Keynote Presentation: Technology is Broken and How to Fix IT
10/22/2008 9:00:00 AM
James Gaskin will explain how Technology Is Broken, and that it may not be your fault. By focusing on four critical areas for businesses, Gaskin shows how to effectively put technology to work in business, and how to choose the right technology for the job at hand. The four discussion areas, laptop and mobility safety, data safety, network safety, and enhanced e-mail value, all follow Gaskin's TPT Rule: Task, Process, Tools. Using dozens of real world examples gathered during years of consulting and writing 17 technology books and thousands of articles, Gaskin balances technical frustration with laughter. Wearing Hawaiian shirts and delivering objective information stripped of marketing hype in his trademark "unbiased and unboring" style, Gaskin explains how to "un-break" your broken technology.
Speakers:
James Gaskin
Author and Columnist
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Keynote Presentation: Optimizing the Customer Experience to Increase Customer Loyalty
10/22/2008 9:30:00 AM
The market is always changing and customers are always being offered other opportunities. One of the biggest challenges small business owners face today is customer loyalty. It is hard to spend time and resources with existing customers when trying to acquire new ones. Customers can leave at any time which is why it is vital to show your customers why you are the right choice.
As a successful small business owner, Jennifer Didier established her technical training business on a foundation of a "WOW" experience every time. Jennifer will explain how to develop long term relationships with customers and why keeping current customers is the best way to build repeat business and ultimately build business value.
Stay in touch on a regular basis to keep your business top of mind
Provide them with exactly what they need when they need it
Offer excellent customer service
Leverage your brand presence throughout everything you do
Exceed expectations
Leverage word-of-mouth to drive new business
Speakers:
Jennifer Didier
Founder & President
Directions Training Center, Microsoft Gold Partner
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SECURITY: UTM: Simple, Elegance and Power
10/22/2008 10:15:00 AM
Modern IT security managers are essentially required to protect against multiple attack vectors while ensuring optimal performance for their organization. This session offers information about Unified Threat Management solution for comprehensive perimeter security. Featuring:
Network Security - Firewall, VPN and Intrusion Prevention
Web Security - URL Filtering, Malware Detection, Bandwidth Management and Application Control
Mail Security - Antispam, Antivirus, Antiphishing and Email Encryption
Deployment as hardware, software or virtual appliance
Astaro Security Gateway provides immediate protection for your network, web access and email traffic. The Astaro solution integrates more security applications than any competitor in one award-winning management device. A complete range of hardware appliances scale to the performance level that you demand. Speakers:
Jesse Knight
Central Channel Manager
Astaro
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THE NEXT WORKPLACE: Beyond E-Mail: Moving your entire workplace to the cloud
10/22/2008 10:15:00 AM
How will advanced mobile devices like iPhone and fast developing web 2.0+ technology change the workplace? Globally dispersed teams, telecommuters, flex-time workers, all are now adopting new technology for working together online, often without top management support. But real teamwork is not easier to achieve online than it is offline. It may even be harder.
How do you prepare a workforce for a "virtual workplace"?
What are the challenges?
What tools are needed?
What problems must be addressed?
This session is based on 10 years successful online team building. You will see case studies of successful globally dispersed teams. You will learn about a platform, process and tools that have been proven successful in forming online teams. And you will see live examples of online project management, time management, document management, contact management, online training, video conferencing, and more.
Speakers:
Tom Simon
Founder and CTO
iPrismGlobal
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VIRTUALIZATION: Extend your Vizion
10/22/2008 10:15:00 AM
Safeguard and optimize your virtualized environment as well as extract the maximum return on your investment. In this session you will hear how we can support essential IT strategies, including business continuity, high availability and disaster recovery. Take away these key components necessary to launch your company's achievement for better comprehensive business continuity.
Perform entire image or partial differential backups of your virtual machines for fast and easy recoverability
Integration and enhancement with VMware features and functionality such as VC, VCB, DRS, HA, and Vmotion
A holistic multi-level view of your virtual environment which allows you to spot and handle performance issues before problems arise
Host level replication within a virtualized environment to keep your applications running 24/7/365
Ability to apply the same great benefits of backup & restore in a virtualized environment to your physical machines Speakers:
Kurt Kobylecky
Territory Manager
Vizioncore Inc.
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ENTERPRISE & SOCIAL SOFTWARE: Email Archiving: Improving Productivity and Meeting Compliance Requirements
10/22/2008 10:45:00 AM
Email today contains discussions, agreements, documents, notifications, contact information, and many other kinds of critical business information. By automatically storing email records, your organization can ensure that they are not loosing or misplacing the information they need. In this session you'll hear how to easily and automatically maintain the required records and to search and find specific information. Takeaway points include:
Options for eliminating the need to retain large volumes of old emails on your mail server.
Details about the government regulations (Sarbannes-Oxley, HIPAA, etc.) that require the retention of and access to email records.
How to use a compact network appliance for your archiving needs.
Speakers:
Skip Miller
ArcMail
[TOP]
ENTERPRISE & SOCIAL SOFTWARE: Content Convergence - Separating The Hype From Reality
10/22/2008 10:45:00 AM
Think about it. Every time you, an associate or a customer writes an email, places a phone call or sends an instant message, you are creating content. Even in the current economic environment, forward-looking companies are charged with optimizing their IT infrastructure and managing this vital flow of information to maintain competitive advantage. And when you're talking about multiple platforms with diverse applications, that task is all the more overwhelming.
From internal collaboration to the formulation of data-driven strategies, how you move, gather, store and access data will determine the level of success you achieve. This will be a fast-moving presentation that will cover a wide range of topics related to various storage, communication and security technologies. Portions will be relevant to seasoned system administrators and storage product VARs to marginally technical end-users just trying to get the best bang for their storage buck and need to know what questions they should ask their potential storage product vendors.
Speakers:
Michael Grandinetti
National Solutions Sales Manager
Relational Technology Solutions
[TOP]
SECURITY: Botnets: Battling the Borg of the Internet
10/22/2008 11:45:00 AM
Sure, you've heard of bots and botnets. But have you ever actually seen a bot, bot source code, or a bot herder's Command and Control (C&C) center in action? Now you can.
In this presentation, WatchGuard Technologies, uncovers what makes bots tick. The talk covers topics both beginning and advanced:
What a "botnet" is
What bot source codes looks like and does
How bot herders control bots via C&C centers
How a crook might recruit an army of bots
How to render bots powerless on your network
During the talk, you'll see the inner workings of some real-world, malicious bots, found in the wild on underground sites. Learn about the many attacks botnets can launch, and how to defend against them. Since the best way to understand these sophisticated attacks is to see them unfold right before your eyes, we will present video captures of bots in action. Once you understand how these evil botnets get built, you'll have the power to avoid assimilation. Resistance is not futile.
Speakers:
Fernando Robles
Regional Sales Engineer
WatchGuard
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ENTERPRISE & SOCIAL SOFTWARE: Make Smarter Decisions: Integrate Systems from Shop Floor to Top Floor
10/22/2008 11:45:00 AM
Business decision makers rely on enterprise information to make the right decision, and they depend on IT to deliver the right information at the right time. By integrating your business intelligence and process monitoring and control systems, your organization can make smarter decisions. In this session, you will hear how you can provide your business decision makers with actionable, real-time information. Takeaway points include:
How to tightly integrate your systems from shop floor to top floor
How to mine real-time data to make raw data actionable to all management levels
How to find and utilize hidden capacity in your production environment Speakers:
Laurie Cavanaugh
MES Solutions Provider
Wonderware Central
[TOP]
SECURITY: The Enemy Within
10/22/2008 11:45:00 AM
There was a time when simple things such as transferring files from one location to another was just a matter of getting your IT guy to install an FTP client on your machine. These times are over, and in a world where security has become paramount, auditors, shareholder and customers are requiring organizations to scale up their security efforts. Getting it right is not easy, and unbeknown to them, many companies still rely on unsecure legacy protocols such FTP for file transfer or Telnet for remote access. Join us in this session as we explore the threats and financial impact of using these protocols and discuss how Connectivity Secure Server, Hummingbird new high-performance secure shell solution, can help you achieve secure file transfer and network protection.
Speakers:
Robert Wong
Senior Product Manager
Hummingbird
[TOP]
Explaining Geeks to Humans and the Inverse
10/22/2008 12:15:00 PM
Geeks love technology but don't understand non-technical employees.
Non-technical employees don't understand technology or geeks. The only common ground for these groups? They both hate the idiot vice presidents who can't communicate to employees from either side of the geek divide.
Learn fun facts like how to tell if someone is too stupid to use a computer,
what traits say "I'm a geek",
how to tell if you're a geek wannabe, a geek or an uber geek,
and why HR says there are no good technical people available.
James Gaskin explains how geeks and non-geeks can work together for the same end results: improving their business and avoiding idiot vice presidents. Along the way geeks and non-geeks will learn how to better communicate and work together. Idiot vice presidents will remain clue-free.Speakers:
James Gaskin
Author and Columnist
[TOP]
UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS: 802.11n - Advantages, Technology Enablers, and Impact on Existing Network Infrastructure
10/22/2008 1:15:00 PM
With 802.11n and the advent of multi-radio architectures the capacity and performance for wireless networking has increased dramatically. Come learn how deploying wireless networks can help you save deployment cost, cut power consumption, and reduce operational complexity. This presentation will go over the technical enablers of 802.11n as well as discussing the features and requirements needed for replacing wired work group switches with wireless connectivity for end users.
Speakers:
Brian Mason
Director of Product Marketing
Xirrus
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CLOUD COMPUTING: Effectively Engaging in a Managed Services Solution
10/22/2008 1:15:00 PM
In today's fast-paced business world, a reliable network is essential! Your organization cannot afford to have network downtime, device outages, security intrusions, application malfunctions, under-performing equipment, etc. The effects these fault conditions can have on your business are devastating!
There are so many activities and distractions that can take away from your main focus?your core business strategies. Imagine an IT environment where you had a team of support specialists readily available to you 24x7 and never had to worry about the day-to-day tasks of managing and maintaining a high-performing, reliable network...this type of IT environment can be yours with managed services.
In this session, you'll hear how to effectively engage in a co-sourced solution, techniques for solid deployment, and the benefits that managed services can bring to your organization.
Speakers:
Kil No
Director of Operations
CBIZ Network Solutions
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SECURITY: Network Security Policy Validation
10/22/2008 1:45:00 PM
Security policies define the secure and non-secure states
in a system. Over the last ten years, organizations have embraced natural language security policies as a means to guide their security implementation and communicate their security goals to their employees and customers. Ideally the natural language security policy is at the top of a refinement hierarchy that eventually reaches the security implementation such that each level is derived from the next higher level. In reality there are large gaps in the refinement hierarchy with most organizations only having natural language security policy and the implementation configuration files. In this talk, we will present tools and techniques for validating whether you network security implementation meets your security policy requirements.
Specifically, in this talk you will learn:
Brief overview of basic and emerging firewall features.
Policy refinement hierarchies.
Techniques to validate network security policy against implementation at various points in the quality assurance life cycle.
Policy-based management and policy validation.
Types of network configuration analysis.
Speakers:
Susan Hinrichs
Network Geographics
[TOP]
Keynote Presentation: Navigating the Second Circle: Bringing Web 2.0 Tools Into The Enterprise
10/23/2008 9:15:00 AM
In the new technology landscape of Web 2.0 applications, there are many new tools that can provide immediate value for a business with litttle to no cost. The challenge is that with such a wide variety of tools, how are you going to decide what tools to implement? In this session you will gain insight into various tools of the trade, including: blogs, microblogs, RSS feeds, social networking, and wikis. Come away with the knowedge you need to separate the truth from the hype, and make informed decisions around your second cirlce web strategy.
Speakers:
T.J. O'Connor
Systems Consultant
CrossTech Partners
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ENTERPRISING & SOCIAL SOFTWARE: Untangling the Microsoft Licensing Knot
10/23/2008 10:15:00 AM
Are you confused by the many options for purchasing Microsoft software? Are you purchasing Microsoft licenses in the best way for your company? We will discus the many ways to purchase Microsoft software and help you determine the most cost effective way for your organization to acquire what you need.
We will discuss:
Retail
OEM
Open Business
Open Value
Select Agreement
Enterprise Agreement
Speakers:
Don Wynia
Senior Corporate Sales Representative
Consistent Computer Bargains
[TOP]
GREEN IT: Green Security
10/23/2008 10:15:00 AM
With the increased push for companies to go "Green" the numbers of electronic material being re-used, re-deployed, re-marketed or recycled, has increased measurably.
While many companies require their IT professionals to ensure that their data storage devices have been removed or "cleaned" before the items are transferred to their new homes, many are not properly wiped if at all.
We will discuss the options available for the proper disposal of assets and the consequences of not following the proper procedures. The following points will be covered:
Legal Compliance
Available Options
Software Licensing Infringement
Corporate Compliance
Penalties
Speakers:
Bill Munday
National Accounts Manager
Great Lakes Electronics Corporation
[TOP]
SECURITY: Network Security Policy Validation
10/23/2008 10:45:00 AM
Security policies define the secure and non-secure states
in a system. Over the last ten years, organizations have embraced natural language security policies as a means to guide their security implementation and communicate their security goals to their employees and customers. Ideally the natural language security policy is at the top of a refinement hierarchy that eventually reaches the security implementation such that each level is derived from the next higher level. In reality there are large gaps in the refinement hierarchy with most organizations only having natural language security policy and the implementation configuration files. In this talk, we will present tools and techniques for validating whether you network security implementation meets your security policy requirements.
Specifically, in this talk you will learn:
Brief overview of basic and emerging firewall features.
Policy refinement hierarchies.
Techniques to validate network security policy against implementation at various points in the quality assurance life cycle.
Policy-based management and policy validation.
Types of network configuration analysis.
Speakers:
Susan Hinrichs
Network Geographics
[TOP]
NEXT WORKPLACE: The Building Blocks to Finding the Job you Really Want.... And Getting IT
10/23/2008 10:45:00 AM
This session will discuss the critical aspects of the job search process.
Brief overview of Hegemony Consulting Group
A snap shot of the economy and how it is affecting the IT industry
Ways to maximize your job search effectiveness
A discussion on building a Powerful Network
Speakers:
Pete Kippes
Vice President & Director of business Development
Hegemony Consulting Group
Tracie Pannell
Head Recruiter
Hegemony Consulting Group
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SECURITY: Laptop Safety Seminar, Part1
10/23/2008 11:30:00 AM
How to keep your laptop safe, your data safer, and your reputation spotless.
How to keep your laptop from being stolen.
How to use labels to get lost laptops returned.
How to track stolen laptops.
How to back up laptop data intelligently
How to protect your data when thieves steal your laptop just for that data.Speakers:
James Gaskin
Author and Columnist
[TOP]
UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS: Managed VoIP - A New Kind of Phone System: Perfect for Any Economy
10/23/2008 11:30:00 AM
As the economy moves towards a period of slowing growth, firms are seeking solutions that not only save money, but also can create efficiencies in how they run their businesses. Managed VoIP allows businesses to deploy an advanced phone system without a large capital expense, turning the phone system into a data network application that can be easily scaled and upgraded. The benefits of Managed VoIP and other managed solutions go well beyond saving money. Managed VoIP allows firms to concentrate on running their core business with applications that are environmentally friendly and much easier to manage. Attendees will learn exactly what Managed VoIP is, what valuable applications go along with it, and how it can benefit their businesses in several different ways.
What is Managed or Hosted VoIP
What are some of the myths concerning Managed VoIP
What is the market for Managed VoIP
What are the benefits of a Managed VoIP
What other applications complement Managed VoIP
Speakers:
Pete Langas
President
IPiphany
[TOP]
SECURITY: Laptop Safety Seminar, Part 2
10/23/2008 12:00:00 PM
How are you dealing with your growing volume of data? Demand for more storage continues to grow along with the need for increasingly resilient storage infrastructures. Does it seem like a new regulation concerning data retention requirements pops up every day? In this session we'll tell you how to effectively manage your data storage assets and infrastructure. You'll learn how to determine if virtualization can really reduce costs while cutting back on overall IT personnel, while realizing maximum ROI from your data storage cost center.
Takeaway points include:
The benefits and disadvantages of virtualization; is it necessary for your company?
Overall data standardization strategies within particular platforms to improve security and compliance.
New options for zero down time.
Speakers:
James Gaskin
Author and Columnist
[TOP]
UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS: Choosing the Right Corporate Network for Successful Unified Communications/VoIP Deployment
10/23/2008 12:00:00 PM
Unified Communications (UC) is a growing IT consideration for corporate enterprises, and one that is especially complex for multinational corporations. The primary driver for UC is the desire for improved collaboration and innovation to grow revenue and enhance productivity. While there is no single view of what defines unified communications, there are several attributes of a successful deployment that span most definitions. One key component of a successful UC deployment is the selection of (or migration to) a global network infrastructure that simplifies and facilitates UC performance. Attendees will learn how they can successfully manage their UC deployment, effectively support real-time applications such as VoIP and video-conferencing, enable secure communications between private corporate networks, and deliver embedded network services that scale quickly and easily.
Challenges of Unified Communications
Getting the right start
Enabling Seamless service delivery
Secure Inter-company communications
Managing the network service
Speakers:
Chris Werpy
Director Sales Engineering
MASERGY
[TOP]
Master Mind Panel and Lunch: Security for Second Circle Technologies
10/23/2008 12:45:00 PM
Our panelists will discuss the latest twist on security risks associated with the proliferation of web-based applications, SaaS, Web 2.0, social networking and anything that might impact your network. You'll get detailed information and analysis from a panel of experts who are ready to share the trends and challenges of securing second circle technologies. Light lunch will be provided during this session and you can pick it up at one of our mobile lunch stations on the Expo Floor.
Speakers:
James Gaskin
Author and Columnist
Fernando Robles
Regional Sales Engineer
WatchGuard
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