"I put together the first Supernova conference three years ago because, to paraphrase Bob Dylan, we all knew something was happening here, but we didn't know what it was. My conviction was that underneath all the changes - business becoming increasingly distributed, users becoming more knowledgeable, old industry models collapsing, and everything and everybody becoming networked - is one fundamental phenomenon: decentralization.

At Supernova, we bring together business, government, and technology thought leaders to understand how decentralization and pervasive connectivity are changing our world."

-Kevin Werbach, Host of Supernova


Why focus on decentralization?

Business, technology, and social interactions are decentralizing, tearing apart industries with the force of a supernova. Intelligence is moving to the edges, through networked computers, empowered users, fluid digital content, distributed work teams, and powerful communications devices. Business models are under pressure as end-users gain greater control, computing becomes a commodity, and companies collaborate across geographic boundaries. At the same time, new opportunities are emerging through social software, pervasive wireless networking, massively multi-player virtual worlds, and distributed e-commerce, among other trends.

In essence, these trends are creating a connected world. Platforms such as the Web are no longer the new frontier; they are the baseline. Kevin's column at BusinessWeek Online, The Surging Tides of a Digital Torrent, identifies some of the developments that the new "global digital back-channel" makes possible.

At Supernova, we attempt to answer "what's next" after everything is connected. Supernova is the only event that assembles the most compelling people and companies from the converging worlds of computing, telecom, and digital media to put decentralization issues into meaningful social and business contexts.

For a further discussion of the significance of decentralization, see Kevin Werbach's articles for CNET News.com: Tech's Big Challenge: Decentralization and Anticipating a Post-Web, Post-PC World.


Who should attend?

• Technology Executives
• Business Strategists
• Entrepreneurs
• Venture Capitalists
• Technologists
• Policy Makers
• Investment Bankers
• Service Providers
• Industry Media and Analysts