2008 Office Developer Conference

Dates and location for the 2008 Office Developer Conference have now been announced with Bill Gates delivering a special keynote presentation in sunny San Jose (opposed to sunny Seattle).

When: February 10-13, 2008

Where: San Jose Convention Center, San Jose, CA

Who: 2000 developers and architects who build solutions on the Office platform (Office clients, servers, and services)

ODC 2008 will bring together architects, developers, industry technical experts, Microsoft insiders and key partners in a public forum for the first time! Together, we will redefine what it means to be focused on Microsoft Office development, exchange ideas on how to continue innovating in this ever-changing space, and share best practices on how to craft the next generation of Office Business Applications. Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates will deliver a special keynote that is not to be missed.

See you there,

- The 2008 ODC Team

Answers to some Frequently Asked Questions about the conference:

• Who is the Microsoft Office System Developer Conference for?
  Those involved or interested in using the Microsoft Office system (clients, servers, and services) as an application development platform. For example, people in technical roles e.g. architects, developers, designers, and technical managers.
• Who can attend?
  The conference is open to the public.
• Is this the first time for this conference?
  No, Microsoft has held this conference three times in the past (2004, 2005, 2006). However, those conferences were only open to a select group by nomination/invitation. This is the first conference that is open to the public.
• Will it cost to attend the conference?
  Yes, there will be a reasonable registration fee for the conference. For those that register early, we will have a special early bird rate as well.
• How many people are you expecting?
  We’re expecting between 1800-2000 attendees
• Which products/technologies will this conference cover?
  Obviously, the conference will cover everything in Microsoft Office system, including clients, servers and services, but business productivity applications don’t exist in isolation. More and more, we’re finding that people are using others parts of the technology stack and bringing together various technologies to make applications more compelling. So a great number of sessions will have topics involving Office application development in the context of leading-edge technologies such as VOIP, Silverlight, integration with third-party line of business applications, etc.
• What tracks will you offer?
  We are still finalizing the organization of the more than 60 sessions planned. Track information will be available as registration opens in October.
• I’ve heard there’s also a SharePoint Conference. What’s the difference?
  The SharePoint conference will take place in March 2008 in Redmond, WA. Unlike the Microsoft Office System Developer Conference, the SharePoint conference is primarily intended for those in IT who use, deploy, and configure SharePoint. If you are focused on SharePoint deployment you should attend the SharePoint Conference. If you are a SharePoint developer you should attend Office System Developer Conference. Here you will find the most information about how to develop solutions that not only build on the SharePoint platform, but also take advantage of the other technologies in the Office system.
• Why didn’t you just have the conference at the same time/location with SharePoint Conference so people could attend both?
  We did look into this but couldn’t make this happen due to lack of suitable space.
• Who is delivering the keynote?
  Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates will be delivering a special keynote presentation. Visit our site www.odc2008.com in October to find out more about the other keynote speakers!
• Why did you choose San Jose instead of having the conference in the Seattle area?
  We looked at several options. Lack of suitable space was a key factor. Also, average temps in San Jose in Feb are Low: 45°F (7°C) High: 63°F (17°C) with 2.84 in (7.21 cm) of precipitation, whereas in Seattle the averages are Low: 37°F (3°C) High: 51°F (10°C) and 4.09 in (10.39 cm). It wasn’t a difficult decision to make.
• Who will present sessions?
  Sessions will be presented by Microsoft experts and MVPs, as well as other industry/technical experts.
• Will you have non-Microsoft staff presenting sessions?
  Yes. If you or someone you know would like to present on a relevant technical topic, we’ d be happy to consider them, though slots are very limited. To submit a session idea, please send all relevant information to odcspkr@microsoft.com
• Where can I find more information?
  Our web site www.odc2008.com will have more information about the conference as it becomes available. Check back often or sign up to get notified!

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