Robert H. Smith School of Business and EDS Team Up for Knowledge Management Conference on November 2

College Park, MD - October 23, 1998 - What is knowledge management? How is it being used to achieve competitive advantage? What value does knowledge management add to an organization?

These and related questions will be the focus of a one-day conference sponsored by the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, College Park, and EDS, a leader in the global information services industry. The conference -- Is Knowledge Management for Real?-- will run from 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Monday, November 2, in Van Munching Hall, home of the Smith School of Business.

Howard Frank, dean of the Smith School of Business, and Charles Girard, senior vice president and managing principal, Government Consulting Services, at EDS, will open the conference at 8:30.

Following is the day's schedule of presentations and discussions:

9 a.m. What is Knowledge Management and Should You Embrace It? 
Maryam Alavi, The Orkand Professor in Information Systems, Smith School

10:20 What are the Challenges and Lessons Learned in Managing KM Projects? 
Gregg Wright, Vice President, Strategic Planning, EDS' Government Industry Group

11 Department of Defense Case Study Presentation and Discussion 
Lt. Col. Betty Turner, Army Medical Department

12:15 Luncheon Speech 
Dean Howard Frank, Smith School of Business

1:15 How Can the Business Impact of Knowledge Management be Measured? 
Howard Smith, Managing Consultant, EDS

2:15 Roundtable Discussion of KM and Government Management in the 21st Century 
Charles Girard, EDS

3:15 What is the Future of Knowledge Management and What Emerging Technologies Will Help to Get us There? 
Scott Faulkner, American Management Association International

Representatives from regional industry and governmental agencies attending this conference will learn strategies for implementing knowledge management and how to leverage current technology in the process. Media representatives also are encouraged to attend.

EDS is the official information technology services provider for World Cup 1998. The company's more than 110,000 employees specialize in applying a range of ideas and technologies to help business and government clients improve their economics, products, services, and relationships. EDS, which serves clients in 45 countries, reported revenues of $15.2 billion in 1997.

EDS is headquartered in Plano, TX. Its eastern region headquarters is located in Herndon, VA.

To register to attend the conference--Is Knowledge Management for Real?--at the Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland, please call (301) 405-2158. Seating is limited.

About the Robert H. Smith School of Business

The Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research for the digital economy. The school offers cross-functional study options in its six academic departments, which include accounting and information assurance; decision and information technologies; finance; logistics, business, and public policy; management and organization; and marketing. More information about the Robert H. Smith School of Business can be found at http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu.