Andersen Consulting and the World Economic Forum have announced they have formed a strategic technology partnership. The two partners said they intend to make the Forum the reference point for the effective use of technology to improve communication and business efficiency. Andersen Consulting and the World Economic Forum announce strategic technology partnership Andersen Consulting and the World Economic Forum have announced that they have formed a strategic technology partnership which will deliver state-of-the-art information technology to the full range of the Forum`s operations. The partnership will enable the World Economic Forum to develop new ways to support its mission to act as a bridge-builder between business and government in a joint effort of commitment to improving the state of the world. The partnership, which initially lasts three years, is far reaching. It extends from the development of a new technology infrastructure at the Forum`s headquarters in Geneva to support for the organisation`s major conference sessions themselves. The two partners said they intend to make the Forum the reference point for the effective use of technology to improve communication and business efficiency. The Forum`s Annual Meeting, held in Davos, has become famed as the premier summit meeting for the world`s business, political and academic leaders, and now attracts more than 2,000 delegates annually. The event consists of more than 300 programmed working sessions discussing current issues, and informal networking opportunities, which combined are often the catalyst for major decisions or agreements in the worlds of business and politics. The Forum has played a key role in an ongoing process of reconciliation initiatives, bringing together leaders in informal surroundings in what has become known as the `Davos Spirit`. Starting with the first Davos conference in 1971, the World Economic Forum covers the development of a broad range of infrastructure services to manage and enhance what has become an increasingly complex organisation. The project will span member information, registration, communication and other advanced added value technology services used during the sessions themselves. It will also bring together the existing information systems of the Forum, thus creating a more powerful means of continuous sharing of knowledge among members. The letter of intent for the partnership was signed in Davos last week. It is planned that the new services will be phased in over the next three years, for Davos 1999 and Davos 2000. Professor Klaus Schwab, founder and president of the World Economic Forum, said: "This partnership with Andersen Consulting enables us to take Davos and its sister events into the information age, reflecting the increasing opportunity for technology to help manage and maximise the value of sharing knowledge among the huge number of people who now participate in our activities." George Shaheen, Managing Partner and CEO of Andersen Consulting, said: "Davos is the major enclave of business and political leaders and we all contribute to its success in different ways. We believe that by applying our knowledge and expertise to improve both the infrastructure and the reach of the World Economic Forum we will be creating a living model of how the power of technology can transform an enterprise".
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