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AT THE CENTER
The electronic newsletter of the
Silicon Valley World Internet Center

Wednesday, October 23, 2003

 

The Silicon Valley World Internet Center thanks its Sponsors for their continuing support:

EXECUTIVE SPONSORS
• Amdocs, Inc. •• Cable & Wireless •• Deutsche Telekom •• Fujitsu •• IBM Corporation •• SAP •• Sun Microsystems •

KNOWLEDGE NETWORK PARTNERS
•• Halleck ••• IC Growth, Inc. ••• Market Wire ••• Incucomm ••• Xterprise ••

Past copies of Newsletters and Directions to the Center are available on the Web site.

All programs are held at the Center unless otherwise noted.

To join our community, click on this link: http://center.infopoint.com/join.php

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SPECIAL INVITATION: "GERMAN SPEAKING EUROPE - LOOKING FOR U.S. TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES" PANEL DISCUSSION & NETWORKING EVENT
SANTA CLARA - WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2003
SAN FRANCISCO - THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2003
5:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. for both venues. Open to the Public.
Not held at the Center. Held at various locations in Santa Clara and San Francisco.
Further information and registration information below.

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SMART ITEMS BUSINESS FORUM (SIBF) WORKING GROUP: MONDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2003
"BATTERY-POWERED RADIO NETWORKS FOR INDUSTRIAL CONTROL: A TECHNOLOGICALLY VIABLE PATH…OR JUST HYPE?"
Invitation only. Further information below.

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POWER PUB: THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2003
"BROADBAND WIRELESS: A CHANGING LANDSCAPE"
Pub Masters: Mr. George Sidman, President, Monterey Network Center
& Mr. Les Laky, Co-Founder, Fiber Internet Center
5:00 p.m.: Networking
5:30 p.m.: Pub Exchange
6:30 p.m.: Networking
7:00 p.m.: Pub Closes!
Open to the Public. Fee: $15 (cash or check, payable at the door).
Further information below.

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SUMMARY: INTERACTIVE PANEL DISCUSSION: WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2003
"OPEN SOURCE AS THE FOUNDRY FOR AN ECOSYSTEM"
Summary below.

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SUMMARY: POWER PUB: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2003
"WORMS AND VIRUSES: HOW SHOULD THE INTERNET COMMUNITY FIGHT BACK?"
Pub Master: Mr. Ames Cornish, Managing Partner, Montebello Partners
Summary below.

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SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: "GERMAN SPEAKING EUROPE - LOOKING FOR U.S. TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES" PANEL DISCUSSION & NETWORKING EVENT
SANTA CLARA - WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2003
SAN FRANCISCO - THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2003
5:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. for both venues. Open to the Public.
Not held at the Center. Held at various locations in Santa Clara and San Francisco.
Further information and registration information below.

Dr. Susan Duggan, the Center's CEO, would like to bring to your attention a special announcement for two panel discussions and networking events offering resources for accelerating your company's development in the European market. As a special offer, members of the Center's online community will receive a 20% discount off of the $90 registration fee at either of the programs.

The panel events will be held in Santa Clara on Wednesday, October 22, and in San Francisco on Thursday, October 23. Susan will be attending the October 23rd program in San Francisco and hopes to welcome members of the World Internet Center's community at what will prove to be enlightening programs.

If you are an innovative U.S. technology company looking for leverage in the European market, this event will give you the contacts and perspective on opportunities to accelerate your development. Attendees will be provided with targeted resources to secure a competitive advantage as you consider expansion into Europe - a market of 100 million people, representing over a quarter of the EU population.

Learn from the experiences of successful business leaders about:

  • Building a brand in the EU
  • Avoiding the common pitfalls made by U.S. companies
  • Opportunities and challenges in mergers and acquisitions
  • Getting your technology transferred within the EU
  • Strategic funding for life science companies
  • Locating the right partners
  • Cash incentives for setting up shop
  • Legal and tax considerations
  • Finding the right people

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Remember: Members of the Center's online community will receive a 20% discount off of the $90 registration fee.

To register for the Wednesday, October 22, 2003, event in Santa Clara, visit: (http://www.acteva.com/booking.cfm?bevaid=55712)

To register for the Thursday, October 23, 2003, event in San Francisco, visit: (http://www.acteva.com/booking.cfm?bevaid=55714)

To find more information about the agenda, panel participants, location and directions, visit: (www.bridgingthewest.org).

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SMART ITEMS BUSINESS FORUM (SIBF) WORKING GROUP: OCTOBER 27, 2003
"BATTERY-POWERED RADIO NETWORKS FOR INDUSTRIAL CONTROL: A TECHNOLOGICALLY VIABLE PATH…OR JUST HYPE?"

Invitation only. Further information below.

In the second session in a three-part series on commercial usage of sensor nets, this Smart Items Business Forum Working Group will focus on the viability of battery-based, low-powered radios in supporting communication for industrial control applications within the petroleum industry.

The academic and industrial research area of Sensor Networks covers a wide range of technology issues. One outgrowth of this research is commercial short-range battery-powered radios that can provide low-bandwidth data streams across multiple nodes of an ad-hoc network. This technology approach has an obvious contribution when conventional communication structures are not possible, for example on battlefields and on the surface of Mars. Some proponents of this technology have argued that it can greatly reduce the cost of providing data connectivity in industrial control situations. If data connectivity is substantially cheaper, then it should open up more sensor and control applications that can lead to overall process savings, improved reliability, reduced emissions, and so forth. Around these new control and monitoring applications new business processes will be needed and new enterprise-scale applications.

Petroleum processing and distribution is an example of a high value industry that has processing plants and pipelines spread over large geographical areas in very harsh environments. The cost of providing data connectivity is considered very high. This Working Group session will focus on the technology requirements for out-door control and monitoring capabilities in the oil industry.

The Working Group will address three major areas:

1. What are the characteristics of modern, current data communication and industrial control technologies used in refineries and along pipelines?

  • What level of reliability is required and under what operating conditions?
  • What are the minimum and maximum temperature conditions? - What are the design parameters for electrical noise and lightening strikes?
  • What are the constraints on operating electronic devices in corrosive and combustible environments?
  • Which technologies (e.g. dedicated copper, fiber optic, data-over-power wiring, or radio) are successfully used for data communication in these environments?
  • What are the approximate costs and limitations of existing methods?
  • What are the regulatory requirements for electronic technology deployed in these environments?

2. If there were a dramatic cost reduction in providing safe, reliable data communication for petroleum industry environments, then how would it be deployed?

  • Would it simply replace existing methods in new construction or would there be new applications with significant economic value?
  • What are these potential new control and monitoring applications?

3. What developments of existing sensor net data communications technology would be needed for deployment in oil industry environments?

  • Are short range (~10M), battery-powered radios applicable for this environment?
  • What advantages and drawbacks would come from an ad hoc radio network approach?
  • What are the most promising radio technologies (e.g. Wi-Fi, BlueTooth, 802.15.4, other)?

We expect to have several contributors from the petroleum industry - experts in industrial controls - share their knowledge of what is used today and what the industry needs. Working Group participants will discuss the viability of current technologies, as well as the benefits to the petroleum industry resulting from the deployment of radio-based sensor nets.

Note: In order to keep the discussion focused on potential new applications and data sources, we will exclude certain relatively established applications and technologies. For example, applications of transponders and geographical location and tracking technology have been covered widely in the marketplace.

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

To register for this SIBF Working Group, please submit your name, title, telephone number, and a short bio to:

Dr. Susan J. Duggan
Chief Executive Officer
Silicon Valley World Internet Center
T: 650.462.9800
E: duggan@worldinternetcenter.com

There is no fee to attend, however, as this in an invitation-only session limited to 18 participants, the commitment to participate is strongly requested.

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POWER PUB: THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2003
"BROADBAND WIRELESS: A CHANGING LANDSCAPE"
Pub Masters: Mr. George Sidman, President, Monterey Network Center
& Mr. Les Laky, Co-Founder, Fiber Internet Center
5:00 p.m.: Networking
5:30 p.m.: Pub Exchange
6:30 p.m.: Networking
7:00 p.m.: Pub Closes!
Open to the Public. Fee: $15 (cash or check, payable at the door).

The market for wireless -- as an alternative to T1 and Fiber, and in many cases to DSL and Cable Modem -- is in for quite a boom. Wireless in the "last mile'" has the potential of rapidly and dramatically increasing bandwidth to office buildings, residences and hotspots by providing faster-than-copper wireless multi-point services. Broadband wireless subscriber revenues will reach around $17 billion in 2005 according IGI. According to Ovum, by 2008, there will be 16 million lines. The questions heard most often are about using licensed versus unlicensed frequencies:

  • Is security adequate?
  • Will wireless at hotspots be free?

Please join our Pub Masters, George Sidman and Les Laky, for a hot discussion. George Sidman is the President of Monterey Network Center (http://www.montereynet.net) and Les Laky is the Co-Founder of the Fiber Internet Center (http://www.fiberinternetcenter.com).

This Power Pub is aimed at the deployment of broadband wireless systems in both domestic and international markets and the reason wireless networks represent an attractive business model. The discussion will specifically address key issues of licensed versus unlicensed frequencies, the adequacy of wireless security, and whether hotspots will be free.

ABOUT GEORGE SIDMAN

George Sidman is a proven entrepreneur with a 20 year track record in launching and growing successful software companies in the information sciences. In 1984, he founded INLEX, Inc., which quickly became a leading provider of library automation systems worldwide. He is the Founder and President of Nousoft, Inc., (1994), a software company specializing in very large-scale object management technologies. Mr. Sidman also is the founder of Arista Systems, Inc., (1997), a venture capital funded distance-learning company.

Currently, he is Founder & President of Monterey Network Center, a regional web commerce provider. In this capacity, he provides leadership for company formation and growth, technology development, marketing, and sales. Mr. Sidman has conducted successful financings in public and private markets. Among his other accomplishments, he is a licensed architect and developer of award-winning sports facilities; and a consultant and public speaker to the information sciences community. In total, Mr. Sidman has started 7 companies over the last 25 years, all of which are operating successfully today.

ABOUT LES LAKY

Les Laky (http://www.leslaky.com) is the CTO of New Access International, a fixed broadband wireless service provider with operations in the United States and South America. He is Co-Founder of the Fiber Internet Center of Palo Alto, intent on reducing the cost of connecting to the fiber optic network and upgrading customers to the faster speeds.

Mr. Laky was also one of the founders of MediaCity, a successfully Palo Alto ISP acquired by SoftNet in 1996. He is a telecom and Nortel veteran, a pioneer in cable modem technology, and an active participant and advisor to several start-up ventures as a co-founder of Internet Inventions. In addition, Mr. Laky is the Keeper of DomainKeep, a private domain name registration service.

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SUMMARY: INTERACTIVE PANEL DISCUSSION: WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2003
"OPEN SOURCE AS THE FOUNDRY FOR AN ECOSYSTEM"
Summary below.

On October 15, 2003, the World Internet Center welcomed back Mr. Mark Cathcart, IBM Distinguished Engineer & Member, IBM Academy of Technology, IBM On Demand Systems Environment Architecture and Design and Mr. Lawrence Rosen, General Counsel for the Open Source Initiative (OSI) and Attorney of Rosenlaw.com as key panelists for the session, "Open Source as the Foundry for an Ecosystem."

Mark Cathcart opened the session with a call to think beyond specific applications being programmed in open source code to consider the benefits of social computing which can solve significantly large problems (e.g., health and societal issues, etc.) Mr. Cathcart noted that because of the shared objectives between programmers in a social computing context supported by open source code, programmers go off and focus on their particular strengths, thus driving invention and new applications of common technologies across a broad range of problems and solutions. He was very much encouraged that he is seeing an emergence of social and welfare wave of computer applications coming from the very possibility of collaboration through open source code.

Lawrence Rosen's opening remarks focused on how the law affects an ecosystem around open source and called for us -- the ones that create that ecosystem -- to avoid "intellectual chaos." He expressed a concern that laws are being developed around the world that tend to protect certain players and prevent effective cooperation in the open source space.

An active discussion ensued covering several of the key themes and questions noted below:

  • Humanitarianism vs. Big Corporate use of Open Source: what is the driving force for companies like IBM to support Open Source?
  • Increased activity in the Open Source space by people simply looking for a job
  • Are the Big Companies paying into the "milk cow" of the Open Source community? Or will the "milk cow" soon be dead for lack of financial resources?
  • Are customers really clamoring for open source-developed apps?
  • Should the Government be feeding the Open Source Ecosystem?
  • Is Microsoft a false enemy to Open Source? If not, why do so many developers in the Valley still feel "hatred" in their hearts?
  • What is motivating developers to keep contributing to Open Source?
  • Who is liable for problems attributed to co-opted Open Source code?
  • Have Open Source licenses been too "floppy" to date?
  • Will the only Darwinian survivors be the ones who build proprietary apps on top of Open Sourced middleware?

To contact either of the panelists, please send your inquiry to the Center at info@worldinternetcenter.com.

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SUMMARY: POWER PUB: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2003
"WORMS AND VIRUSES: HOW SHOULD THE INTERNET COMMUNITY FIGHT BACK?"

Pub Master: Mr. Ames Cornish, Managing Partner, Montebello Partners
Summary below.

The first Power Pub was a huge success drawing participation from HP Labs, SAP Labs, SRI, and many small- and medium-sized businesses. Many of the 45 participants underlined how much they preferred the full hour's worth of discussion in the middle of the Pub to focus on a topic. The townhall-style conversation, led by Pubmaster Ames Cornish of Montebello Partners, covered a great variety of possible solutions to the growing cybersecurity breeches caused by worms and viruses. Mr. Cornish underlined that on average companies spent $500,000 for fixing problems resulting from the recent Blaster Worm attack. He also cautioned that motivations for hackers are changing from just pure challenge to the desire to make money from such viruses and infiltrations.

The discussion flowed around who should be responsible for the security of our personal computers and for corporate and government IT systems. Each time someone pointed to the need for more legislation from the government, a Pub Participant would counter with an elegant plea to keep the government away from our personal information. As one person put it, "No, we don't want the FBI-Carnivore going through my email to track the bad guy down."

Another participant raised the point that "reasonable and customary caution" needs to be applied by the user in order for insurance companies to stand behind any claims arising from the "hijacking" of information from someone's computer and used for criminal activity. But even there, few could agree upon what was "reasonable caution" and few could agree who should be responsible for shoring up this caution: software vendors? ISPS? the government? individuals? A fired up participant claimed, "I don't think any amount of government regulation and oversight is going to solve this problem."

One frustrated participant pointed out that what we have here is an "unbelievably bad software problem" that vendors are perpetuating by not holding their development to high standards, allowing for all sorts of cracks to viruses to worm their way into.

Mr. Cornish wrapped up the lively discussion with four main points, looking to future movement against this cybersecurity crisis in the next year. He predicts that we will see a lot more political pressure placed on governments and vendors. There is a regulatory trend towards defining breeches against privacy, here in California (and should be effective elsewhere). He underlined his concern that we may go too far in regulating cybersecurity and we need to be vigilant about keeping a balance between protection and the free flow of data. And he called for us, as individuals, to be more aware of security issues for our own computers and our own offices, pointing out that we need to make good choices of software and security measures.

Susan Duggan, the Center's CEO, welcomed the group to stay and network for the remainder of the Pub. We look forward to having a similarly stimulating Pub Exchange on Thursday, November 6.

For further information on Ames Cornish, the Pub Master, please see, below.

ABOUT AMES CORNISH

Ames Cornish leads Montebello Partners (http://montebellopartners.com) which he founded in 1997 to provide business strategy, Internet security, and application development services to high-technology businesses. Clients include Fortune 500 companies, entrepreneurial start-up companies, and venture capital firms.

Mr. Cornish was the founder, Chief Technical Officer, and President of Vividus Corporation, which was funded by Draper Fisher Jurvetson in 1991, and acquired by Sunburst Communications in 1997. As the product visionary, he conceived, designed, and developed Vividus' award-winning multimedia authoring (Cinemation), web authoring (Web Workshop), and children's (Amazing Animation) products.

Prior to founding Vividus, Mr. Cornish's roles included managing the Desktop Presentations marketing group at Apple Computer and managing the product marketing team for Business Graphics Software at Hewlett-Packard. Previously, Mr. Cornish worked in corporate finance at Kidder, Peabody, where he assisted in initial public offerings for technology companies and invented a debt-for-debt swap, in which over $100,000,000 was invested.

Mr. Cornish has presented at numerous industry conferences and appeared on national TV and radio broadcasts. He has been elected to the board of directors for the Bay Area chapter of Infragard (http://www.sfbay-infragard.org), an FBI-sponsored cyber-security organization. He is a member of the executive council of the Software Development Forum (http://sdforum.org), Silicon Valley's leading developer organization and is the Founder and Co-chairman of SDForum's Internet Security and Privacy special interest group (http://sdforum.org/sigs/security).

Mr. Cornish holds bachelor's and master's degrees in theoretical physics from Harvard University and an MBA from Stanford University.

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For further information on the Center's Sponsors and Knowledge Network Partners, visit their Websites:

EXECUTIVE SPONSORS
• Amdocs, Inc. http://www.amdocs.com
• Cable & Wireless http://www.cw.com
• Deutsche Telekom http://www.dtag.de/english/index.htm
• Fujitsu http://www.fujitsu.com
• IBM Corporation http://www.ibm.com
• SAP http://www.mysap.com
• Sun Microsystems http://www.sun.com

KNOWLEDGE NETWORK PARTNERS
• Halleck http://www.halleck.com
• IC Growth, Inc. http://www.icgrowth.com
• Market Wire http://www.marketwire.com
• Incucomm http://www.incucomm.com

Xterprise http://www.xterprise.com

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To join our community, click on this link: http://center.infopoint.com/join.php

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