This site is a companion conversation to FASTforward 08 and was initially conceived as a companion blog to the 2007 FASTforward conference. The blog, like the conference series, aims to drive and deepen conversation about how today’s companies can “Innovate, Accelerate and Dominate” and is home to ongoing discussion about the user revolution and Enterprise 2.0 opportunities and challenges.

Here in the blog and in related editorial offerings we are exploring, with help from many of the field’s top experts, how the landscape of business is evolving in the face of rapid technological change and innovation. Amongst the topics and themes our colleagues explore:

* The paradigm-shift from content-focused architectures to user-centric models
* Web 2.0 and how its exploding consumer-oriented applications are relevant for the enterprise
* Front Office 2.0 / Back Office 2.0, and the Search connection that makes it possible
* Innovative applications of Search to effectively tackle challenges previously relegated to costly and cumbersome technologies
* New extended Search platforms to power and monetize Web 2.0
* Applying Industry-leading Best Practices for search-based applications
* Rich media search evolution and advances in mobile deployment
* Google - its pros and cons for businesses

Please join us for what we hope will be a fun and engaging conversation - it’s a fascinating space, one we think is poised for much greater growth and we see this blog as a way to engage in and learn from the rich and varied discussions taking place all around us.

About the Conference Series

FASTforward conferences feature lively, fast-paced cross-sections of keynote-level talks, issue-driven panels, and industry expert presentations. The breakout sessions feature business & technology case studies and presentations, moderated by industry experts on a wide range of topics. The conference includes special interest tracks and workshops open to limited enrollment as well as keynotes from industry visionaries and leaders.
Find out more.

About FAST

FAST is the leading global provider of enterprise search technologies and solutions that are behind the scenes at the world’s most innovative companies. FAST’s flexible and scalable enterprise search platform (FAST ESP) elevates an organization’s search capabilities, connecting people to relevant information, regardless of format or where that information resides. This drives revenues and reduces total cost of ownership by effectively leveraging IT infrastructure. FAST’s solutions are used by more than 2,600 global customers and partners, including America Online (AOL), Cardinal Health, CareerBuilder.com, CIGNA, CNET, Dell, Factiva, Fidelity Investments, Findexa, IBM, Knight Ridder, LexisNexis, Overture, Rakuten, Reed Elsevier, Reuters, Sensis, Stellent, Tenet Healthcare, Thomas Industrial Networks, Thomson Scientific, T-Online, US Army, Virgilio (Telecom Italia), and Wanadoo.

FAST is headquartered in Norway and is publicly traded under the ticker symbol ‘FAST’ on the Oslo Stock Exchange. The FAST Group operates globally with presence in Europe, the United States, Asia Pacific, Australia, South America, and the Middle East. For further information about FAST, please visit www.fastsearch.com.