U.S. Department of Defense, Backcountry.com and SourceForge.net Join The Line-Up of Case Study Presentations at LinuxWorld OpenSolutions Summit

December 6, 2006; 09:20 AM
IDG World Expo, the leading producer of world-class tradeshows, conferences and events has announced the addition of three new case study presentations to the LinuxWorld® OpenSolutions SummitTM conference program that will provide attendees with exclusive insight into the open source deployment experiences of their peers. IT executives from the U.S. Department of Defense, online retailer Backcountry.com and SourceForge.net, among others, will share the trials, tribulations and successes they each faced in implementing open source initiatives within their own organizations. The OpenSolutions Summit is scheduled to take place February 14-15, 2007, at the New York Marriott Marquis.

“This conference was specifically created to address open source implementations in some of the key vertical markets in the New York area – financial, healthcare, manufacturing, pharmaceutical and retail – as well as across all business environments and industries,” said Melinda Kendall, vice president, LinuxWorld. “These case studies, in addition to a case study keynote by Novell and presentations from other major enterprise companies, fulfills that commitment and provides our attendees with valuable insight they can’t get in any other forum.”

David Jenkins, CTO of Backcountry.com, will present “Open Source Collaboration and Retail.” Backcountry.com, the second largest online outdoor retailer, recently underwent a growth spurt, moving from a staff of a few dozen employees to hundreds of employees. With this rapid growth, however, came a new set of challenges, particularly in collaboration. Learn how Backcountry.com leveraged open source solutions to combat some of the most frustrating challenges in collaboration at a price tag a growing business can afford.

"We were in a unique situation because not only were we rapidly growing, almost doubling every year, from a small to medium sized business, but we are a purely online play. The need for constant updates to our IT structure presents challenges, but also brings some unconventional benefits for the company as a whole," said Dave Jenkins. "Implementing open source solutions proved to be the best option for us and we're glad to have the opportunity to share what worked and what didn't with attendees facing the same or similar situations."

Bill Kalogeros, Federal Manager, Bivio Networks and Jefferey Jamie, Captain (Ret.) will present

“Open Source Linux Solutions in DoD Network Installations: Managing the Risks, Maximizing the Rewards.” This technical presentation will explore the types of open source security solutions and platforms that are most applicable to the Federal government, including traffic management and filtering, multiple IPS sensor deployment, stateful firewall/deep packet inspection and UTM, as well as other network defense solutions and how IPv6 will impact these strategies in real networks.

Rounding out the group is Ross Turk, Engineering Manager for SourceForge.net. Ross will provide details on the open-source infrastructure behind the Internet's largest OSS repository while analyzing its strengths and weaknesses, and will provide observations about up-and-coming infrastructure-related open-source projects.

Additional case studies to be presented at the inaugural LinuxWorld OpenSolutions Summit Include:

• “Open Source Adoption – A Real Life Story,” Keynote, presented by Debra Allen, CIO, Novell Inc.
• “Shared Penguins: How to Have Hundreds of Virtual Servers with a Shared Root,” presented by Steven Womer, Sr. IT Architect , Nationwide Insurance

• “Living In A Virtual World,” presented by Bruce McMillan, Manager of Emerging Technologies at Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
• “Searching For Security,” presented by Heather Adkins, Manager of Information Security for Google, Inc.
• “Using Open Source Tools for Regulatory Compliance…And How To Make Your Auditors Accept It,” presented by Jeremiah Cruit-Salzberg, Security Architect at Fair Isaac Corporation.

LinuxWorld OpenSolutions Summit is a regional and vertically focused conference that addresses the needs and interests of IT professionals involved in the deployment of Linux and open source solutions. Attendees can register at www.linuxworldsummit.com. Conference passes are available for $995 and Sponsor Showcase passes are available at no cost to qualified attendees.

About LinuxWorld OpenSolutions Summit

LinuxWorld OpenSolutions Summit is a regional and vertically focused conference tailored specifically to the needs and interests of IT professionals involved in the deployment of Linux and open source solutions. LinuxWorld OpenSolutions Summit provides business decision-makers with information and resources to implement Linux and open source solutions into business infrastructure and enterprise networks for the financial, healthcare, manufacturing and retail markets. For more information visit www.linuxworldsummit.com. For sponsorship opportunities contact Ellen Boland at (508) 988-7830 or [email protected] or Christian Montminy at (508) 424-4852 or [email protected].

About IDG World Expo

IDG World Expo (www.idgworldexpo.com) produces tradeshows, conferences and events for professionals seeking world-class education, peer-to-peer networking and one-stop comparison shopping. IDG World Expo's portfolio of conferences and events includes Macworld Conference & Expo®, LinuxWorld Conference & Expo®, LinuxWorld® OpenSolutions Summit™, SaaScon™, GridWorld™, OSBC®, Digital ID World®, RoboBusiness, RoboNexus and RoboDevelopment Conference & Expo. IDG World Expo is a business unit of IDG, the world's leading technology media, research and event company.

About International Data Group (IDG)

International Data Group (IDG) is the world's leading technology media, events, and research company. IDG publishes more than 300 magazines and newspapers in 85 countries including CIO, CSO, Computerworld, GamePro, InfoWorld, Macworld, Network World, and PC World. IDG’s online network includes more than 400 Web sites spanning business technology, consumer technology, digital entertainment, and gaming worldwide. IDG is a leading producer of more than 170 technology-related events including LinuxWorld Conference & Expo, Macworld Conference & Expo, DEMO, and IDC Directions. IDC, a subsidiary of IDG, is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events. Over 850 IDC analysts in 50 countries provide global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends. Additional information about IDG, a privately-held company, is available at http://www.idg.com.