As a new SNIA fiscal year begins,  SNIA Business Development and Membership Services would like to express our sincere thanks to all SNIA members for making 2012 a great success.  Through your efforts, the SNIA achieved tremendous milestones, including: Members of the SNIA share a common goal: advancing IT technologies, standards, and education programs for all IT professionals. To this end, the SNIA is uniquely committed to connecting the IT industry with end-to-end storage and information management solutions and to delivering standards, education and services that will propel open storage networking solutions into the broader market. Today, the SNIA has grown to over 400 member companies located all over the world. As we continue to expand into 2013, we invite you to continue your participation in our programs, and reap the benefits that SNIA brings to you and your organization. Membership Categories & ROI Membership in the SNIA offers a tremendous return on investment for individuals, companies, and organizations involved in the storage industry. As a Vendor, your membership in the SNIA signals to customers that you are an industry leader driving specifications, architecture and standards.  Regardless of your company’s size, the SNIA has created an environment and pricing structure that encourages cross-company collaboration to develop real solutions that serve the ever expanding and ever changing needs of organizations. As a Service Provider, the SNIA’s vendor-neutral environment provides the ideal backdrop for gaining insight into the storage, networking, and technology markets, essential for developing on-target sales and marketing strategies.  Access to equipment at the SNIA Technology Center in Colorado Springs allows you and fellow SNIA members in all membership categories to conduct in-depth evaluations of potential offerings, as well as analyses of future technologies. Perhaps you are an Channel company.  The members-only area informs you quickly about market strategies and products in a vendor neutral atmosphere.  This is crucial when making planning and purchasing decisions for a diverse and technical customer base.. If you are a SNIA individual member, you stay current, connected and marketable.  Individuals in the SNIA have a clear, competitive edge.  Working along side of industry leaders, individual members have the opportunity to sharpen their professional skills, gaining both technical and/or marketing knowledge that otherwise could take years of on-the-job training. The 2013 year holds bright promise, so don’t forget to renew your membership today.  Contact Lisa Mercurio, Membership Services Manager at (781) 293-9860 or email lisa.mercurio@snia.org.  And if you are a not yet a SNIA member, what are you waiting for?  Contact Marty Foltyn, SNIA Business Development Manager, at (858) 720-9780 or marty.foltyn@snia.org today!