Hughes Network Systems hosted the second annual Executive Advisory Council (EAC) March 10-12 at the beautiful Turnberry Isle Resort in Aventura, Florida. The goal of the Executive Advisory Council is to gather Chief Information Officers (CIOs) and experts from various industries for the purpose of guiding the direction of broadband satellite applications to meet the needs and requirements relevant to their industries. Attending were CIOs and Chief Technology Officers (CTOs) from 18 customer companies representing a wide array of industries, including automotive, retail, financial services, oil and gas, hospitality, and entertainment.

"CIO Peer Success Stories” was a new feature added to this year’s agenda, with highly informative presentations from Tom Galley of Regal CineMedia and Stephanie Cline from Jack-in-the Box. Galley introduced the expanding potential for generating new revenue streams at Regal Cinemas that utilize the high-quality, multicasting capabilities of DIRECWAY^® to deliver multimedia content, such as simulcasting rock concerts and sporting events, along with promotional and advertising clips targeted for each theater. Ms. Cline spoke about the benefits resulting from Jack-in-the- Box’s comprehensive DIRECWAY-based network solution for franchisees, including improved customer service through distance learning, increased employee satisfaction, and reduced turnover levels.

Key invited speakers included Berge Ayvazian of the Yankee Group, who spoke on “The Role of Satellites in the Future of Networking,” while Larry Ponemon, head of the Ponemon Institute, shared strategies on “Responsible Information Management” (RIM).

Vinton Cerf, co-founder of the Internet, challenged the audience with insights and out-of-the-box thinking in his session entitled “Evolution and Future of the Internet.”

The two-day agenda concluded with meaningful roundtable discussions and Q & A facilitated by Dr. Howard Frank, Dean of the Robert Smith School of Business, University of Maryland.

A post-event survey reported that some of the major issues on the minds of today’s CIOs include:

• network reliability
• security
• global support
• inbound bandwidth
• virus protection

100% of those who responded to the survey said:

• The EAC event was informative and useful to their future planning.
• The CIO Peer Presentations were interesting and applicable to their business needs.
• The opportunity to collaborate with other CIOs was beneficial— resulting in “excellent off-line discussions” and “candid and informative group discussions.”
• They were willing and eager to participate in future EAC events annually.

The single most beneficial outcome, according to the survey, was “networking and sharing business solutions with peers,” as well as “a much better understanding of current and future opportunities with HNS.