Event Blog: Essextec's Cloud Computing Executive Roundtable
Essextec's Executive Cloud Computing Event Offers Round Table Discussion and Debate
On August 18, 2010 a group of IT representatives gathered at Morton's Steakhouse in New York City to swap ideas about a little upstart called Cloud Computing. The guests, brought together by Essex Technology Group, represented a wide variety of companies ranging from technology to publishing to security. All were eager to learn about this exciting new Internet-based delivery model. 
The dining room provided by Morton's was furnished with small round tables, establishing an intimate environment perfect for fostering discussion. Nathan Smith, Essextec Vice President, opened the event with a presentation about Cloud, stressing its increasing value in the field of IT, particularly in the areas of virtualization, standardization, and disaster recovery. Cloud computing provides shared resources to computers, customized to suit the specific requirements of the user. It has quickly become one of the world's most popular technologies. It seems likely that a few years from now, 80% of global enterprises will be using Cloud. Nathan stressed Essextec's intention to "help reduce risk, increase manageability, and improve costs" with Cloud computing.
After this presentation, Nathan turned the discussion over to 
the guests. As they enjoyed their lunch, the guests exchanged questions and talked about their particular IT interests. Every table had at least one subject matter expert facilitating. After half an hour, each of these experts presented a Cloud-related question to the room based on what the group had been discussing.
Questions dealt with storage solutions, IBM's service portfolios (private vs. hybrid vs. public), and contact management. This open forum allowed for a comfortable flow of ideas and proved to be a valuable learning experience for all concerned. One guest said he found the event "very informative" while another commented that he was "happy with the presentation" and also noted the event's minimal emphasis on a "sales pitch," which he appreciated.
Ultimately, this was the latest in long line of events hosted by Essextec to stimulate knowledge, curiosity, and productivity in the field of Information Technology.