Subscribe to Newsletter
Tell a Friend
Print this Page
11/29/2007Nine “Safe Rooms” Planned for Digital Cities Convention in Washington, DC
It was in Houston, in February 2006, when W2i and its partners Yankee Group and rClient launched the first roundtable discussion at the Digital Cities Convention. Houston CIO Richard Lewis, commenting shortly thereafter, said: "The Service Provider Roundtable was one of the best sessions I saw today. It gave you some insight into some of their concerns about how this technology is affecting their traditional markets and customer bases, so I can understand why there’s a little bit of dynamics in why that was a ‘safe room’ that they huddled in.”
And so the concept of “safe room” caught. Even if for a morning or an afternoon, the opportunity for peers from both the public and private sectors — and that includes competitors — to meet and talk in a cricle for a few hours has become an invaluable part of the Digital Cities Convention, one that will continue robustly across three days at the Washington Marriott Hotel (December 10-12).
The Service-Provider Executives and Local-Government CIOs Roundtable is now a mainstay at the conference, and on Tuesday afternoon, December 11, moderator James Farstad will explore the evolving roles, profiles and requirements of service providers and systems integrators in the city- and countywide broadband-wireless best-practices discussion.
“One of the core value propositions offered by local-government broadband-wireless infrastructures is the ability to transform delivery of local-government services through low-cost, on-demand access to information and systems from remote locations and mobile environments,” explains Jim. “At the same time, the roles of local-government CIOs, broadband-network and managed-services providers, systems integrators and professional services firms continue to evolve at a rapid pace.”
Typically staged in a conference side room and often kicking off with a case study or two, W2i roundtables have been excellent for encouraging interaction, because the questions are as important as answers. Newcomers looking for the “soup to nuts” on local-government broadband wireless should also register for the pre-conference Municipal Wireless Networks & Technologies Training Seminar presented by NetLogix. This a day-long session on Monday, December 10 provides all you need to know about municipal wireless models, city strategies, technologies, system capabilities, and the applications these networks empower.
Public Safety and Interoperability
The 15th Digital Cities Convention is co-hosted by the District of Columbia and co-chaired by Vivek Kundra, the District’s Chief Technology Officer, and W2i, and provides a remarkable opportunity to explore broadband wireless, public safety and interoperability at both the local and federal levels. A presentation on WARN, Washington’s Wireless Accelerated Responder Network, will kick off the event, setting the stage for an all-new Roundtable launching that afternoon. The inaugural Broadband Wireless and Public-Safety Interoperability Roundtable will shape the discussion and provide an early view onto emerging policy requirements for interoperable public-safety networks, allowing participants to develop insightful, timely and competitive responses and solutions.
“The potential development of interoperable broadband-wireless public safety networks promises to have extraordinary impact on how first responders are able to communicate,” explains Daniel Aghion, W2i’s Executive Director. “At the same time, the topic of Interoperability of public-safety networks raises many issues. For example, what federal and state policy requirements are going to emerge? What will be the impact of the 700 MHz public-safety spectrum auction? Who will own and operate networks? What information will be made available to whom?”
Additional breakout sessions will showcase broadband-wireless applications outright, including video surveillance (including projects in Dallas, Phoenix and Minneapolis), transportation, and mobile-workforce productivity. W2i’s partner Novarum is back to host its third Wireless Networks User Experience Roundtable, with a special focus on managing expectations among all parties to a network.
Digital Inclusion in the United States
Hosting an event in Washington, DC, presents an enormous opportunity to generate a broad-ranging dialogue on digital inclusion at the local, state and federal levels. W2i, working with two Program Committees, will be engendering this through two approaches on December 10 and 12: - Digital Inclusion Forum Inaugural Meeting
- Public Officials Roundtable: The Role of State and Federal Government
1. The Digital Inclusion Forum Inaugural all-day meeting (December 10), is a cooperative initiative of Microsoft, Intel, IBM, OneCommunity and W2i to facilitate best-practice sharing among local leaders on digital inclusion programs. This is a US-focused call to promote effective public policies to bridge the digital divide because of its immediate impact on competitiveness. What are the proven sustainable market solutions to bridge the digital divide in communities?
Thomas M. Dowd, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Employment and Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, will deliver an opening Call to Action at the Forum, followed by Dr. Robert D. Atkinson, President, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, who will provide the benchmarks for digital inclusion in the United States. The day continues with multiple panels and roundtables, and Digtial Cities Convention registrants are invited to attend free.
2. On the morning of Wednesday, December 12, more than half a dozen statewide broadband champions will meet at a Public Officials Roundtable to explore broadband wireless and the role of state and federal government. What is working and not working in the effort to deploy broadband infrastructure, applications and services around the United States? What are the goals, processes, and roadblocks, and why are these so important to US competitiveness? With an eye toward lessons learned, representatives of OneCommunity, New Jersey Network, The OneGeorgia Authority, Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation, ConnectKentucky, The e-NC Authority, and the State of Arizona. will gather to explore: - where the US is today
- the vision going forward
- gaps between where we are and where we want to be
- roadblocks at local, state and federal levels
- recommended federal interventions
- recommended actions from the states.
There's something for everybody at the 15th Digital Cities Convention! Just tap me a note if you have questions about any of the sessions.
back
Related Items:
• Groningen
• W2i Finalizes Program Agenda for Digital Cities Convention in Washington, DC
• City Services Drive Network in St. Louis
• New-Technology Rollouts: Avoid Putting Lipstick on the Pig!
• Doug Townsend, IT Director, Medford (OR) - Part 2
• Tallahassee `08
Comments
No records were found.
Post new comment:Only registered users can add comments.
Please Log-in
|
