Everything!
For those of you that are not aware, the annual World Economic Forum was this past week in Davos. With 221 sessions over six days there was a lot to hear about.
Two things stand out as they relate to technology. One is the session on the Impact of Web 2.0 and Social Networking. This is an interesting webcast with a great cast of characters. Look at this list... Who'd have thought you would see this mix together on the world stage?
- Caterina Fake, Founder, Flickr, USA
- William H. Gates III, Chairman, Microsoft Corporation, USA
- Chad Hurley, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, YouTube, USA
- Mark G. Parker, President and Chief Executive Officer, Nike, USA
- Viviane Reding, Commissioner, Information Society and Media, European Commission, Brussels
When Web 2.0 topics start to show up at Davos, it's time to pay attention. For those who have not gotten it yet, Web 2.0 is a huge business and social phenomenon, the impact of which is still probably unclear and unknown in the long term. This is certainly a topic that is worthy of more discussion. Listening to these folks is fascinating. They even talk about net neutrality. (Note - it is an hour though.)
And speaking of interesting folks, their impact on society and how technology is changing things - at least from Davos - look to Craig Barett (Chairman, Intel Corporation) and his position on the changes destined for the healthcare industry. At the end of the Davos conference, Barett gave an interview in which he noted how "new technologies are ready to be used to advance health care."
There is a video about Intel's position on healthcare and seniors from the White House Conference on Aging. As we know, technology will continue to fundamentally change people's lives, as well as how we deal with things like Electronic Medica Records (EMR). This is more than HIPAA. It is about cost efficiencies, accuracy, empowerment, and giving eveyone a voice they might not otherwise have.
I would also encourage you to check out my white paper on the challenges for healthcare providers today.
And yes, all of these are interconnected. Continue to watch this site for more on these important topics.