INETA MEA Region

The International .NET Association (INETA) provides structured, peer-based organizational, educational, and promotional support to the growing regionwide community of Microsoft® .NET user groups. Our mission is to offer assistance and resources to community groups that promote and educate their membership in Microsoft's .NET technologies. INETA welcomes all facets of the .NET user community, from developers and architects to project managers and IT professionals. Members can be user groups or special interest groups that:

Focus on a single aspect of .NET, such as C#

Target the entire .NET platform

Concentrate on other development technologies but are also interested in .NET

INETA is the next evolution in user group communities – a non-profit, independent organization, chartered with supporting all user groups interested in the Microsoft .NET platform. INETA is run by a board of user group leaders, elected by their peers, and supported by Microsoft Corporation and other sponsors.

By, and for, the User Group Community

Conceived and developed from the ground up by .NET user group leaders, INETA is committed to the .NET community and to facilitating its growth and development. In taking on the responsibility of being an open and independent coordinator for .NET user groups worldwide, INETA places a high priority on listening to the needs of its member groups and responding to them with tangible – and workable – initiatives.

Who can join INETA?

Membership in INETA is free to any user group, regardless of geographic location, technical focus, or affiliation. Leaders and officers of user groups interested in .NET will find the most value in active involvement with INETA. User groups who register with INETA in its early stages will be able to display a "Charter Member" logo on their Web site.

Organizing, Educating and Promoting User Groups

INETA services are being developed to meet the needs of the .NET user group community on a variety of fronts, including:

Organizational: For user group leaders and officers

Best practices to start and run a user group

Templates and other services for user group Web sites

Discussion forums for peer advice on all aspects of user group operation

Educational: Supporting the core need of user groups

Presentation repository with content from both sponsor companies and other user groups

Streaming media of seminars from noted speakers

Speakers Bureau: A simple, effective means of finding speakers for user group meetings; will provide groups with opportunities to attract marquee speakers and noted .NET authors from around the country

Promotional: Building the membership

Searchable, international user group directory

Unique access and opportunities to promote user groups at major .NET events

Contact opportunities with major sponsors

How to get involved – a call for volunteers!
INETA relies heavily on the ideas, personal time, and energy of its membership, leaders, and officers. If you are a user group leader – or even an enthusiastic supporter of the .NET user community looking for a way to help, grow with your peers, and find out about volunteer opportunities. Throughout 2004, INETA will also be holding organizational and planning meetings, virtually and in various locations.

Sponsorships
INETA relies on the support of its sponsors, and is presently organizing plans for working with companies and organizations interested in partnering with INETA MEA for financial, logistical, content, or other types of support. If you are interested in partnering with INETA MEA, contact partners@ineta.org.

To practice what it preaches, INETA Internet presence is based on all the latest Microsoft .NET products, architectures, and technologies. Through this site, user group leaders will find not only excellent information to help make their own group a success and ways to contribute to the success of the .NET community, but will also have an opportunity to see some of the latest .NET technologies in action.

Mailing address:
INETA
P. O. Box 50373
Bellevue, WA 98015-0373