Enterprise 2.0 Conference Preview: Harnessing The Web TransformationEnterprise 2.0 Conference Preview: Harnessing The Web Transformation

In the constantly changing world of technology, companies need to be aware of developing trends, and they need to adapt and evolve their business practices to embrace technologies such as Web 2.0.

As Steve Wylie, General Manager and Conference Director for the Enterprise 2.0 Conference, points out, "businesses are under constant pressure to improve the way they work, enable better communication and easier access to information. Enterprise 2.0 represents the tools, technologies and best practices that arm businesses for this challenge. Being an early Enterprise 2.0 adopter offers a clear competitive advantage to any business facing these challenges," he said in an interview.

The Enterprise 2.0 Conference, scheduled to begin on June 9 and end June 12 in Boston, is the largest and most important gathering for people who are ready to reinvent the way work is done, Wylie said.

In keeping with one of the conference's central themes, social networking, a demo pavilion will afford attendees " the chance to test drive the latest social computing tools and technologies at the pavilion," said Wylie. And the "unconference" portion of the event will offer attendees the opportunity to become the presenters themselves.

Four Goals Of The Enterprise 2.0 Conference

Wylie explains that "the Enterprise 2.0 Conference explores the integration of Web 2.0 technologies in business, from both strategic and tactical perspectives. This annual conference focuses on the tools and techniques that enable Enterprise 2.0 but also addresses the organizational and cultural requirements for successful adoption."

At its very foundation, the conference is broken into four distinct parts: community, education, leadership, and solutions. The conference aims to encourage all those in attendance to communicate with each other and learn about successes and challenges, through networking and stimulating case studies from surprising pioneers.

Perhaps most important, the Enterprise 2.0 Conference also offers a series of tutorials and sessions to educate attendees and help make enterprises more agile, connected and responsive. With the help of its keynote and plenary program, the conference also deals specifically with leadership. By inviting industry visionaries and key experts, those in attendance are offered a unique view of how to take the lead in business.

And at the Demo Pavilion, attendees are able to see the latest technology in action and help others get a sense for where the future of the enterprise is really headed. But at the very center of the Enterprise 2.0 Conference is its focus on Web 2.0 and how companies can adapt in the changing online world.

"This annual conference's mission focuses on the tools and techniques that best leverage the technical, productive and social aspects of IT and workgroup environments to build a cohesive collaboration strategy and empower a connected workforce," said Wylie.

And perhaps that is where the Enterprise 2.0 Conference really shines. As the world becomes more online-focused, companies are being forced to adapt. And with the advent of Web 2.0 properties that have proven to be extremely successful in creating communities and tying those communities to business models, organizations need to be keenly aware of how to be more successful in that constantly changing environment.

"Businesses have a unique set of requirements that must be addressed when looking at how to leverage Web 2.0 technologies," Wylie asserts. "Harnessing the power of Web 2.0 in a business context is a critical distinction and a core theme for our conference."

Even though companies are forced to change business models or adopt new strategies out of outdated plans, they're also forced to compete with each other. With the success of Web 2.0 properties, more and more companies have found reasons to jump on the bandwagon and become part of that phenomenon. Due to that fact, companies are now being forced more than ever to get in on the action as soon as possible and harness the power of Web 2.0 to adequately address the changing times. And as Steve Wylie explains, timing is everything.

3 Main Topics

This year's Enterprise 2.0 Conference will focus mainly on three topics: software-as-a-service (SaaS) and cloud computing, search 2.0, and social networking in the enterprise.

Businesses are looking for software offerings that incorporate Web 2.0 features and functionality while supporting their specific business needs right out of the box. With the help of a number of discussions on that topic alone, organizations should get a better feel for why software as a service may benefit them.

Although Google has cornered the search space, companies like Mahalo and others have found ways to change the way the user interacts with the search algorithm. And with some discussions and tutorials at their disposal at Enterprise 2.0, attendees should be able to have a better understanding of how social networking impacts even the most controlled search environments.

Social networks let employees quickly uncover expertise, develop relationships and share information across silos and contrasting work cultures, allowing good ideas to be surfaced more quickly, the conference's Web Site points out. Realizing that, conference organizers have planned a number of tutorials to help organizations integrate social networking into different facets of their businesses.

What To Look Out For

As businesses strive to learn how to apply Enterprise 2.0 in their own organization, leading examples and best practices are critical. Because of that, the conference organizers have assembled a veritable "who's who" of best-practice examples across a wide array of industries to show how critical Web 2.0 can be to a company and illustrate the benefits of getting in on the phenomenon now. According to Wylie, organizations such as Wachovia, Pfizer, Sony Entertainment and the CIA will present on their early successes and challenges.

To start off the show, Enterprise 2.0 will feature a number of keynote speakers to illustrate thought leadership and what a solid vision of the future can mean to a company. According to Wylie, the conference will host a slew of speakers, including Rob Carter from FedEx; Rishi Chandra from Google; Ross Mayfield from Socialtext; and Mark Woolen of Oracle.

The Demo Pavilion will also be a hotspot at the Enterprise 2.0 conference. Not only will it pack the latest technologies from established leaders in the industry, but it will also double as the place to find new start-ups. The conference's Launch Pad program "spotlights the up-and coming companies changing today's enterprise landscape."

"We have also introduced a special program on Monday night, June 9 that will focus on cloud computing and the ever-changing software industry," Wylie explains. "The program will feature industry executives from some of the leading software companies and a panel of senior level customers in a mock customer interview session that will be led by David Berlind of TechWeb. The evening program will end with a cocktail reception."

Finally, Wylie said that an attendee favorite, the Enterprise2Open, will make an appearance on Tuesday, June 10. According to Wylie, this portion, affectionately called the "unconference" portion, will offer attendees the opportunity to become the presenters and show off whatever is on their minds.

The Who's Who of the Business World

Aside from the keynote speakers who are coming from reputable leaders in the Enterprise 2.0 space, the conference will be filled with a slew of companies from a wide array of industries offering something unique and worthwhile to those in attendance. And due to the meteoric rise in Web 2.0 and its implementation in the enterprise, exhibitor interest has hit a new high, helping make this conference one of the most star-studded yet.

"Exhibitor interest this year has created an exceptional line-up of the companies driving Enterprise 2.0, from smaller players and start-ups to industry leaders such as IBM, Microsoft, OpentText, and Oracle," Wylie explains. "We anticipate over 1,200 business and IT professionals will be there, which includes C-level executives, Department and product leaders."

But perhaps the real value of the Enterprise 2.0 Conference is not that there are so many companies planning to attend, but that the attendees are such a diverse group covering a host of industries, each adding something unique to the conference as a whole.

For every IBM, the Enterprise 2.0 Conference will feature a company like Zoho, which specializes in online office applications. For each Google, there is a Box.net, which offers tools for sharing and managing data online. In other words, Enterprise 2.0 won't simply feature the large companies that have already made a name in the Web 2.0 space. Instead, Enterprise 2.0 gives each company a fair shake and offers attendees the opportunity to learn something new from companies of all sizes.

The Demo Pavilion

Amid all the talk about Web 2.0 from keynote speakers and tutorials, the Demo Pavilion will provide a fresh escape. Instead of listening to one person speak about a given topic, the Demo Pavilion will provide attendees with the opportunity of being exposed to a far more diverse set of organizations and ideas that could have a more direct impact on their business.

Specifically designed with networking in mind, the Demo Pavilion should "help you find the right products and services for your organization." And with a list of exhibitors that ranges from larger companies like IBM and Microsoft to much smaller organizations like Connectbeam and InQuira, just about anyone should be able to find exactly what they're looking for each day.

"The Demo Pavilion provides attendees with the chance to meet face-to-face with over 60 exhibitors, which includes the hottest start ups to the big-name vendors," Wylie points out. Attendees will have an opportunity to try out the latest social computing tools and technologies at the pavilion.

Demo Pavilion attendance is scattered through the day on Tuesday June 10 and Wednesdy June 11, but a cocktail reception to end both days is probably the attendee's best bet of networking.

Who Should Be There?

The Enterprise 2.0 conference is designed for anyone interested in learning more about Web 2.0 properties and those who want to integrate that online component into their existing business. In the past, C-level Executives, Departmental Managers, Product Managers, and Vice Presidents have attended the show, but those involved in CIO/CTO, IT management, networking and telecommunications will easily find a number of reasons to be in attendance.

The Enterprise 2.0 Conference is shaping up to be a major hit with attendees and organizations alike. And with a wide array of offerings that should help those in attendance gain a better understanding of how Web 2.0 can play an important role in the enterprise going forward, it looks like June 9 through June 12 in Boston will be a major event for all parties involved.

"The Enterprise 2.0 Conference plays a vital role in defining how Web 2.0 will be adopted in business," Wylie said. "As the largest Enterprise 2.0 conference gathering, this is the most important event of the year for anyone involved in the transition to Enterprise 2.0."