SharePoint Tech Conference Comes To Boston, Oct 20-22

As Microsoft SharePoint 2010 enjoys adoption in enterprises and SMBs, the SharePoint market has topped $1 billion. The SharePoint Technology Conference, programmed for IT and business success, will host over 40 experts; 100 sessions, classes and workshops; and dozens of exhibitors in Boston, Oct 20-22.

by Vance McCarthy

Tags: SharePoint, integration, SPTechCon, BPM, integration, workflow, software architects,

sptechcon_logo_jpg-725x0 As Microsoft SharePoint 2010 makes inroads with enterprise and SMB users, the SharePoint market has topped $1 billion thanks to the momentum gainefrom the adoption by large enterprises and SMBs.

The SharePoint Technology Conference (SPTechCon) 2010 comes to Boston on Oct. 20-22, with something to help IT and business users in companies of every size get the most from SharePoint investments -- or even to kick the tires before they purchase.

SPTechCon is produced by BZ Media LLC, publishers of SD Times, the newspaper for the software development industry.

Registration and information on the SharePoint Technology Conference
Oct. 20-22 in Boston, Mass.

In specific, SPTechCon 2010 will host Microsoft SharePoint executives, along with over 40 experts presenting 100 sessions, classes and workshops. The event also sports an exhibit hall crammed with dozens of software vendors, trainers and educators, as well as consultants and services firms.

“SPTechCon has always had great support from Microsoft. They see our event as a way to help their user community and third-party providers,” said David Rubinstein, SPTechCon Conference Chairman, and Editor In Chief of SD Times. “It’s made SPTechCon a real win-win for Microsoft, their partners and attendees.”

This year’s SPTechCon’s keynoters are some of the people most responsible for SharePoint’s success. They are:

Steve Fox, senior technical evangelist with Microsoft SharePoint’s Developer and Platform Evangelism. Fox has published a number of books and articles on core developer tools for SharePoint, including SharePoint Designer 2010 and Visual Studio 2010.

Bill English, a Microsoft MVP for SharePoint Server and founder of Mindsharp (formerly English, Bleeker and Associates), a world renowned training and consulting company for SharePoint products and technologies. English is also the author or co-author of Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 Best Practices, Microsoft SharePoint 2010 Administrator and other top SharePoint titles.

Aside from the headliners, SPTechCon 2010 offers a range of sessions and workshops for IT and end user attendees. “We’ve always built SPTechCon so that both IT and business users can get up and running quickly with a solution,” Rubinstein said.

The agenda for SPTechCon 2010 includes:

SharePoint 2010 Success Tips – Experts describe various aspects of how to succeed with SharePoint 2010, including the latest features for workflow, collaboration, security; and the integration and migration with earlier versions of SharePoint. Speakers will also present SharePoint 2010 Best Practices, end user success tips and what new features offer the most eye-popping ROI.

“SPTechCon has always had great support from Microsoft. They see our event as a way to help their user community and third-party providers,”

David Rubinstein
SPTechCon Conference Chairman
BZ Media

SharePoint Success (earlier SharePoint versions) – “We know not everyone is ready to migrate to SharePoint 2010 right away,” Rubinstein said. “So we’ll continue to provide rich content for earlier versions.” For the sessions regarding SharePoint 2007 and earlier versions, experts will provide in-depth use cases as well as tips and tricks for how customers are extending the business value of current SharePoint systems.

SharePoint Novices – A whole range of sessions, dubbed “SharePoint 101,” features content and demonstrations to help both IT and business users get up to speed. “These sessions and workshops are taught by experts who know SharePoint well, and also know how to deliver results quickly,” Rubinstein said. “These are not just sessions about features, they are put together so that you learn how to build solutions” for your workplace.

SharePoint Architecture and Integration – Experts describe the best ways to tie SharePoint in with existing enterprise software. “It’s one thing to buy SharePoint and create a file, share it and retrieve it. But, it’s quite another to get your arms around how SharePoint’s rich platform works and integrates with other enterprise software, such as Microsoft Office and SQL Server,” Rubenstein said. “Our experts are all there to provide that mission-critical information.”

SharePoint for BPM (Business Process Management) - SPTechCon 2010 features Mark Miller, founder and editor of EndUserSharePoint.com, one of the top SharePoint websites for business users. Miller is now an evangelist with BPM company Global360, which uses SharePoint as a strategic platform for BPM. “We recognize that many third parties are now supporting BPM on top of SharePoint to let users route forms, create workflows or even get approvals across departments, for example,” Rubinstein told IDN.

Ask The Experts – If after all these sessions and workshops, attendees still have questions, SPTechCon presents an open microphone “Ask The Expert” session, where a panel of SharePoint professionals gather to answer audience questions.

Technology Demonstrations - Attendees also get short demonstrations and what Rubinstein called “lightening talks,” which provide quick 5-6 minute descriptions of all the latest from SharePoint’s vendor and services community. The show also features an exhibit hall featuring Microsoft areas as well as more than 40 third-party vendors of plug-ins, add-ons and services.

Sharing and Networking -- And, what would a SharePoint conference be without some time for sharing, socializing and networking with your peers? The show offers venues and allows for downtime so attendees can compare notes, network and socialize.

Other notable sessions at SPTechCon 2010 include: