A high-tech startup whose business plan addresses the rising concern over man-made global warming; two different views of the growth of online communities from the chief information officer of shipping company FedEx and the chief technology officer of computer giant CA; and strategies to help media groups deliver content and sell their products in new digital markets were several of the topics addressed in the recent Wharton Technology Conference 2007. The theme of the conference — “Monetizing Innovation: Business Strategies for a New Generation of Technologies” — focused not only on the revolution in computing and telecommunications, but also on new marketing opportunities created by the rapid growth of online communities.
Powered Up: How One High-tech Startup Plans to Electrify the Marketplace
Like many ambitious high-tech startup companies, Current Communications Group begins with an idea that is both technically advanced and yet brilliant in its simplicity: Why not offer customers broadband Internet access over wires that every home already has — its electric grid. And yet, also like most technology companies, that simple idea has to clear a lot of complex hurdles. At the recent Wharton Technology Conference 2007, company representatives and other participants on a panel debated “The Challenges and Opportunities of Successfully Growing a New Tech Company.”
Brand Building in the Digital Age: A Dizzying Array of Choices
In an era of YouTube.com, 300 digital channels, TiVo and DVRs, and videos watched on people’s iPods, the one thing that viewers need more than ever is guidance — as do the companies seeking ways to best deliver content or sell their products. The challenges facing both groups were discussed at a panel on the future of digital media at the recent Wharton Technology Conference 2007. Panelists included representatives from Gemstar-TV Guide International, Comcast, the New York Times, Diageo and MediaVest USA.
Two Technology Executives, Two Views of the Virtues/Perils of Connectivity
When Robert Carter looks over the connected world of online communities that many experts call Web 2.0, it is hard for Carter — the chief information officer and executive vice president of global shipping giant FedEx Corp. — to curb his enthusiasm. Al Nugent, the chief technology officer for computer giant CA, surveys the same universe and sees similar promise but worries more about the increased risk of an operational meltdown and the rise of new security concerns. Both men spoke at the recent Wharton Technology Conference 2007.
