BALTIMORE (November 26, 2001) - With more than 250 exhibits - including Lockheed Martin's Joint Strike Fighter, the MA V "wearable computer" and the C-SPAN School Bus - along with a wide array of e-Government and e-Business seminars, the 2001 Maryland Technology Showcase is set to celebrate the State's high-tech achievements and its future potential. On December 5th and 6th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Baltimore Convention Center will come alive with one of the most significant education and digital age technology events in the mid-Atlantic region...and it's free!

    Now in its 7th year, with the theme, "e.nVision the Future", the two-day expo will illustrate why the Center for Digital Government in its 2001 Digital State Survey named Maryland as the number one Digital State in the nation. Under the leadership of Governor Parris N. Glendening and Lt. Governor Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Maryland's reputation as the State where groundbreaking accomplishments take place has grown - as has the Showcase.

    "Maryland is not only prepared for the digital revolution, we are leading the way," said Governor Glendening. "Since the first Showcase was held in 1995, the field of technology has transformed our State. From a small, but fast-growing market, technology has expanded to become a major force in the business and education communities."

    With over 45,000 square feet of exhibits, attendance is expected to exceed 9,000 people with Marylanders representing about 85 percent of the audience. The Showcase allows visitors to learn about today’s newest products and services in a hands-on environment where seeing is believing; meet face-to-face with hundreds of high-tech companies; and gain information, ranging from transportation, education, e-government, information technology, tech transfer, bio-informatics, and GIS, to help them grow Maryland businesses with the best and most sophisticated products on the market today.

    "The Tech Showcase has become one of the most effective tools to market Maryland's many innovations in the merging of business and technology," said Lt. Governor Townsend, Chair of the Cabinet Council on Business, Economic Development and Transportation. "Participants are involved in workshops, hands-on demonstrations and they get to interact with some of the industry's greatest minds. Showcasing our world-class, home-grown talent solidifies Maryland's place as a leader on the cutting edge of technology."

    Maryland, a national leader in the concentration of professional and technical workers, is home to more than 10,000 technology businesses, ranging from infotech and telecom to biotechnology, photonics, and aerospace. These industries are fueled by an impressive technology infrastructure.

    "As Maryland continues to attract technology companies at an increasingly rapid rate, our commitment continues to be focused on building upon our strong record as a tech-friendly state," said Major F. Riddick, Jr., the Showcase Chair. "The Showcase presents the State's use of technology to address the challenges that its communities face in the 21st century."

    The Showcase has a star-studded cast of exhibitors including America Online, Cisco Systems, Comcast, Dell Computers, eMaryland Marketplace, Gateway, IIT Research Institute, Johns Hopkins University, OAO Corporation, and SAIC. Additionally, Maryland State agencies will display leading technology initiatives.

    Highlights of the Showcase include seminars on homeland security, ensuring business continuity following an event like September 11, knowledge management, and e-learning. Admiral Scott Redd, President and CEO of NetSchools Corp., is the keynote speaker for K-12 educators attending the Showcase on December 5th. Educators will also participate in a summit on sharing online digital resources.

    The Showcase kickoff event is the December 5th breakfast with the theme "From Homeland Defense to Heart Defense: Maryland Technology in Action." Lt. Governor Townsend will join officials from leading technology companies and local entrepreneurs for a program that includes presentations on the Lockheed Martin Joint Strike Fighter to insights into new technologies preventing heart attacks from one of Maryland's most successful medical device entrepreneurs.

    On December 6th, the Showcase features the TechnoRising Star Awards luncheon, which will honor the successes of minority and women-owned technology businesses in Maryland. The inaugural luncheon will present two dynamic technology professionals as its speakers, Hilton H. Augustine, Jr., CEO and founder of Global Management Systems, Inc., and Darien Dash, CEO of DME Interactive Holdings, Inc.

    Sponsors of the 2001 Maryland Technology Showcase are: Accenture, Daly Computers, the Daily Record, the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, FTData, Inc., the Greater Baltimore Technology Council, Hewlett Packard, IBM, KPMG Consulting, Marconi, The Maryland Information Technology Center, the Technology Council of Maryland and USI.

CONTACT:

Dave Humphrey, Director of External Affairs
DGS Office of External Affairs
410-767-4652
E-MAIL: Dave.Humphrey@dgs.state.md.us

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