Advanced technologies debut at SEARCC 2005

This year's South East Asian Regional Computer Confederation conference, SEARCC 2005, will not only offer delegates strategic insight into the regional ICT industry but will showcase emerging technologies.

Prominent Australian research organization National ICT Australia (NICTA) will be at SEARCC and will displaly some of its world-leading technology.

Dr Stan Skafidas, NICTA's sensor networks program leader, said SEARCC is a great opportunity to network with IT leaders across Australia and overseas to better understand new and emerging IT trends and to better focus on R&D efforts.

Dr Skafidas, based at the University of Melbourne's department of electrical and electronic engineering, co-founded Bandspeed, a Texas-based company that designs and makes semiconductor products for enterprise-class wireless systems. In his role as chief technology officer at Bandspeed, Skafidas was responsible for research and new product development and raised more than $50 million in venture capital.

Dr Skafidas is a current member of the IEEE 802.11 standards body, and in July 2004 joined NICTA as program leader of the sensor networks at the Victorian research laboratory.

As a speaker at SEARCC he wants to build relationships with other sensor networks, grid computing, and application developers and integrators. Skafidas is keen to see critical appraisal of new market trends and technologies from people that have been, or are involved in the industry at this year's event.

SEARRC 2005, which will be held at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre from September 28 to 30, incorporates the South East Asian Regional Computer Federation annual conference and five other leading ICT events.

Dubbed ICT Building Bridges, it will be the biggest event in town for CIOs and ICT practitioners this year, boasting more than 60 sessions from both local and international business leaders.

Dr Skafidas believes the SEARCC idea is the way of the future for ICT conferences and events in Australia, because it brings together industry leaders who can present their visions for the future as well as panels where the participants can discuss the merits of new technologies and trends in concise ways.

"It also places new technologies in perspective when you have multiple individuals describing the merits or detriments," Skafidas said. "It is easier to be able to establish what is reality and what is marketing fluff."

SEARCC 2005 chairman Kumar Parakala said the benefits of using SEARCC to launch a new technology include contacts with more than 600 IT professionals from Australia and the Asia-Pacific region who are expected to gather for the event.

Parakala said the fact that SEARCC is a blend of new technology announcements and strategic direction "seems a good mix" for the future of ICT events.

SEARCC 2005 is being organized by IDG on behalf of SEARCC and the Australian Computer Society. For more information about SEARCC 2005, and to register for the event, see www.searcc05.com.au