MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- Registration is now open for the 2017 Air Force Information Technology and Cyberpower Conference, Aug. 28-30, 2017, at Montgomery’s Renaissance Hotel and Spa at the Convention Center.
Living up to its theme of “The Future is Now … A Digital Age Air Force,” the conference will highlight the importance of the continuing need for private industry partners, decision makers, academics and government professionals to collaborate on joint ventures in the cyber and IT domains.
“The conference serves as the premier venue for the Air Force to set its strategic vision with regard to cyber and IT and for attendees to learn about the latest technological capabilities both in the military and in private industry,” said AFITC chair Marcie Rhodes, chief of the Core Financial Systems Branch at the Air Force Program Executive Office-Business Enterprise Systems here. “This is where conversations are had that will align the Air Force cyber and IT workforces on the path to transforming the Air Force from the Industrial Age to the data-driven Digital Age and to discover what is beyond.”
Through an aggressive schedule of cyber and IT breakout and “brown bag” sessions, panels and a diverse lineup of government and industry keynote speakers, attendees will gain insight to and an understanding of all aspects of Air Force cyberspace and IT, including enterprise architecture, cyber security and governance, the “Cloud,” identity management, acquisitions and spectrum management.
“The biggest takeaway will be building knowledge and networks and participating as a team to leverage the best capabilities and personnel for the Air Force,” said Lt. Col. Austin Hood, with the Air Force Office of Information Dominance and Chief Information Officer, which is sponsoring the conference.
The AFPEO-BES at Maxwell will offer sessions on information and operational technology, cyberspace defense and agile acquisition. The Air Force Cyber College at Air University will lead cyber tracks that will jointly evolve the collaboration, concepts, methods, IT applications and strategies to ensure national security and economic vitality for America.
Some of the scheduled government keynote speakers are Gen. John Raymond, commander, Air Force Space Command; Maj. Gen. Christopher Weggeman, commander, Twenty-fourth Air Force and Air Forces Cyber; Lt. Gen. VeraLinn Jamieson, deputy chief of staff, Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance; and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Kaleth Wright.
Scheduled industry partner speakers include Rob High, vice president and chief technology officer, IBM Watson, and Tom Keane, general manager of Microsoft’s Azure team in its Cloud and Enterprise Division.
More than 100 vendors have signed up for the conference, eager to demo cutting-edge IT and cyber software and hardware.
Registration is open to Department of Defense personnel, military retirees, government contractors and local and state employees. The conference will also hold an education day for local high school students focusing on science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, education.
To register and learn more about the conference, visit www.afitc-event.com.