Convergence Conversation

The Internet of Things & Augmented Reality

The next Convergence Conversation - speakers confirmed

Date:                     Thursday 24 June 2010
Time:                    18:00 - 20:00
                               Registration from 17:30
                               Wine and Cheese
Venue:                  Intellect Conference Suite, 10-12 Russell Square, London WC1B 5EE

‘The Internet of Things & Augmented Reality'

Imagine a world where every object is tagged – equipped with a tiny identifying device or barcode, that a computer or phone can read, and be aware of. Imagine sensors installed in cars that could allow insurance companies to base policy prices on how well a car is driven and where it travels, rather than on proxies like driver age, gender and place of residence. Or sensors in retail stores that could read shoppers’ profiles (stored in membership or loyalty cards), and facilitate sales by providing additional information or discounts at the point of sale.

How much more efficiently could you manage your life in such a world? No more looking for misplaced objects, no wondering what items you need to restock, no more theft – your computer can track it all. And minimal wastage - of both products and time. This, broadly, is the Internet of Things – a system where objects communicate data that can be used to alter processes or make decisions. Arguably the internet of things will not begin with the home, but in the bowels of supply chains and commercial environments, used by companies like Zipcar in rental car models, in location-based advertising and payment environments, in health care and monitoring, in factories for quality and smart meters, and in dynamic traffic management across a city.

Furthermore ‘Augmented Reality’ can offer consumers a live direct or indirect view of the physical real-world environment whose elements are augmented by virtual computer–generated imagery. The augmentation is conventionally in real-time and in semantic context with environmental elements, such as sports scores on TV during a match. Imagine a world where with the help of advanced AR technology the information about the surrounding real world of the user becomes interactive and digitally usable.

The question is, how far down the road are we? What can the ‘Internet of Things’ and ‘Augmented Reality’ do? What can’t they do? What’s myth, and what’s reality? And where’s the business value in it?

You are invited to this Convergence Conversation meeting to debate these topics, present your opinion, and learn what the opportunities in the space might be.

The format is always deliberately informal, with a chance for everyone to put forward their views in an open discussion and network over a glass of wine.  

NB: places are limited to two people from each organisation.

Who’s talking? 
Chair:            

•  Ved Sen, founder and CEO, ThinkPlank

Speakers:

• Ken Blakeslee, Chairman, WebMobility Ventures
• Simon Torrance, CEO & Founder, Telco 2.0 Initiative, STL Partners
• Usman Haque, CEO Connected Environments Ltd, Founder of Pachube.com
• Kit Macgillivray, The Realtime Project  

• David Levine, Director of Next Generation Services, ITIS Holdings Plc

Who should attend?
This Conversation is relevant to the following roles:

• Strategy & Senior Management
• CTO / Technology Decision Makers
• Business Development / Commercial Managers
• Marketing Managers

in any of these industries:

• Consumer Electronics Manufacturers
• Media/ Broadcast/ Internet/ Publishing Companies
• Content aggregators
• Hardware Vendors
• Internet Service Providers
• Mobile Operators
• Retailers & eCommerce businesses
• Software Application & Product Vendors
• Media & Technology Law

How much does it cost me?
*         There is no charge to attend this meeting – but it is important that you book . 
Places limited to 2 people from each organisation please. 

How do I book?
1.       sign on to this Convergence Conversation website (if not already done so)
2.       you will then be able to book for each meeting using 'Event registration' button at top right of this page, and will receive invitations for future events.
3.       any problems, contact us here