International Conference on Knowledge Networking & ICT Era

Recently, I published my paper titled "Content Management System and Image Copyright - A new Era in building Web Applications and Services Using Microsoft ASP" in the International Conference on Knowledge Networking & ICT Era conducted by B.S. Abdur Rahman Crescent Engineering College and Society for Advancement of Library Information Sciences during 22 - 23rd January 2009. In this blog post I am going to narrate my experiences as one of the youngest participants in that conference.

The conference venue was Convention Centre in B.S. Abdur Rahman Crescent Engineering College. The first day, ie 22nd January was for the Pre conference tutorial. As I registered only for the conference, I didn't attend this tutorial on e-learning.

The next day Friday, 23rd January was the first day for me in the conference. The hospitality was very nice. This college has given ample freedom to the visitors and delegates regarding the usage of mobile phones as in some institutions seizing of mobile phones affect the visitors badly. In that aspect hats off to Crescent College.

I got the conference kit and my delegate id card and reached the auditorium where the inauguration function was scheduled. Delegates from all over the globe gave their presence and contribution as authors. Padmashree Ananthakrishnan, Director, IIT Bombay was the chief guest. Key note address was delivered by him. Other keynote speakers were Dr. C.R. Muthukrisnan from TCS, Ms. Gowri Parameswaran from State University of New york, Mrs. Prathiba Witjethunge from University of Colombo. Special guest of that occasion was Dr. Jean Paul Ermine, National Security Advisor, France. Principal and Director of Crescent College were the other speakers.

As the inauguration ended, it was the commence of all the sessions. I was allocated in the first session. For my bad luck, the computer in that hall had only Microsoft PowerPoint 2003. but I had my presentation in Microsoft PowerPoint 2007. But any how I managed to render my presentation without a ppt. I got introduced to lot many people. Also I had a company of my school hood friend Siva Sushil, who is a student in that college itself. He too introduced me to all his friends ("The whole college!!").

Then comes the lunch. As I am a pure non vegetarian, I found a nice variety of food there. It was arranged in the food court. I had a nice lunch. The way the volunteers served was really impressive. After lunch also sessions were going on. But I was wandering in the lush green campus. It was a nice experience. It is green to that extent which provides an ambient environment for studies. Then I left home .

The next day 24th January was the last day. I arrived as usual and attended few sessions. All the halls were air conditioned and were extremely cool to the extent that I started to shiver. It is winter already. I left that place after some time. Lunch provided for that day was also really good.

Papers were presented in four more sessions. Delegates from Bangladesh, Bhutan presented their papers. It was really like sharing of ideas and making knowledge more as open source. Then the valedictory function commenced.

Dr. Arun Pyati from University of Western Ontario was the Chief guest. Other dignitaries on the Dias were Dr. A.L Murthy from DRDO, Dr. Harish Chandra from IIT Madras, Mr. A. Hariharan from SALIS, Principal BSACEC, Dr. Paneer Selvam, Librarian BSACEC etc.

The valedictory function ended with National Anthem. All the authors and delegates were given with two volumes of proceedings, Certificate and CD version of proceedings. It was not a conference. It was knowledge festival. The entire credit goes to Dr. Paneer Selvam, Librarian, Crescent Engineering College as he was the one who did every parameter to function properly and systematically. This sort of conferences need to be conducted in Crescent Engineering College in future and that is my wish. Last but not the least, SALIS announced that the presented papers will be published in the website of SALIS shortly and in the journals of the sponsors like Elsevier if possible.

Outsourcing - What the corporates would have done?

Out sourcing and business processes started its boom in the advent of the 21st century and right now it is facing trouble in the form of economic slow down and Barrack Obama. So far as I have observed, there are some faults from the side of the corporates. They always insisted to stay as project based solution provider rather than product based solution provider. Microsoft is a product based company. Today it doesnt have a chance to depend on other conpanies. No office can function without Microsoft Office package installed in. Secondly, the Indian corporates insisted to produce only mere coders rather than researchers. In this aspect when we compare with Microsoft, the situation will be clear. Microsoft Research functions in such a way that it innovates new products and thereby it is deciding its own scope in market. Next, the corporated depended only on US for outsourcing. As US was badly hit and Obama has become the Osama for Indian IT industry, we are struggling and giving layoffs to thousands of employees. Because USA is not the only nation to be our client. The corporates would have got projects from world wide. So that as US closed the door, we would have lots of other doors opened. As far as Satyam Computers Pvt Ltd is concerned, I sympathise for the employees alone. Not for Raju brothers. As the bad example has been created by Raju brothers, investors are made to think twice or more before investing in India. I wouldn't have commented on Raju if he himself destroyed his company. But he spread the virus among all the other corporates. So now the corporates are in a position to prove the investors that their hands are clean.

2009 - Will it be a boon for IT sector?

Hi Friends,

    I am here to share my views on the future of IT sector. Being a Computer Engineer, I see this economic slow down as a time frame given to the IT sector to remove the unwanted things. 

   It is a truth that only a Computer Engineer can analyze the data flow and the efficiency of the algorithm, while others are mere coders. The automata theory has lot of magnificent concepts on optimizing the algorithm and in turn increasing the efficiency of the algorithm.

   When IT sector was in its boom, it had plenty of vacancies. In order to fill those vacancies, HRs recruited candidates from other streams. No wonder, Ceramic Technologists from Anna University were placed in IT companies. Imagine the situation where people work on stuff which is not relevant to what they have learnt.

   As a result of this economic slow down, the need for bulk number of IT professionals decreased. So the people wont recruit candidates from irrelevant streams. I think, the layoffs are due to steps taken to decrease the bench strength. But the cream professionals are still on their chairs.

   Their is another evil behind the IT boom. The bulk salaries given to these professionals made them to spend money lavishly for luxury. They were not in a state to save money for the future. 

   Hence, this economic crisis resulted in the need for the best work force who can bring changes we believe in. So the year 2009 will be a period for the corporates to restructure their work force.