Explore Mobile Future with Carnegie Mellon, UC Berkeley

Academics, Industry Leaders, Researchers, Pundits to Gather in Silicon Valley to Forecast Mobile
Computing Future, Investment Opportunities
 
Carnegie Mellon, UC Berkeley Conference to Explore the Mobile Future, April 22
 
MOUNTAIN VIEW AND BERKELEY, CALIF. - Acknowledging the rise of handheld mobile devices as a
dominant computing platform both in the United States and abroad, Carnegie Mellon University and
the University of California at Berkeley have joined together to sponsor "The Mobile Future:
Technology Revolutionizing Our Lives." The one-day conference gathers leading academics,
researchers, pundits and industry experts to discuss their visions of this mobile future, along
with technology and business models for achieving them. The conference will be held from 8:30 a.m.
to 6:00 p.m., April 22 at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, Calif. For more
details, please visit 
http://west.cmu.edu/sofcon08/13867052.html.
 
"The Mobile Future" represents the combined efforts of Carnegie Mellon's Silicon Valley campus and
The Fisher Information Technology Center at the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley. The
universities have attracted industry executives, such as Nokia's Bob Iannucci, and researchers,
such as Ted Selker from the MIT Media Lab, who will lead interactive discussions on the issues and
trends that will significantly alter how we live and do business. The conference will offer a
framework for the future and pointers for mobile technology creators, investors and customers on
where the best opportunities will be found.
 
"Mobile technologies are creating the computing platform of the future," said James Morris, dean of
Carnegie Mellon's Silicon Valley campus. "We've seen the rise of Web-based computing open up many
opportunities for companies like Google to step up and offer standard PC services in new ways,
built on new business models. The platform change driven by mobile technologies will have the same
impact, opening up opportunities both for people offering mobile-specific services as well as for
people offering a better way to deliver established PC and Web services."
 
"Soon, the computing platform of choice for many will be a handheld device," said Jack Grantham,
executive director of the Haas School's Fisher Information Technology Center. "This trend is
already apparent in Asia and Scandinavia, transforming the personal and professional lives of
individuals in ways that are both chaotic and enriching. Despite the diversity of global
communications mechanisms, network operators, software vendors, and handset providers have the
power to facilitate and accelerate this evolution. ?The Mobile Future' provides the forum for
exploring these emerging opportunities."
 
Migrating to "The Mobile Future"
"The Mobile Future" revolves around a central question: What if the future of computing was
something you held in your hand? In the morning, conference participants and attendees will focus
their attention on how the new mobile devices, applications and services will change the way people
work, play and relate to each other. After lunch, the focus will shift to how the mobile visions
discussed in the morning can be turned into reality.
 
The conference seeks to address a number of issues, including what consumers want, how providers
can deliver it, obstacles, challenges and potential partnerships. Attendees will also hear how
Silicon Valley can help close the gap with the rest of the world and where investors, creators and
customers of the mobile industry should place their bets. All attendees will take away a valuable
understanding of the mobile future and their roles in that future. For example:
·        Corporate technology executives and managers will learn about the new mobility facilities
and developing services they will be responsible for acquiring and using over the next few years;
·        Hardware, carrier, content, application software and service developers and providers will
gain a better understanding of the market trends, best practices, risks and rewards for these
services;
·        Investors will receive guidance in the rapidly evolving field of mobile technology
hardware, content, applications software and services and gain a better understanding of the
related opportunities and risks;
·        Members of the higher education academy will be able to follow and participate in the
opportunities for original thinking and research being spawned by the mobile technology and
communications industry and related services;
·        Students will learn about careers in the field and maximize their understanding of the
opportunities.
 
To register for "The Mobile Future: Technology Revolutionizing Our Lives," please visit
https://www.acteva.com/go/cmuwest. The early registration fee of $150 is available through Monday,
April 7.
 
###
 
About the Fisher IT Center at the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business: The Fisher Information
Technology Center promotes interaction between corporate executives, including CIO-level managers,
and UC Berkeley faculty and students through the many programs and services within the Haas School
of Business and UC Berkeley. The Fisher IT Center serves professional and academic communities of
interest in information technology by promoting dynamic interactions between corporate practice,
research, and instruction, and by encouraging the professional development of participating
information technology professionals, students, and faculty. For more information about
opportunities and resources, please see http://fisheritcenter.haas.berkeley.edu or contact Jack
Grantham, executive director, Fisher Information Technology Center at grantham@haas.berkeley.edu or
510-642-6145.
 
About Carnegie Mellon's Silicon Valley Campus: Carnegie Mellon is a private research university
with a distinctive mix of programs in engineering, computer science, robotics, business, public
policy, fine arts and the humanities. A global university, Carnegie Mellon has campuses in Silicon
Valley, Calif. and Qatar, as well as programs in Asia, Australia and Europe. The University's
Silicon Valley campus offers both full-time and part-time master's degree programs in Software
Engineering; Software Management; Networking, Security, and Mobility; and Engineering and
Technology Innovation Management.  Carnegie Mellon's Mobility Research Center, an extension of the
University's Cylab, is located at the Silicon Valley campus.  The Center combines the research,
education, and entrepreneurship programs from both the Pittsburgh and Silicon Valley campuses to
explore multidisciplinary and novel work in technology, usability, behavior, business, and public
policy. For more inf!
 ormation, see west.cmu.edu 
or contact Diane Dimeff, Associate Dean for Master's Programs at diane.dimeff@west.cmu.edu or
650-335-2810.