VMWare and FITT to Showcase the Technology of Tomorrow at ICT Trends 2014
Announcement posted by In Good Company 03 Sep 2014
Females in IT and Telecommunications (FITT), Australia’s largest network of women in ICT, together with global leader in virtualisation and cloud infrastructure VMWare, have opened registrations for the 2014 ICT Trends event series. The ICT Trends series attracts over 800 people each year to explore and discuss the latest technology trends and the implications for the sector in the year ahead.
For the first time, the ICT Trends series will focus on ground breaking advances in technology and telecommunications showcasing 3D printing, cognitive computing and other emerging trends that will impact both in the work place and at home.
Industry leaders from Optus, IBM, Market Clarity and CSIRO will showcase these progressive technologies and share insights into future possibilities. Of particular note will be IBM’s Watson computer that thinks and learns for itself, giving attendees a sense of what can be achieved with sophisticated artificial intelligence.
Now in its 12th year, the ICT Trends event series brings together a diverse group of women and men for networking and learning and demonstrates the wide range of world leading careers and opportunities available to women in the ICT industry. This year’s events will take place in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane throughout the month of October.
VMWare and FITT are proud to be joined by Lia Timson, Technology Editor at Fairfax Media who will MC all the events and the Hon. Gordon Rich-Phillips, Minister for Technology, Victorian State Government who will deliver the welcome address at ICT Trends in Melbourne.
Other lead presenters and key innovations will include:
ICT Trends in Sydney - 9 October
Belinda Tee, IBM - What is Watson? Watson is a cognitive system which made its first public appearance during the Watson Jeopardy challenge in 2011, where Watson managed to beat its human opponents, while offline. Since then, Watson has evolved significantly and is being used in the healthcare industry and commercial world to assist with critical decisions and setting a precedent for the next level of artificial intelligence. Belinda will be talking about some examples of how Watson is being applied and what makes Watson so unique.
Jorgen Collinson, Optus - 3D Printing: What is it and why should I care? 3D printing is a relatively new but constantly evolving concept, gaining peoples' imagination and growing as an industry at a phenomenal rate. Jorgen will touch on some of the benefits and roadmaps for the direction of the technology in the next few years, including ground-breaking advances in 3D printing for medical applications, industry and printing for the home hobbyist.
Shara Evans, Market Clarity - Emerging Technologies & How They Will Impact Your: Security & Privacy. Emerging technologies that can affect our privacy and security –and the numerous ways in which they are starting to challenge and impact privacy on both an individual and organisational level. With the sci-fi technology that was previously reserved for blockbuster movies already a reality, it’s time to raise our risk awareness.
ICT Trends in Brisbane - 22 October
Belinda Tee, IBM - What is Watson? Watson is a cognitive system which made its first public appearance during the Watson Jeopardy challenge in 2011, where Watson managed to beat its human opponents, while offline. Since then, Watson has evolved significantly and is being used in the healthcare industry and commercial world to assist with critical decisions and setting a precedent for the next level of artificial intelligence. Belinda will be talking about some examples of how Watson is being applied and what makes Watson so unique.
Sam Canning, Queensland College of Art – 3D Printing –A Disruptive Technology. Sharing his research, Sam will reveal the recent advances in 3D printing and the different ways designers will need to work to accommodate this technology. Sam will cover the innovations in 3D printing using metal and plastic and explain how this ground breaking technology will affect the industry in the future.
Shara Evans, Market Clarity - Emerging Technologies & How They Will Impact Your: Security & Privacy. Emerging technologies that can affect our privacy and security –and the numerous ways in which they are starting to challenge and impact privacy on both an individual and organisational level. With the sci-fi technology that was previously reserved for blockbuster movies already a reality, it’s time to raise our risk awareness.
ICT Trends in Melbourne - 30 October
Hon. Gordon Rich-Phillips, Minister for Technology, Victorian State Government - Welcome Address. Gordon Rich-Phillips is the Assistant Treasurer, Minister for Technology and Minister for the Aviation Industry for the Victorian State Government. Elected at the age of 25, Gordon is the youngest person ever elected to the Victorian Legislative Council and is currently the youngest Cabinet Minister in Victoria.
John Barnes, CSIRO - The Future of 3D Printing. It’s difficult to open your online reader these days without seeing an article on 3D Printing but what is 'it' exactly? Now you can learn everything you wanted to learn but were afraid to ask your kids from a 'grown up' in this revolutionary technology.
Melanie Roberts, IBM - Healthcare Transformations through Cognitive Computing. Cognitive computing is here. Systems, like IBM Watson, can process natural language to interact with users, propose and evaluate hypotheses, all the while learning from their interactions along the way. The complete impact of cognitive computing on business is yet to be fully identified, but what is known is that cognitive has the potential to be a serious disrupter –and early adopters will gain the advantage. Today, cognitive computing is being applied across a broad range of industries and Melanie’s presentation will explore the value of cognitive computing through the lens of healthcare.
Shara Evans, Market Clarity - Emerging Technologies & How They Will Impact Your: Security & Privacy. Emerging technologies that can affect our privacy and security –and the numerous ways in which they are starting to challenge and impact privacy on both an individual and organisational level. With the sci-fi technology that was previously reserved for blockbuster movies already a reality, it’s time to raise our risk awareness.
More information about the speakers, demonstrations and event details can be found here:
http://www.fitt.org.au/Events/CurrentEvents.aspx
Early bird pricing closes Friday 12 September 2014. To register to be part of the 2014 ICT Trends Series, please visit here.
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About FITT
Females in Information Technology and Telecommunications (FITT) was founded in New South Wales in 1989 as a not-for-profit organisation. Today FITT has a subscriber base of 4,000 across Australia. FITT’s purpose is to inspire women to achieve their career aspirations and potential at all levels and disciplines within ICT, by facilitating peer networking and support through the organisation’s programs. For more information, please visit www.FITT.org.au.
About VMware
VMware is the leader in virtualization and cloud infrastructure solutions that enable businesses to thrive in the Cloud Era. Customers rely on VMware to help them transform the way they build, deliver and consume Information Technology resources in a manner that is evolutionary and based on their specific needs. With 2013 revenues of $5.21 billion, VMware has more than 500,000 customers and 75,000 partners. The company is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the world and can be found online at www.vmware.com.
For further media information, please contact:
Dana O’Neill
FITT PR
0478149110
dana@in-goodcompany.com
Catriona Walkerden
FITT Management Committee Marketing Lead
0478 312 829
walshcfitt@gmail.com