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AT THE CENTER
The electronic newsletter of the
Silicon Valley World Internet Center

Tuesday, May 6, 2003

 

The Silicon Valley World Internet Center thanks its Sponsors for their continuing support:

EXECUTIVE SPONSORS
• Amdocs, Inc. •• Cable & Wireless •• Deutsche Telekom •• Fujitsu •• IBM Corporation •• SAP •• Sun Microsystems •

KNOWLEDGE NETWORK PARTNERS
•• Halleck ••• IC Growth, Inc. ••• Internet Wire ••

Past copies of newsletters and directions to the Center are available on the Web site.

All programs are held at the Center unless otherwise noted.

To join our community, click on this link: http://center.infopoint.com/join.php

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CHALLENGE-THE-EXPERT: THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2003
"IBM's Vision for the Next Generation Data Center Enabled by Commercial Grids"
By Mr. Mark Cathcart, IBM Distinguished Engineer; Member, IBM Academy of Technology; IBM On Demand Systems Environment Architecture and Design, IBM Corporation
5:15 p.m. Registration and Networking. 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Program Fee: $15 at the door (cash or check). No fee to Center sponsors.
Registration Information Below.

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EXECUTIVE BRIEFING: TUESDAY, MAY 13, 2003
"Challenges and Rewards of Driving Innovation: Taking the Thought Leadership Approach"

By Prof. Dr. Lutz Heuser, Vice President and Chief Development Architect, SAP Corporate Research, SAP AG
3:45 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Reception to follow. No Fee to attend. Open to the Public.
Pre-registration Required. See Below for Registration Information.

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HUNGARIAN TRADE AND INVESTMENT SYMPOSIUM: THURSDAY, MAY 29, 2003
"Hungary 2003: Focus on High Tech"
8:00 - 10:00 a.m. Open to the Public. No Fee. Not held at the Center.
Held at Hewlett-Packard Auditorium, 3000 Hanover Street, Palo Alto.
Pre-registration Required. See Below for Registration Information.

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TECHNOLOGY BRIEFING: TUESDAY, JUNE 3, 2003
"Business Value Dimensions of Smart Items"

By Mr. Peter Ebert, Senior Scientist and Program Manager, Smart Items, SAP Corporate Research
3:45 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Reception to follow. No Fee to attend.
Open to Public. Pre-registration Required.
Further details in next week's newsletter.

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PUB TALK: JUNE 5, 2003
"Launching into the Next Generation of Silicon Valley"
By Mr. Bob Karr, Founder, Link Silicon Valley
5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Pub Talk at 6:00 p.m.
Further details in next week's newsletter.

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SUMMARY: PUB TALK: THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2003
"Smart Electronic Note Taking for the Fujitsu Tablet PC"

By Mr. Chris Holmes, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships, Mindjet LLC
Summary and Presentation Link Below.

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SUMMARY: PREMIER AUTO-ID SALON: THURSDAY, APRIL 24, 2003
"What are Our Greatest Technology Challenges in This Market Space?"
Summary and Presentation link Below.

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SUMMARY: SPECIAL PRESENTATION: WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9, 2003
"Are We There Yet? A Look at Technology and Where We Expected to be by Now"
By Dr. Bob Glass, Futurist and Fellow, Silicon Valley World Internet Center
Summary and Presentation Link Below.

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CHALLENGE-THE-EXPERT: THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2003
"IBM's Vision for the Next Generation Data Center Enabled by Commercial Grids"

By Mr. Mark Cathcart, IBM Distinguished Engineer; Member, IBM Academy of Technology; IBM On Demand Systems Environment Architecture and Design, IBM Corporation
5:15 p.m. Registration and Networking. 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Program Fee: $15 at the door (cash or check). No fee to Center sponsors.
Registration Information Below.

Grid technology has made a big impact through its application in a small number of computing applications. The search for life in the universe, mapping the universe, looking for a Smallpox cure, seismic analysis, and calculating 401k values are all important - but are niche computing applications. The next generation of Grid technology is based on a standard open source architecture and will have standard definitions of the services available on the Grid, which can be accessed via Web Services. All well and good, but why all this effort for a small set of applications?

Learn why discovery and common resource models, together with enterprise clustering and data center virtualization, are likely to change computing as we know, understand, and use it today. Think utility computing is just ASPs warmed over? Think again! The commodity business transaction is on its way. Pay for your computing as you need it, how you need it and most importantly, when you need it.

At this Challenge-the-Expert, Mr. Cathcart will discuss what "underware" is and why the Open Grid Services Architecture will become a meta-OS, delivering services far beyond the current Grid realm. During the second hour, audience participants will be able to "challenge" Mr. Cathcart during the interactive discussion.

ABOUT MARK CATHCART

Mark Cathcart is an IBM Distinguished Engineer in IBM's On Demand Architecture and Design team. His responsibilities include the technology strategy and direction for On Demand technology as well as significant input to and influence on the Systems Group strategy. In prior assignments, Mr. Cathcart has been involved with the introduction, adoption, and strategy for Linux, XML, Java, and J2EE. He has been an open source software proponent for over 20 years and has been at the forefront of the open standards strategy at IBM since 1992.

ABOUT ON DEMAND

On Demand is IBM's corporate initiative encouraging business, commercial, research, and educational organizations to innovate new market place products and offerings that exploit just-in-time, dynamic business decisions. The On Demand Systems Environment Architecture and Design Team is responsible for the flexible, dynamic infrastructure that will deliver on this promise, building on autonomic computing, grid and Linux.

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

To register, please email your name, title, and company name to:

Ms. Claire Kahrobaie
Manager, Client Services
Silicon Valley World Internet Center
E: kahrobaie@worldinternetcenter.com

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EXECUTIVE BRIEFING: TUESDAY, MAY 13, 2003
"Challenges and Rewards of Driving Innovation: Taking the Thought Leadership Approach"

By Prof. Dr. Lutz Heuser, Vice President and Chief Development Architect, SAP Corporate Research, SAP AG
3:45 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Reception to follow. No Fee to attend. Open to the Public.
Pre-registration Required. See Below for Registration Information.

In a shifting economy when many enterprises lean towards tried-and-true solutions, business progress is attained through pushing innovation forward, even in a time of uncertainty. Please join us at the Silicon Valley World Internet Center for Dr. Lutz Heuser's briefing on how to optimize and extend business processes utilizing innovative technologies.

Dr. Heuser, Vice President and Chief Development Architect of SAP Corporate Research, will conduct an Executive Briefing illustrating how processes for IT innovation can be supported by business-driven technology research. His briefing will illuminate key areas of research-driven innovation being conducted at SAP worldwide, looking at optimizing existing business processes through, for example, Adaptive Supply Chain Networks and Smart Vending, as well as identifying new business processes arenas which enterprise-level applications can support, such as Homeland Security.

As a producer of IT solutions, to become a trusted innovator you have to identify the right technology along with the most excited early adopters to experiment and place a first product in the market with certainty - all in a timely fashion. Rising to this challenge reaps great rewards: gaining momentum and market share. Dr. Heuser will address SAP Corporate Research's approaches to these challenges, outlining specific areas of innovation.

At this Executive Briefing, Dr. Heuser will announce the formation of the Smart Items Business Forum under the aegis of the Silicon Valley World Internet Center. SAP will chair this Forum, designed to give a strong presence and focus to the unique business and technology potential of the Silicon Valley in the Smart Items space.

As Smart Items business-enabling technologies like RFID and ad hoc sensor networks are gaining momentum, SAP will sponsor a series of briefings and working groups specifically designed to identify and leverage new enterprise business opportunities across industry sectors.

Dr. Heuser will specifically address SAP's Smart Vending initiative. The ability to connect machine data sources, better known as Smart Items, to SAP systems is becoming an important topic for SAP customers as the number of devices with the ability to collect and distribute data grows. SAP is embracing the evolution of Smart Items and their information. By allowing SAP customers to incorporate data from diverse sources, customers can optimize existing business processes that improve the bottom line. The SAP Smart Vending initiative is one such example. By collecting and exchanging data with vending machines in the field, customers will be able to reduce logistics costs while promoting sales. Together with its partners, SAP Corporate Research is setting up a vending demo center that allows interested parties to evaluate the ROI opportunities at a minimal risk.

ABOUT DR. LUTZ HEUSER

Prof. Dr. Lutz Heuser is Vice President of Corporate Research and Chief Development Architect at SAP AG. He is responsible for all Strategic Research Programs and the global innovation transfer into the product portfolio of SAP. His main areas of expertise include eLearning, pervasive computing, Internet services, Collaborative Business Processes and Business-to-Business integration.

Prior to joining SAP, Dr. Heuser was Managing Director of the European Research Organization of Digital Equipment Corporation and member of the extended board of the German subsidiary of Digital. He was Co-founder of the renowned research center CEC Karlsruhe, as well as three joint venture research centers with Universities of Karlsruhe, Darmstadt, and Dresden. Dr. Heuser received his doctoral degree in Informatics from the University of Karlsruhe and his diploma in Informatics from the University of Darmstadt. Recently he received a diploma from the National University of Paraguay to become a "Profesor Visitante" of the Faculty of Economics.

ABOUT SAP CORPORATE RESEARCH AND SAP®

SAP Corporate Research (http://www.sap.com/company/research.asp) is the technology research department of SAP (http://www.sap.com) engaged in applied research and development at various research centers worldwide. Targeted to establish SAP as the thought leader in the area of innovative and breakthrough information technology, SAP Corporate Research determines the business value of new technologies and introduces new technology and concepts for future solutions that will be of strategic importance to SAP customers. Passed on to appropriate SAP development groups, the new technology will be integrated into new or existing SAP offerings. SAP Corporate Research spreads its research and development efforts around the globe, currently at 8 locations, gathering and exchanging innovative knowledge worldwide. Additionally SAP Corporate Research remains close to the customer with SAP Field groups and carefully selected research organizations in order to adapt research activities quickly to both global and local requirements. Through target investigations, creativity, and strong forward thinking, SAP Corporate Research is well known as "the Innovative Force Behind Tomorrow's Technology" and has gained the status of a trusted advisor for SAP technology activities and decisions.

SAP® is the world's leading provider of business software solutions and with subsidiaries in over 50 countries, the world's third-largest independent software supplier. Through the mySAP(tm) Business Suite, people doing business around the globe are improving relationships with customers and partners, streamlining operations, and achieving significant efficiencies throughout their supply chains.

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

To register, please email your name, title, and company name to:

Ms. Claire Kahrobaie
Manager, Client Services
T: 650.462.9800
E: kahrobaie@worldinternetcenter.com

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HUNGARIAN TRADE AND INVESTMENT SYMPOSIUM: THURSDAY, MAY 29, 2003
"Hungary 2003: Focus on High Tech"
8:00 - 10:00 a.m. Open to the Public. No Fee. Not held at the Center.
Held at Hewlett-Packard Auditorium, 3000 Hanover Street, Palo Alto.
Pre-registration Required. See Below for Registration Information.

Mr. Walter Reichert, Chair of the Center's International Council and former head of the International Business Center at Hewlett-Packard, would like to invite the Center's community to attend a symposium focused on Hungary's high tech industry on Thursday, May 29, 2003, to be held at the Hewlett-Packard Auditorium in Palo Alto. Please note the special location.

Mr. Reichert will moderate the symposium and provide introductory and closing remarks. The program will also include a welcome address by His Excellency Andras Simonyi, Ambassador of the Republic of Hungary, and a keynote speech delivered by His Excellency Dr. Istvan Csillag, Minister of Economy and Transportation of the Republic of Hungary.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Pre-registration is required. To register, contact:

Ms. Rita Abraham
Hungarian Consulate Trade Commission
T: 310.479.7878
E: itdlosangeles@hungariantrade.org

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SUMMARY: PUB TALK: THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2003
"Smart Electronic Note Taking for the Fujitsu Tablet PC"
By Mr. Chris Holmes, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships, Mindjet LLC, In collaboration with the Center's Executive Sponsor, Fujitsu
Click Here to view Presentation (2.66mb)

The Fujitsu Tablet PC promises a better way for legions of corridor warriors to create and manage notes electronically. Current Tablet PC note-taking applications however, provide little more than the digital equivalent of paper, notepads or sketchpads. To take full advantage of the power of the Fujitsu Tablet PC, business professionals need a tool that takes meeting notes out of the personal realm and into the world of team collaboration and decision making.

At this Pub, come see how MindManager 2002, as demonstrated with the Fujitsu Tablet PC, represents a significant advance in electronic note taking by providing a highly effective visualization technique for capturing, organizing and communicating the unstructured content typical of both ad hoc and formal meetings. Benefits include better information sharing, more effective meetings and more productive teams. Corridor warriors can now capture, structure, search, and share notes among team members with far greater ease and clarity than other Tablet PC note-taking products allow.

ABOUT CHRIS HOLMES

Chris Holmes has 25 years of experience in the computer industry in both Europe and North America. He has held senior positions in software development, sales, marketing, operational management, and strategic planning. In 1989, he co-founded Visionware, a software startup in the emerging Microsoft Windows to UNIX connectivity market. In 1994, Santa Cruz Operation (SCO) acquired Visionware, where he served as Vice President of Strategic Planning. At Mindjet, Mr. Holmes is responsible for building strategic partnerships to accelerate market awareness and customer growth of Mindjet's MindManager application. He has also served as chairman and director on the boards of several software businesses seeking growth in North American and European markets.

ABOUT MINDJET, LLC

Founded in 1993, Mindjet LLC (http://www.mindjet.com) is the leading developer of visual tools for brainstorming and planning, with more than 280,000 customers worldwide including 60 of the Fortune 100 companies. The company has offices in San Francisco, Frankfurt, Germany, and Birmingham, UK; a growing list of partnerships; and a reseller network spanning Europe, the Americas and AsiaPac. Committed to continually improving its product suite to meet the changing needs of its customers, Mindjet is a Microsoft Certified Partner, and a member of the Microsoft Project Solution Providers Program and the Citrix Business Alliance. MindManager® is a Mindjet LLC trademark. All other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

For Partnership and Corporate Issues, contact:
Mr. Chris Holmes
Vice President of Strategic Partnerships
T: 415.925.3120, ext. 138
E: chris.holmes@mindjet.com

For Product Inquiries, contact:
Mindjet Sales
T: 415.925.3120
E: sales@mindjet.com

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THE PREMIERE AUTO-ID SALON: THURSDAY, APRIL 24, 2003
"What are Our Greatest Technology Challenges in This Market Space?"
Summary and Presentation Link Below.

Last week, the World Internet Center hosted its first Auto ID Salon, gathering interested folks from around the Valley to focus on what issues need to be addressed to move the Auto ID market forward. Thirty-nine people attended the Salon, an informal network representing large, medium, and small companies contributing to this space. Sun, SAP, and Fujitsu, Executive Sponsors of the Center who are active in the Auto ID arena, contributed their views, along with Alien Technology Corporation and a host of others who came to learn, listen and share ideas on this burgeoning industry. Mr. Dinesh Vadhia, the Salon Master, gave a thorough grounding in the fundamentals of the Auto ID movement.

To view Mr. Vadhia's presentation, visit the Center's Website. Scroll down and click onto "April 24, 2003" to view the program information, including the link to the "Auto ID presentation".

The discussion flowed from questions of technical capacity of RFID chips to the range of EPC readers. Many questioned the privacy and security implications of embedded technologies and called for future Salons to address these issues. Still more looked to focus on the business opportunities and the implications for new business models or business processes.

This Salon marked the first in a series of sessions to be held by the World Internet Center to help move the discussion and the business opportunities forward. Future sessions will build on thematic foci called for by the participants. At this session, there was a call for more end-users to participate. The World Internet Center welcomes connections with end-users embracing Auto ID technologies for their businesses. Please contact us with any suggestions at duggan@worldinternetcenter.com.

We thank all those who attended and shared their expertise for this first Salon in the Silicon Valley on Auto ID. We look forward to your future participation. Many thanks to Dinesh Vadhia for his patience as a Salon Master!

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SUMMARY: SPECIAL PRESENTATION: WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9, 2003
"Are We There Yet? A Look at Technology and Where We Expected to be by Now"

By Dr. Bob Glass, Futurist and Fellow, Silicon Valley World Internet Center
Summary and Presentation Link Below.

The World Internet Center gladly joined the Silicon Valley Web Guild in hosting a very informative and entertaining talk by Dr. Bob Glass, Fellow of the Center, last Wednesday, April 9. Dr. Bob Glass, known in the Valley as "Dr. Bob," brought us back a decade to a time when we didn't have cell phones or PDAs or the World Wide Web. He shared a very clever short film, "Starfire", which he helped create while a Futurist at Sun Microsystems. The film explored predicted technologies supporting business and communications in the Year 2004. In those business scenarios, smart office surfaces seamlessly scanned information right into a large, curved electronic "wall" that made up the heroine's workspace. Telephone-like communications with visuals linked her from her office to her family. Many of the technologies that we take for granted today were already predicted in this film: wireless mouses; instant access to information databases worldwide; and digital, moving images being beamed - realtime - around the world; among many others.

Dr. Bob wrapped up by reviewing whether we are "there" yet, that is, have we in 2003 - 2004 achieved the predicted technological breakthroughs he and his team at Sun saw a decade ago.

To view Dr. Bob's presentation, visit the Center's Website. Scroll down and click onto "April 9, 2003" to view the program information, including the link to Dr. Bob Glass' presentation.

For further information on his presentation and the "Starfire" film, please feel free to contact:

Dr. Bob Glass
T: 415.309.7000
E: drbob@eou.com
W: www.eou.com

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For further information on the Center's Sponsors and Knowledge Network Partners, visit their Websites:

EXECUTIVE SPONSORS
• Amdocs, Inc. http://www.amdocs.com
• Cable & Wireless http://www.cw.com
• Deutsche Telekom http://www.dtag.de/english/index.htm
• Fujitsu http://www.fujitsu.com
• IBM Corporation http://www.ibm.com
• SAP http://www.mysap.com
• Sun Microsystems http://www.sun.com

KNOWLEDGE NETWORK PARTNERS
• Halleck http://www.halleck.com
• IC Growth, Inc. http://www.icgrowth.com
• Internet Wire http://www.internetwire.com

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To join our community, click on this link: http://center.infopoint.com/join.php

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