As Porter (1998) describes in his book "The Competitive Advantage of Nations" the companies critical factor to survive is much more the density of relations among them than any other factor. Software companies included in regional networks in Silicon Valley, California, are more flexible, dynamic, innovative, and have higher turnovers than their counterparts. There are several organizations in Silicon Valley that help high-tech professionals get connected with the resources and opportunities they need to be successful.

TiE, a not-for-profit global network of entrepreneurs and professionals, was founded in 1992 in Silicon Valley, California, USA. Although its birth name, The Indus Entrepreneurs, signifies the ethnic South Asian or Indus roots of the founders, TiE stands for Talent, Ideas and Enterprise. It is an open and inclusive organization that has rapidly grown to more than forty chapters in nine countries. TiE endeavors to cultivate and nurture the ecosystems of entrepreneurship and free-market economies everywhere, as it sees this to be the single most powerful instrument of prosperity.

http://www.tiesv.org/

The Organization provides analysis and action on issues affecting our region's economy and quality of life. Our community has significant challenges to address if we want to preserve our standing as the world's best platform for innovation and entrepreneurship.In 1992 a group of visionary people decided the best way to solve problems was to create a neutral forum, bringing together leaders from business, labor, government, the universities, and the non-profit sector to think outside the box and build creative solutions

Jobs are found, deals are made, and money is raised because of the connections people have. WorkIt was created so startup and high-tech professionals can get connected with the resources and opportunities they need to be successful.

Each week subscribers receive an e-mail announcing high-tech networking events in the Bay Area. (You can subscribe here.)

Who Uses WorkIt? Any one involved in startups and high-tech! Entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, engineers, marketers, sales professionals, and people with great ideas. These successful people know the power of networking - that's why they use WorkIt for their weekly source of event information. To learn about opportunities for sponsorship and advertisement on WorkIt, send us an email at info@workit.com.

http://www.astecs.org/  - Association of Technical Entrepreneurs.

http://onstartups.com/  - A community for entrepreneurs wishing to get free advice on startup related topics.