DLA Piper’s Global Technology Leaders Summit was held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Palo Alto but lives on in cyberspace. The website provides access to videos of keynote by Jonathan Schwartz, CEO of Sun Microsystems, Inc. as well as the panels on Financing and Mobile.
The Technology Leaders Forecast was a valuable snapshot of the technology world at one of its most difficult times. The Forecast was the focus of comments by many publications with coverage by the San Jose Mercury News, Wired and Valleywag to the Washington Post, USA Today and San Francisco Chronicle. A complete list of these comments on the Survey can be found here.
Beyond hosting a technology conference, our goal was to convene the global leaders of the technology industry for thoughtful debate and analysis when the future of the industry is so unclear. Green technology, open source, user behavior, regulation, mobility, and other important issues received attention. The se discussions were framed by decline in the domestic economy and potential for global recession. The robust dialogue about the future by some of the most experienced leaders in the global technology business was particularly valuable for the CEOs and other attendees.
We greatly appreciate your thoughts, comments and feedback to our inaugural Technology Summit, either in the comments section or via e-mail. And a very special thanks to all who spoke, participated in and helped organize what we hope to become one of the premier technology industry events in the years to come.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Live from the Summit: Battery life, carriers key to development of mobile-device applications
Most panelists addressed high technology and rampant innovation during the DLA Piper Global Technology Leaders Summit. Among the notable revelations, however, were the bearish attitudes toward battery life on mobile devices.
Power efficiency is among the key challenges in producing mobile applications, but panelists were not confident that mobile users will see dramatic increases in power capacity anytime soon. Some of the strongest selling points of mobile devices – screen size, picture clarity, and access to wireless networks – also play a role in shortening battery life.
Panelists noted innovators can make progress by improving chip performance and developing new display technologies, but reinforced that the upside might be minimal.
The panel also noted conflicting incentives between carriers and advertisers, with retailers supporting a push toward geo-tagging consumers in order to better target potential customers. The cooperation of wireless carriers would be instrumental in this movement.
Carriers also profit heavily from the SMS technology that is being replaced by the messaging capabilities of social networks. Although many of these networks offer SMS capabilities themselves, developers are creating small applications on open mobile platforms, eliminating the need for users to direct social-network messages to their mobile via SMS. This might represent a threat to carriers’ SMS profits.
Ideally, connectedness will be a non-issue in the future, noted one panelist: “Pretty soon, we will just expect the Internet to be around us,” so security and interoperability will become increasingly important.
Power efficiency is among the key challenges in producing mobile applications, but panelists were not confident that mobile users will see dramatic increases in power capacity anytime soon. Some of the strongest selling points of mobile devices – screen size, picture clarity, and access to wireless networks – also play a role in shortening battery life.
Panelists noted innovators can make progress by improving chip performance and developing new display technologies, but reinforced that the upside might be minimal.
The panel also noted conflicting incentives between carriers and advertisers, with retailers supporting a push toward geo-tagging consumers in order to better target potential customers. The cooperation of wireless carriers would be instrumental in this movement.
Carriers also profit heavily from the SMS technology that is being replaced by the messaging capabilities of social networks. Although many of these networks offer SMS capabilities themselves, developers are creating small applications on open mobile platforms, eliminating the need for users to direct social-network messages to their mobile via SMS. This might represent a threat to carriers’ SMS profits.
Ideally, connectedness will be a non-issue in the future, noted one panelist: “Pretty soon, we will just expect the Internet to be around us,” so security and interoperability will become increasingly important.
Live from the Summit: Green technology akin to very cheap energy supply
During the final session at the DLA Piper Global Technology Leaders Conference, panelists were excited to talk green, even in a blue economy.
The panel agreed that businesses are developing and using green technology for one reason -- their bottom line.
The panel agreed that environmentalism today has the potential to generate tremendous cost savings as well as complement brands that are already thought of as socially responsible. The movement of environmentalism from college campuses to boardrooms, of course, has the fortunate byproduct of being beneficial to everyone on the planet.
The real estate financing and development industry has enormous potential to use green technology to lower costs and reduce carbon emission. One panelist noted that owners and investors should retrofit outdated technology where possible and sensible from a financing perspective, but also consider where its energy supply originates and whether it can hedge against volatility.
Panelists did not expect the likely domestic recession to slow the sprint toward green technology, noting that efficiency is the cheapest source of “new energy” available. “There are five sources of energy: oil, gas, coal, nuclear, and conservation,” one panelist said.
The panel also noted that the successful push toward green technology will require government action. The increasing politicizing of energy efficiency will lead to new regulations, and lawmakers need to continue to reward the adoption and implementation of these technologies with tax credits and other incentives.
The panel agreed that businesses are developing and using green technology for one reason -- their bottom line.
The panel agreed that environmentalism today has the potential to generate tremendous cost savings as well as complement brands that are already thought of as socially responsible. The movement of environmentalism from college campuses to boardrooms, of course, has the fortunate byproduct of being beneficial to everyone on the planet.
The real estate financing and development industry has enormous potential to use green technology to lower costs and reduce carbon emission. One panelist noted that owners and investors should retrofit outdated technology where possible and sensible from a financing perspective, but also consider where its energy supply originates and whether it can hedge against volatility.
Panelists did not expect the likely domestic recession to slow the sprint toward green technology, noting that efficiency is the cheapest source of “new energy” available. “There are five sources of energy: oil, gas, coal, nuclear, and conservation,” one panelist said.
The panel also noted that the successful push toward green technology will require government action. The increasing politicizing of energy efficiency will lead to new regulations, and lawmakers need to continue to reward the adoption and implementation of these technologies with tax credits and other incentives.
Live from the Summit: Tech can change government -- and vice-versa
A wide-ranging discussion on the impact of technology on government -- and on government's impact on technology -- just concluded at the DLA Piper Global Technology Summit. Setting the tone, it was noted that the United States government invests billions of dollars annually in basic technological research and development, and government demand has driven such innovations as GPS, the Internet and supercomputing. This discussion centered on the government's role as a catalyst for technology and emerging areas of research, including intelligent transportation systems and health information technology.
Paul Brubaker, the head of Research and Innovative Technology at the US Department of Transportation summarized, "the infrastructure in the U.S. will be radically altered, radically changed over the next decade [through the influence of technology.]"
Brubaker illustrated the potential impact of technology, saying the 6 million auto accidents and resulting 2.3 miilion injuries and billion dollar price tag for property damage and personal injury could be "significantly reduced" with advances in Intelligent Vehicle Transportation Systems -- and "mobile ad-hoc peer-to-peer networks" that will become more ubiquitous in vehicles and transporation systems over the next decade.
Dr. Robert Kolodner, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology for the US Department of Health and Human Services, said private entities, specifically small physician practices, will be key to driving tech advances and adoption. He noted that 50% of doctors in the U.S. are in small practices with 4 or less physicians and that he expects electronic health records to be adopted by a majority of providers by 2014.
Teri Takai, CIO of the State of California, which will spend about $12 billion on information technology and services in the next decade, focused on the impact that technology can have in making government more responsive and customer service-oriented.
Paul Brubaker, the head of Research and Innovative Technology at the US Department of Transportation summarized, "the infrastructure in the U.S. will be radically altered, radically changed over the next decade [through the influence of technology.]"
Brubaker illustrated the potential impact of technology, saying the 6 million auto accidents and resulting 2.3 miilion injuries and billion dollar price tag for property damage and personal injury could be "significantly reduced" with advances in Intelligent Vehicle Transportation Systems -- and "mobile ad-hoc peer-to-peer networks" that will become more ubiquitous in vehicles and transporation systems over the next decade.
Dr. Robert Kolodner, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology for the US Department of Health and Human Services, said private entities, specifically small physician practices, will be key to driving tech advances and adoption. He noted that 50% of doctors in the U.S. are in small practices with 4 or less physicians and that he expects electronic health records to be adopted by a majority of providers by 2014.
Teri Takai, CIO of the State of California, which will spend about $12 billion on information technology and services in the next decade, focused on the impact that technology can have in making government more responsive and customer service-oriented.
Live from the Summit: Jonathan Schwartz eyes maturation of open-source movement
Jonathan Schwartz, CEO of Sun Microsystems, emphasized the silver lining surrounding the current financial crisis at DLA Piper’s Global Technology Leaders Summit on Tuesday -- that innovation loves a crisis. Consequently the technology sector is uniquely positioned to take advantage of new opportunities created by the current economic crisis in the near-term when compared to other industries.
He also gave the pragmatic perspective of today’s innovators and entrepreneurs who frequently have little or no fund and turn to open source software because it’s free. He gave the example of Facebook which started by using MySQL for the site which embedded MySQL in the architecture of company's infrastructure. Open source products also are popular in universities because there’s no expense to license the software they’re teaching. For example, MySQL is the most widely taught database in university.
Trying to fight the movement to open-source software, Schwartz said, is like trying to fight gravity.
This reality will create opportunities for open source software companies. For example, most high-performance computing centers use only open source software.
He also gave the pragmatic perspective of today’s innovators and entrepreneurs who frequently have little or no fund and turn to open source software because it’s free. He gave the example of Facebook which started by using MySQL for the site which embedded MySQL in the architecture of company's infrastructure. Open source products also are popular in universities because there’s no expense to license the software they’re teaching. For example, MySQL is the most widely taught database in university.
Trying to fight the movement to open-source software, Schwartz said, is like trying to fight gravity.
This reality will create opportunities for open source software companies. For example, most high-performance computing centers use only open source software.
Live from the Summit: Be nimble and quick -- a discussion of the latest developments in business models
A diverse and seasoned group of panelists assembled to discuss the core attributes necessary for companies, large and small, to stay competitive and grow their business, and interestingly concluded that business models are frequently not the central issue in achieving success.
One participant, who noted that he had seen hundreds of business plans over the course of his career, commented that “everyone’s PowerPoint presentations are the same … all business plans say they will make it faster, cheaper, or better, but it all really comes down to execution. Execution is just as important as the plan.”
Alireza Mahmoodshahi, CTO with COLT, built upon this idea, cautioning that “most companies that transition to new business models are not focused enough on the customer. Companies need to focus on the things they do really well and that their customers really need.”
A key attribute discussed across topics was the need for companies to stay “nimble and quick.” Zach Nelson, CEO of NetSuite noted that the pattern tends to be that “the big guys need to and want to act small, to be more nimble, and the small guys are looking to get big” – with a key competitive advantage for small companies being their nimbleness as compared to larger competitors.
Corey Goodman, who runs Pfizer’s “alternative research” group noted that smaller organizations within larger global companies can retain the ability to innovate and influence the larger organization; however he cautioned that this “doesn’t happen suddenly or necessarily easily.” He further stressed the importance of protecting the culture of your organization.
The panel focused in a greater level of detail on the new opportunities to collect and “mine” data that can significantly impact the success of a business. Nelson noted that “many businesses really have little intelligence today … when you begin to simplify [and focus] how you manage your data you can do much more powerful things.”
Adam Selipsky of Amazon Web Services noted, “don’t be terrified of your competitors -- be terrified of your customers … make sure you are meeting their needs.”
One participant, who noted that he had seen hundreds of business plans over the course of his career, commented that “everyone’s PowerPoint presentations are the same … all business plans say they will make it faster, cheaper, or better, but it all really comes down to execution. Execution is just as important as the plan.”
Alireza Mahmoodshahi, CTO with COLT, built upon this idea, cautioning that “most companies that transition to new business models are not focused enough on the customer. Companies need to focus on the things they do really well and that their customers really need.”
A key attribute discussed across topics was the need for companies to stay “nimble and quick.” Zach Nelson, CEO of NetSuite noted that the pattern tends to be that “the big guys need to and want to act small, to be more nimble, and the small guys are looking to get big” – with a key competitive advantage for small companies being their nimbleness as compared to larger competitors.
Corey Goodman, who runs Pfizer’s “alternative research” group noted that smaller organizations within larger global companies can retain the ability to innovate and influence the larger organization; however he cautioned that this “doesn’t happen suddenly or necessarily easily.” He further stressed the importance of protecting the culture of your organization.
The panel focused in a greater level of detail on the new opportunities to collect and “mine” data that can significantly impact the success of a business. Nelson noted that “many businesses really have little intelligence today … when you begin to simplify [and focus] how you manage your data you can do much more powerful things.”
Adam Selipsky of Amazon Web Services noted, “don’t be terrified of your competitors -- be terrified of your customers … make sure you are meeting their needs.”
Live from the Summit: VCs going global as US regulatory environment limits global effectiveness
No one would argue that successful financial services companies need to take a global approach to their business. But a panel at the DLA Piper Global Technology Leaders Summit on financing the world’s emerging technologies contended that the need for U.S. companies to have a global perspective stems largely from an increasingly cumbersome and expensive regulatory environment in the US. And as the global financial crisis plays out in the near term, the panelists don’t see the situation turning any time soon.
One panelist equated the US regulatory environment to “cement” that forces emerging companies, or “seedlings,” to struggle to find room to grow within the cracks. The group discussed the notion that Sarbanes-Oxley has threatened one of the great traditions of the US – liquidity created via IPOs. Increasingly, companies will not launch an IPO in the US when it can be done without the constraints of Sarbanes-Oxley in much more pro-business environments in other jurisdictions.
Panelists argued the NASDAQ has been “asleep at the switch” while the NYSE has been much more attuned to the unique needs of small-cap companies.
Rocky Lee, a partner of DLA Piper based in Beijing, said China will continue to be a hotbed of potential for consumer and government spending on technology and infrastructure.
As many investors handle their money conservatively in light of the current economic crisis, one panelist said, enormous opportunity might lie in doing the exact opposite and investing aggressively.
One panelist equated the US regulatory environment to “cement” that forces emerging companies, or “seedlings,” to struggle to find room to grow within the cracks. The group discussed the notion that Sarbanes-Oxley has threatened one of the great traditions of the US – liquidity created via IPOs. Increasingly, companies will not launch an IPO in the US when it can be done without the constraints of Sarbanes-Oxley in much more pro-business environments in other jurisdictions.
Panelists argued the NASDAQ has been “asleep at the switch” while the NYSE has been much more attuned to the unique needs of small-cap companies.
Rocky Lee, a partner of DLA Piper based in Beijing, said China will continue to be a hotbed of potential for consumer and government spending on technology and infrastructure.
As many investors handle their money conservatively in light of the current economic crisis, one panelist said, enormous opportunity might lie in doing the exact opposite and investing aggressively.
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