What is a User Group?

A User Group is an organized body of customers who have licensed ACL software products for use in their professional work. The primary objective of an ACL User Group is to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and methodologies in the use of ACL software amongst its members.

A User Group also helps to promote best practices in the use of ACL software for data analysis, auditing and business oversight activities. In addition, User Groups can provide a channel of communication between users and ACL, allowing us to better understand your common objectives and how we can help you use ACL to its full advantage.

What do you do in a User Group?

The types of topics that may be discussed within the User Group setting include:

  • Sharing of best practices in the use and deployment of ACL products in their organizations
  • Supplying innovative approaches to ACL product use
  • Product Support, overall Customer Service and Training
  • Product elements such as usability, security, documentation and functionality
  • Product enhancements
  • Pricing/licensing
  • Membership in the User Group

The TexasACL User Group is the second largest ACL User Group in the country. It is a loose affiliation of semi-autonomous ACL user groups from across the state of Texas. The group was founded in 2007 when Porter Broyles and ACL's Director of Marketing Peter Millar were discussing the concept of user groups. Porter expressed a desire to belong to one and Peter indicated ACL's desire to support user groups. Before the conversation was completed, Porter and Peter had each committed the other to getting a User Group started in Houston, Texas. While ACL supports the User Groups, it is not involved with the operations or activities of the User Groups. The User Groups operate entirely independent of ACL.

The group has since expanded to include the cities Houston, San Antonio, and Austin. Each of these chapters operates independently, but in unison with the other groups. Each group selects their own officers, the leader of each chapter is considered a Vice President of the TexasACL User Group and they elect the organization's President. This model was selected to prevent larger groups from dictating leadership over the smaller groups.