it was software development and our product was a tool that then the developers used.
And that just evolved into the software configuration management in the building.
So I've always been involved in a tool that builds our software, which it's a natural flow
into software configuration management.
And that's...I like it.
I like the part of, we are not only sitting all day long in your cube
and looking at the screen and typing code.
You are involved with the project management,
with the developers, with the people, with training.
So it is a diverse job and you can influence an organization
and then there is still the coding aspect, the technical geek aspect
because every tool must be customized.
I don't think there is one that you don't have to customize at some point.
So you get to still to do a little bit of the geeky technical stuff
and then there's also the interaction with people and project management.
LANINGHAM: Martina, I wonder maybe if people would probably love to hear some
of your thoughts about where you go to for technical information or the kinds of things
that are good to keep your eye on on the web and elsewhere to grow your knowledge in this space.
You know, trends and new technologies coming along.
What do you think there?
RIEDEL: Right.
There are a few websites.
And in the IBM space, the critical thing is to keep abreast of what's going on with IBM tools.
So we as ReleaseTEAM, we're involved with the Voice of the Customer.
And that's where we get to have direct contact with IBM developer and product managers.
So that's the face-to-face part.
And then the more formal part that's open to everybody is the Tech Notes.
So the key is always how to find the right tech note.
So that's sometimes challenging in IBM-land and it's just a matter of staying abreast
and subscribing to a few feeds and staying there.
And the community helps with that as well, because if I miss something,
somebody else will have seen it and Googling is always a good thing to find things as well.
LANINGHAM: Certainly.
RIEDEL: And from an industry point of view, there is some Agile websites,
some CM websites, and that kind of rounds out the big picture as to
where the industry trends are going.
LANINGHAM: Okay.
You know, as kind of a wrap-up thought, what do you like to do
when you're not solving these kinds of problems for people?
Something to do with winter sports, maybe?
I don't know.
RIEDEL: Eh, no, I'm not really a cold type of person.
So I have a motorcycle, and I'm right here next to the Rockies
where we have all these gorgeous twisties and canyons and the front range.
I live actually outside of Denver, and it's just been so much fun exploring Colorado
and all the side roads that are here.
And it's very fun.
My rain gear mostly is just in the saddlebags and it's been a really fun summer this year.
LANINGHAM: That sounds great.
What kind of motorcycle do you ride?
RIEDEL: I have an 1100 Saber.
It's a Honda.
So, yes.
LANINGHAM: Is it heavy?
RIEDEL: Yes.
And it has enough oomph to get by the slow cars.
So it's just the right size.
LANINGHAM: We'll have to keep an eye out for Martina whizzing
by on her Honda some time if we're in the Rockies then.
That sounds wonderful.
Martina Riedel, again, is a senior consultant with ReleaseTEAM, an IBM Business Partner.
Martina, thanks so much for taking the time to chat with us today.
RIEDEL: Thanks for having me again.
And I look forward to seeing you virtual or in person at Innovate next year.
LANINGHAM: Absolutely.
Absolutely intend on being there and we'll have to reconnect.
Again, Martina Riedel, with Release Team.
I'm Scott Laningham.
Thanks for listening.
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