SaaScon Announces All-Star Executive Advisory Board; Representatives from THINKstrategies, ZDNet, IDC, and Network World to lead the premier event for the Software as a Service Industry

Business Wire, June 6, 2006

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. -- IDG World Expo, the leading producer of world-class tradeshows, conferences and events for technology markets, has announced the names of four individuals appointed to the SaaScon executive advisory board - Jeff Kaplan, THINKstrategies; Phil Wainewright, of the popular "Software as Service" blog at ZDNet; John Gallant, VP and Editorial Director, Network World; and Erin Traudt, Research Analyst, Software as a Service, IDC. The inaugural SaaScon Conference, the only Business to Business event for Software as a Service, is scheduled to take place September 25-26, 2006 at the San Francisco Marriott, San Francisco, CA.

Jeff Kaplan, founder of THINKstrategies and publisher of two leading reference websites for software as a service solutions, has more than twenty years of experience and expertise in IT management, managed services, utility computing and outsourcing trends. Kaplan has published articles and spoken widely on SaaS, as a market leader since the market was in its infancy. THINKstrategies' SaaS Showplace and Managed Service Showplace are the leading destination sites for business and IT managers seeking SaaS advice and services.

"Economic forces are compelling companies to offload costs and operate more efficiently. They're outsourcing and offshoring, so the idea of out-tasking software is a natural one and the market is poised to grow considerably," said Jeff Kaplan, managing director, THINKstrategies. "The creation of the SaaScon Conference not only fills a tremendous void for business and IT professionals, it will drive additional momentum, acceptance and implementation of the software as a service model."

Phil Wainewright, ZDNet, has been trend-spotting SaaS, SOA and the Web since the mid-1990s. He is one of the most influential analysts in the SaaS industry and founded the ASPnews.com website in 1998 to track the emerging ASP industry, and to promote a vision of interoperable on-demand services as the ideal model for application services. He went on to found looselycoupled.com in 2001, a website created to map emerging best practices among early adopters of web services and SOA, leading to his status as a well respected voice among enterprise architects and influencers. Since last August, he's also been writing a blog for ZDNet about SaaS and its convergence with SOA and Web 2.0 - a remix he has been calling Web 3.0 for short.

"Software as a service isn't a new concept by any stretch of the imagination and it failed early on because customers weren't ready for it. More often than not, vendor products didn't live up to their promise," said Phil Wainewright, ZDNet. "But now the market has matured to the point that we're going to see a SaaS revolution. The technology and capability to deliver software as a service is more proven today and there's no other event like this that speaks to end-users as opposed to vendors. I'm thrilled to be a part of this executive advisory board and a pioneer for the future of software as a service."

John Gallant, VP & Editorial Director for Network World, sets the strategy for this newsweekly, serving over 170,000 readers in corporate network IT. Gallant also guides the content and business development for Network World online (www.networkworld.com), as well as Network World's seminars and events programs. He has been named by Technology Marketing magazine as one of the most influential people in computer journalism, and was cited as one of the "most visionary editors-in-chief" by Press Access. Gallant has more than 20 years of expertise in covering the technology industry and often hosts roundtable discussions on technology and other topics for a wide variety of organizations, including leading vendors, IT buyers and industry associations.

Erin Traudt is a research analyst for IDC's Software as a Service research program, providing coverage of SaaS and software on demand and assisting clients with market intelligence needs. Prior to her role as an IDC Analyst, Traudt spent over four years in marketing for IDC's Software; Integration, Development and Application Strategies (IDeAS); and Services Research organizations where she implemented her software and services industry knowledge. In this role, Ms. Traudt executed strategic marketing initiatives for over 40 of IDC's valued research programs.

SaaScon is designed for business and technical professionals seeking to learn about the latest offerings from providers and how they can incorporate SaaS offerings into their business environments. The conference will also offer real-world examples of SaaS implementations across a broad spectrum of industries.

For more information or to register for the event, visit http://www.saascon.com.

About SaaScon

SaaScon is the premier event for business and IT professional seeking to dramatically lower capital expenses, produce recurring revenue and streamline product delivery and support through the Software as a Service model. SaaS is a software delivery method that provides access to software and its functions remotely as a web-based service, removing the need for organizations to handle the installation, set-up and maintenance while significantly reducing costs. For information or to register for the event, visit the SaaScon Web site at www.saascon.com. For exhibiting or sponsorship opportunities, please contact Giovanni Stein at 508-424-4864 or giovanni_stein@idg.com.