Acknowledging the rise of handheld mobile devices as a dominant computing platform both in the United States and abroad, Carnegie Mellon University and the University of California at Berkeley have joined together to sponsor “The Mobile Future: Technology Revolutionizing Our Lives.” The one-day conference gathers leading academics, researchers, pundits and industry experts to discuss their visions of this mobile future, along with technology and business models for achieving them. The conference will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., April 22 at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, Calif. For more details, please visit http://west.cmu.edu/sofcon08/13867052.html.

“The Mobile Future” represents the combined efforts of Carnegie Mellon’s Silicon Valley campus and The Fisher Information Technology Center at the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley. The universities have attracted industry executives, such as Nokia’s Bob Iannucci, and researchers, such as Ted Selker from the MIT Media Lab, who will lead interactive discussions on the issues and trends that will significantly alter how we live and do business. The conference will offer a framework for the future and pointers for mobile technology creators, investors and customers on where the best opportunities will be found.

“Mobile technologies are creating the computing platform of the future,” said James Morris, dean of Carnegie Mellon’s Silicon Valley campus. “We’ve seen the rise of Web-based computing open up many opportunities for companies like Google to step up and offer standard PC services in new ways, built on new business models. The platform change driven by mobile technologies will have the same impact, opening up opportunities both for people offering mobile-specific services as well as for people offering a better way to deliver established PC and Web services.”

“Soon, the computing platform of choice for many will be a handheld device,” said Jack Grantham, executive director of the Haas School’s Fisher Information Technology Center. “This trend is already apparent in Asia and Scandinavia, transforming the personal and professional lives of individuals in ways that are both chaotic and enriching. Despite the diversity of global communications mechanisms, network operators, software vendors, and handset providers have the power to facilitate and accelerate this evolution. ‘The Mobile Future’ provides the forum for exploring these emerging opportunities.”

Migrating to “The Mobile Future”

“The Mobile Future” revolves around a central question: What if the future of computing was something you held in your hand? In the morning, conference participants and attendees will focus their attention on how the new mobile devices, applications and services will change the way people work, play and relate to each other. After lunch, the focus will shift to how the mobile visions discussed in the morning can be turned into reality.

The conference seeks to address a number of issues, including what consumers want, how providers can deliver it, obstacles, challenges and potential partnerships. Attendees will also hear how Silicon Valley can help close the gap with the rest of the world and where investors, creators and customers of the mobile industry should place their bets. All attendees will take away a valuable understanding of the mobile future and their roles in that future. For example:

• Corporate technology executives and managers will learn about the new mobility facilities and developing services they will be responsible for acquiring and using over the next few years;
• Hardware, carrier, content, application software and service developers and providers will gain a better understanding of the market trends, best practices, risks and rewards for these services;
• Investors will receive guidance in the rapidly evolving field of mobile technology hardware, content, applications software and services and gain a better understanding of the related opportunities and risks;
• Members of the higher education academy will be able to follow and participate in the opportunities for original thinking and research being spawned by the mobile technology and communications industry and related services;
• Students will learn about careers in the field and maximize their understanding of the opportunities.

To register for “The Mobile Future: Technology Revolutionizing Our Lives,” please visit https://www.acteva.com/go/cmuwest. The early registration fee of $150 is available through Monday, April 7.

About the Fisher IT Center at the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business: The Fisher Information Technology Center promotes interaction between corporate executives, including CIO-level managers, and UC Berkeley faculty and students through the many programs and services within the Haas School of Business and UC Berkeley. The Fisher IT Center serves professional and academic communities of interest in information technology by promoting dynamic interactions between corporate practice, research, and instruction, and by encouraging the professional development of participating information technology professionals, students, and faculty. For more information about opportunities and resources, please see http://fisheritcenter.haas.berkeley.edu or contact Jack Grantham, executive director, Fisher Information Technology Center at grantham@haas.berkeley.edu or 510-642-6145.

About Carnegie Mellon’s Silicon Valley Campus: Carnegie Mellon is a private research university with a distinctive mix of programs in engineering, computer science, robotics, business, public policy, fine arts and the humanities. A global university, Carnegie Mellon has campuses in Silicon Valley, Calif. and Qatar, as well as programs in Asia, Australia and Europe. The University’s Silicon Valley campus offers both full-time and part-time master’s degree programs in Software Engineering; Software Management; Networking, Security, and Mobility; and Engineering and Technology Innovation Management. Carnegie Mellon’s Mobility Research Center, an extension of the University’s Cylab, is located at the Silicon Valley campus. The Center combines the research, education, and entrepreneurship programs from both the Pittsburgh and Silicon Valley campuses to explore multidisciplinary and novel work in technology, usability, behavior, business, and public policy. For more information, see west.cmu.edu or contact Diane Dimeff, Associate Dean for Master’s Programs at diane.dimeff@west.cmu.edu or 650-335-2810.