Reporting From COFES

The sun sets on COFES 2011

I spent the last few days at the Congress on the Future of Engineering Software (COFES). The agenda promised an interesting mix of thought leadership and discussion by both those close to PLM and those with broader viewpoints on computing, environment and engineering education. While I tweeted quite a bit during the event, poor wifi didn’t allow me to share some of the interesting video soundbites I recorded along the way. So stay tuned this week as I get them uploaded and posted here.

The first one I want to share is with Brad Holtz – the main man behind this event. He selects the topics and speakers, personally speaks to every attendee ahead of the event to set expectations and pares newbies like me with more seasoned attendees.



This is the kind of event that challenges all attending to think about where engineering can and should go in the future. With an improving economy, this year’s event seemed to indicate it is a prime time for big ideas in engineering software. We spent some time discussing mobility in PLM and I’ll share some of those insights shortly.

While you wait for my next video, you may also want to read Chris Kelley’s Build Your Own Bicycle post, which is the exact kind of thinking and discussion that goes on at COFES.

Also, check out Mark Burhop’s post on COFES. This event was the first time Mark and I met numerous folks we’ve been conversing with for years on Twitter, including Deelip Menezes. It was great to hear from so many folks how highly they think of Mark – a man they only knew previously online. It spoke to the power of social networking to establish credibility and trust.

– Dora