Warning all businesses – geeks ‘out of the office’

Microsoft’s Tech.Ed kicks off for 2,500 delegates Warning to all businesses: avoid IT problems this week as the best of New Zealand’s IT community are ‘out of the office’.

Two and a half thousand IT professionals and software developers descend on Auckland today for the start of New Zealand’s largest technology conference, Microsoft’s Tech.Ed.

The sold out event, held at the SkyCity Convention Centre, is the premier technology event with more than130 international and local tech experts presenting at 172 sessions and 80 ‘Hands on Labs’ over three days. Highlights of the event include world-class international speakers, such as August de los Reyes who will be talking about the latest in human-computer interactions, and showcases of the latest Microsoft technology.

“Tech.Ed is Microsoft’s largest training investment to New Zealand’s IT community and supports Microsoft’s global mission to help people realise their full potential,” says Paul Muckleston, Microsoft New Zealand’s new Managing Director.

“By training, developing, and in many cases inspiring, the NZ IT community through this event, we hope to see improvements in everything from individual’s job performance and satisfaction through to their employers’ bottom line. That is, the knowledge base provided by Tech.Ed will drive productivity and innovation.”

“Tech.Ed plays an important role in the continued education and training of the greater ICT industry,” says Brett O’Riley, NZICT CEO.

“The IT industry is always reinventing itself, meaning that IT professionals must continue to up-skill. From continued learning, stems new ideas and innovation which we can capitalise on, helping the economy grow.”

The popular event includes the much anticipated TechFest extravaganza where the 2,500 delegates party in the Auckland Town Hall. This year the main acts are Gin Wigmore and Midnight Youth, with comedian Steve Wrigley MCing.

Some interesting Tech.Ed facts:
•
• 15th year for Tech.Ed, started in 1996
•
• Four kilometres of Ethernet cabling used to link all the tech gear up
•
• About 10 percent of attendees are female – 250 women out of 2,500 delegates
•
• 46 percent of attendees are from Auckland with 54 percent from out of Auckland (25 percent from Wellington and 7 percent from Christchurch)
•
• 450 companies represented by approximately 2,500 delegates
•
• Seven people to complete the three day IT infrastructure pack-in and four hour pack-out
•
• Largest annual SkyCity conference and increases the revenue of the SkyCity bars and restaurants by around 13 percent – SkyCity Auckland Convention Centre is Auckland’s largest purpose built convention centre.

All Tech.Ed sessions will be available online shortly after the event concludes at www.microsoft.co.nz/teched for those in the IT field who are unable to attend. Tech.Ed Online is also the place to go for PowerPoint decks, interviews with speakers and attendees, photos from the event, and much more.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realise their full potential.

ENDS

BUDGET 2012:
Parliament Debate Live - Video Of Budget 2011
Keith Ng Interactive Graphic: How the Budget Breaks Down
BUDGET 2012 - FULL COVERAGE: Reports / Analysis - Press Kit - Reaction (from everybody) - Previews (from everybody) - Pre-Budget Announcements

Gordon Campbell: On the Budget’s Spreadsheet Victories

It wasn’t as if expectations were sky high, exactly. Chances are, it was always more likely that we’d be seeing Bigfoot rampage through the Beehive lock-up than catch a glimpse of a credible growth agenda from this government. More >>

Sludge Budget Report - Short The Dollar! MEMO: To international bankers FROM: C.D. Sludge Please short the dollar! It'll be good for both you and us. And you know you want to. Greexit, Eurogeddon... watch out... flight to quality and all that. Follow your instincts. The NZ Debt Management Office has been so surprised at the unprecedentedly low interest rates that it can borrow at that it has already entirely pre-funded the 2013 fiscal deficit - all $8 billion of it! More >>

Pattrick Smellie Comment: Doddling along the best we can hope forCriticising Budgets for lacking vision or imagination is like shooting fish in a barrel, but even so, this year's Budget again feels like a missed opportunity. Perhaps it's the intrusion of real world needs that means the government couldn't make better political use of the $558.8 million it expects to gather in its first partial asset sale. More >>