FOSS4G 2009 Press Release 9

For limited distribution, to potential sponsors.

= Where does your business need to be in 2009? =

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Sydney, Australia. 7 April 2009.

Free and Open Source Software for Geospatial (FOSS4G) is becoming increasingly entrenched in mainstream ICT (Information and Communication Technology). The FOSS4G 2009 conference, http://2009.foss4g.org/, in Sydney, Australian 20-23 October 2009, is a unique event gathering a global community for an intensive and exciting week of activity. Now more than ever there is a need for organisations and business to think strategically. FOSS4G software can help your organisation or business become agile in our challenging economic times.

Your market is seeking to address their traditional problem spaces in new and innovative ways by looking at FOSS4G to assist them seek value and return on their investments. At a time when organisations are thinking carefully about their investment in IT, how are you addressing your client’s needs? Are you adapting?

Companies and organisations are looking at alternative technologies and service models, looking at ways to integrate their existing Geospatial technology with FOSS4G options. FOSS4G 2009 presents an opportunity for you to demonstrate your adaptability to meet these new demands, show your client base how your solutions can integrate into theirs, come face to face with the people behind the growing force of FOSS4G and reach new and emerging markets.

Is FOSS4G a new area of interest for your company? If so FOSS4G 2009 provides an opportunity to gain an overview and understanding of the 'state of free and open source Geospatial technology'. Sign up for workshops and receive high quality training at incredibly competitive rates! Share your experiences and see firsthand how your competitors and clients are developing, implementing and using FOSS4G to underpin their business.

Don’t miss the opportunity to present your company. FOSS4G conferences have historically attracted the biggest names in Geospatial technology as well as large enterprises keen to engage with FOSS4G projects and service providers

If you think FOSS4G 2009 is just for technologists then think again........this is where your business needs to be in 2009!

FOSS4G traditionally attracts delegates from spatial departments in Government and Defence sectors, and 2009 is altready attracting a lot of interest from Australia and Asia/Pacific region.

FOSS4G delegates will start registering online from mid April. If you intend to maximise your marketing, then now is the time to purchase one of the sponsorship packages and get your logo onto the FOSS4G website. With exhibits starting from just $2, 500 AUD and sponsorships starting from just $300 AUD it is an incredibly cost effective way of getting your name in front of an international audience at a world renowned venue. Small companies will be happy to hear about a new Bronze sponsorship level, for only $AU1, 000, (approx $US720).

Sponsorship at a glance
Cost AU$ (incl GST)

The full FOSS4G sponsorship prospectus including purchasing details can be downloaded from: http://2009.foss4g.org/downloads/FOSS4G_Sponsorship_Exhibition_Document.pdf

FOSS4G 2009 Highlights
The Climate Challenge Integration Plugfest (CCIP): FOSS4G will launch the OGC's Climate Challenge Integration Plugfest (CCIP), which demonstrates standards based interoperability between Open Source and Proprietary geospatial applications. It consists of a server with multiple virtual machines, each installed with geospatial applications offering standards based web services. All web services will demonstrate a common dataset, and will be accessed by a range of geospatial client applications installed on client computers. http://external.opengis.org/twiki_public/bin/view/ClimateChallenge2009/WebHome

Presenters are encouraged (but not mandated) to make use of scenarios and on-site data from the Climate Challenge Integration Plugfest (CCIP). This is especially important as demand for access to data over the internet is expected to be high, and Australia has notoriously slow connections to the outside world.

FOSS4G Live DVD: LiveDVDs, based on the Xubuntu operating system and including Geospatial Open Source Software, will be given to all delegates. Users can boot a Live DVD on their computer and trial the software without installing or effecting the existing system. http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Live_GIS_Disc

Installfest: The Installfest will give delegates the opportunity to meet in a common area and install a wide variety of FOSS software on their laptops, EE PC or any other system they care to bring in. Community members will be around to assist with any troubles and provide help and insight into the software. The install fest will take place after workshops on the first day.

Workshops and Tutorials: Workshops and Tutorials allow presenters to lead attendees through applications, integration solutions, or other topics in an interactive environment. Half-day workshops (3 hours) will be held in computer rooms on the first day. Tutorials (90 minutes) will be held in standard presentation rooms, run concurrently with presentations during the third and fourth days.

Presentations: The meat of the conference are it's presentations. Drawing on a huge community of local, regional and international experts we will discuss some of the most current and poignant topics in the industry today.

Demo Theatre: During lunch and coffee breaks the demonstration theatre will be showcasing live software. These short demonstrations from sponsors, open source projects and the user community show what is possible with open source today.

Birds of a Feather: Rooms have been set aside for semi-organised meetings between like minded groups. Some prominant community initiatives started in prior FOSS4G Birds of a Feather sessions.

Code Sprint: The weekend after FOSS4G is reserved for the Hackers' Code Sprint. Hackers will be locked in a basement with lots of bandwidth, pizzas and coke. (Well, maybe something better than that, but we don't want to spoil the mystical hacker image by describing it any differently.)

Upcoming milestones

 * 20 Apr 2009, Registration for conference and workshops opens
 * 1 Jun 2009, Abstract submission deadline
 * 13 Jul 2009, Presenters notified of acceptance for talks
 * 31 Jul 2009, Author/Early registration deadline
 * 14 Sep 2009, Completed program available on the wiki
 * 20 Oct 2009, FOSS4G Workshop
 * 21-23 Oct 2009, FOSS4G Presentations and Tutorials
 * 24-25 Oct 2009, FOSS4G Code Sprint

Media Sponsors

 * Position Magazine: http://www.positionmag.com.au/
 * Asian Surveying and Mapping Newsletter: http://www.asmmag.com
 * Geoconnexions Magazine: http://www.geoconnexion.com/
 * Directions Magazine: http://directionsmag.com/

For information about this announcement, contact:

FOSS4G Organising Committee: http://2009.foss4g.org/contacts/

or,

Cameron Shorter, Chair of the FOSS4G Organising Committee and Geospatial Systems Architect at LISAsoft

tel +61-8570-5050

c a m e r o n. s h o r t e r @ l i s a s o f t. c o m