Baker Institute conference to focus on digitally connected communities

Baker Institute conference to focus on digitally connected communities

BY FRANZ BROTZEN 
Rice News Staff

Is the U.S. still the world leader in information technology? A March 26 conference at the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy will look at opportunities created by digital communications technologies, while working toward a set of values in a long-term strategy for future innovations.

Although the United States is one of the world’s most ”wired” countries, emerging technologies in East Asia and Western Europe indicate that much of the developed world has caught up and, indeed, many nations are now surpassing the United States in adoption and deployment of innovative information technology services for government, industry and the individual.

The Conference on Convergence and Connectivity 2008: Broadband, Wireless and Mobile (CCC 2008) will bring together representatives from industry, government and academia to develop a vision for digitally connected communities, with emphasis upon the applications and services delivered to public, private and individual users.

The event is supported by AT&T, Microsoft, Rice University’s Fondren Library and Rice University’s Ken Kennedy Institute for Information Technology.

For more information and to register, visit www.bakerinstitute.org/events/ccc2008. Questions can be directed to Chris Bronk, rcbronk@rice.edu.

The daylong event will be held at James A. Baker III Hall, with registration beginning at 8 a.m. and the keynote address at 9 a.m. A reception will be held after the conference at 5 p.m. at Anne and Charles Duncan Hall.

Rice faculty, staff and students who want to attend must RSVP by e-mail (bipprsvp@rice.edu) or by fax (713-348-5993).