Learn about some of the undiscovered secrets of technology in Maine with updates on some of the exciting technologies being developed in the state, from 3D Modeling to RFID to the *very small* things in-between.

Who of us that have written software hasn’t thought what it would be like to be able to create 3D models and images? 3D modeling has many uses beyond the movies. Visualization helps businesses see patterns and trends that might be hidden in the raw data. Simulation allows engineers and scientists to safely test designs and predict performance. There are organizations in Maine that are using 3D modeling in very interesting ways. Join our panel for an interesting and exciting look at this thriving practice right here in our own community.

Michael Shook will take us through a quirky tour of 3D product models. Shook will survey 3D product models and modeling techniques we have known through the years and look at what's to come.

For some it is a way to improve their bottom line, for others it is a collaborative process for creating something tangible from raw ideas. 3D is a powerful and diverse tool that more and more companies are discovering and their clients are demanding. Sam Conlogue will be discussing the many ways 3D is being utilized by his company Infusion Studios, Inc. as well as a broad range of Maine based companies and individuals.

SPEAKERS:
Samuel Conlogue, Founder, Infusion Studios 3D Bio
Michael Shook, COO, Aerohydro, Inc. Bio
Ron Norton, Lead Artist, Dragon Lance Adventures Bio

Nanotechnology, the purposeful manipulation of matter at the atomic level to achieve a defined goal. This isn’t science fiction. Nanotechnology is real, right here in Maine. Come to see and hear about organizations working with this exciting technology, such as marine nanotechnology or molecular manufacturing. We will also take a look at what the future might hold.

Alan Lishness will investigate the Maine bilogocal nanotechnology effort: linking oysters, algae and astronauts. Lishness will describe the partners, research and outreach program of the Maine Biological Nanotechnology Effort, a Maine-based research initiative that seeks to understand priciples conserved in nature that allow marine organisms to develop extremely strong shells and spines. The research seeks to apply these principles to modern manufacturing, aquaculture processes and human exploration of space.

SPEAKERS:
Mark LeClair, President, NanoSpire, Inc. Bio
Alan Lishness, Chief Innovation Officer, Gulf of Maine Research Institute Bio
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Radio Frequency Identification (RFID): A method of identifying unique items using radio waves. Typically, a reader communicates with a tag, which holds digital information in a microchip. There is a lot of hype surrounding RFID. Our panelists will shed light on this technology and how RFID is being applied here in Maine. Separate the hype from the reality and see how this technology can benefit businesses in almost every industry.

SPEAKERS:
Michael Farnsworth, Senior Systems Analyst, Standard I-O Bio
John Kendall, President, EmbedTech Industries Inc. Bio
Steven Westra, Director of Process and Organizational Improvement, Pierce Atwood Consulting Bio

Business processes and technologies propel the enterprise -- learn how tomorrow's technologies and issues will impact you.

Integrating many disparate and heterogeneous systems is a major issue facing many enterprise organizations. Decades of concentrating on applications to support various business units and departments have resulted in numerous information silos within and around the enterprise. This panel will examine Service Oriented Architectures (SOAs) as one possible approach to helping to integrate the enterprise. Panelists will examine SOA as an enterprise strategy, how SOAs might be utilized to address the regulatory requirements such as Sarbanes-Oxley and HIPAA. The session will include discussion / debate among the panelists and audience questions and participation are invited.

SPEAKERS:
Brenda Michelson, Principal Consultant, Elemental Links.Bio
Stephen O'Grady, Analyst, RedMonk Bio
Dean Ostergaard, Director of Consulting Services, iCST Bio
Eric Ryan, Oracle Solution Architect, Oracle Bio

Looking to China, or, What if We Discovered that Offshore Outsourcing Was Good for US Business?
Few topics have created as much controversy in the IT community than the subject of offshore outsourcing. Should we stop the practice entirely, and keep all IT jobs within US borders? Or should we find an innovative way to make the offshore equation work for us? In this session, Jack McDonald will share his experiences offshoring telephone manufacturing to a Chinese factory. Along the way, he discovered new possibilities for maximizing this global relationship. Learn his goals for using a combination of offshore resources with state-side value-added services to create a tremendous business opportunity for Maine.

SPEAKER:
Jack McDonald, Director of Business Development, Scitec, Inc. Bio

New network convergence technologies centered around Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) are changing the rules of what is possible in the communications world, while at the same time stretching the demand on IT executives and managers to chart the course that balances these technologies with business realities. In this session we'll discuss trends in communications, what SIP does to enable and drive those trends, and what can be done with these new technologies - including how Nortel Networks is addressing this technology arena.

SPEAKER:
Gary Cattarin, Senior Network Architect, Infrastructure Convergence, Nortel Networks Bio

How is technology requiring new business decisions? Capital and legal issues, including intellectual property concerns, impact the technology community, and Open Source has turned some business concepts downside-up.

Learn about recent legal developments from a panel of experienced lawyers, featuring point-counterpoint discussions of recent cases from Google to Grokster. Can you use someone else's trademark to trigger pop-up ads? Are distributors of peer-to-peer file-sharing software infringers? Does the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act apply to spyware? Come hear the current thinking on these issues and many more.

SPEAKERS:
Charles Bacall, Verrill Dana, LLP Bio
Chris A. Caseiro, Verrill Dana, LLP Bio
David Crocker, David P. Crocker, Esq. Bio

High-tech and other rapidly growing businesses are often challenged with how to raise capital to sustain growth and meet the ultimate business objectives. This seminar will help entrepreneurs, business advisors and key management understand the best practices for obtaining and using VC monies. Special attention will be given to identifying the latest research and trends in technology and how to introduce, support, and build a technology company in Maine.

SPEAKERS:
Michael Greeley, Managing General Partner, IDG Ventures Bio
     Michael will be catalyzing this discussion with a panel of esteemed colleagues.
Frank Bazos, North Atlantic Capital Bio
Jesse Devitte, Managing Director, Borealis Ventures Bio
Brian Rigney, President, BlueTarp Bio

Open Source software (OSS) represents a fundamental shift in software economics. In comparison to commercially or internally developed software, Open Source software's claim has been increased reliability and substantial financial and labor savings. The organizations in this session have already taken advantage of OSS to reduce operating costs and increase infrastructure stability. This session examines the potential of Open Source Software in the enterprise, addresses typical concerns about OSS adoption, and makes recommendations as to the planning and resources necessary to secure the benefits of a successful Open Source initiative.

SPEAKERS:
Fletcher Kittredge, CEO, GWI Bio
Cheryl Phillips-Day, Chief Technology Officer, BlueTarp Bio
  Cheryl's presentation - PowerPoint
  Cheryl's presentation - Open Office Impress
Doug Roberts, Manager, Systems Services, Hannaford Brothers Bio
  Doug's presentation - PowerPoint

It is true after all, nothing works without the technology. Technology impacts people, machines and organizations all at the same time… chaos need not happen.

Software development is fast being supersized. Big-name tools and environments are bloated and expensive. Methodologies heavily promoted by vendors are overblown. Learning curves for developers feel like so many daunting cliffs.

But a revolution is afoot. A growing movement of developers, under the banner of Agile Technologies, is reclaiming control of methodologies and tools from vendors. Agile developers are creating a fiercely pragmatic approach to software development that is simpler, more nimble, more people-oriented, and open source.

This presentation introduces developers and project managers to agile practices such as continuous integration, test-first coding, extreme programming, automated code review and collaborative documentation. An open-source Agile Integrated Development Environment, assembled from various agile tools, is demonstrated.

SPEAKERS:
Jean-Francois Cloutier, Partner, Information Weavers, LLC Bio
Denis Ranger, Partner, Information Weavers, LLC Bio
  Jean-Francois & Denis' presentation - PDF

Technology is the ultimate enabler for virtual teams. This session will explore various technologies that virtual teams can use to collaborate effectively. Based on the experience of the speakers this session will explain which technology tools and processes worked or didn't work on specific virtual team projects.

SPEAKERS:
Matthew Olson, Taxware Bio
Christopher York, President, Blue Ox Technologies Bio

How can we find out what users really want or need? The methods of "Contextual design", formalized by Beyer and Holtzblatt, provide a method for answering this question. Drawing on his experience applying these techniques to a wide range of user communities, Arthur Fink will discuss how developers can really listen to users, engage them in the system design process, and thereby produce more useful systems. Finally, Arthur will present some ideas about how we all can improve our listening skills.

SPEAKER:
Arthur Fink, Arthur Fink Consulting Bio