Auckland goes Geek and Proud for Tech.Ed 2011

Microsoft’s Tech.Ed kicks off today in Auckland for 2,000 delegates.

Innovation, smart people and good processes are essential through technology changes, and the combination of all three will deliver tangible results according to Norm Judah, keynote speaker at New Zealand’s largest technology conference, Microsoft Tech.Ed.

Two thousand IT professionals and software developers have descended upon Auckland for the three day conference, to listen to more than 140 international and local technology experts, who will present at 170 sessions and 30 ‘Hands on Labs’ over the three days.

Norm Judah, Microsoft’s Chief Technology Officer of Worldwide Services, went on to highlight how cloud computing is transforming the way people work, play and collaborate.

“We are in the early stages of the transition to the cloud. The business benefits of automation are driving customers to plan their transition from traditional datacentres to virtualised infrastructures to private cloud. In addition, the programming models on the Windows platform have been extended into Window Azure, ensuring developers can continue to build cloud applications using the same tools and techniques as they do today,” says Norm.

Other highlights from the conference include David Kirk, former All Black captain and business leader, demonstrating key technologies available during Rugby World Cup 2011; a showcase from the unique games and software development class at Unlimited Paenga Tawhiti school in Christchurch – the tech leaders of the future; information about the latest slate and laptop hardware due to be released over the next few months; key New Zealand businesses sharing their technology experiences; and, of course, the highly anticipated TechFest party for delegates tomorrow night at the Auckland Town Hall.

Paul Muckleston, Managing Director of Microsoft New Zealand, says Tech.Ed is an opportunity to bring the New Zealand technology community together to share insights and ideas, as well as experiencing some of the latest software.

“Tech.Ed is the largest technology conference in the Southern Hemisphere, and something we are immensely proud of. It attracts some of the greatest technology minds from around the world and provides Kiwis with a unique and valuable opportunity to learn and expand their knowledge, opening them up to innovative ways of approaching their work.”

“Development of the local IT eco-system is crucial for the success of individuals and organisations around the country.”

Chris Auld, Chief Technology Officer for Intergen, and also a speaker at the event, says Tech.Ed is one of the biggest events of the year for his company, and the attendees look forward to hearing about new technology solutions and alternative ways to develop on the new platforms.

“It is an intensive three days of learning, but it is great to have this kind of access to top international speakers and experts in Microsoft technologies. With IT in a constant state of flux, it is great to be exposed to upcoming technology advances, and learn new ways to develop and build on these platforms.”

Entries for the 2011 Microsoft Partner Awards also open today at midday. The annual awards honour the best of Microsoft’s 3,500 New Zealand Partners who have delivered exemplary solutions to address customers' business challenges. The call for entries is open from today until Friday 7 October, with the Awards Ceremony being held mid-November. Partners can submit their entries online at www.microsoft.co.nz/partnerawards.

Tech.Ed is being held at the SKYCITY Convention Centre. For further information about speakers and sessions visit www.microsoft.co.nz/teched.

Some Tech.Ed facts:
· This will be the 16th year for TechEd – it started up in 1996
· Four kilometres of Ethernet Patch cabling used to link all the tech gear up
· 440 companies represented by approximately 1900 delegates – approximately 10 percent women
· Twenty four CPU cores with 48GB Memory and 3.5TB disk
· Seventy eight desktops and 54 laptops
· More than 20 plasma screens
· It takes eight people three days to set everything up, and four hours to dismantle

This year Hands-on Labs will be available online throughout the event, and a selection of Tech.Ed sessions will be available online after the event concludes at www.microsoft.co.nz/teched, for those in the IT field who are unable to attend. Tech.Ed Online will also be the place to go for PowerPoint decks, interviews with speakers and attendees, photos from the event, and much more after the conference.