Horn Group Rallies Hundreds of Industry Leaders Across Nation on Topic of Innovation

Agency Announces ‘Horn Group Network’ – A Forum For Business And Technology Leaders

November 18, 2004 – San Francisco, Calif. – Horn Group, Inc., a leader in technology communications, today announced its forum for technology industry influencers called Horn Group Network. At the heart of Horn Group Network is a series of exclusive events in major technology regions that address topics such as innovation, leadership and IT predictions. Yesterday, Horn Group completed its most recent series of events where more than 250 of its business, technology and media contacts gathered in New York, Boston and San Francisco to debate innovation in the technology industry.

“Horn Group represents a valuable network that no one else can offer,” said Sabrina Horn, president and CEO of Horn Group, Inc. “For years, we have hosted exclusive events to provide our contacts a venue for networking. But the Horn Group Network has become a forum for data and debate, and an incubator for the partnerships and deals that helps shape our industry.”

Panelists at the recent Horn Group Network events included editors from top business publications Fast Company, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal; senior management from emerging and established software companies including GlowPoint, Omniture, PeopleSoft, Sun Microsystems and Transera Communications; executives from prominent VC and financial services firms such as Cantor Fitzgerald, Highland Capital Partners and Hummer Winblad Venture Partners; as well as tenured staff from Harvard Business School and MIT.

Technology Industry Innovation Outlook
Undeniably, innovation has been the primary driver for growth in technology for decades. It is no secret that the industry's economic downturn has created an innovation dichotomy. While some argued the need to break new ground has never been greater, panelists also recognized budget constraints and market pressures that curb the risk-taking and exploration necessary to inspire discovery. Today, the practical application and opportunity costs of innovation come into question when it can take years before new technology breakthroughs translate into tangible gains. The key challenge facing business leaders today isn't whether to innovate, it's where to focus innovation efforts, how to define success, how much to invest and when.

Specific perspectives and predictions of the panelists included:

• A divide between consumer and business technology innovation exists. Some see the next flat panel plasma screen, the digital home or the smarter mobile device as the future of innovation, where others view it as faster microprocessors, increased enterprise productivity or broad acceptance of open source software.
• Unanimously, panelists agreed that China would produce the next great innovations in our industry – making irrelevant any former debate about whether pockets of innovation are stronger on the East or West Coasts of the U.S.
• In the ongoing debate over off-shoring, job opportunities created by technology innovation in the U.S. will compensate for the work being sent to countries like China and India. Some panelists encouraged a shift in attention from job loss in the U.S to innovation that will stimulate employment.
• Innovation comes both in the form of broad sweeping change, as well as incremental improvements that result in revenue gains or new industry standards that defined as breaking new ground.
• Software innovation is alive among emerging start-ups. Venture funding in the coming year will increase with many VCs embracing innovation with less caution than in recent years.

Innovation Fuses Professional with Personal
Amidst the commentary on data back up and recovery, plasma TVs, and open source technologies, there was a surprising common thread in the Horn Group debates that centered on the personal risks and rewards of innovation. Regardless of how technology innovation is defined, creating anything new and meaningful requires courage and stamina. “Successful innovation is about the long view,” said Sherwin Greenblatt, Director at MIT’s Venture Mentoring Service and former COO of Bose Inc. “If you’re going to attempt it, you need to ask yourself if you have the courage to stay the course.”

Past Horn Group Network events have included a discussion on reinventing Silicon Valley, a panel debate in response to the Harvard Business Review article “Does IT Matter”, and a presentation on leadership in technology. These have been well attended by press and analysts including Business Week , CIO Magazine, Computerworld, eWeek, Forbes, Forrester Research, Gartner Group, IDC, Information Week, The New York Times, Newsweek, USA Today and Wall Street Journal.

In addition to its exclusive events, Horn Group Network is also expected to publish market research and survey findings, as well as sponsor industry events such as the upcoming Software 2005 conference in April 2005.

About Horn Group, Inc.
Horn Group, Inc. provides communications services to technology companies at every stage of growth – from start-ups that need visibility to large corporations striving to build market leadership. An established and independent firm, Horn Group offers integrated services that reach press, analysts, customers, partners, investors and employees. Services include public relations, web site and graphic design, and market research. Located in San Francisco, Boston, and New York, with new satellites in Chicago and Washington D.C., Horn Group has earned national recognition for its excellence in client service and employment practices. More information can be obtained at www.horngroup.com.

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Contact:
Sabrina Horn, President and CEO
Horn Group, Inc.
212.931.5247
shorn@horngroup.com