Welcome
Dear Conference Delegates, Welcome to Canada’s 1st “Analytics, Big Data, and The Cloud” Conference co-hosted by the Alberta Council of Technologies, Athabasca University, and the University of Alberta’s School of Business. The Conference follows our 2010 Conference, an exploration of artificial intelligence, “Off-loading intelligence. When machines decide!” This year’s Conference opens on Alberta’s election day, a day of civil, democratic renewal, a day when we each vote, reshaping our future through government - the democratic equivalent to revolution. Election Day is a fitting point to open a discussion on the power and the promise of Analytics and open data. Healthy democratic processes contrast with closed data mines and closed minds. Closed societies are brittle, perpetually afraid and patronizing. The same applies for service success; “He who knows his customer best, has no competition.” Analytics heralds a transition of the ICT industry from technology to service – just ask our Conference Sponsors; Analytics - the business of developing and commercializing data-derived applications for aiding and automating decision making. The analytics market is comprised of those who “want to know”: voters and surfers, entrepreneurs and innovators, clients cum consumers. As the Analytics industry matures, the opportunities and implications are profound. Analytics promises to speed up the transition to and THROUGH the knowledge-based economy! A power shift from knowing to relating. Get engaged and discover for yourself, Analytics - “thinking ahead!” The show we have assembled is meant to inspire and provoke, connect you and convince you: 1) that knowledge without relationships has no value and 2) that Alberta has an Analytics industry, an industry emerging out of Alberta’s mature ICT industry and on the foundation of a contemporary information highway. Each day of the Conference is designed with a goal in mind. Day One with several unique Workshops, is themed “Global Reach” and has attracted Keynotes from the USA, India and Israel - nations adapting to a new awakening, that “to know” is within everyone’s reach. Day Two, themed “Connecting Community” features Keynotes and concurrent industry panels profiling current and anticipated analytics applications and the implications for business and industry, professions and governments. A Recruiters Reception wraps up Day Two, featuring an evening of diversity and creativity: networking among delegates introducing an entrepreneurs hackathon and student innovations. But be alert, for there are “others” among you. Day Three is themed “Discovering”, as we dare venture into what “might be” and what we may have overlooked. In addition to inspiring Keynotes, additional industry panels, and a repeat of the 5 Best Panels, the Conference will wrap-up with a debate on a series of Resolutions for advancing Alberta’s Analytics industry. Not to be missed! So enjoy. Reach. Connect. Discover! Thank you, Perry Kinkaide Conference Chair - 2012 “Analytics, Big Data, and The Cloud”
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