Press Releases

For Immediate Release
Andrea Sanchez
IFMA
1-713-623-4362

Date Posted: Sept. 8, 2008

WORLD WORKPLACE HIGHLIGHTS ROLE OF WEB 2.0 IN TODAY’S WORK ENVIRONMENT

Collaborative use of Internet tools and social media continues to redefine the workplace and change the way people do business, but it also presents today’s facility professionals with opportunities to do their jobs more efficiently. The World Workplace 2008 Conference & Expo, held Oct. 15-17 at the Dallas Convention Center, will feature business leaders and educators from across the country discussing the role Web 2.0 technology plays in the modern workplace and how facility managers can utilize this technology to their advantage. World Workplace 2008 educational sessions include courses on using Google tools as a resource for project management, the evolution of the “Wiki Workplace” and numerous sessions on emerging technology.

Brigham Young University professor and Facilities Management Program Chair Jeffrey Campbell, Ph.D., IFMA Fellow, will lead the “Using Google Tools for Better Project Management” session. Campbell will discuss how tools offered freely by Google can not only be used to foster team coordination and communication, but can also be more efficient than traditional methods commonly used in project management.

“I had a student say to me once ‘I’d like to go into construction project management because I don’t like paperwork.’ In reality, so much of project management is paperwork,” said Campbell. “I’m trying to teach people how to have a better electronic document control system. What’s interesting is that you can go to a lot of companies out there and pay a lot of money to collaborate, but with today’s Google applications, all you need is a Gmail account. I guess we could call this project management almost at the speed of light.”

The “Welcome to the Wiki Workplace” session will feature a panel of public and private sector technology and facility experts discussing how software developed in the Web 2.0 platform allows for an entire revolution in facility management productivity. Representatives from Manhattan Software, Bricsnet, NELSON and Public Works and Government Services Canada will be on the panel.

“Web 2.0 allows for a lot more plug and play with different systems. It now takes fewer steps and supports standard interfaces, so you’re not spending your time trying to glue together two systems that aren’t going to fit,” said Ross Leibowitz, president and CTO of Manhattan Software. “Web 2.0 and open standards are really the light at the end of the tunnel. What’s happening with facilities and real estate is just one example. This is happening all across technology.”

Conference attendees are also invited to take part in the World Workplace Community, which integrates social networking tools such as YouTube, Facebook, Flickr and Twitter, giving attendees the chance to interact and share their World Workplace experience with others.

For a complete list of conference details, visit www.worldworkplace.org.

Members of the media interested in attending World Workplace may register at no cost at https://www.ifma.org/secure/worldworkplace/2008/attendees/otherreg/register.aspx.

IFMA’s World Workplace Conference & Expo is an annual three-day educational and networking event focused on the future of the built environment. Building on the professional development opportunities available through the association year-round, the World Workplace experience includes a conference focused entirely on education and an exposition incorporating product demonstration and instruction. This year’s conference will be held Oct. 15-17, 2008, at the Dallas Convention Center in Dallas, Texas. For more information, visit www.worldworkplace.org.