Additional Keynotes Announced For SaaScon 2007

Business Wire, Feb 27, 2007

Executives from RightNow Technologies, Entellium, Workday, Google, Akamai, Intel, Citrix Online, OpSource, and IBM come to the Keynote Stage

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. -- IDG World Expo, the leading producer of world-class tradeshows and events, in partnership with IDG's Computerworld, "The Voice of IT Management" and premier media sponsor for the event, today announced the entire keynote speaker lineup for SaaScon[TM] 2007. CEO's from RightNow, Entellium and Workday highlight the list of industry experts who will deliver keynote presentations focusing on their own experiences and strategies on how to effectively implement a SaaS solution. SaaScon will take place April 17-18, 2007 at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA.

On Tuesday, April 17th at 4:15 p.m., Greg Gianforte, CEO & Founder of RightNow Technologies, Inc., will deliver his keynote entitled, "SaaS: Enabling the Year of the Consumer." According to Time Magazine, 2006 is the year of the consumer. The Internet has shifted the balance of power from companies to consumers and has made us all expect immediacy - accurate information at our fingertips, products at our doorsteps, etc. Organizations that can't deliver what the "web generation consumer" wants immediately, can't survive. In much the same way, software-delivered-as-a-Service (SaaS) has shifted power. Companies no longer have to make substantial technology investments to deliver immediate personalized service. Greg will explore how SaaS has transformed the way organizations are able to interact with today's powerful consumer.

Immediately following Greg is Paul Johnston, CEO and president of Entellium, who will present "Changing the Game: What video games can teach us about solving for user adoption." SaaS has indeed changed how software is delivered, making life easier for IT departments in companies large and small. But little has been done to transform the user experience which still accounts for the highest risk factor when gauging the success or failure of any software deployment. Today's crop of employees aged 18 to 40 are much more difficult to manage using the typical "stick" approach, forcing them to use the boring, unintuitive applications that SaaS players are just as guilty of developing. Paul will discuss how the introduction of Gamer Influenced Design tackles the user adoption issue by combining the serious functionality of business productivity with the fun, intuitive and addictive features of video games.

"The Internet has developed into a strong platform for delivering business services. Each day it continues to evolve, not only with business, but also as a social and knowledge-sharing community," said Paul Johnston. "Our vision at Entellium is to know what makes our customers successful and focus our energy on intuitive software design to get them there faster. SaaScon is providing an opportunity for the industry to share experiences, consider how to provide the most business value, and to identify the trends and challenges of moving business online that will help our customers."

Kicking-off day two of the conference is a keynote panel entitled," Why the World Needs Another ERP Company," featuring an interview session with Dave Duffield, CEO and co-founder of Workday. The interview will be conducted by Bill McNee of Saugatuck technology and will follow an in depth discussion on Workday's modern approach to ERP by Workday Co-Founder Aneel Bhusri.

Additional keynotes and panels will feature other senior level executives from industry leading companies including Akamai, Intel, Citrix Online, Google, OpSource, Jamcracker and IBM, to name a few. For the full schedule of keynote presentations, please visit the SaaScon web site.

For more information about SaaScon, or to register for the event, please visit 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.

About IDG World Expo

IDG World Expo (www.idgworldexpo.com) produces tradeshows and events for professionals seeking world-class education, peer-to-peer networking and one-stop comparison shopping. IDG World Expo's portfolio of conferences and events includes Entertainment For All[TM] (E For All[TM]), Macworld Conference & Expo[R], Next Generation Data Center[TM], LinuxWorld Conference & Expo[R], LinuxWorld[R] OpenSolutions Summit[TM], and SaaScon[TM]. IDG World Expo is a business unit of IDG, the world's leading technology media, research and event company.