Some folks may look at the Defense Information Systems Agency as the antithesis of techno-cool.
But, it sure has latched on to a speaker for its Customer Care conference in April who embodies cutting edge social networking technology: Gina Bianchini, chief executive officer of Ning, a company she co-founded in 2004 with Marc Andreessen, developer of the original "Mosaic" Web browser.
Bianchini says in a statement on the company's Web site that she and Andreessen started Ning (which means "peace" in Chinese) to give everyone the opportunity to create a social network. Today Ning powers the largest number of social networks on the Internet.
Ning offers a programmable platform for social networks, which Bianchini described as the software equivalent of Home Depot, allowing users to build their own social network sites from parts grabbed off the digital rack.
Social networks that use Ning include Burnt Marshmallow, a network for campers; Lost Zombies, a do-it-yourself zombie movie site; and The Offbeat Bride Tribe, which describes itself as "a private experimental social network for kick-ass, independently-minded couples planning their weddings."
I see the hand of DISA's chief technology officer, David Mihelcic -- a kick-ass kind of guy in his own quiet way - behind the selection of Bianchini as a speaker at the conference. Wonder if there will be Ning powered social network for the Defense Department in the near future.
Other speakers at the conference include Ivan Seidenberg, chairman and chief executive officer for Verizon Communications; Marc Benioff, chairman and chief executive officer at salesforce.com; Robert Carter, chief information officer at FedEx Corp.; John Hingham, chief information officer at Boeing Co.; Dr. Pieter Poll, chief technology officer at Qwest Communications; and John Stewart, chief security officer at Cisco Systems Inc.
What would really make this gathering complete (if I may modestly say so) is my attendance. Maybe this year DISA will drop its ban on ink-stained wretches at the Customer Partnership conference.
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