University to lead world record attempt at international computing conference

The University of Queensland's Prentice Centre will spearhead plans for a world record attempt for the highest number of people accessing the Internet in the one location at the same time during an international conference this month.

The attempt is to take place at the 7th International World Wide Web conference, held for the first time in the south hemisphere.

The five-day conference is being organised by a consortium comprising the Prentice Centre; Distributed Systems Technology Centre (DTSC), a co-operative research centre at the University; Charles Sturt University; Queensland Information Industries Branch; and Southern Cross University.

Organisers say registrations for the conference at the Brisbane Exhibition and Convention Centre from April 14 to 18, have passed the 1000 mark.

Delegates from more than 27 countries will include technical and managerial Web experts, computer scientists, educators, academics, business people and entrepreneurs.

Prentice Centre director (Technology) Graham Rees said Prentice's involvement in establishing the temporary ?Internet Cafe' at the Exhibition and Convention Centre, where the record attempt will occur, stemmed from an invitation to set up a cutting-edge network.

The cafe will be connected via a broadband network and will showcase leading-edge Web and new media technology.

'It is expected to be the largest in the world and will feature great coffee and fast Web access,' Mr Rees said.

He said it would be the first gathering of the world's leading Web technicians and commercial ?on Brisbane's doorstep' and it was a remarkable opportunity for people to learn and network in an environment with such a large international audience.

The Internet Cafe is expected to have 110 installed computers supplied by Sun Microsystems, as well as docking facilities for up to 700 laptop computers.

Director of DTSC, David Barbagallo, said Australia hosting the conference was a strong indication of the country's leadership in the direction of the World Wide Web.

'Australia has a reputation as a technologically-advanced nation with state and federal governments which support the IT industry,' he said.

'Consequently, we are in a great position to take up many of the opportunities presented by the commercial success of the Internet.

'People like Bill Gates recognise this and ensure that their companies have a high-profile presence in this country.'

Among a host of speakers at the conference will be Web co-creator and W3C director Tim Berners-Lee, of the United States, who will give the opening keynote address titled 'Evolvability: a dream which the community committed to and desperately needs'.

Other speakers will include the father of Java and Sun Microsystems vice-president James Gosling, and Australian Labor Party national president Barry Jones.

PC-IT' 98, the Australian Exhibition Services' three-day annual computer exhibition attracting businesses, professional computer users, and government and trade buyers, will be held in conjunction with WWW7, from April 15 at the exhibition and convention centre.

For more information on the conference, contact http:// www7.conf.au or Graham Rees at the University of Queensland's Prentice Centre on (07) 3365 3521.