IP Expo show preview

The World Wide Web has so vastly transformed the way businesses operate and people live that it seems hard to believe the first draft of its proposal was written just 25 years ago.

And who better to mark that milestone and share valuable insight into the future of the Web than the inventor himself, Sir Tim Berners-Lee?

Berners-Lee has chosen IP Expo to deliver his 2050 vision of how the Web’s remarkable development will continue to evolve to allow new ways for organisations to establish competitive advantage.

Opening the show on 8 October, he will explore how enterprises can overcome challenges through policies and innovations that will help drive future success, create new markets and further transform how commerce is done.

>See also: Network Rail, UBS Investment Bank and Salvation Army to share their big data stories at Data Leadership 2014

‘I am looking forward to addressing key decision makers in European business at IP Expo Europe,’ Berners-Lee said. ‘The issues that will shape the future of the Web – from privacy and data regulation, to sustainability and responsibility – don’t just touch our businesses, they touch our lives, and we are all at the very epicentre.’

Making up the main keynote draws this year are government CTO Liam Maxwell and Microsoft’s general manager in trustworthy computing, Adrienne Hall, as well as Hadoop creator Doug Cutting and privacy guru Bruce Schneier.

Playing politics

Since his appointment in 2012, Maxwell has become known for reforming IT management and protocols throughout government, challenging existing norms and ever looking towards future trends in industry.

Offering a unique perspective on public sector IT issues and addressing key concerns regarding public services in the cloud, Maxwell is set to deliver an energising and enlightening talk for professionals across the IT spectrum.

His speech is expected to examine how the UK government can build world-class digital services, saving time and money and stimulating a generation of world-beating British software and service businesses that save billions for the taxpayer.

Maxwell will tell attendees why a commitment to open standards continues to underpin government work, and how it levels the playing field so all sorts of technologies and suppliers can work with them.

As well as leading Microsoft’s trustworthy computing group, Hall is a Cloud Security Alliance board member, as well as a founding member of the Executive Women’s Forum for Security, Privacy and Risk Management Professionals.

Tapping into her experience on how the cloud is shifting the way businesses think about IT, she will offer unique insights for any forward-thinking senior information security professionals and IT managers.

Berners-Lee and Maxwell will speak at the IP Expo Europe keynote theatre on 8 October at 10am and 1pm respectively, while Hall will address the Cyber Security Expo keynote theatre on 9 October at 10am.

Speaking of which, Cyber Security Expo will join Data Centre Expo as brand new co-located events to bring wider scope to this year’s IP Expo. This expansion has warranted the relocation to ExCel London to accommodate a wider audience.

Cyber Security Expo will focus on the securing of information with reference to key topics including mobility, cloud and social interaction within the modern enterprise.

It will feature a dedicated conference – as well as four theatres and substantial exhibition space – and address internet and network security, cybercrime, advanced analytics, identity and privacy protection, cloud security and governance, and mobile device management.

Meanwhile, Data Centre Expo will examine the core areas of hosting, colocation, networks and connectivity, cloud, storage, facilities and infrastructure. The event has been developed to build conversation around the most topical issues for data centre owners, operators and facility managers.

‘These new events ensure that we are bringing our existing audience a wider range of technologies and also attracting new visitors, all the while developing the IP Expo brand into Europe’s largest enterprise IT show,’ said Bill Hammond, event director.

Retail flavour

Whether attendees build it, run it or protect it, IP Expo Europe is designed for those looking to understand how the latest IT innovations drive business.

Retail will be one of the key areas of focus for the 2014 event. Insights and excellence will be shared by payments giant Visa Europe, multinational consumer goods giant Unilever, global coffee corporation Starbucks, and world-leading travel group TUI Travel. All four global brands will share insights into how technology enhances customer experience in the multi-channel retail sector.

Robert Teagle, EMEA IT director for Starbucks, will take the stage in the Digital Transformation Summit theatre, on 9 October, to share his recipe for managing innovation in the retail sector – what processes Starbucks seeks to employ and how success is measured. He will demonstrate how the company’s enthusiasm and dedication within the drinks industry is reflected in the company’s innovative approach to IT.

>See also: Berners-Lee and tech leaders aim to connect world’s poorest

TUI Travel’s group chief ecommerce architect Yas Poptani will address the Hadoop Business Use-Case theatre on 8 October. He will discuss how the company approaches big data and its integration into a complex multi-solution environment.

As one of the world’s leading travel groups, TUI is on a mission to drive better customer experience, enabled by data. Poptani will touch on the risks associated with data-driven technologies in the travel sector, and how approaching big data management in a phased manner will ultimately provide a more streamlined customer experience. 

Speaking at the Cyber Security theatre on 9 October, Steve Wright, global privacy officer for Unilever, will demonstrate how to use analytics to provide retail businesses with the brands and products they want, whilst maintaining privacy, protecting personal data and meeting global legislative demands.

Preceding him in the same location will be Visa Europe’s head of enterprise risk services Darron Gibbard, who will discuss how network protection is more complex than ever before, and examine where network protection starts and ends.

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Ben Rossi

Ben was Vitesse Media's editorial director, leading content creation and editorial strategy across all Vitesse products, including its market-leading B2B and consumer magazines, websites, research and...