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Georgia Tech Identifies Coming Media Megatrends in FutureMedia Outlook 2012

The coming years will bring increased personalization, innovation and flexibility in the media landscape, according to the Georgia Institute of Technology. These findings were announced in today’s release of the FutureMedia Outlook 2012, a multimedia report that offers Georgia Tech’s annual viewpoint on the future of media and its impact on people, business and society over the next five to seven years.

“Georgia Tech’s work in Future Media is part of our new Institute for People and Technology,” said Georgia Tech President G. P. “Bud” Peterson. “By partnering with business and industry on interdisciplinary research, we are able to identify trends and challenges and work to develop transformative solutions.” According to FutureMedia Outlook 2012, six megatrends will have a pervasive impact:

  • Smart Data: In an increasingly noisy world, we'll have to sift, filter and be smarter about what matters.
  • People Platforms: Beyond “true personalization,” people will not just be consumers. They will be socially driven platforms made of algorithms from personal and associated data that they design and tailor themselves.
  • Content Integrity: Pervasive mobile devices, sprawling networks, clouds and multi-layered platforms have made it more difficult to detect and address our digital vulnerabilities, drawing us to trusted content sources.
  • Nimble Media: Media is evolving from a set of fixed commodities into an energetic, pervasive medium that allows people to navigate across platforms and through different content narratives.
  • 6th Sense: Extraordinary innovations in mixed reality will change the way we see, hear, taste, touch, smell and make sense of the world – giving us a new and powerful 6th sense.
  • Collaboration: We will harness the power of many in an increasingly conversational and participatory world.

For each of the six megatrends, the Outlook 2012 presents fresh and objective insights into those technologies and business practices that will significantly impact the converging media ecosystem. In addition, the report includes demonstrative clips and video interviews with leading Georgia Tech researchers offering real-world examples of how the Institute is proactively innovating in these areas.
“Breakthrough research, innovation and collaboration with our partners have given us a rich and pragmatic basis from which to formulate this annual FutureMedia Outlook,” said Renu Kulkarni, founder and executive director of FutureMedia.

The FutureMedia Outlook 2012 follows FutureMedia Fest 2011, an annual event that explores the media’s disruptive power on people and business. The three-day Fest, held November 15-17, featured compelling keynote addresses, panel discussions, dynamic start-up and research demos, and workshops with top executives, investors, innovators, entrepreneurs, academics and researchers. Panelists and speakers included leaders from Twitter, Mashable, Turner Broadcasting and CNN.

FutureMedia Fest 2011

Be inspired and challenged at FutureMedia Fest 2011, the annual must-attend event exploring media’s disruptive power on people and business.  From November 15-17, 2011 on Georgia Tech’s midtown Atlanta campus, discover new possibilities through an interactive mash-up of talent, ideas, trends, and technology.

The three-day conference, hosted by Tech’s Institute for People and Technology (IPaT) and supported by GTRI and EI2, will feature nearly 100 speakers, including:

*Rob Hunter, vice president of Innovation, ESPN
*Joel Lunenfeld, director of global brand strategy, Twitter
*Bill Hoffman, executive vice president, Cox
*Trish Jones, chief emerging technologies officer, Turner Broadcasting System Inc.
*Michael Tavani, co-creator, Scoutmob

2011 panel discussions and small group breakouts will include such topics as:

*Media Revolutionizing Sports Entertainment
*Civic Engagement through Social Media
*Next Generation Emergency Response
*How to Get Elected
*Future Commerce
*Media Molding Business Models
*Entrepreneurship in a Noisy World
*Future of Advertising and Marketing in a Hyperlocal World
*Changing Platforms, Changing Players
*Future of Television
*Future of Learning
*Game Changers in Health

Dynamic start-up and research demos will present the latest technologies from Georgia Tech students and leading practitioners in the media fields.

In addition to the conference sessions, attendees will have the opportunity to preview Tech’s FutureMedia Outlook 2012, which outlines megatrends that could shape the future of media, content and information in the next five years, and can view start-up and research demos presenting the latest technologies from Tech students and leading practitioners in the media fields.

FutureMedia Fest 2011 presenting sponsor is Turner Broadcasting.

Georgia Tech Releases FutureMedia Outlook

The Georgia Institute of Technology today announced the release of the FutureMediaSM Outlook, a multimedia publication of Georgia Tech’s view of the trends that will fundamentally transform how content is created, distributed and consumed over the coming years. The Outlook was released at the FutureMedia Fest 2010 – a four-day (October 4-7) interactive “mash-up” to explore and enable new paradigms in how content is created, distributed and consumed in a coalescing media world. The Outlook is available as an interactive publication on iPhone, Android and other smartphones, as well as Apple’s iPad, and is also accessible via the FutureMedia website – www.futuremediaglobal.com.

The Outlook distills six megatrends that will have pervasive impact on the future of media:

  • Data Tsunami
  • True Personalization
  • Content Integrity
  • Multimedia Assumed
  • Mixed Reality
  • Collaboration

For each of the six megatrends, the Outlook presents a fresh and objective look at current context and challenges, and offers insights into those technologies and business practices that will significantly impact the converging media ecosystem. In addition, video interviews, entitled ‘Georgia Tech in Action’ offer concrete examples of how the Institute is proactively innovating in these areas. Finally, readers are encouraged to participate in the discussions initiated by the FutureMedia Outlook through an opinion poll included at the end of the document.

“Breakthrough research, innovation and collaboration with our partners has given us a rich and pragmatic basis from which to formulate the first annual FutureMedia Outlook,” said Renu Kulkarni, executive director of FutureMedia at Georgia Tech. “Digital, social, mobile and multimedia are fundamentally changing business models and transforming how we communicate, both as individuals and organizations. We will all need to be innovators, developers and disrupters in order to seize the endless opportunities that await us all.”

The FutureMedia Outlook and the FutureMedia Fest are core components of Georgia Tech’s FutureMedia Initiative. Backed by the technological expertise of Georgia Tech, a global top-ten technology university, and bolstered by its location in Atlanta, a well-known and growing media industry center, FutureMedia will connect universities, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and industry to create a robust, open innovation environment and drive the growth of a new media ecosystem.

Georgia Tech to Host FutureMedia Fest 2010

From October 4-7, 2010, the Georgia Institute of Technology will host the first FutureMedia Fest, an interactive “mash-up” to explore and enable new paradigms in how content is created, distributed and consumed in a converging media world. FutureMedia Fest 2010 (www.futuremediaglobal.com) will bring together executives and investors, innovators and entrepreneurs, academics and researchers to discuss the transformational impact of next generation digital, social and mobile media across industries, societies and our daily lives. The four-day event will feature compelling keynote addresses, panel discussions, birds-of-a-feather workshops, demonstrations of the latest new media technologies, and presentations by startup companies, researchers and academics driving innovation. Platinum sponsors for FutureMedia Fest 2010 are The Coca-Cola Company and HP.

“Digital, social, mobile and multimedia are fundamentally changing business models and transforming how we communicate,” said Renu Kulkarni, executive director of FutureMedia at Georgia Tech. “We are in the middle of a revolution — some will fail, some will survive, and some will thrive. FutureMedia Fest is an incredible opportunity to challenge the norm, experience future possibilities and understand how new media platforms will affect organizational change and growth.”

Michael Jones, chief technology advocate at Google, is scheduled to deliver one of the event’s keynote addresses. In addition, FutureMedia Fest 2010 will feature presentations, speaking panels and startup demos from more than 75 world class experts in emerging media creation, distribution and consumption fields. Alongside research and academic experts from Georgia Tech, event speakers include:

  • Clyde Tuggle, senior vice president, Global Public Affairs & Communications, The Coca-Cola Company
  • Russ Daniels, vice president and chief technology officer, HP
  • Glenn Lurie, president, Emerging Devices, National Resale and Partnerships, AT&T
  • Michael Kelly, CEO and president, The Weather Channel Companies
  • Richard Boly, director, Office of eDiplomacy, US Department of State
  • Wonya Lucas, executive vice president and COO, Discovery Channel
  • Jon Fasman, southeast correspondent, The Economist
  • Teya Ryan, president and executive director, GPB Media

In addition, event attendees will have ample opportunities to touch, feel and play with the coolest technologies and products via a music mix, gaming lounge, research demos and the launch of the annual student Convergence Innovation Competition at Georgia Tech.

The annual FutureMedia Fest will serve as the seminal event for Georgia Tech’s FutureMedia Initiative, a global, collaborative initiative that explores new paradigms on how content is created, distributed and consumed. Backed by the technological expertise of Georgia Tech, a global top-ten technology university, and bolstered by its location in Atlanta, a well-known and growing media industry center, FutureMedia will connect universities, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and industry to create a robust, open innovation environment and drive the growth of a new media ecosystem.

“Great universities, like Georgia Tech, shape the world rather than being shaped by it,” said Steve Cross, executive vice president for research, Georgia Tech. “We view FutureMedia as a timely event that includes all of Georgia Tech to help us do just that — by creating living laboratories and test beds that enable our ecosystem of partners to practically discover and create what’s next. This must-attend event will compel new thinking, foster new partnerships, generate new business opportunities and position Georgia Tech and the state of Georgia as media innovators and economic powerhouses.”

“As the home of top media, marketing and technology organizations, Georgia is naturally positioned to grow as an economic and research hub for the future of media,” said Clyde Tuggle, SVP Global Public Affairs & Communications, The Coca-Cola Company. “The Coca-Cola Company is proud to participate in this timely and important discussion as a sponsor of FutureMedia Fest 2010.”

“Social media is a force that has the power to transform bits-and-bytes technology into a dynamic, exciting medium for societal interaction,” said Russ Daniels, vice president and chief technology officer, HP. “In addition to pioneering research in social media through our Social Computing Lab, HP is proud to support initiatives such as FutureMedia Fest, which foster innovation and discussion in the field.”

FutureMedia Fest 2010 will be held at the Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center in Atlanta, Georgia. Additional speakers will be added over the coming months. For all conference information, including registration, visit www.futuremediaglobal.com.

Cohn & Wolfe Brendan Streich, 404-260-3519 Brendan.streich@cohnwolfe.com
Georgia Tech Research Institute Kirk Englehardt, 404-407-7280 Kirk.englehardt@gtri.gatech.edu
Georgia Tech College of Computing Stefany Sanders, 404-894-7253 stefany@cc.gatech.edu

FutureMedia Sponsors Students for International Game Development Competition

The year 2010 marks the first time teams from the United States will be participating in the international Dare to be Digital video game development competition thanks to the Georgia Institute of Technology’s (Georgia Tech) FutureMedia℠ initiative. Five teams of students from Georgia Tech, supported by FutureMedia, have already applied to compete in the world-wide contest sponsored by the University of Abertay Dundee in Scotland.

The teams may be among those selected to travel to Scotland to compete against dozens of arts and science graduates and undergraduates from all over the world in the Dare hothouse at Abertay Dundee. Each team consist of five students, usually a mix of artists, programmers and audio specialists, who will spend 10 weeks over the summer turning their ideas into fully functioning prototypes. They receive regular industry visits as well as a weekly wage, accommodation and equipment. Georgia Tech teams will receive coaching, technical expertise and financial assistance from the FutureMedia initiative.

FutureMedia Fosters Teamwork

With more than 20 years of experience in the technology industry, Renu Kulkarni is undertaking a new challenge as head of Georgia Tech’s FutureMedia Initiative. The former vice president for technology partnerships at Motorola Inc. recently shared with Atlanta Business Chronicle about the program.

FutureMedia Conference Weighs Georgia’s Potential as a Digital, Social, and Multi-Media Powerhouse

Georgia has the potential to become a global pioneer and leader in the future of media. To do so, it will require focus, determination and collaboration among universities, corporations, venture capitalists, entrepreneurs and government to make it happen.

That was a principal conclusion of the recent day-long FutureMedia conference here, which focused on opportunities and challenges in the already burgeoning fields of digital, social, and multi media. Held in midtown Atlanta on Oct. 15, the gathering brought together some 260 people from as far off as Canada, Ireland, Scotland, South Korea and Singapore.  Of the total attendees, more than half were representatives from industry.

Conference Kicks Off Initiative to Shape Georgia’s Role in Developing Future Media & Media Industries

Private cloud computing. Augmented mobile reality. Immersive Internet. Unicasting. Exclusive films on Facebook.  Hulu TV.  Twitter valued at $1 billion.  A year or so ago these phrases would have been alien.  Today, they herald the future.

What do these trends suggest for the future of media companies around the world?

Renu Kulkarni doesn’t know for sure, but she wants to “start the conversation” about the question – and the role that Georgia will play in shaping the future of digital, social and multimedia.  As head of the new FutureMedia Initiative at the Georgia Institute of Technology, she believes the Peach State is uniquely positioned to be both a global pioneer and innovator in helping define the future of media.

“With world-class university research, proven engineering and commercialization expertise, a successful community of entrepreneurs – and leading digital media, communications and entertainment industries – Georgia really does have what it will take to help chart the future of media,” said Kulkarni, who joined Georgia Tech after a 20-year career in the high-tech industry, most recently serving as vice president for technology partnerships at communications giant Motorola.

The FutureMedia Initiative will kick off October 15 with a day-long conference aimed at encouraging dialogue about what Georgia needs to do to create an open innovation ecosystem for developing media of the future.

Open Innovation: Motorola Veteran Renu Kulkarni Joins Georgia Tech to Head FutureMedia Initiative

With world-class university research, proven commercialization and engineering expertise, a successful community of entrepreneurs – and leading digital media, communications and entertainment industries – Georgia is poised to be a global pioneer and innovator in shaping the future of social, digital and multimedia.

As head of Georgia Tech’s FutureMedia Initiative, Renu Kulkarni’s charter is to help bring all these elements together in an open-innovation environment that will make the state of Georgia both a leader in developing new media and a model for how to bring new ideas to market.

“Mine is a collaborative role, one that will help all the players span the innovation cycle from research to discovery to creation, commercialization and scale-up,” she said.  “My job will be to connect universities, venture capitalists, entrepreneurs and industry to create a rich and robust open innovation ecosystem that builds on and leverages our world-class resources.”

Most recently vice president for technology partnerships at communications giant Motorola, Kulkarni has more than 20 years of experience in turning research and development into new products, building strategic alliances for industry, and developing new business.

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About FutureMedia℠

FutureMedia℠ is Georgia Tech’s global collaborative initiative whose focus is to explore, enable and transform new ways of how content is created, distributed and consumed. Based on market success, the initiative has grown to be part of a larger, newly created Institute of People and Technology (IPaT). IPaT is a network of world-class academic researchers and industry innovators collaborating on groundbreaking research that is altering the fields of media, education, healthcare and humanitarian systems.

FutureMedia℠ Outlook 2012

The FutureMedia℠ Outlook 2012 is an annual multimedia report that offers Georgia Tech’s viewpoint on the future of media and its impact on people, business and society over the next five to seven years. For each of the six megatrends, the Outlook 2012 presents fresh and objective insights into those technologies and business practices that will significantly impact the converging media ecosystem. In addition, the report includes demonstrative clips and video interviews with leading Georgia Tech researchers offering real-world examples of how the Institute is proactively innovating in these areas.

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