Wednesday, March 7 9:00 AM - 10:15 AM Session A: Instant Messaging as an Entertainment Experience: Developing Broadband PC and Interactive TV Communities Instant Messaging, as about 20 million people know, is the best thing about using a computer. There is something unbelievably compelling about communicating in real time with friends over the net. It is undeniably addictive. Sharing text however, is only the first step in what this peer-to-peer communication system can offer. What will evolve in a broadband environment is anyone’s guess, but that’s what we are about to start in this session. Broadband as entertainment, cum interpersonal shared audio and video experience holds incredible promise. Friends can share songs together, “let me play you this,” or photos can be passed around. Instant Messaging as a future computing or ITV technology is a definite intriguing possibility. Nick Fiore, VP Business Development & Marketing, iClips Steven Ericsson Zenith, CEO & CTO, The Kiss Principle Chris Piche, CEO, Eyeball.com Adam Lavine, CEO, FunMail Michael Zapata, CEO, LipSinc Tuhin Roy, EVP Strategic Development, Echo Networks Doug McIntyre, President and CEO, On2, Moderator Steven Ericsson Zenith, CEO & CTO, The Kiss Principle: A 20-year veteran of the computing industry Dr. Steven Ericsson Zenith is CEO and CTO of The Kiss Principle, Inc., founded in 1998. The Kiss Principle is a Technology and Application Service Provider of a compelling consumer interface platform called Conversational Interfaces. A Conversational Interface is a class of Social Interface in which viewers interact via conversational elements - simplistically, turning "chat" into the interface. Zenith was a senior technologist at Europe's preeminent technology group INMOS. He was a major contributor to two microprocessor architectures and a leading contributor to the development of the communicating process language Occam. INMOS was acquired by ST in 1989. Prior to founding The Kiss Principle, Zenith was the CTO of NetChannel and was the chief architect of applications for the network computer at Oracle's NCI, the company now known as Liberate. Zenith played a leading, and hands-on, role at NCI and NetChannel in the 1997 launch - with RCA / Thompson Multimedia - of the first competition to Microsoft's WebTV. NetChannel was acquired in 1998 by AOL as the foundation for AOL TV. Zenith is an accomplished artist and writer. Zenith holds a doctorate (Ph.D.) in Computer Science from Universite Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris Sorbonne University (VI), France. Zenith has completed research in network-computing architecture at the Ecole des Mines de Paris and Yale University Chris Piché, Chairman and CEO, Eyeball.com: An expert in adaptive multimedia technologies, Chris Piché is the founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Eyeball.com. Piché received a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from the University of British Columbia, BC. His strong entrepreneurial instincts, future-proof vision, and technical expertise played a pivotal role in leading Eyeball.com in an annual average revenue growth rate of 355% since its inception in 1996. Therefore, he was nominated as one of the top 40 business people in Vancouver in 1999 by Business in Vancouver magazine, and recognized as one of Canada's Top Young Leaders by the Globe & Mail newspaper in 2000, and Piché’s primary role within the company is to govern and implement the strategic direction with particular emphasis on software and business development. Prior to founding Eyeball.com, Piché had three exceptionally successful years in software engineering at Simba Technologies and Oracle Communications. Nick Fiore, VP Business Development & Marketing, iClips: Nicholas Fiore, VP of Marketing and Business Development, specializes in high-tech product introduction, new market development, and start-up organization and management. Before joining iClips, Nick was Principal of Fiore Associates, a marketing and management consulting firm with clients including Hearst Corporation and Avalon Communications. Previously, he was COO of Entertainment Online, where he launched and managed U.S. operations for the UK-based online game company. As VP Managing Director of Sega Channel International, a partnership of Time Warner, TCI, and Sega delivering video games over cable TV, Nick negotiated launch agreements in countries around the globe. Prior to that, he created multi-cultural trade and consumer marketing campaigns and negotiated launch agreements as Vice President of International Marketing for Digital Music Express, based in London. Nick has also held executive positions at Times Mirror Cable, UA/TCI Cable, and Rainbow Programming (Bravo and American Movie Classics). Nick received a BA from Boston University. Douglas A. McIntyre, President and Chief Executive Officer, On2: Doug McIntyre brings more than 20 years of experience in Internet operations, investment banking, media, sales and marketing to On2. As President and CEO, McIntyre is responsible for On2's operations and financial activities. High among his priorities are leveraging relationships within the Wall Street and technology-investment communities and leading the execution of the company's business-to-business broadband strategic initiatives. Prior to joining On2 in April 2000, Doug was President and CEO of Future Source/Bridge LLC, a global software distributor of investment information focusing on the futures, options, commodities, and energy markets. Previously, Doug was President of Switchboard, Inc., an Internet services company which he helped position as among the top ten most visited sites on the Web. He was also President and Editor-in-Chief of Financial World magazine. Michael Zapata, CEO, LipSinc: Michael specializes in the management of technology, including entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial venturing activities. In addition to being the Head Mouth, he is a Kenan Fellow at the Kenan Institute for Engineering, Technology & Science , and former director of the Technology: Education and Commercialization (TEC) Program at North Carolina State University. During his tenure, he directed the commercialization of electronic materials, RNA, plant genetics, software, and medical devices. In the private sector, Michael worked as a lead consultant at IGC where he directed strategic planning for new product lines and lines of business for clients such as GE, Seimens, CSMI and Nortel. A proven leader, he is a combat aviation officer in the North Carolina Army National Guard, flying Apache helicopters. During his 12 years of service, he has held several leadership positions and has been decorated numerous times. He is also an active private investor and advisor to numerous technology start-ups. Tuhin Roy, EVP Strategic Development, Echo Networks: Tuhin joined Echo Networks after working as an attorney at Perkins Coie, a leading Silicon Valley law firm representing Internet companies such as Yahoo!, Amazon.com and Real Networks in strategic partnering, venture capital finance, initial public offering and M&A transactions. For six years prior to law school, he ran a successful music production and publishing company whose products sold more than two million copies and yielded Billboard #1 records. As a producer and songwriter, he developed relationships with senior executives and label heads at most of the major record labels. Tuhin's musical preferences currently lean toward electronica.