DEMO 08 Conference Launches

Chris Shipley just kicked off DEMO 08, first with a little dance on the stage, and then told those assembled (and the several hundred watching online) how the presenting companies were chosen. Of the hundreds of companies interviewed, the 77 presenters were selected not just for their originality, but also for how they represent the current market, and in the near future, or at least what Shipley & Co. believe will be the pressing problems of the coming years. “We’re not driven by raw numbers or caps as much as we are about bringing great products here to see and representative of a wide range of ideas, not just Web 2.0 or search algorithms,” she said. Individuals driving design, according to Shipley, is one of the core issues at DEMO 08. “As individuals continue to pile on the internet, they put tougher demands on our infrastructure, such as higher bandwith and greater security,” she said. And, as consumer-targeted, Web-based applications, such as banking and document sharing, have been made more attractive and easier to use, new design demands will be placed on business apps that are decidedly user-unfriendly. To one extent or another, “we’re defined by the technologies we use,” said Shipley. “All this power to drive markets means little if we’re not driving improved experiences for ourselves.” It’s not just enough to incorporate text, voice, and video, but it has to be intuitive. It’s not the most groundbreaking of insights, but the hope is that improvements in consumer-oriented tech will drive better business innovations.”