Workshop Programme

27 May 2009

The Terraces downstairs at Baycourt

12:30pm Technology - Looking into the Future

Where does Microsoft see technology for business heading over the next four years? Brett Roberts, Microsoft New Zealand’s National Technology Officer, will talk about Microsoft’s vision for the future and how this will impact on every business in the Bay of Plenty. As one of just 50 National Technology Officers worldwide, Brett will showcase how Microsoft’s software can help solve some of the problems facing businesses and government today … as well as tomorrow! This workshop is sponsored by Pingar, the Tauranga-based internet search and publishing company. Pingar became a member of Microsoft’s Start-up Accelerator programme in June 2008.

Download the Microsoft Presentation

1:30 pm What Gen-i and the new XT Mobile Network could do for your Business

Telecom’s XT mobile network is faster in more places, but this is about more than just speed and coverage. It is about what can be achieved by combining smart applications and clever devices with a seamless, high-speed mobile network. For business people the questions are likely to be: “So how does this help my organisation? Can it help me sell more or be more efficient?” Gen-i has answers to those questions. Come to this seminar and learn about Gen-i Mobility Solutions and how they could help your business.

2:30 pm Financing Technology in a Credit Crunch

Flexirent is a type of operating lease for business customers who know the importance of having the latest technology all the time. Sponsored by The Technology Centre, this workshop will provide some background on the credit crunch and the place of financial institutions in the market, followed by the importance of putting your cash to its best use when investing in technology.

Download the Flexirent Presentation

3:30 pm Adopting Open Source Software - a Smart Business Move

If you’d like to know why the City of Amsterdam is converting 15,000 council PCs to Open Office and Firefox and how your organisation could benefit from open source software, you must not miss this presentation. Don Christie, director of Catalyst IT in Wellington and President of the NZ Open Source Society, will explain why companies worldwide are increasingly adopting open source software. Don will discuss the benefits of free and open source software (FOSS) and demonstrate the importance of products such as Linux, Open Office, Firefox & Thunderbird. This workshop is brought to you by local open source specialists TechnologyWise.

Download Don's Presentation

4:30 pm Threats to Your Business in the Internet Age

How safe is the data on your systems, is information being leaked by employees, are unauthorised parties accessing information on your companies systems, would you even know? Andrew Thrift of Business Technology Group will hold an interactive presentation about modern security threats, data leakage and how you can keep your systems safe.