NSW.Net plans an exciting program of events in 2008 to help members access the extensive cluster network and gain leading edge expertise and market intelligence. NSW.Net participants will also be working together to leverage their collective buying power to participate in trade shows and exhibitions.

UPCOMING EVENTS

27 March 5.30pm: Start-up to successful major business - The challenges of SME development in the ICT industry

We are privileged to welcome Peter Kazacos to speak at our March event. Peter is a director and Immediate Past Chair of AIIA, having recently stepped down as Chairman, and is passionate about the potential of Australia’s ICT industry. After founding KAZ in 1988, he led the company for 17 years, from a small IT services company in NSW to one of Asia Pacific's leading IT services and business process outsourcing service providers. KAZ grew from 350 employees through its listing on the ASX in 2000, to its acquisition by Telstra in 2004 with over 3,000 employees. Peter is now working with smaller companies in the industry to pass on his knowledge and experience. He has also recently launched PK Business Advantage - an Australian owned and operated provider of IT and communications services.

At our event, Peter plans an interactive session discussing challenges faced by SMEs in our industry as they follow what is often a bumpy ride along their development path. He will welcome contributions from the floor, so bring your problems with you – involving issues of finance, resources, management skills, software development, revenue growth, collaboration, export opportunities, exit strategies, etc. Peter will debate their solution in an open forum with participants.

In addition, the event will feature our regular segments:

• 5 Minutes of Fame, when a couple of companies will give a brief overview of their company’s products and services
• Speed.Net.Working, when you get to exchange 2 minute elevator pitches with your colleagues in the .Net community, outlining your company’s capability and the types of partnerships you are seeking – who knows what collaboration opportunities may result.

Over refreshments afterwards, network with our guests and other .Net focussed companies to identify skills and synergies, share knowledge and pool resources.

When: Thursday 27 March, 2008
Time: 5:15pm for a 5.30pm start - concluding around 7.00pm and followed by drinks and nibbles
Venue: Cliftons, 190 George Street, Sydney 2000 [NOTE NEW VENUE]
Price: No charge for this event
(become a member at /)

Registrations or more information:

http://www.uniqueworld.net/News/Events/EventRegistration.aspx?EventID=144

PAST EVENTS

26 February 5:30pm: Microsoft's Crystal Ball - Technologies that will transform the IT industry

Norbert Haehnel is Director of the Developer & Platform Group for Microsoft Australia. His area of responsibility is to drive the adoption of new platform technologies and foster local innovation through software developers and designers. Norbert has 24 years of software industry experience working in Europe, Asia and Oceania and holds a masters degree of industrial engineering from the University of Applied Technology in Munich.

Norbert will explore Microsoft's 10 year crystal ball and discuss technology megatrends for the IT Industry in the next 10 years and give some insight into the development priorities for Microsoft in the future.

29 November 2007: Who owns IT? Protecting your Intellectual Property

Our November event hosts leading IP legal eagles from Spruson&Ferguson and Swaab Lawyers, in a panel discussion with Q&A on everything you NEED to know as a .NET developer/ISV. The panel will give their views on:

• engaging with another partner or customer on a development project
• options with regards to the IP ownership (joint or singular)
• steps you need to follow when embarking on developing that great idea.

Panellists will include Rob McInnes, a Principal with Spruson&Ferguson, and Naomi Messenger, a Principal from Swaab Lawyers

25 October 2007 NSW.Net Event - Partnering with Microsoft

Our October event will cover best practice when partnering with Microsoft:

• What is the Microsoft Partner Program?
• Top 3 benefits of the Program and how to use them
• Practical advice on successful partnerships with Microsoft

You will also hear the partner perspective on what works and how they manage the Microsoft maze from:

• Readify a Microsoft Gold Partner, who offer consulting and training on the Microsoft platform.
• Unique World expert in delivering innovative business solutions that leverage your Microsoft investment. We partner with our clients to improve productivity, facilitate collaboration and serve their customers better.

Presenters will include:

• Christian Longstaff, Channel Audience Manager - ISV, Microsoft Australia
• Bruce Cameron, National Sales Manager and Parma Juss, NSW Sales Executive, Readify
• Eddie Geller, Chief Executive Officer, Unique World

21 September 2007 - Directions in High Performance Computing

At our special lunchtime event, hear from Frank Chism of Microsoft and a world expert in high performance computing and discuss the future of cluster server technology.

NSW.Net, together with Microsoft Australia, bring you this rare chance to hear one of the pioneers of HPC share his thoughts on its future. Frank will demystify clusters, farms and grids, in failover, load balancing and compute applications. All this in environment where the computing power of a Cray costing millions of dollars less than a decade ago can be obtained today for thousands, but where the demand for cycles increases exponentially as the potential for compute intensive applications becomes reality.

25 September 2007 - Business & Technology Directions for the Web

At our September event, a highly qualified panel of global experts will discuss "the future of the web" from the perspective of browser developers, standards bodies and very successful business/technology innovators. These experts, in Sydney to speak at Web Directions, will discuss where they believe web technologies and applications are headed and the opportunities that the WWW presents to the small and medium technology businesses in the future.

Panel:
- Chris Wilson, An instrumental figure in the development of WWW;
- Bert Bos, Member of the World Wide Web Consortium;
- Angela Beesley, Founder of Wikia and Vice President of Community for Wikia;
- Rob Manson, Mobile Online Business;
- John Allsopp, Founder of Web Directions conference series

23 August 2007 - Captial raising for SMEs

This event will address one of the perennial issues facing SMEs in the ICT industry - how go about raising capital to fund development - as the progress start-up to major international company. This event will present the following panel of guest speakers:

- Bill Bartee, Managing Director, Southern Cross Venture Partners;
- Neil Weste, Technology Entrepreneur and Angel Investor;
- Richard White, CEO and Founder of CargoWise edi.

26 July 2007 - Key issues in building your business

This event will address the two key areas identified as the key to building businesses with the following guest speakers:

• Denise Meyerson, Education Director of Management Consulting International, on strategies for attracting and retaining staff in a fast moving technology environment; and
• Norbert Haehnel, Director - Microsoft Developer and Platform Strategy, on Software + Services - Microsoft's platform for the future.