DEMO 2004: blogs among next wave of innovations
The 14th annual DEMO conference opened today with a focus on liberated desktop computing, rich blogging products, and technologies that give the entrenched status quo a run for its money. DEMO 2004 is the launch venue for 67 new products and services, many of which are still in development, representing innovations from a broad spectrum of the tech industry. Executive Producer Chris Shipley began the conference with a summary of technology activity since DEMO 2003 and a looking glass into the twelve months ahead, noting that the technology market is on the next wave of exciting innovations.
“DEMO has always been about evaluating the building blocks of next-generation computing. This year’s class of demonstrators represent component technologies, software applications and hardware appliances that will transform the way we live and work,” said Chris Shipley, DEMO executive producer. “There are ideas, designs, services, and components at DEMO that enable new products, new work styles, and new business opportunities.”
Blogs recieved a more than high profile:
Shipley identified Web logs as having the potential to fundamentally change the face of publishing, corporate communications, customer marketing, workgroup collaboration, and more. (emphais added) A spirited panel made up by John Patrick of Attitude LLC, Buzz Bruggeman of Active Words Inc., and Robert Scoble of Microsoft Corp. debated the advantages and consequences of a blog nation. Demonstrations of new blogging technologies came from Six Apart, Feedster, WaveMarket, Oddpost, and SilkRoad.
The annual DEMO and DEMOmobile conferences focus on emerging technologies and new products, which are hand-selected by executive producer Chris Shipley from across the spectrum of the personal technology marketplace. The DEMO conference has earned its reputation as the singular event that consistently identifies tomorrow’s cutting-edge technologies. DEMO has served as a launch pad for companies such as Palm, E*Trade, Handspring, and U.S. Robotics, helping them to secure venture funding, establish critical business relationships, and influence early adopters. DEMO is held in February each year and features approximately 60 new companies, products and technologies.
If I am a lawyer and leading people in the tech industry are saying blogs have the potential to change the way of publishing, workgroup collaberation and marketing, it’s time to sit it up and take notice of the power of lawyer blogs.