Communities

With a large, diverse customer base, it's a challenge to devise an organizational structure for the User Group that also reflects the broad, varied interests of the membership.

To address this challenge, the User Group Customer Council will establish several Communities of Interest Groups (CIGs). Communities of Interest Groups will be created around specific SES solutions, topics reflecting industry trends that impact business processes/ROI such as compliance and/or technology and implementation.

Purpose: CIGs are intended to provide a consistent means for User Group customer companies to work with SunGard directly, providing ideas and assistance on topics of interest, future developments and solution enhancements.

CIGs will be chartered to work directly with SunGard on important topics, future developments and solution enhancements relevant to that CIG.

Each CIG will allow members to drill down within a specific segment of the energy industry, business process, or technology to access individuals sharing similar interests and experiences. Part of this charter also includes processes for interaction with SES product management and SES marketing around pertinent issues.

CIG Participation: Any member of the SES User Group can join a CIG. Ideally each CIG will have 3-20 participants, each from a different SES user company. Each representative should be active in the "daily role" or managing a team relevant to the purpose of the CIG. For example, a member of a Power CIG should be working in a power organization as a power trader, power scheduler, etc. or managing a power trading team on a day-to-day basis.

Each CIG will initially be chaired by a member of the Council. Each CIG will operate their own schedule of CIG meetings, focused educational workshops, and networking activities including Web Casts, face-to-face meetings and online discussion forums. As CIGs are established, Council members will work with the members in each CIG to solicit a volunteer to act as a "CIG leader" to drive the CIG's activities.

CIG Leader: This CIG Leader will be responsible for several administrative tasks including scheduling of committee meetings, distribution of meeting notes, providing relevant supporting documentation to SES. In addition, the CIG leader will coordinate with the Council to present relevant information at future meetings of the complete User Group.

SunGard's Role in CIGs: Although not driving or funding this User Group initiative, SES is highly supportive and welcomes the opportunity for more effective communications with customers that will result in benefits to the complete SES user base.

As CIGs are established, SES will work with the CIGs leader to assign a senior member of the SES staff to serve as a CIG liaison between the CIG and SES, to close the communications loop.

Additional information on CIGs, roles and responsibilities, and SES liaisons will be developed once the initial membership drive is launched and at the inaugural User Group meeting being planned for June 2008.