Connect Worldwide

What Connect Worldwide does

Connect Worldwide is a Texas nonprofit corporation headquartered in Austin, Texas, operating as the independent Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) Technology User Community. Founded in 2008 and employing 251–500 people, the organization builds and supports a global community of HPE customers, partners, and employees who use HPE servers, storage, networking, infrastructure software, cloud, converged systems, and security products. Membership is free for HPE product consumers and access is granted via self-service registration on connect-community.org.

The organization's core offerings span publications, software, events, and recognition programs. Publications include The Connection, an HPE NonStop user-oriented technical magazine published six times per year, and Connect Converge, a bi-monthly e-newsletter. Software assets center on ITUGLIB, a member-contributed software and documentation library operated as a wholly-owned subsidiary. Community programming includes Connect Tech Forums, regional chapters spanning North America, Mexico, Germany, and the UK (NYTUG, MEXTUG, CTUG, SunTUG, eGTUG, N2TUG, BITUG), the New 2 Nonstop program, the Future Leaders of IT scholarship program, and the Connect's Influencer of the Year recognition. Six podcast series—Groovers Talk Tech, Briefings Direct, Around the IT Block, Mission Critical Solutions, EM360, and CIO Talk Network—extend reach via owned channels on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, and Facebook. The annual Nonstop Technology & Business Conference (TBC) is the community's flagship event, with TBC 2026 scheduled for Orlando, Florida at a $995 fee.

Connect Worldwide generates revenue primarily through partner sponsorships, advertising, and affiliate marketing per its disclosed Terms and Conditions, supplemented by conference fees. It holds a strategic mutual partnership with Hewlett Packard Enterprise, enabling joint engagement through events, publications, and advocacy, but is operationally independent of HPE. Leadership is provided by CEO Kristina Elizondo and a Board of Directors, with no venture capital backing, public listing, or parent company.

Name

Connect Worldwide

Legal name

Connect Worldwide

Website

https://connect-community.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Connect Worldwide is the independent Hewlett Packard Enterprise Technology User Community, operating as a Texas nonprofit that delivers a global free-membership platform of regional chapters, publications, software libraries, podcasts, and an annual conference serving HPE customers, partners, and employees worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Membership is free for consumers of HPE products and services. No direct revenue is generated from membership fees.
2. Sponsorships and Advertising: The Terms and Conditions disclose that Connect Worldwide may engage in affiliate marketing and accept sponsorships or other forms of advertising compensation from businesses. This represents the primary revenue mechanism to sustain the free membership model.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Connect Worldwide is a nonprofit membership organization that operates the independent Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) Technology User Community. It provides free membership to HPE product consumers, partners, and employees, offering publications (The Connection magazine, Connect Converge newsletter), an exclusive ITUGLIB software library, online tech forums, regional chapters, six podcast series, and the annual Nonstop Technology & Business Conference.

Product overview

Connect Worldwide is an independent HPE Technology User Community offering a membership-based platform with multiple interconnected products and services. The core offerings include two publications (The Connection magazine and Connect Converge newsletter), an exclusive software library (ITUGLIB), online community forums, a podcast series, regional chapter networking, and an annual technology conference (TBC). The community also provides scholarship programs and recognition initiatives. Membership is free for consumers of HPE products and services, with member benefits including access to publications, tech forums, Slack channels, exclusive software downloads, and discounts on conferences and education offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Connection: HPE NonStop user-oriented technical magazine published six times each year
• Connect Converge
• ITUGLIB
• Nonstop TBC
• Connect Tech Forum
• New 2 Nonstop
• Future Leaders of IT
• Connect Cast Podcasts

Products and services

• The Connection

Quantifiable outcome

• Access to tech-targeted boot camps and technical journals
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Hewlett Packard EnterprisecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConnect Worldwide is the independent HPE Technology User Community. HPE partners with Connect Worldwide to engage with the HPE user community through events, publications, and advocacy programs. The organization serves as a bridge between HPE and its customers, partners, and employees.
• Regional User Groups (NYTUG, MEXTUG, CTUG, SunTUG, eGTUG, N2TUG, BITUG)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorConnect Worldwide supports regional user groups as chapters including NYTUG (New York), MEXTUG (Mexico), CTUG (Canada), SunTUG (Florida/Sunshine), eGTUG (Germany), N2TUG (Texas/Oklahoma), and BITUG (UK). These chapters operate independently to serve their regional HPE user communities under the Connect Worldwide umbrella.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SHARE: SHARE is an independent, volunteer-run user community for IBM Z, IBM Power, and other enterprise technologies. It is the closest direct analog to Connect Worldwide, operating regional events, a member community, and a multi-track technical conference for a legacy enterprise platform — structurally identical to the HPE NonStop community model.
• COMMON: COMMON is the IBM Power Systems user community, running regional user groups, an annual conference, and member-driven content for IBM Power users. Like Connect Worldwide, it is a membership organization serving customers of a specific enterprise hardware/software platform via free membership and sponsorships.
• Oracle User Group Community: Oracle's user community provides forums, special interest groups, and member events for Oracle customers and partners. Comparable in mission (technology-specific user community) and business model (free membership, sponsored events and content), though vendor-operated rather than independent.
• IBM Community: IBM Community is a large online user community offering forums, groups, and blogs across IBM's product portfolio. It mirrors Connect Worldwide's role as a gathering point for users of a major enterprise technology vendor's products, with overlapping content distribution and peer-to-peer technical exchange.
• Cisco Community: Cisco Community is Cisco's user and partner community for networking, collaboration, and security products, offering forums, events, and member programs. It is structurally similar to Connect Worldwide in serving enterprise IT users of a specific vendor's portfolio via free membership and sponsored engagement.
• Red Hat Developer: Red Hat Developer is a community and resource hub for developers and users of Red Hat's open-source enterprise platform, providing forums, learning content, and events. Comparable to Connect Worldwide in delivering vendor-aligned user community value via free content, events, and peer exchange.
• Microsoft Tech Community: Microsoft Tech Community is a large, vendor-operated community spanning Azure, Microsoft 365, Power Platform, and more, with forums, blogs, and events. It is a comparable enterprise-technology user community in scale, model, and content distribution approach, though vendor-controlled.

Broad incumbents

• AFCEA International: AFCEA is a large professional association serving military, government, and industry members in IT, intelligence, and homeland security, with chapters, events, and publications. It is a broader incumbent in the technology professional-association space that overlaps with Connect Worldwide's user-group/chapter/event model.
• CompTIA: CompTIA is a major IT industry trade association offering member benefits, certifications, training, and community for the broader IT channel. Comparable to Connect Worldwide as a vendor-neutral (in its case) membership organization sustaining itself through member programs, content, and events.
• ITIC (Information Technology Industry Council): ITIC is a tech industry trade association representing major hardware, software, and services vendors on public policy, with member programs and research. It is a broad incumbent association operating in the same general industry-membership space as Connect Worldwide, with overlapping sponsor and partner pools.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Connect_WW
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCHranSHHa1qo6Pg4JStkL7Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/Connect-World-Wide-234540629880
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/connect

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Connect Worldwide