Comdex eyes the Internet

March 30, 2001: 12:32 p.m. ET

Technology trade show's focus will be on the Web and e-commerce
By Staff Writer Richard Richtmyer

NEW YORK (CNNfn) - The Internet and e-commerce are expected to take center stage at the Comdex technology trade show and conference which kicks off in Chicago next week.

Taking place at the McCormick Place Convention Center, the organizers said Comdex Chicago 2001 will feature lots of wireless devices and Web tools that can be applied in the e-business marketplace. There also will be an increased emphasis on how small businesses can make use of the latest technologies, they said.

With attendance expected to reach about 70,000, the Chicago event is much smaller in scope than the annual Comdex event that takes place in Las Vegas each fall, which most recently had a turnout of roughly 200,000.

Still, participants from a broad range of technology segments as well as government will be featured, including the top executives from companies such as National Semiconductor and Inktomi, as well as federal lawmakers, who will meet with industry executives to talk about the public policy issues currently on the agenda in Washington that affect the high-tech industry.

Brian Halla, president and chief executive of National Semiconductor (NSM: Research, Estimates), will give a keynote presentation during which he will share his vision of the next generation of computing devices, or so-called "information appliances," and his company's role in their development.

Larry Augustin also is scheduled to give a keynote at the event. He's the chief executive of VA Linux Systems (LNUX: Research, Estimates), a leading supplier of computer products and services based on the Linux operating system. Linux is an "open-source" operating system, which means that it is open to modifications by independent developers. While it historically has had a cult following, Linux has increasingly been making its way into corporate networks, a trend Augustin is expected to highlight in his presentation.

Also on the keynote calendar at Comdex Chicago is David Peterschmidt, chairman and chief executive of Inktomi (INKT: Research, Estimates), which specializes in software used to manage large amounts of data-traffic on the Internet. He is expected to talk about the explosion of Internet traffic and preview the next generation of Inktomi products aimed at keeping it all flowing smoothly.

Another event of note taking place at Comdex Chicago is a public policy forum.

Dennis Hastert, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, and several other federal legislators will meet with technology industry participants to talk about the public policy issues currently on the agenda in Washington that affect the high-tech industry. Topics of discussion are expected to include issues such as Internet taxation, online privacy and intellectual property rights.

Technology companies often use Comdex as a venue for announcing new products and partnerships, and several are expected at the Chicago event.

Electronic Data Systems (EDS: Research, Estimates), a leading supplier of technology services, is expected to announce a partnership with several computer hardware and software companies, including Microsoft (MSFT: Research, Estimates), under which EDS will provide Web hosting services based on Microsoft's ".NET" platform.

On the gadgets and gizmos front, Agenda Computing, a privately-held startup company based in Irvine, Calif., plans to roll out its first product, a handheld computer that runs the Linux operating system.

The company plans to pit the new device, called "VR3," against the popular "Pilot" devices from market leader Palm (PALM: Research, Estimates) as well as the new "PocketPC" handheld computers which run the latest version of Microsoft's Windows CE operating system.

A slew of Internet software developers also will be on hand to show off their latest developments, including 2ce, whose flagship product, called the "CubicEye," allows users to navigate multiple Web sites simultaneously using a three-dimensional interface.

Comdex Chicago kicks off on Monday, April 2, with events running through Thursday, April 5. Keep an eye out for CNNfn.com's special report covering all the happenings at the event.