NBN takes to the stage at CeBit

CeBit organiser Hannover Fairs will hold talks tackling topics from the implications of the NBN to how the Web and Enterprise technology can beat the financial crisis.

The implications of the Federal Government's $43 billion NBN will be a major focus of Access, a conference devoted to the policy, strategic and practical aspects of telecommunications in a working environment.

The trade show's opening day will also feature an opening address by Senator Stephen Conroy, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy to AusInnovate, a local research and development and commercialisation conference.

Senator Conroy's appearance at CeBIT will be his last public appearance scheduled before flying back to Canberra later that day to attend the Budget Session of Parliament.

Organised by CeBIT in partnership with NICTA, CSIRO and DSTO, AusInnovate will also put the spotlight on real world examples of best-of-breed innovation, as well as devising strategies for the further growth, implementation and integration of Australian research within the Global Digital Economy.

The Australian Government has increased its engagement and sponsorship of the e-Government Forum, the country's top public sector technology conference, on Wednesday May 13.

The e-Government Forum organised in partnership with the Department of Finance has never been more topical against the back drop of the Gershon Review of government ICT procurement and management and the increased interest in citizen-centric Web 2.0-style policy interaction.

Two business-oriented conferences, Enterprise and WebForward will look at the processes, trends and techniques that are driving the adoption and exploitation of technology by business to operate more efficiently in tough times, with presentations by senior figures from such companies as Google, IBM, Microsoft and Citrix.

Topics to be discussed include emerging trends such as Cloud computing, virtualisation, CRM, SaaS, social networking, the Twitter revolution, search engine marketing and optimisation, and mobile devices and apps for platforms like the iPhone.

Jackie Taranto said it has added to its conference program every year since its launch - and its delegate numbers have continued to swell.

CeBit runs from 12-14 May in Sydney.