Plugging Into Utility Computing

A BusinessWeek Events Executive Breakfast Briefing
Sponsored by VERITAS

Thursday, September 23, 2004
8:00 - 9:30 a.m.

The Ritz Carlton Hotel, Boston

Boston, Massachusetts

Utility computing-plugging into computing power as a pay-as-you-go service, like water or electricity-has captured the spotlight of the technology industry and the imaginations of corporate users across industry sectors. Its promise is compelling: if they choose, companies can stop building and buying the ganglia of computers, applications, networks, and storage devices they need to stay competitive and start tapping in to someone else's, paying only for the computing they actually use. Or, they can opt to keep control of their computer systems and install new utility technologies that are easier to maintain and pay for.

If this is IT's long sought "Next Big Thing," it won't require the wholesale change-out of existing technology for companies to reap the benefits. Instead, Utility Computing will be about making the best use of what's already installed. As a company's computing needs change and technology evolves, it can more simply add machines and software to the systems it already owns. Or, if it's outsourcing the management of its systems, it can order up new capabilities in a snap, without the usual investments in new hardware and software. This flexibility wrings out significant cost and complexity, enhancing the company's ability to change with the speed of the marketplace.

BusinessWeek senior IT writer Steve Hamm will deliver an in-depth understanding of pay-as-you-go computing and what it means for business today and tomorrow. To register, or for more information, go to http://conferences.businessweek.com/utility_computing/

The BusinessWeek 50 Forum:

Pursuing High Performance

Wednesday evening, October 6, 2004

Dinner at Le Bernardin 

Thursday, October 7, 2004

The BusinessWeek 50 Forum

New York City

Celebrating Performance over Size

Since 1997 BusinessWeek has been tracking the 50 top-performing companies of the S&P 500.   Unlike the Fortune 500, which ranks companies primarily by sales, the BusinessWeek 50 evaluates companies against eight critical measures of financial performance over one and three years.    The result is more than a static list of the year's hot stocks, it's a barometer of where growth, innovation, and value creation are happening.

Delivering Insight beyond Numbers

The depth of BusinessWeek's analysis in compiling the list makes it more indicative of true corporate excellence and profound economic trends.   That makes it a powerful tool for both organizations looking to raise their own performance and investors. Over the past seven years shifts in the BusinessWeek 50 have signaled sea changes in corporate America : the rise and fall of the tech sector, the fallout from corporate malfeasance scandals, and the economic impact of looming war.  

Informing the Future from the Past...

The Forum's presenters will provide senior executives with insight into what makes a top performer and offer examples of what leading firms are doing to anticipate, understand, and adapt to environmental drivers of change to ensure that high performance endures.

Establishing Networks among Top-performers

The BusinessWeek 50 Forum marks the inauguration of a select gathering, a place where 100 senior executives from S&P 500 companies will convene annually to examine the performance, discuss the strategies, and meet and learn from the leaders of BW 50 companies.   Its select audience, focus on results, and high-level of interactivity will set it apart from other events for corporate leaders.

Visit the BusinessWeek 50 Forum Web Site: www.bw50forum.com