>
> Would you rather see IPROF moved to a different time of year, or even a
> couple weeks later than the SS?

If they are going to be separate, why not?
>
>.
>
> The current goal is to have the registration for the IPROF conference to be
> around $100 or so for the three day conference, with a light lunch provided
> each day.  The goal of the IPROF conference is no-frills, high energy,
> one-on-one meetings between HP and Users in the context of particular topics
> (SIGs) that they are interested in.
>
> for example, the Solution Symposium is the place to come to fine out how
> Image works and the best ways to use it.  IPROF is the place to come to help
> chart the future of Image and assist HP in designing the changes that will
> be made in the next year or two.  (Replace Image in the previous sentence
> with each of COBOL, SQL, MPE, Java, etc.)
>
> > The program for the "new" IPROF is non-existent.
>
> The details are still being worked out (work on the SS has been going on for
> longer than IPROF 2000), but I suspect each SIG will publish a detailed
> agenda to help justify attendance at IPROF (though some of the people who
> will come to a SIGImage or SIGCOBOL meeting probably know what to expect and
> will show up no matter where the meeting is held or whether there is an
> agenda or not :-)
>
> > The quality of IPROF has been highly dependent on the
> > participation of HP engineers and the resultant dialogue.
>
> I think the SIG leaders understand that the value or IPROF is not the SIG
> members getting together so much as it is the interaction between HP and
> those members.  We will be doing everything possible to facilitate the
> attendance of the best HP people at IPROF 2000.  In this context the "best"
> people are those with direct technical knowledge of, and architectural
> responsibility for, the topic under discussion, plus the managers and
> marketing people who need to know just what the hot issues are for customers
> since they have to justify what gets worked on and what doesn't.
>
I don't know if the separation is quite this cut and dried.  When you
talk
about possible new features you you are learning what is and what might
be.

I guess my bottom line is:

1.  In reference to the sol. Sym. if Interex can put together a good
program,
    go for it.

2.  In reference to IPROF, if HP is willing and able to participate
let's
    do it as cheaply as we can.

Regards,

Nick