Microsoft Innovation Center Report 2008-2009 vol.6
Aiming at the Establishment of Unique Characteristics of Aizu IT Industry – Aizu IT Summer Forum 2008
September 12th, 2008, The University of Aizu (Public University Corporation)
Aizu IT Summer Forum 2008, an event where local companies can experience cutting-edge IT technologies, was held at the University of Aizu (Public University Corporation), Fukushima Prefecture, on September 12th, 2008. As with last year, Microsoft Co., Ltd, Japan offered a session by its engineer. At the keynote speech, Shunichi Kajisa (CTO, Microsoft Co., Ltd) introduced Microsoft's new directional concept, the Internet cloud, and he discussed the company's activities around this new concept.
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Forum to Experience Cutting-Edge Technologies and Seize New Business Opportunities
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Hosted by the executive committee, consisting of the University of Aizu, Microsoft Co., Ltd., Japan, F-COM Co., Ltd., and other local organizations in Fukushima Prefecture, the first Aizu IT Summer Forum was held last year, and it was the second forum this year. Under the theme of "Know the Future of IT in Aizu in Summer", approximately 300 people, including developers, researchers and students from various organizations in Aizu and other areas, came to the forum.
In his keynote speech, Microsoft CTO Shunichi Kajisa introduced the Internet cloud, Microsoft's new directional concept announced by Ray Ozzie (Chief Software Architect, Microsoft Corporation). As the major platforms and development tools for the future IT environment, including Windows Server 2008, SQL Server 2008 and Visual Studio 2008, were released this year, the audience showed great enthusiasm towards Kajisa’s speech.
"With a long-term trend in account, Microsoft has been making active efforts," said Kajisa, "so that developers can create new business opportunities in the area of Software + Service. As well as existing services like Windows Live and Silverlight, other new services such as Live Mesh and SQL Server Data Services will be launched. With its Internet cloud concept, Microsoft will continue to promote the movement towards Software + Service.”
Kajisa discussed the new business possibilities based on five scenarios: Connected Devices, Connected Entertainment, Connected Productivity, Connected Business and Connected Development. He then explained, with detailed examples, the activities Microsoft has been engaged in, including the technologies and services that can be used in each scenario. In addition, the CTO introduced Microsoft's datacenter that supports these services, as well as other activities Microsoft is involved in such as its environmental programs.
After the keynote speech, Kajisa had a dynamic Q&A session with the audience on a wide variety of topics including the program development environment and venture business.
UX Platform Session Received Attention from a Larger Number of Developers Than Expected
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Aizu IT Summer Forum 2008 had a series of sessions by lecturers from major IT companies, both domestic and foreign, to introduce these companies' activities and strategies. At one of these sessions, Microsoft engineer held a lecture on a Web Technology Track session discussing the next generation user experience (UX) platform.
A lot of developers showed high interest in this session for Silverlight and Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) that provide the next generation rich user interface. There were so many eager participants that some could not get seats despite extra chairs being added between the 50 seats originally set up in the lecture room and stood listening.
"I am very glad," Shotaro Suzuki (Architect Evangelist, Developer & Platform Evangelism, Microsoft Co. Ltd., Japan) said, "that I could introduce the exciting aspects of Microsoft's UX technology that deliver the new user experience." As Suzuki said, he was driven by the eager attitude of the developers in the audience and he could not help but present as much information as he could in the session, which led his session to use all the time allotted for. Although it was a short period of time, Suzuki's session had a lot of content, including detailed development techniques based on the usage scenarios of the new user experience.
Into the Global Market, Go Beyond the Frame of Metropolitan or Domestic
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Aizu IT Summer Forum was originally established with strong will of the University of Aizu and other local companies to vitalize the local IT industry in Fukushima Prefecture. "Equipped with cutting-edge technologies, I would like to change the current 'from the central to local' business flow," Akira Sasaki (CEO, GClue, Inc.), the chairman of Web Technology Track, said "into a new paradigm: the world and Aizu (Fukushima)."
"Because the University of Aizu emphasizes the basic training in computer science," said Sasaki, "students can start working in an actual development team once they acquire applied knowledge. I expect students at the University of Aizu and developers from local companies to have more practical training so that they can use their knowledge for actual product development that can be delivered to the world."
Sasaki now focuses on cloud computing, especially on the mobile market where technologies like Silverlight and Windows Mobile can provide unique functionalities.
"It might be difficult to get into the already-matured current mobile market in Japan," continues Sasaki, "there are, however, new markets emerging with new smart phone technologies like Windows Mobile. As applications for Windows Mobile can run on Windows using .NET technology, their coding and testing can be done efficiently. It is also possible to deliver the development skills grown in the Japanese mobile market to the world."
.NET Technology as a Tool for New Business Creation
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"We do not have much chance to experience state of the art technology in Aizu," Hiroaki Ishikawa (Leader, Internal Control Department, F-COM Co.,Ltd.) notes, "but a forum like this would create a new trend here." Ishikawa is one of those who aim to vitalize the local IT industry in Fukushima Prefecture. F-COM is a member of the executive committee for Aizu IT Summer Forum, and the company offers some special lectures on .NET technology at the University of Aizu.
"The participants in our course on .NET technology are highly motivated," says Ishikawa, "While university students seem to consider .NET technology a tool for their upcoming job searches, working people have a different level of objectives as they would like to use the unified development environment of Visual Studio 2008 to fulfill the need to bring high-quality products to the market in a shorter time."
Both the .NET course at the University of Aizu and Aizu Summer Forum aim at fostering outstanding engineers equipped with the latest technologies. The parties involved concern the fact, though, that despite the fact that engineers in Aizu may hope to stay in their home area, metropolitan areas would be attractive to them as more jobs are offered there.
"It is extremely regrettable to see engineers trained in Aizu leaving Aizu," Ishikawa continues, "We have it in mind to establish a forum of local engineers so that we can offer technical skills and information there as well as we can utilize it as a place to demonstrate Aizu’s high level of technologic capabilities."
Nobuaki Nagai (wipse IT Venture Community Lead; Senior Manager, Business Incubation (LSE), Developer & Platform Evangelism, Microsoft Co. Ltd., Japan) suggested leveleging Microsoft Innovation Center programs and joining wipse (Windows + Services Consortium). Nagai and the concerned parties had a discussion to consider how they and Microsoft can work together, in addition to Aizu IT Summer Forum, to help foster engineers in Aizu.