Experts size up information footprint
The conference room at the Prato Centre
Keeping Information Systems (IS) sustainable is a key focus of the 21st Information Systems Development (ISD) conference, ISD2012, to be held at Monash University’s Prato Centre in Italy.
Conference co-chair Dr Henry Linger, from the Monash Faculty of Information Technology, said sustainability was an emerging theme in research and practice, and the conference would bring together a varied list of experts.
“Sustainable IS is a catch-all term used to describe the development, construction, management, use and disposal of IS and the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) that underpins it,” Dr Linger said.
“It is an important area for IS researchers as we respond to individual concerns for the environment and the embryonic regulatory environments being enacted globally to address the environmental impact of ICT.”
Greater awareness of the long-term effects of human and business activities on the natural environment means businesses are under increasing pressure to adopt ecologically sustainable practices.
“Sustainable ISD explores the development, impact and role of IS in sustainability initiatives,” Dr Linger said.
“IS managers and researchers are presented with opportunities to investigate and provide solutions to the problem of reducing the ecological footprint of IS. They also investigate ways the innovative use of IS can transform and reduce the environmental impact of individuals, organisations and society.”
The high-profile international ISD conference evolved from the first Polish-Scandinavian seminar on current trends in IDS methodologies, held in Gdansk, Poland in 1988.
Dr Linger has been involved with the ISD conference since 1996 and was appointed the permanent Chair of the International Steering Committee in 2008.
“This is the second occasion that Monash University’s Faculty of Information Technology has hosted the ISD conference,” Dr Linger said.
“This year two members of the original ISD seminar are attending the conference in Prato and one, Karheinz Kautz, is presenting a keynote address.”
The ISD2012 conference will be held from 29-31 August 2012 at Monash University’s Prato Centre, Italy and will feature experts in sustainable information systems from around the world.