2002 Conference - New Frontiers in Netcentricity

The conference began with morning addresses by two legendary innovators and Internet pioneers, Robert E. Kahn and David Farber.

Kahn is designer of ARPANET (now the Internet), co-inventor of the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) suite, creator of the “gateway” concept, builder of the U.S. Strategic Computing Program, and leader of the National Information Infrastructure (the information “super highway”). He offered his insights and ideas on the future of the Internet.

Farber was recently named one of the 25 most powerful people in networking by Network World. Farber helped design the first electronic switching systems and the programming language, SNOBOL, and conducted groundbreaking research on the world’s first operational Distributed Computer System (DCS). He gave his insight into the impact of Sept. 11 on the country’s communications infrastructure.

From the renewed promise of mobile technologies to designing netcentric organizations, day one was devoted to innovative netcentric practices. Cutting-edge industry leaders such as Sun Microsystems, Avaya, ATG, Autonomy, and ASD Global talked about the challenges and solutions of netcentricity implementation. Topics included netcentric enterprise and communications architectures, personalization factors, netcentric search services, and integration challenges.

Day two began with national defense IT experts John Garstka and Jacques Gansler showing how information sharing and modern logistics are changing the face and pace of battle in netcentricity in defense of America. John Clark and Alisoun Moore reported on the far-reaching work of the Government Without Boundaries project, a revolutionary way of providing seamless local, state, and federal services accessible by all.

Is Maryland e-ready? "Yes," said Phillip Singerman, president/executive director of the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO), during Tuesday’s luncheon address. TEDCO is an independent corporation created by the state legislature to promote economic development through the commercialization, development, and deployment of technology.

With its intellectual resources and strong concentration of major netcentric businesses, Maryland is positioned for leadership and competitive advantage in the coming decade. Maryland CIO Linda Burek talked about the state’s strategy for diffusing netcentricity in Maryland. University of Maryland CIO Don Riley explained how Internet 2 is developing.