For Immediate Release 

Susan Barich
Director of Communications
Silicon Valley World Internet Center
650-462-9800
barich@worldinternetcenter.com

NETWORKING KNOWLEDGE
By Susan Duggan, founder and CEO of the Silicon Valley World Internet Center.

The focus of the Internet Economy, in terms of wealth-creating assets, will continue to shift from a base in tangible assets toward the intangible resource of knowledge. Those who shape the creation and distribution of new knowledge-"frontier" markets and as-yet-unknown technologies-will have an edge in this unprecedented economic explosion. Recognizing that no one corporation nor one industry sector has the sole capacity to respond to this knowledge challenge, we turn to the concept of coopetition: cooperating among competitors; putting down the corporate swords long enough to collaborate on shaping future technology and market developments. Creation of knowledge through the power of coopetition is the driving force behind the Silicon Valley World Internet Center in Palo Alto.

The Center was founded in 1996 as a for-profit, fee-for-service dynamic think tank and showcase for the advancement of the Internet Economy. "Dynamic," in that it brings an ever-changing group of high-level executives, visionaries, engineers, entrepreneurs and researchers together to share their knowledge, wisdom and insights to inform the directions of brand new e-markets. "Showcase," in that the Center highlights cutting-edge technology breakthroughs and hot new business models to a global constituency. Everything takes place in the warmth and charm of the 19th century building that was once Leland Stanford’s winery, known now as the "Stanford Barn." The Center is well situated to trade ideas and, in good tradition, share wine with C-level decision-makers ranging from Malaysia to Finland.

The Center has developed a reputation for a high-level exchange of knowledge in a warm, personal atmosphere. True to that image, last June the Center hosted a lively celebration when we launched the "Knowledge Network" concept to more than 160 high-level executives from around the Valley and the world. Over the last several years, the Center has created this powerful Knowledge Network by building balanced, collaborative venues between large producers of technologies and the dot-coms, mid-sized and small enterprises, plus entrepreneurs, visionaries, governments, academia, NGOs and end-users.

Invitation-only Think Tank Sessions, Interactive Panel Discussions, exclusive Roundtables, Executive Briefings and the hottest networking in the Valley at the Center’s regular Thursday "Pubs" are but a few forms of the powerful exchange that make the Center a unique and valuable facilitator of knowledge creation.

And people seem to embrace the Center’s collaborative credo. Ian Griffin, a sales and business development manager at Sun Microsystems, said, "Sharing by companies who otherwise compete-kudos to the Silicon Valley World Internet Center for providing the venue."

Indeed, the Center has taken on some of the hottest topics facing technologists and business developers, who deal with the rich but often confusing demands of the Internet Economy. Our Think Tank Sessions have explored subjects such as the future of pervasive computing, economic models for e-services, transaction assurance in a wireless world, and the role of open standards in the expanding Internet Economy, just to name a few. Through these sessions, the Center provides an array of opportunities and benefits to its sponsors and clients, including multi-sponsored and customized programs in the areas of e-market advancement, executive briefings for both customers and partners, and "Technology and Human Capital Watch" for tracking the latest and greatest.

All of this happens because of the vision and support of the Center’s Sponsors, a distinguished group of leading technology and business innovators in the Internet Economy. Our Executive Sponsors are large, global producers of Internet and communication technologies and applications: IBM Corporation, SAP AG, Sun Microsystems, Hewlett-Packard Company, Deutsche Telekom, and Amdocs, Inc.

At our June event, two new levels of sponsorship were announced and two new Knowledge Network Partners were welcomed: CLiCK Magazine and High Performance Resources (HPR). The new levels of sponsorship include the Associate Level, which targets mid-sized, innovative producers of technologies and applications and established dot-coms, as well as key end-users of Internet-based processes. Affiliate Sponsorships focus on pre-IPO, innovative dot-com companies and other small, cutting-edge producers of technologies and applications.

Now CLiCK and High Performance Resources have joined the Center as Knowledge Network Partners. Both of these companies focus on the impact of the individual on the Internet Economy, and this column represents the first effort of our partnership.

With a growing global constituency as well as its sponsors and Knowledge Network Partners, the Center is poised as a centerpiece in the Valley for the collaborative advancement of the Internet Economy. On behalf of the Center, we extend an invitation and look forward to those interested in joining our Knowledge Network.

Susan Duggan is the founder and CEO of the SILICON VALLEY WORLD INTERNET CENTER, a dynamic think tank and showcase focusing on the advancement of Internet-related markets and technologies through the collaborative exchange of knowledge. Link: www.worldinternetcenter.com.