Illinois Technology Association Symposium Brings Together Industry Luminaries to Explore "The Internet of Things"

CHICAGO, IL--(Marketwired - Nov 5, 2013) -  The Illinois Technology Association (ITA) today announced that it is hosting a one-day symposium to explore the topic of "The Internet of Things" -- a phenomenon created by more "things" being connected to the Internet than people. The event, "Exploring the Internet of Things," will examine how the billions of connected devices embedded with sensors and microchips are building an interconnected planet that is forever changing the business landscape. A series of five panel discussions will feature CEOs, executives and authors who will offer insight on the emerging hyper-connected market and how companies can position themselves to seize its incumbent opportunities.

"The concept of the Internet of Things is rapidly maturing and revolutionizing how we conduct business," said Don DeLoach, ITA board member and CEO of Infobright, a provider of software products that store and analyze machine-generated data. "The Internet of Things promises to make our lives easier and better, from more efficient energy delivery and consumption to mobile health innovations. It's exciting to see how companies are evolving business models and developing new approaches to capitalize on the massive amounts of data and intelligence that have become available from the proliferation of non-human devices."

"Exploring the Internet of Things" will take place Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2013, at Edwards Wildman Palmer LLP, 225 W. Wacker Drive, Suite 3000, Chicago. It is free for ITA members and $50 for non-members. Non-members can attend individual sessions for fees ranging from $15 to $25 each. Visit http://www.illinoistech.org/event.aspx/11447 to register.

"This series of panel discussions, each led by a stellar group of industry experts and visionaries, is sure to generate thought-provoking, insightful and transformative ideas among attendees," said ITA Vice President Sarah Habansky. "Understanding this interconnectedness and how to translate data into tangible business value is of the utmost importance to growing businesses, and the ITA is pleased to be addressing this most timely topic."

The event agenda is as follows:

7:30am - 9:00 am (breakfast included)
What is the Internet of Things?
This panel introduces the concept of the Internet of Things and lays the groundwork for the rest of the day's discussions.

Panelists:
Bo Borland, Director of Sales Engineering, Pentaho
Mike Dannenfeldt, Senior Vice President, Etherios
Phil Gerskovich, Senior Vice President, New Growth Platforms, Zebra Technologies
Daniel Obodovski, Author, "The Silent Intelligence - The Internet of Things"

Moderator:
Howard Smith, Managing Director, First Analysis

9:30 am - 11:00 am
Use Cases for Smart Cities, Smart Grids and Smart Infrastructure
This panel will explain smart cities, grids and infrastructure, looking at potential use cases and relevant considerations such as how they will look and what will drive them.

Panelists:
George Burciaga, CEO, elevate DIGITAL
Tom Chiarella, President, Smart Structures
Mark Damm, CEO, FuseForward

Moderator:
Don DeLoach, CEO, Infobright

11:30 am - 1:00 pm (lunch included)
Impediments in Getting to the Internet of Things
The conversation will focus on the issues facing adoption of the Internet of Things, ranging from security and governance to privacy, investment capital and standards definitions.

Panelists:
Steve Hudson, Chief Development Officer, Omnilink Systems
Liam Quinn, Director/CTO - Communications, Security & I/O, Dell
Peter Tapling, President & CEO, Authentify
Graham Toppin, CTO, VP Product & Technology, Infobright

Moderator:
Howard Smith, Managing Director, First Analysis

2:00pm - 3:30pm
Use Case for Mobile Health, Smart Cars and Smart Logistics
A deeper conversation about use cases, specifically looking at smart cars, smart logistics and mobile health, which is one of the fastest growing markets in the Internet of Things.

Panelists:
Ryan Barnett, Director Market Development, XRS Corporation
Brandon Jung, Cloud Platform Partners, Google
Jason Lobel, CEO & Co-Founder, SwiftIQ
Tom Malone, President & CEO, RouteWare

Moderator:
David Gearhart, Research Analyst, First Analysis

4:00 pm - 5:30 pm (followed by reception)
The Opportunity of the Internet of Things
This final panel will focus on the emerging opportunities of the Internet of Things and considerations for leveraging them, including strategies for capitalizing on the new market structure.

Panelists:
Wayne Boulais, General Partner, Apex Venture Partners
Don DeLoach, CEO, Infobright
Brandon Jung, Cloud Platform Partners, Google
Liam Quinn, Director/CTO - Communications, Security & I/O, Dell

Moderator:
Dan Obodovski, Author, "The Silent Intelligence - The Internet of Things"

For additional information, and to register for the event, please visit http://www.illinoistech.org/event.aspx/11447.

About ITA

The Illinois Technology Association (ITA) powers tech growth in Illinois. ITA's programs, services and strategic consulting drive our dynamic industry through work that grows, elevates and builds the talent of our members. By leveraging the connections and expertise of our more than 600 member companies representing a workforce that is 50,000 strong and growing, ITA provides the ecosystem growing technology companies need to succeed. For more information, visit www.illinoistech.org, follow the ITA on Twitter at www.twitter.com/itabuzz, and view the ITA's Facebook profile at www.facebook.com/illinoistechnology.