User Conference
The MySource Matrix International User Conference 2009 recently held at Hobart's picturesque Elizabeth Street wharf in Tasmania was an outstanding success in every respect. The theme for this year was "MySource Matrix Applications" and our speakers, all MySource Matrix users, demonstrated the diverse uses of our enterprise CMS. A dramatic downpour in Sydney on Sunday delayed my flight so I didn't arrive at the Hobart Function and Conference Centre until after 6pm - when I was due to give the welcoming address to delegates. Thankfully Director Steve Barker stepped up to the crease and gave an excellent improvised welcome in my absence.
It was a distinct pleasure the following day to present the conference welcome address to more than 80 delegates from all over Australia along with Squiz staff representing Australia, the UK and New Zealand. Steve Morgan from the Squiz London office then opened proceedings with a survey of the CMS scene in Europe. There are now over 1300 separate CMS products on the market, with SharePoint trying to upstage them all (and Google in the wings). However, the service-oriented model which Squiz subscribes to is still a leader of the pack, Steve said.
The one-on-one sessions conducted over the two days were a hit with delegates and booked solid. It was the chance for delegates to spend some informal time with a range of Squiz and Funnelback expert implementers, developers and technical consultants. On Monday evening, Gala Dinner celebrity speaker Lawrence Leung entertained all and sundry with witty repartee, a slide show and a dazzling display on the Rubik’s Cube. How did the mild mannered thrill seeker from the ABC show “Choose Your Own Adventure” solve it so quickly!
Greg Sherwood relaunched the MySource Mini as a VMware image – check out all the latest news and developments with MySource Mini. Funnelback’s David Hawking kicked off the second day of the conference with an excellent exposition on the role of an advanced search capability in today’s ever-more-complex IT world. You can check out the client case studies and other speaker presentations by clicking on the links under each speaker Session Outline.
The last session saw Lee Bollom host the “Feature Bazaar” when Squiz auctioned off a considerable amount of new feature development time. Using Squiz Dollars delegates bid on a selection of proposed features for future versions of MySource Matrix. Follow the link to see the winning new features.All the sessions were well received and feedback indicates that delegates had a valuable and enjoyable experience and left the conference feeling inspired and empowered by new possibilities.
See you all next year!
John-Paul Syriatowicz
