"2004 is the year that blogging will be recognized as a genuine, transformative technology instead of just a tool for those with an excess of hot air. Our blogging panel will discuss all the implications -- both trivial and grand -- for this communications method," said Chris Shipley, DEMO executive producer.

-- The Rise of the Blog Nation

Blogging is the most significant transformation in communications since the arrival of the Web. Web logs have the potential to fundamentally change the face of publishing, corporate communications, customer marketing, workgroup collaboration, and more. Panelists John Patrick of Attitude, LLC; Buzz Bruggeman of ActiveWords, Inc.; Robert Scoble of Microsoft; and Mena Trott of Six Apart Ltd. will detail how blogging will emerge from its humble beginnings as an online journal to a primary information channel.

-- Handicapping the Enterprise Year Ahead

Cautious enterprise buyers, burned by the big promises of the past, are at last coming back to the table. Today's IT organization is looking for clean solutions to the real problems of managing and securing resources while becoming increasingly responsive to enterprise business requirements. A panel of NetworkWorld Test Alliance Members will handicap the enterprise companies launching at DEMO, measuring how their products and services stack up to the tough demands of today's buyer.

"Finally, after three long years, enterprise IT buyers are back at the negotiating table ready to purchase technologies that solve their companies' problems," continued Shipley. "In the Internet boom years, technologies were introduced and rapidly consumed even when they weren't noticeably useful. Our panel on the DEMO 2004 enterprise products will tell us which technologies to watch."

In addition to the panels, DEMO will launch 70+ new technologies into the marketplace. These technologies, many of which will still be in development, represent innovations from a broad spectrum of the tech industry and will include such categories as consumer digital media, ad hoc collaboration, next generation desktop computing and applications, enterprise application manageability, and security and access control.

DEMO 2004 is selling out fast! Those interested may register for DEMO 2004 online at http://www.demo.com/.