I’m delighted that the first SharePoint conference focused on business users has been announced in Sydney, Australia from November 29th – December 1st, 2010.  This conference is innovative due to the amount of market research that was conducted to identify the conference topics.  From the event website:

“More than 130 people from 75 companies using SharePoint have collaborated through a series of round table discussions to identify the Hot Topics around which the conference will be based.”

The Hot Topics that were identified are similar to topics that are beginning to be included in other SharePoint conference events; however, when you look at the topics as a group they are unique in their focus on the business side of SharePoint.

• User Training and Change Management
• Business Process Automation and Workflow
• Information Architecture; Information Discovery
• Collaboration
• Document and Records Management
• Reporting and Analytics (Business Intelligence)
• Integration with other Systems
• Resourcing and Support
• Social Networking
• Selling the Value and Demonstrating ROI
• Security
• Going 2010
• Extranet Collaboration with External People
• Third-Party Partners and Products

I’m looking forward to speaking at this event along with Dux Raymond Sy and Michael Sampson.  The conference agenda will be posted by August 27th, 2010 and I will be sure to announce my topics here when they are available.

I’ll be speaking at SharePoint Saturday East Bay on September 11th, 2010 along with fellow SharePoint experts and MVPs.  This is a free conference organized by SharePoint community members Christian Buckley and Michael Noel, and will cover a variety of end user, IT Pro and Developer topics.

My session is titled Enterprise Content Management (ECM) for the Masses and will provide an overview of the new ECM features in SharePoint 2010, a validation of the “for the masses” claim, and multiple demos so you can see the SharePoint 2010 ECM features in action.

To learn more about this event please see the SharePoint Saturday East Bay webpage or register to attend.

On January 18th, 2010 I had the honor of speaking at SharePoint Connections Amsterdam.  Here is the video of the presentation: http://channel9.msdn.com/posts/matthijs/ECM-for-the-MassesmdashHow-SharePoint-2010-Delivers-on-the-Promise/

Thank you to Matthijs Hoekstra for having me at the conference! You can see all of the videos from SharePoint Connections 2010 here: http://channel9.msdn.com/posts/matthijs/

Abstract:

Tired of hearing statistics about the high rate of failure for ECM initiatives? In this session, you will learn about the new features in SharePoint 2010 and discover how Microsoft is changing the game in ECM by bridging the worlds of traditional content management, social computing and search; all delivered seamlessly through Office, web browsers and mobile devices.

In spring of 2007 I co-authored four whitepapers with Evan Richman, SharePoint Enterprise Content Management Product Manager, and Ellen Dowd, Director of the Enterprise Content Management practice at Hitachi Consulting. I really enjoyed this project, partially because we we tried a new approach of tying together the marketing message with TechNet and MSDN content.

Whitepaper: Office SharePoint Server 2007 Document Management
Microsoft delivers an integrated solution that extends document management to all employees. By recognizing that a document’s lifecycle begins the moment it is created and does not end until it is destroyed, organizations can achieve wide adoption and enforcement of enterprise standards, resulting in decreased management costs and reduced corporate risk.

Whitepaper: Office SharePoint Server 2007 Records Management
Microsoft delivers a records management platform that can be extended to every information worker. By viewing retention and records management as a component of the overall document lifecycle, organizations can reduce risk and improve compliance with increased adoption of records management practices.

Whitepaper: Office SharePoint Server 2007 Web Content Management
Microsoft delivers a WCM solution that combines the rich features of a traditional content management system with a unified, enterprise WCM platform—all delivered with the usability of Office SharePoint Server 2007.

Whitepaper: Office SharePoint Server 2007 Workflow
Office SharePoint Server 2007 Workflow solution delivers highly flexible tools like InfoPath Forms Services for data collection and workflow interaction, SharePoint Designer for easy workflow design and customization including robust out of the box features to enable rapid deploy solutions across the enterprise.

Wireframing is a great way to visualize a SharePoint site for a client.  This template provides a base for a Visio mockup of an Internet Explorer window.  I usually keep a few in my bag for those moments when the client would rather just show me what they want rather than put it into words.

The 2010 edition of Battle of the Mega Mixes (BOTMM), held at Chop Suey on January 22, 2010, was my favorite incarnation to date of this (somewhat) annual event.  The quality and variety of the performers made for a captivating show and the crowd was feeling the mixes. I was also happy that ghetto-tech and turntablism were represented as they paid homage to BOTMM’s roots and the event’s original co-founder Scratchmaster Joe.

The Battle of the Mega Mixes parties have always been near and dear to my heart.  The first BOTMM show in 2007 was my introduction to the Seattle Electronic Music scene and I think the genre bounding nature of this event was one of my motivations to dig into electronic music’s steep learning curve. In 2008 I co-organized BOTMM with Travis Baron, who continues to produce BOTMM through Knightriders with Grindle.

If you missed Battle of the Mega Mixes 2010 check out [almost] all of the competitor’s sets in the play list below. Apologies to Jimni Cricket who played an amazing set, but the video was corrupted.

Competitors:

1. [Winner] WD4D
2. [Runner Up] Kadeejah Streets
3. Jimni Cricket
4. Miss Shelrawka
5. Greg Skidmore
6. DJ Verse
7. Rob Noble
8. xBen

In April of 2009 I was invited to be a guest on the CS Techcast IT Pro Podcast.  The topic was “Finding SharePoint Implementation Success”.

The podcast can be found here along with directions for subscribing to CS Techcast. My section starts at 12:10 and is about 14 minutes in length.

Thank you to the wonderful folks at CSTechcast.com for having me on their podcast!

Here are the interview questions:

1. When you walk into a company ready to implement a brand new SharePoint solution, what are you usually starting from?
2. When you look at the level of effort it takes to consolidate a company’s Content Management, what levels of integrations are there for the money and how far do company’s usually go?
3. For the benefit of our audience, tell us how you explain the technical aspects of SharePoint to a business audience? Are there some keys to explaining the concepts?
4. You’ve spoken on the challenges of SharePoint user adoption. Can you give us some of the main challenges?
5. For those looking at the technical aspects of implementing SharePoint across an organization, what resources and expertise are needed when the major project is complete?
6. Are there any objectives you’ve seen in a project that you had to shoot down because they weren’t a good fit for SharePoint or that SharePoint just couldn’t deliver?

Here are my slides from my SharePoint Saturday DC session.  Thank you to Innovative-e for sponsoring me! 

::DECIBEL FESTIVAL FUNDRAISER GALA -- MAY 6TH, 2009 @ THE TRIPLE DOOR::

You are cordially invited to partake in the first-ever Decibel Festival Fundraiser Gala, Wednesday, May 6, 2009 at The Triple Door. This event will aid us to develop the 2009 festival edition.

Decibel Festival is a non-profit organization that provides a forum for all types of electronic music. The music selection for the event bridges the gap between classical music and electronica with Decibel’s merging of visual art and new media to present this ultimate sensory experience: sound, sight, taste, ambiance. Since Decibel’s inception in 2004, the four-day music and arts festival held in Seattle bridges the gap between technology and creativity through visual art, workshops, panel discussions and cutting-edge electronic music performances. By assembling a diverse selection of international talent, Decibel Festival provides a unique forum for musicians, industry professionals and educators alike further establishing Seattle’s importance in the electronic-music community not only regionally, but also globally.

Doors open at 5pm and the program begins at 7pm with a special guest introduction and brief overview of the festival. Tickets can be purchased by calling 206.838.4333 or online at http://www.tripledoor.com.

Admission is $50 and includes a gourmet dinner selection. The Triple Door menu comes from the award winning Wild Ginger Kitchen, featuring diverse selections from China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia. The Triple Door is located in downtown Seattle, across from Benaroya Hall on Union Street.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4533379C69C35719

::This special event will feature live musical performances by::

HELIOS
Type Records
http://www.soundalong.com/helios
Some people are natural-born musicians. Keith Kenniff is one of those people. At a young age, he began to learn classical guitar, bass and drums under their father’s teaching, and before long Keith decided to further pursue drums. He was finally drawn to study percussion at Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of Music. Keith’s primary musical venture is the solo project Helios, showcasing his skill in percussion, his delicate touch on the guitar, his measured and spacious songwriting, and his self-taught electro-acoustic production. Keith has released for the prestigious UK label Type Records, to much critical-aclaim. His music have been used in films and major television series. Taking influence from his interest in cinema, and his extensive European travels, the resulting music is a stunning work of instrumental beauty. 2008 saw two full length releases from Helios, Caesura on Type Records and a stunning live recording of his performance at the Triple Door as part of the 2008 Decibel Festival.

RENA JONES
Native State Records
http://www.renamusic.com
Rena Jones slips through the veils of defined sound, weaving cello, violin, woodwinds, rhodes, electronics and sound design through unique instrumentation. Her most recent album Driftwood was given the honor of the sixth most essential albums of 2006 on NPR Echoes Radio. Her extensive background in music and sound covers a colorful spectrum from award winning video games “Dance Dance Revolution and Karaoke Revolution” and for various films as a sound editor, sound design and composition.

Jones’ live sets are a potent sonic session. She orchestrates her violin over hand crafted beats melding the organic with the electronic. Her performance is a sophisticated example of the modern movement in electronic dance and ambient music. Multiple tours around North America and Europe have lead Rena to perform at some of the world’s most established cutting edge electronic music festivals; The Glade Festival (UK), Shambhala Music Festival (Canada) and Burning Man (USA). Rena Jones has released tracks with such reputable international labels as Iboga, Spun Records, Aleph Zero and Native State Records. Currently, Rena is in the studio working on her fourth solo album, which will feature the New Millennium Orchestra of Chicago.

LUSINE performing an ambient set
Ghostly International
http://www.lusineweb.com
Jeff McIlwain’s ever morphing musical project, Lusine, has been in existence for over 10 years now. Originally a Texas native, Jeff now resides in Seattle. In 1998, he attended Calarts to study 20th century electronic music and sound design for music and film. Soon after, he met Shad Scott and put out a self titled release with Isophlux. Since then, he has been releasing his music on various labels including Ann Arbor’s Ghostly International, Hymen, and U-Cover. His latest release, Language Barrier, was somewhat of a departure, focusing less on rhythmic detail, instead highlighting the layers of ambience that were only briefly touched upon in past releases. McIlwain has also contributed tracks to several labels including Mute, !K7, Kompakt, Asthmatic Kitty, and Shitkatapult for various compilations and remix releases. He has performed around the US and abroad including a set at London’s esteemed Fabric nightclub, and an ambient performance and collaboration with video artist Scott Sunn at Seattle’s Triple Door in April. Jeff has recently been involved in two film projects, co-scoring David Gordon Green’s “Snow Angels” (with Kate Beckinsale, Sam Rockwell, 2008), and scoring the film “Linewatch” (dir. Kevin Bray, 2009; with Cuba Gooding Jr., Omari Hardwick) He is currently putting the finishing touches on an upcoming album and gearing up a for an impressive international tour schedule, which includes performances at three of the world’s most prestigious electronic music festivals (DEMF, MUTEK and Sónar).

KELLY WISE performing selections by early-20th-century inventor of ambient music, ERIK SATIE
Seattle Piano Collective
http://www.myspace.com/seattlepianocollective
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erik_Satie
Erik Satie was an important French composer from the generation of Debussy. Best remembered for several groups of piano pieces, including “Trois Gymnopédies” (1888), “Trois Sarabandes” (1887) and “Trois Gnossiennes” (1890), he was championed by Jean Cocteau and helped create the famous group of French composers, Les Six, which was fashioned after his artistic ideal of simplicity in the extreme. Much of his music has a subdued character, and its charm comes through in its directness and its lack of allegiance to any one aesthetic. Often his melodies are melancholy and hesitant, his moods exotic or humorous, and his compositions as a whole, or their several constituent episodes, short. He was a musical maverick who probably influenced Debussy and did influence Ravel, who freely acknowledged as much.

In 1917 Erik Satie coined the term “furniture music” – a minimalist style of “background” music that would precede the electronic music subgenre ‘ambient.’ These and other related ideas were picked up by several composers of the neo-Classical/20th Century school of music, accentuating atmosphere and texture over traditional form and movement.

Kelly Wise (member of the Seattle Piano Collective) is a Seattle pianist and composer. As a classically trained pianist, Kelly has received a wide range of awards and scholarships for his colorful interpretations of piano repertoire. A connoisseur of Satie’s catalog, for this special evening he will be performing the “Trois Gymnopédies” and “Trois Gnossiennes.”

With visual accompaniment by

SCOTT SUNN
Decibel / Tracer Visuals
http://www.tracervisuals.com
Scott Sunn is a Seattle-based video artist with almost a decade of experience under his belt. In 1999, he started Tracer Visuals, a company that provides video services to a variety of clients. He specializes in event-based video production, which includes video projection, live video collage, and project management— often all at the same time. Past clients include Radiohead, The String Cheese Incident, Keller Williams, Experience Music Project, XBOX, and many others. Along with providing services for touring musicians and DJs, his projects also include corporate events, private parties, theater, and dance troupes. What makes Tracer Visuals stand apart is attention to detail and the creative use of technologies. Working closely with the artists and lighting directors helps create a show that will complement the performance instead of clash with it.

RAFAEL ANTON IRISARRI
Decibel / Miasmah
http://www.irisarri.org
http://www.myspace.com/rafaelantonirisarri
Rafael Anton Irisarri’s audiovisual works are a dual perspective close-up focus on the micro textures of rustling static-filled sonic surfaces with the wide-open distant tree lined horizons of sunset at dusk. Submerged piano melodies, reverberating guitar tonalities and electronic punctuation all contribute as the converging elements, but it’s his hand at electro-acoustic composition that offers the listener the often breathtaking vantage into this sonic world. The combined effect is one of time passing in introspection, remembrances of landscapes and the nature of our relationship with things past as we move toward those yet to come. Plaintively yearning, his art never resigns itself to the stoicism of the melancholic, but is asking, moving, and drawing us into a state of hearing, seeing and recognizing the scale, scope and richness of the natural world and ourselves in the everyday. It’s this intersection of images and sounds, both traditional and modernly avant, that make for the balancing act that can be described as something beyond just ‘ambient’ or ‘cinematic’; it brings the listener to a state somewhere between emotionally entranced and psychologically adrift.

This spring Irisarri will be embarking on an impressive international tour, which includes performances at three of the world’s most prestigious electronic music festivals (DEMF, MUTEK and Sónar).

Decibel Festival Website: http://dbfestival.com

Facebook Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=70385434817

Pro skateboarder Tony Hawk is hiding skateboards instead of eggs this Sunday, in an Easter hunt that is taking place all over the world. Tony is giving clues to where they are hidden using his twitter account, located at http://twitter.com/tonyhawk.

http://twitter.com/tonyhawk/status/1503384773

When someone finds the skateboard they reply to Tony and include a picture:

http://twitter.com/tonyhawk/status/1503849958

I love how technology is connecting a celebrity with his fans in such a direct way. Tony is running the contest himself, and participating in the fun along with everyone else.