techmesh:TechTalk

Most businesses are discussing the cloud.  Attend techmesh: TechTalk and hear from Microsoft and Liquid Accounts speaking on a single platform in a format designed to enable you to debate the issues that are important to YOU.

This will be your opportunity to ask questions and debate the current topics of Cloud Computing to our expert panel.

Date

Tuesday 25th May 2010

Time

17.45 - 20.45

Venue

Aspire, 2 Infirmary Street, Leeds, LS1 2JP

Price

techmesh Members, Associates and Sponsors: Free of Charge

Non-Members: £20 + VAT - Join today to attend this event for free

Key Note Speakers

James Akrigg, Head of Technology for Partners at Microsoft

Matt Holmes, Managing Director at Liquid Accounts

The Moderator

Jim Pendrill, Editor of Yorkshire Business Insider

 Jim, an award-winning business journalist, was appointed editor of Yorkshire Business Insider this autumn but has actually been with the Insider group for nearly 10 years. During that time he spent six years editing Midlands Business Insider where he also helped launch a string of major business networking dinners.

More recently he was Contract Publications Editor for the company where he edited a number of different magazines for public and private sector clients, while he was also editor of a number of national Insider publications including UK Business Insider. Jim, a former northern business journalist of the year, began his career on daily regional newspapers and has worked on the business desks of both the Liverpool Daily Post and the Stoke Sentinel.
 

 The Panel

James Akrigg, Head of Technology for Partners at Microsoft 

James has worked in and around the IT industry for over 20 years, which includes the last nine years at Microsoft UK. His passion for what technology can do to deliver real value and benefit to businesses of all sizes and to individuals is clear to see when he presents and meets with Microsoft partners and customers.

With experience in infrastructure, architecture, software development, business process, information management, software and hardware technologies, James is able to simplify how to use a mix of technologies to deliver solutions in today’s business environments.

 Danny Ovens, Territory Manager for Partners at Microsoft

Danny started his career in the IT industry working for a Microsoft partner DSGi, with responsibility for their commercial software business. He left to join Microsoft in 2001 and has held a number of roles since then all of which involved working with Microsoft partners. Danny started working with Direct Marketing Reseller partners before moving into the alliance space where he managed the SMB engagement between Microsoft and Dell, HP, Intel and BT.

Danny took up his current position of Partner Territory Manager in 2008 and has helped shape the current approach which aims to make Microsoft more accessible and supportive to partners in the North of England.

Matt Holmes, Managing Director at Liquid Accounts

Matt Holmes is the MD of UK-based online accounting pioneer, Liquid Accounts Ltd, and Chair of the Cloud Computing Special Interest Group for BASDA (the Business Application Software Developers’ Association) and as such is at the forefront of creating industry standards and guidelines for the newly-emerging field of online software.

Liquid Accounts was voted Best Web-Hosted Accounting Software in the 2008 Software Satisfaction Awards, and was runner-up in the Best Small Business Accounting Software category in 2009. They are unique in offering a flexible, scalable and affordable accounting solution to SMEs that works in conjunction with a free Client Manager module for accountants. 

They are currently recruiting resellers and strategic partners.   

 Barry James, CEO at Receipt Angel

Barry is the Co-author of a report on security in the SME sector (including it's use of cloud services) which is to be launched at InfoSec this month.

Barry is an innovator with patents granted in the UK and internationally. A serial entrepreneur technology and systems designer with over 30 years experience in sectors ranging from banking and telecommunications to health and the NHS.

His current interests include Cloud-Computing, Micro-Outsourcing and the impact of Internet technologies on business and culture. He has recently co-authored a report for the UK's Information Commissioner on data security - or the lack of it - in the UKs SME sector.

 Gary Rowbotham, Programme Manager at techmesh

Gary Rowbotham, joined techmesh from Iphone Telecom and is an experienced director in the digital sector having managed companies in both the UK and Spain. He has held senior roles at Vorsprung - a Microsoft Dynamics NAV Partner - Siemens and Iphone Telecom.

Gary has worked in the IT sector for more than 29 years and has experience of running own businesses in the UK and as a General Manager in Spain for an ISP/VoIP provider.

Includes

Canapes and drinks

Who Should attend

Our events are for those companies who supply IT & Telecoms products and services. Any service providers wanting to attend should look at becoming a techmesh Associate, these are organisations who have a proven record of assisting companies in our sector.

For further information on becoming an associate please e-mail: info@techmesh.org

Programme

17.45  Registration, networking, canapés and drinks

18.25  Introduction from Moderator Jim Pendrill, Editor of Insider

18.30  James Akrigg of Microsoft, discussing New Business Efficiency

19.15  Matt Holmes of Liquid Accounts

19.35  TechTalk Panel  – a discussion between the audience and the panel (question time format)

20.15  Networking and drinks

20.45  Close

Question the Panel

If you would like a question answered by the panel, please can you contact Dawn Kelly on dawn.kelly@techmesh.org to submit your question on Cloud Computing and SaaS and we will be in touch if your question gets chosen.  

To book

Click here

More Information

For further information, please contact Dawn on 0113 384 5641 or dawn.kelly@techmesh.org