Cyon Research Corporation's COFES 2015 Begins in Scottsdale AZ
Scottsdale Arizona (PRWEB) April 16, 2015 -- Cyon Research Corporation today welcomes attendees to the opening of the 16th annual Congress on the Future of Engineering Software (COFES). COFES runs from April 16-19 and is held at the Scottsdale Plaza Resort.
Widely recognized as a think-tank event, COFES gathers vendors, users, press, and analysts to discuss the most important issues facing both customers and providers of design and engineering technologies. The three-day event provides a relaxed and informal atmosphere designed to foster thoughtful conversation. Key to the success of COFES is its briefings and roundtable discussions, where participants explore trends and technologies of engineering software that will drive future innovation.
“We’re excited about this year’s theme, Stepping Back to See the Big Picture. Stepping back to take a broader view is something most do, but only every now and then. COFES has been one of those points on the calendar dedicated to that broad-perspective thinking. But once a year is not enough,” explains Brad Holtz, Cyon Research president and CEO. “Because engineers and software professionals spend the majority of their time getting things done, tightly focused on execution of tasks and plans, their decisions are often made in the narrow context of what is directly in front of them. This year, we are challenging attendees to bring that broader view into their daily decisions. It’s about the bigger picture winning over expediency.”
Friday’s keynote speaker is scientist/inventor/futurist/bestselling author David Brin, who will discuss what’s on the horizon for five years down the road. According to Brin, responsible companies and chief engineers must focus on the five year return on investment, but they must also consider other horizons. His keynote will focus on determining how much time/energy/budget should be spent on exploring the realm of “what-if” possibilities.
The first keynote speaker for Saturday is technologist/prognosticator/advisor Mark R. Anderson, who will discuss strategic security issues and how they complicate software and impact risk. Anderson explains that it is impossible to gauge risk levels in the protection of corporate secrets today without understanding the role of national business models built upon crown jewel IP theft. In his keynote, Anderson will describe the latest research behind large-scale, state-sponsored Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) attacks and share suggestions on pragmatic ways to address these risks.
Saturday’s second keynote is Bo Burlingham, an editor at large for Inc. Magazine and a renowned commentator on the nature of business. Burlingham has reported on entrepreneurship for more than thirty years and has published five top-rated books including Small Giants: Companies That Choose to Be Great Instead of Big (a finalist for the Financial Times/Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year Award in 2006). In his keynote, Burlingham will be discussing key points from his latest book, Finish Big: How Great Entrepreneurs Exit Their Companies on Top.
Past attendees of COFES agree that COFES is an invaluable industry event:
"COFES is always a great chance for me to meet with and learn from some of the most interesting people in the CAD/CAM/CAE, 3D printing and product design world. We see COFES as the perfect place to build our Onshape partner community and exchange visions about an exciting future."
--Jon Hirschtick, Founder and Chairman of the Board at Onshape Inc.
“COFES is an event I look forward to every year. It’s where thought leaders in engineering software can get together to share ideas, best practices, and think outside the box. If you don’t come home from COFES with at least a couple of thought-provoking new ideas to consider, you must not have been paying attention.”
--Bill Boswell, Senior Director, Cloud Services Marketing and Business Strategy at Siemens PLM Software
"COFES is a retreat from day-to-day activities to focus on the big picture with the visionaries who are leading the industry. We look forward to the thoughtful and spirited engagement we've come to expect every year at this event."
--Ron Fritz, CEO of Tech Soft 3D
This year’s COFES will also feature findings of a once-in-a-lifetime simulation summit:
The Analysis, Simulation, and Systems Engineering Software Summit (ASSESS), held at the Santa Fe Institute in January 2015. At that summit, seven key issues related to the future of simulation rose to the top, after a discussion that started with 104 issues brought to the table. These seven issues will be presented today, April 16 at COFES.
Also starting today is the seventh annual Design and Sustainability (DaS) Symposium, a unique gathering of leaders within the COFES community who represent diverse industry sectors with strategic interest in software. The goal of the DaS Symposium is to bring sustainability to the forefront of the conversation among software developers and to look for opportunities and issues that may be best served by the industry as a whole, rather than by individual players within the industry. Leaders of the DaS symposium hope to inspire, raise awareness, build relationships and seek sustainable synergies. The bulk of the DaS Symposium will take place on Thursday, April 16, from 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM PDT, followed by discussions as part of the general COFES program.
To view the full agenda of COFES 2015, please visit: http://www.cofes.com/Events/COFES-2015/Agenda.aspx
Get the COFES app or search the Apple® app store for "COFES Player".
About COFES
Now in its 16th year, COFES is the annual, invitation-only event for the design and engineering software industry. Widely recognized as a think-tank event, COFES gathers design and engineering software leaders (vendors, users, press, and analysts) together to discuss the role engineering technology will play in the future survival and success of business. COFES is renowned for hosting leading keynote visionaries that provide a new perspective to the future of the industry. COFES is a Cyon Research event. cofes.com
About Cyon Research
Cyon Research Corporation is a think-tank providing key information, research, analysis, and consulting to its clients worldwide. COFES (The Congress on the Future of Engineering Software) is Cyon Research's primary event. cyonresearch.com
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Media Contact:
Becca Wells
+1-301-365-9085
becca.wells(at)cyonresearch(dot)com
Becca Wells, Cyon Research Corporation, http://cyonresearch.com, +1 301-365-9085, [email protected]
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