W2i Announces Program Agenda for Taipei Digital Cities Convention Taipei City Government to host global conference series exploring win-win solutions for deploying broadband-wireless networks for cities and communities  Boston. 04/19/2006 — April 19, 2006 (Boston, Mass.) — To provide local-government technology stakeholders with tools for their professional development—including high-level panels, field-practitioner testimonies, and best-practices sharing on the planning and deployment of broadband-wireless networks for cities and communities—the Taipei City Government will host the W2i Digital Cities Convention at the Taipei International Convention Center in Taiwan, June 28–30, 2006. The City of Taipei is on track to becoming the largest and densest Wi-Fi-network city in the world. By July 2006, 90 percent of the city population in the 134 square-kilometer downtown area will receive Wi-Fi access with roughly 4,800 access points. Mayor Ma Ying-jeou and the Taipei City Government have made the wireless network a centerpiece of the “Cyber City” initiative to ensure Taipei’s competitiveness for years to come. The W2i Digital Cities Convention is the world’s leading conference and professional development series for local-government officials and their agency executives implementing affordable broadband-wireless infrastructures to foster social and economic development in their communities while enhancing public safety and emergency response and improving local-government workforce productivity. The following is an overview of the program agenda created by a Program Committee comprised of the Taipei City Government, the Institute for Information Industry, and W2i. Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou will welcome attendees is an opening address. International panels of elected officials, local-government professionals and industry experts will explore broadband policies and regulatory reform, the role of mayors and CIOs, bridging the digital divide, and e-government efficiencies. Field practitioners from around the world will be featured in case-study sessions exploring Q-Ware’s experience in Taipei, public safety and emergency response, servicing high-density populations, and mobile applications and neighborhood portals. Attendees will participate in workshops on successful operation models for sustainability, mutually beneficial public-private relationships, efficient promotion schemes to citizens, and security for infrastructure and applications. To build up a more institutionalized network among CIOs, the closing session will feature an “International Cities Motion.” The program includes a gala dinner on the evening of June 29 as well as several keynote addresses from leading industry stakeholders. Private-Sector Support In addition to ongoing cooperation agreements with international-development organizations, such as the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and CIFAL Atlanta, the W2i Digital Cities Convention is endorsed by the WiMAX Forum and has secured the sponsorship of BelAir Networks, IBM, and Motorola; SimDesk Technologies, SkyPilot Networks, Strix Systems, and Trend Micro. “The W2i Digital Cities Convention helps cities make technology choices that address public safety, municipal workers, public access, and economic development opportunities now and in the future,” said Stephen Rayment, CTO, BelAir Networks. "As a leading manufacturer of wireless mesh equipment for municipal networks, BelAir has been consistently impressed with the quality, depth and timeliness of the information presented.” “When we look at what community broadband can do in the challenges that cities, local, and state governments face—budget constraints, not enough tax dollars, the aging population—this is crucial and central to why this technology should be implemented,” said Bronwyn Guthrie, Vice President, IT Services, Public Sector, IBM Global Services. “While there’s no perfect way to do this, no preordained business model, the W2i Digital Cities Convention is the forum for exploring how to get your plan going and to act with a sense of urgency.” “Motorola strongly supports the Wireless Internet Institute's mission to provide a forum for exchanging vital information between vendors and end users of municipal wireless broadband networks,” said Rick Rotondo, Director of Marketing, Motorola. “As metro-area deployments transform the way communities communicate, Motorola is committed to offering cost-effective, reliable and robust solutions that meet the needs of all constituents in cities worldwide.” “The ongoing deployment of broadband-wireless networks for cities, counties and regions demonstrates the high value placed on universal access to technology for all citizens,” said Wendy Haig, Executive Vice President, Simdesk. “We strongly support W2i’s mission to facilitate collaboration among industry thought leaders, and look forward to helping municipalities go beyond Internet access by delivering affordable, on-demand computing services on a population-wide scale. There is a fundamental shift taking place in the technology world, and we are proud to help lead the way.” “Mesh networking systems offer municipalities of all sizes cost-effective solutions for meeting the critical communication and application needs of local governments and their constituencies,” said SkyPilot Networks CEO Bob Machlin. “From public safety to general purpose Wi-Fi, the key to widespread adoption in 2006 will boil down to optimizing network economics without compromising performance, reliability and security. At the W2i Digital Cities Convention, SkyPilot will showcase how its architecture is being leveraged by leading municipal operator, MetroFi, for the cities of Cupertino and Santa Clara, CA, to deliver multiple networks on a single metro-scale Wi-Fi mesh infrastructure at unprecedented price points.” “Scalable mesh networks provide 100% reachability and 100% mobility, economically serving large communities of interest,” said Nan Chen, Vice President of Marketing, Strix Systems. “Based on that requirement, mesh network systems must provide the high-throughput, low-latency, scalability, security, seamless roaming and management needed to support high-quality voice, video and data. Whether the application is for government, enterprise or service provider, W2i Digital Cities Convention is establishing itself as a formidable event by which others could be measured. At W2i, Strix will be demonstrating the Access/One™ OWS, provide onsite expertise and present first-hand case studies.” “’Wireless with no worries’ is the core value to citizens of a digital city,” said Eva Chen, CEO, Trend Micro. “The revolutionary infrastructure of the Internet brings people into a new era, while the benefit of convenience is safely secured. Trend Micro is honored to serve as a guardian to provide digital citizens a secure cyber environment through loyal partnerships. We believe the elevated wireless security is ideal for delicate surroundings.” About W2i and the W2i Digital Cities Convention The Wireless Internet Institute (W2i) is an independent forum bringing together stakeholders around the world to accelerate the adoption of wireless Internet in support of universal connectivity and economic and social development. Held annually in three to four regions of the world, the W2i Digital Cities Convention includes a thought-leadership conference exploring the issues surrounding the deployment of broadband-wireless infrastructure for cities, communities, and regions; practical training for local-government professionals and VARs; a Service Provider Executive Roundtable; the annual Wireless Communities Best-Practices Awards; and a technology showcase produced in partnership with local authorities, the private sector, and international development institutions. Building on conventions in Philadelphia, Shanghai, San Francisco, Bilbão, Houston, and Rio de Janeiro, planning is in final stages for Los Angeles (May 24-26) and Taipei (June 28-30). Contact: Daniel Aghion Executive Director Wireless Internet Institute (617) 439-5400 daghion@w2i.org back Cover An Event! Sign up to receive W2i's latest announcements: Journalist's e-mail Powered by VerticalResponse