Open Text executive chairman Tom Jenkins put it bluntly at the kickoff to the Canada 3.0 digital-media conference in Stratford Tuesday, cautioning against the "technospeak" that threatens to bury the message about the critical importance of digital media to Canada's future.
"We have to make it relevant," he told more than 1,500 digital pilgrims who converged on the Rotary Complex for the third annual conference.
Speaking against a backdrop of four massive projection screens and four high-definition monitors, all displaying video feeds and talking points, Jenkins said there's too much at stake for that message not to be heard.
As a result of a lack of investment in digital media and information and communication technologies (ICT), Canada is beginning to lag behind other countries and needs to catch up quickly, he said.
"What we're talking about is at the very heart of the productivity and therefore the quality of life and standard of living of our country," he said. "It's nothing less than that."
Pointing to a downward-sloping graph on the monitor behind him, Jenkins said the country simply can't afford to ignore the links between digital media, innovation and productivity.
"What's going to happen in Canada if we miss even a part of the information trend? Just a part of it? We're going to be diminished as a country," he said.
Kevin Tuer, managing director of the Canadian Digital Media Network, which is organizing the Canada 3.0 conference, reiterated the "moonshot" introduced at last year's conference -- that anyone can do anything online by 2017 -- and agreed that Canada still has some some distance to go before it reaches that goal.
"One year later, I don't think I need to tell you, there's still much work to be done," he said, urging conference participants to help push progress through collaboration, frank discussions and a sharing of information.
Stratford Mayor Dan Mathieson used the city itself as an example of the need to embrace change when it comes to the fast-moving world of technology.
"Where was Stratford five years ago on the digital map?" he asked pointedly. "We weren't on it."
But strategic investments in fibre-optic technology and Wi-Fi infrastructure has helped to drive a "renaissance" here that will help the city compete on a global stage, said Mathieson.
"Communities that are not connected will fall behind," he said, suggesting that the real value of Canada 3.0 is in sharing strategies for making the entire country a powerful digital nation. "We're only as strong as our weakest points."
He also urged participants to keep working toward the moonshot.
"We can be leaders, we will be leaders and it starts here," said Mathieson.
Canada 3.0 wraps up Wednesday.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Mike Beitz
Quelle/Source: The Beacon Herald, 04.05.2011
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