TOPICS INCLUDE:
• Commons-based peer production
• Economic considerations
• Software as a service
• Revisiting Reed's Law
• Web-oriented architectures
• Social and legal ramifications
• IPv6
• User-generated content
• Sharing network resources
• Network niches
CONFERENCE OVERVIEW
The instantiations of what we call Web 2.0—RSS feeds, mash-ups, Web hacks, wikis, and so forth—will soon be seen as mere blips when compared with the pervasive networks that follow. Radical changes in information production that the Internet has introduced are reshaping markets and forcing organizations to restructure their value propositions. What are the ramifications when networks become the context of our work and lives? Who’s threatened, and what’s next?
A wealth of networks allows for smoother collaboration as data and applications quickly make their way to the Web. With networks everywhere, where data resides no longer matters, as long as it’s easily accessible. Software running on laptops may soon fade away, as Web-resident apps get rented, shared, shifted, rebuilt, and mashed up.
Customer relationships and connections between data will become paramount. As enterprises move their IT operations out to third parties, and as these third parties hold the IP of multiple organizations, who will really own IP? How quickly will an organization be able to change its business model if its IT department is outsourced?
The abundance and interconnection of networks will seriously challenge traditional business models. It will redefine how we do things: emergent and freeform vs. predefined and structured, bottom-up vs. command-and-control, and self-service vs. mediated. The benefits will be huge; they will generate opportunities for new kinds of partnerships among companies and could create real value. There will be serious downsides as well. We’ll examine the pros, the cons, the rapid scaling, and the new class of risk in a thoroughly networked world. Some networks may become invisible. How will organizations deal with stealthy competitors? Expect disruption, and expect it soon.
FIDELITY CENTER OF APPLIED TECHNOLOGY
Thursday, September 27, 8:30 am - 12:00 pm
Our site visit to Fidelity will offer two venues:
1) The Fidelity Center of Applied Technology (FCAT) is a working research and development laboratory dedicated to the future. FCAT is a unique learning center offering Fidelity associates and their visitors a view into what the future technology landscape may look like. Current research and development efforts include: mobile devices and computing platforms; speech recognition, data mining, and visualization; security and privacy technologies; behavioral economics and decision theory; collaboration tools and environments; and search technologies. In 2007, the Fidelity Center for Applied Technology Briefing Center was recognized as the 2007 Best New Center of the Year by the Association of Briefing Program Managers. Further information is available at http://fcat.fidelity.com/ (userid: fcat, password: fcat), which includes a virtual tour.
2) The famous Fidelity Management Research Chart Room is the working environment and home of equity research and analysis for Fidelity’s fund management. Historical perspectives of stock market performance and indicators back to the Civil War are one of the highlights of the tour.