Sponsors

Avanade
Avanade is the leading technology integrator specialising in the Microsoft enterprise platform. Our people help customers around the world maximise their IT investment and create comprehensive solutions that drive business results.

With a global network of consultants, Avanade seamless helps its customers anytime, anywhere. Avanade consultants bring unparalleled technology and delivery expertise – a powerful combination for implementing technology visions that yield business results.

Since our inception in 2000, we have helped over a 1,700 customers realise their business goals through the Microsoft platform and our proven delivery methods.
Founded in April 2000 as a joint venture between Accenture and Microsoft, Avanade was formed to merge the strengths of both companies – Accenture’s consulting and Microsoft’s technology expertise – into a single company.

When selecting an Avanade solution, customers receive the best of our thinking and experience. Our solutions help customers consolidate their infrastructure, build and integrate applications cost-effectively, and drive better information out of existing systems. Each solution includes a mix of assets, intellectual property, and best practices we've gathered from previous deployments.

International Association of Software Architects (IASA)
The International Association of Software Architects (IASA) is the premier association focused on the architecture profession through the advancement of best practices and education while delivering programs and services to IT architects of all levels around the world. 

Established in 2002, IASA is an international non-profit business association dedicated to the advancement and sharing of issues related to software architecture in the enterprise, product, education and government sectors. 

The association is committed to improving the quality of the IT architecture industry by developing and delivering standards, education programs and developing accreditation programs and services that optimize the development of architecture profession.  IASA membership consists of approximately 6,000 members  located in over 50 countries.

For more information please go to www.iasahome.org.

Solidsoft
Solidsoft is recognised globally as a thought leader in creating effective technology solutions for businesses that recognise the value of connecting their people, processes and systems, both internally and with their business partners.

Sungard Vivista
A Fortune 500 Company, SunGard is one of the world’s leading software and IT services companies with revenues in excess of $4 billion and more than 25,000 customers in more than 50 countries. This includes the world’s 50 largest financial institutions and more than 1,600 colleges and universities and key public sector customers.

SunGard Vivista has revenues of circa $250 million in the UK and has a 30+ year pedigree as a systems integrator and most recently has been a UK leader in BizTalk implementations. One instance being a national deployment within the criminal justice community.

SunGard has been working with Microsoft in developing the SOA value proposition and continues to provide thought leadership in this area across multiple sectors. Sungard is a Gold Certified partner with multiple competencies and has been elected to sit on the UK Microsoft Architects Council and is a member of the Connected Systems Advisor Group which most recently helped advise on Oslo.

Valtech
Founded in Paris in 1993, Valtech has an 11-year history as a successful international IT consultancy. Valtech has over 850 consultants, with over 1,200 employees in total, and is firmly established throughout Europe, the US and Asia. We offer a global service with a solid track record of proven ability and experience. To date, Valtech has partnered with clients on over 1,000 advanced technology projects.

Valtech is vendor and technology independent, and has continually stayed at the forefront of the technology evolution, making early investments in Java, J2EE, Unified Process, Oracle, IBM, SUN, XML, .NET and Web Services

Xpertise
From seven training centres, Xpertise provides the UK's widest range of authorised IT Technical and Professional skills training - over 500 courses, from most leading vendors and professional bodies, including Cisco, Citrix, IBM, ITIL, Microsoft, Oracle, PRINCE2™ and Red Hat.

With courses on Visual Studio 2008, Visual Studio Team System, .NET, Silverlight, Windows Server 2008, SQL Server and Business Intelligence – Xpertise provides  a comprehensive training portfolio for the Microsoft Professional. In addition Xpertise specialises in providing training for the Software Architect community including a range of ISEB Certification Courses in System Architecture and Design.

Xpertise has been a winner of Microsoft’s Learning Solutions Partner of the Year award for Western Europe for an unprecedented three times and in 2007 delivered a Visual Studio Team System training programme for Microsoft EMEA to partners in over 25 countries worldwide.