Digital Discourse / Archives for Laura Greenback

Executives from News Organizations to Address Economics of Digital Content at Information Industry Summit

January 17, 2012 By

At SIIA’s eleventh annual Information Industry Summit, keynotes from NBC, BNA and Strategic News Service will address top tech predictions for 2012, investment strategies, and BNA’s acquisition by Bloomberg.

The two-day event, which kicks off January 24 in New York City, is one of the most important gatherings for executives involved in the creation and distribution of digital content.

Heated competition and market consolidation are two big realities facing the digital content industry in 2012. These two issues will be in focus at this year’s Information Industry Summit.

The following keynote presenters will help senior B2B information executives navigate these and other emerging market trends:

Mark Anderson, CEO, Strategic News Service
“Top Tech Predictions for 2012”
Mark Anderson

Anderson is known for accurately forecasting important shifts in the economic landscape and technology markets. With the theme “Integrate Everything,” he will be making his top technology calls for 2012. Is your company ready?


Michael Chen, Fmr President, NBC News’ Strategic Initiatives Group, & Founder, Peacock Equity Fund
“Inside Secrets of a Media Investor”
Michael Chen

Want to understand how to position your company based on what the market is looking for, and how to talk to VCs, bankers or even strategic investors? Michael Chen will offer his unique perspective based on 20 years of providing financing to companies in need of growth capital.


Paul Wojcik, Chairman, BNA
“Transformation Amidst Market Consolidation”
Peter Wojcik

BNA, which was just acquired by Bloomberg in September 2011, was one of the oldest and largest independent professional information companies in the legal, tax, and regulatory space. Wojcik will discuss how BNA navigated change and transformation, made the hard strategic decisions they needed to, and ultimately decided to join forces with Bloomberg in a move he says “makes perfect strategic sense to change the industry’s competitive landscape.”


Laura Greenback is Communications Director at SIIA.

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Filed Under: Content, Information Industry Summit Tagged With: , ,

As Application Period Begins Today, ICANN gTLD Program Represents Significant Challenge to Trademark & Copyright Owners

January 12, 2012 By

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN ) today began accepting applications for new generic top level domains (gTLDs) to the Internet, part of a proposal the ICANN Board adopted in June 2011. 

SIIA supports, respects, and has participated in the ICANN multi-stakeholder process, and acknowledges that new gTLDs will be introduced. But once the scope and content of applications becomes apparent, ICANN will have another opportunity to address stakeholder concerns, and must do so. The introduction of new gTLDs will require even more of ICANN’s focus on previously-neglected, critical tasks such as reform of the Whois system, improvement of registrar contracts, and contract compliance and enforcement.

The highly controversial proposal has been years in the making, and potentially opens up the Internet to hundreds if not thousands of new gTLDs (and second-level registrations within each of them). The application period will run from January to April, and applications are expected to be publicized in May. It is anticipated that new gTLDs will be approved (and begin appearing on the Internet) sometime in 2013. 

The new gTLD program, as currently formulated, represents a significant challenge to trademark and copyright owners. ICANN’s program opens up a whole new frontier of potential –and likely—abuse by those seeking to profit from the name, reputation, and content of others. Intellectual property owners will need to familiarize themselves quickly with the Rights Protection Mechanisms in the gTLD Applicant Guidebook, and expend even more resources and time in enforcing their rights against cybersquatters and infringers.

Laura Greenback is Communications Director at SIIA.

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Filed Under: Policy, Policy - Intellectual Property Tagged With: ,

Leaders from NIST & GSA will Discuss Efforts to Move Apps & Services to the Cloud at Cloud/GOV Conference

January 11, 2012 By

As the cloud continues to revolutionize the way government operates, Cloud/GOV is assembling some of the nation’s top tech leaders to discuss how cloud adoption is moving forward—and to identify the services and requirements that are shaping the future of cloud computing in the public sector.

Cloud/GOV, the nation’s leading annual forum on cloud computing in the public sector, will take place February 16 at the Westin Washington, D.C. City Center Hotel.

Keynote speakers include:
• Dawn Leaf, Senior Executive for Cloud Computing, NIST
• David L. McClure, Associate Administrator, U.S. General Services Administration’s Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies

Cloud/GOV is a key resource for government executives, integrators, and independent software vendors involved in shifting applications and services to the cloud in compliance with FedRAMP. As the leading association actively focused on cloud development and implementation, SIIA has worked with Deltek—the authority on government business—to bring together a diverse group of federal, state and local government IT leaders, as well as software vendors who provide cloud-based services.

Learn more about the conference or check out SIIA’s recent policy work on cloud computing.

Laura Greenback is Communications Director at SIIA.

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Filed Under: Cloud/Gov, Government, Policy, Policy - Cloud Computing, PSIG, Software Tagged With: ,

SIIA Issues $35,000 in Anti-Piracy Rewards in Fourth Quarter

January 10, 2012 By

SIIA paid $35,500 in anti-piracy rewards during the final quarter of 2011, among the highest in any quarter since the program’s inception. The rewards went to five people who reported cases of significant workplace end-user software or content piracy.

The workplace is a major battlefield in the fight against piracy, and SIIA’s mission is to identify and stop businesses that profit from software and content they are not authorized to use. We rewarded five individuals who saw significant illegal piracy in the workplace and took action to stop it.

The information these sources provided has allowed SIIA to launch several new investigations and continue the industry’s most aggressive campaign against software and content piracy.

Our Corporate Anti-Piracy Program seeks verifiable tips in order to investigate and stop software and content piracy occurring within an organization. Since the reward program began in 2003, no other trade association has given out more rewards in an effort to combat software and content piracy.

SIIA protects the identities of whistleblowers—making it safe for individuals to report software and content piracy in their workplaces.

One anonymous reward recipient who provided valuable information said, “Thanks to SIIA, the process of reporting software piracy was simple, thorough and secure. I was able to make a difference and, in a small way, help crack down on the illegal use of computer software.”

“I was forced to use illegal software in order to do my job and support my family,” continued the source. “I felt ‘guilty by association.’ It bothered me that they were profiting from the software and never felt obligated to purchase it.”

Corporate piracy often occurs when software has been installed or content is being copied and/or distributed by an organization that does not have a license, or has insufficient licenses from the publisher. Through our Anti-Piracy Reward Program, SIIA offers rewards to eligible individuals who report verifiable instances of corporate software or content piracy. Rewards range from $500 for a settlement of $10,000, to $1 million for cases with settlement amounts over $20 million.

How to Report Corporate Software or Content Piracy
Sources can report corporate software piracy by e-mail (piracy@siia.net), telephone (1.800.388.7478), or the Internet (www.siia.net/piracy/report). Usually the source is a current or former employee of the firm, an SIIA member company representative, vendor, or a person with first-hand knowledge about a company’s IT operations.

Laura Greenback is Communications Director at SIIA.

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Filed Under: Anti-Piracy, SIIA News

SIIA Education Division Teams up with London’s BETT Show

January 5, 2012 By

SIIA’s Education Division is headed to London to participate in BETT Show, the leading international education technology showcase. This will mark the third straight year of SIIA’s participation in BETT and the second year that SIIA will host an Ed Tech Pavilion for its members.

SIIA’s Ed Tech Pavilion highlights free materials for educators on a variety of topics, including games, personalized learning, copyright, and Vision K‐20. The Pavilion also focuses on products and services offered by member companies, including McGraw‐Hill Education, Waterford Institute, SkillsTutor, Polyvision, The Renaissance Network, RedRock Reports, Pegeen Wright & Associates, and edWeb.net.

In addition, SIIA will host a members‐only breakfast featuring Ray Barker, director of the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA), who will answer questions about the UK education market.

BETT 2012 will be held January 11‐14 in Olympia, London, attracting more than 600 educational suppliers and around 30,000 visitors. The show has distinguished itself as the world’s leading event for educational technology, where education professionals can evaluate and purchase a comprehensive range of ICT products and services. From pre‐kindergarten to university levels, BETT is an indispensable part of the annual knowledge‐gathering process, coming at a time when educational institutions are planning and budgeting for the new school year.

Laura Greenback is Communications Director at SIIA.

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Filed Under: Education Tagged With: , ,

The Top 10 SIIA Developments of 2011

January 5, 2012 By

SIIA had a groundbreaking 2011. We built influence in Washington, released incisive reports, welcomed new members, and hosted dozens of events around the world. Check out photos from our events and read about our 10 most exciting developments of 2011:

1. Patent reform (finally!) passes – The first comprehensive patent reform in half a century was signed into law Sept. 16. SIIA and its members worked diligently toward this goal for over six years, over the course of three Congresses and two administrations. The bill’s passage represents a significant victory for the software and content industries. It will improve patent quality and reduce–though certainly not eliminate–wasteful litigation over bad patents.

2. Software CEOS predict the future – SIIA took the pulse of chief executive officers to unveil growth and innovation drivers across the software industry. The result was a groundbreaking publication, Vision from the Top, which offers the collective wisdom of 45 SIIA member CEOs. Many of the predictions converged around the future of mobile, cloud and social media.

3. Two markets defined – SIIA’s membership divisions released two market reports in 2011 that shed light on the size and scope of its industries. The Education Division unveiled the 2010 U.S. Educational Technology Industry Market: PreK-12 Report at the Ed Tech Business Forum in November. First in a series, it values the overall market for PreK-12 non-hardware educational technology at $7.5 billion dollars—with content-related products accounting for 42 percent of that revenue. The Software Division released its annual Software Benchmarking Industry Report, which found that small and mid-sized software companies saw significant revenue growth rates of 26-50 percent in 2010.

4. Major cloud policy agenda established – SIIA has long been a supporter of cloud computing as a driver for innovation and economic growth.  In 2011, we took major steps to encourage an effective policy environment to help make this a reality.  To that end, SIIA published a whitepaper for policymakers to explain how cloud computing works and identify its transformative benefits. The policy team also gave input for the EU Cloud Consultation, promoted federal legislation to reform the Electronic Communications Privacy Act and worked closely with Obama Administration officials to advance their Cloud First Policies.

5. New members welcomed – SIIA welcomed dozens of new members in 2011, bringing its total membership to 512. One key area of growth was the Financial Information Services Division’s launch of a new constituency group for credit rating agencies. The group, formed initially by Moody’s Investors Services, Fitch Ratings, and Standard & Poor’s Rating Services, welcomed participation of other SEC-registered credit rating agencies around the world.

6. Digital education gets a boost – States from West Virginia to Florida led the K-12 education shift from print to digital instructional content, passing new laws long advocated by SIIA, which modernize outdated state textbook adoption programs. Texas SB6 provides full local flexibility to purchase digital content and technology, while Florida HB2120 will require schools to spend more than half of their textbook budget on digital materials by 2015-16.

7. Big rewards for piracy whistleblowers – SIIA paid $35,000 in rewards during the month of December alone to five people who reported cases of corporate end-user software or content piracy. The SIIA Corporate Anti-Piracy program uses verifiable tips to launch piracy investigations of cases of piracy that take place within an organization.

8. The higher ed market, demystified – 10 doctors, 5 college professors, 4 MBAs, 3 attorneys, 2 Harvard physicists: they all came together, along with dozens of others including CTOs, CEOs and VPs to create SIIA’s newest publication, The Experts’ Guide to the Postsecondary Market.  The resource offers expert guidance on everything from product development to selling in the postsecondary marketplace. Several authors discussed their key takeaways in a video series.

9. Visionary leaders present – Some of the leading voices in the software and digital content industries spoke at SIIA events in 2011. ProQuest CEO Marty Kahn turned heads with his frank discussion of challenges in the digital content landscape at the Information Industry Summit. Dr. Richard Sims, Chief Economist for the National Education Association, was back by popular demand at the 2011 Ed Tech Business Forum, where he followed up on the bleak economic predictions he made in 2009. Other standout speakers in 2011 were Robert Reich, Chancellor’s Professor of Public Policy for the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California at Berkeley at the World Financial Information Conference, Jim Whitehurst, President & CEO at RedHat at All About the Cloud, and Chris C. Kemp, CTO for IT at NASA, at Cloud/Gov.

10. Excellence recognized – SIIA recognized achievements in the software and digital content industries through a series of awards programs in 2011. Some highlights:

  • The 26th annual CODiE Awards presented 66 awards in digital content, education technology and business software.
  • The Content Division recognized RapidBuyr as the SIIA Previews Program’s “Most Likely to Succeed” at the 2011 Information Industry Summit.
  • The Education Division’s Innovation Incubator Award winners for 2011 were Fluidity Software, Footsteps2Brilliance, GiftedSpeech, and Capstone Digital.
  • On a personal level, FISD presented the Market Data Lifetime Achievement Award to Dr. Joseph Kasputys, founder and former chairman, president and CEO of global information company IHS Global Insight.
  • The Education Division honored Kathy Hurley, senior vice president of strategic partnerships for Pearson and the Pearson Foundation, with its prestigious Ed Tech Impact Award.


Laura Greenback is Communications Director at SIIA.

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Filed Under: Anti-Piracy, Content, Education, Policy, Policy - Cloud Computing, Software Tagged With: ,

Online Turf Wars and Paid News Content will Highlight the 2012 SIIA Information Industry Summit

January 5, 2012 By

Are online news sites having success transitioning to paid models? What’s next in the battle between the digital industry’s titans? This year’s Information Industry Summit–slated for Jan 24-25 in New York City–will address these compelling questions in digital content.

Key presentations include:

“News on the Edge: Dispatches from the Frontlines”
Representatives from the Wall Street Journal and the Boston Globe will outline the challenges—and advantages—of the paid subscription “All Access” model, as well as the importance of leveraging new technologies and emerging business models to retain existing customers and grow new audiences.
* Panelists include Alisa Bowen, general manager of the Wall Street Journal Digital Network, and Christopher Mayer, publisher of the Boston Globe.

“Clash of the Titans: The Collision between Apple, Amazon, Facebook and Google and its Impact on the Information Industry”
This panel presentation will explore the accelerating turf wars among Apple, Amazon, Google and Facebook— and what they mean for the content marketplace.
* Panelists include Ken Auletta, columnist for The New Yorker and author of “Googled: The End of The World as We Know It,” Scott Kurnit, founder, chairman and CEO of AdKeeper, and Adam Lashinsky, senior editor at large for Fortune.

The Information Industry Summit will gather leading industry thinkers and B2B digital information executives for a fresh look at the continuing evolution of digital content. For the complete Summit schedule, visit www.siia.net/iis.

Laura Greenback is Communications Director at SIIA.

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Filed Under: Content, Information Industry Summit Tagged With: , ,
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