DECEMBER 14, 2006 - "Convergence of Technologies"
SPEAKERS: A Panel Discussion
WHAT: Convergence is here. A moderated panel of experts discusses various customer and vendor perspectives in a collaborative environment:
• Business benefits enabled by various technologies for enterprises of any size;
• SIP trunking (voice, video, data on a single pipeline);
• Security, mobility, ROI, survivability in disaster/crisis situations, best practices for decision-making and implementation.
4 PANELISTS:
Curtis Haugen - S'Curo Group (moderator)
Russell Berg - Norlight Telecommunications
Dean Galanos - Cisco Systems
Joe Steiner - Avaya

NOVEMBER 2, 2006
"From Buying Goods Online to Borrowing Them: LandsEnd.com, Nordstrom.com, and Bag Borrow or Steal™"
SPEAKER: Michael J. Smith, President & CEO, Bag Borrow or Steal™
WHAT: New applications of technology can create exciting and durable businesses. Speaker Michael J. Smith explains how he's done just this with online retailing: first by launching LandsEnd.com, next by turning around Nordstrom.com to profitability, now transforming online retailing one more time at Bag Borrow or Steal™ by building an online borrowing experience that provides what The New York Times refers to as "Netflix for women's handbags."

SEPTEMBER 21, 2006 - "COMMUNITY SYSTEMS: The World Online"
SPEAKER: Raghu Ramakrishnan, Ph.D., Vice President & Research Fellow, Yahoo! Inc.
WHAT: The Web is no longer just a static repository of content; it is a medium that connects us to each other. What are the ramifications of this fundamental shift, and, what are the new challenges in supporting and amplifying this shift? Sites which are driven by user-generated content are forcing us to rethink the future of our Web.

JUNE 22, 2006 - "State of the IT Sector in Wisconsin"
SPEAKER: Jim Rice, President/CEO of the Information Technology Association of Wisconsin (ITAWi)
WHAT: What does Wisconsin's information technology job market, Internet neutrality, data privacy and security, IPTV, open source, capital formation for early-stage IT companies, Thomas L. Friedman's "The World Is Flat" and ITAWi have in common?

MAY 22, 2006 - "Patent Cooperation Treaty"
SPEAKER: Isabelle Boutillon, World Intellectual Property Organization
WHAT: The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is an international organization dedicated to promoting the use and protection of works of the human spirit. These works -- intellectual property -- are expanding the bounds of science and technology and enriching the world of the arts. With headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, WIPO is one of the 16 specialized agencies of the United Nations system of organizations. It administers 23 international treaties dealing with different aspects of intellectual property protection, and the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) is the only international patent filing system available to this date to patent applicants worldwide. This program includes an overview of the patent filing (not granting) system for inventions. In 2005 alone, 134,000 applications were filed in 128 countries via the PCT.

APRIL 20, 2006 - "AN EVENING WITH MICROSOFT®"
SPEAKER: Michael Risse, Microsoft Corporation
SPONSORS: Acumium; Yahara Software; Inacom; NetPro; Sonic Foundry; Lyons Consulting Group
WHAT: Accelerate Madison welcomes Michael Risse from Microsoft Corporation's headquarters in Redmond, WA. During an interactive presentation, Michael Risse covers these topics and takes questions from a live audience.
• Overall technology trends from Microsoft's perspective;
• What is Microsoft doing in the next 12 months? Preview newly-launched or soon-to-be-launched technology which is in beta testing now.
• Security, a pillar of Microsoft's Trustworthy Computing initiatives;
• Review/Demo of Microsoft Windows Vista (pre-beta release);
• Innovation for the future: What research/development and product groups is Microsoft investing in? Hear futuristic perspectives.

MARCH 23, 2006 - "Spotlight on Sony Media Software"
SPEAKER: Steve Banfield, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Sony Media Software
Sony Corporation of America
Sponsor: Madison Gas and Electric
WHAT: How does a local world-class team and their products integrate into Sony Corporation of America's strategy and universe? From his vast experiences, Steve Banfield offers wisdom to help motivate product innovation and the software development sector while discussing these topics of interest to Accelerate Madison's audience:
• Sony Media Software is the corporation's only division and product line that is software application specific. How does Sony Media Software fit into the world of Sony?
• A wealth of opportunity exists for digital media content to be leveraged and personalized by businesses and consumers alike. In the current age of media convergence, our relationships with media are changing at rapid speed. What does the future hold from Sony's perspective?
• Sony Corporation of America's ability to develop, invest in and grow its Madison-based subsidiary is bounded only by the ability to hire and retain the right people in this marketplace. Regarding workforce development of an innovative economy, what best practices can Madison's business community learn from Sony Media Software's experiences here during the past 32 months?

JANUARY 26, 2006 - "SECURITY: Trends in Risk and Business Exposure"
SPEAKERS: A Panel Discussion
WHAT: Current trends in information technology security are discussed in a panel format.
• Security crimes: ways in which companies are being exposed to risk
• Economic and regulatory drivers for security
• The human factors of security: "social engineering"
5 PANELISTS:
Joshua Heling, chief technology officer and co-founder - SecurePipe, Inc. (moderator)
Kelly Hansen Fitzsimmons, CEO - Neohapsis
David Meunier, vice president & chief information security officer - CUNA Mutual Group
Craig Newman, computer forensics instructor - Madison Area Technical College
Steven Paulson, special agent - Federal Bureau of Investigation