Fran Rabuck, CCP, PCLP, CWNA, RFID+ Bentley Systems – Applied Research Director, Real Time Asset Labs Francis (Fran) Rabuck is the Director of the Real Time Asset Lab for Bentley Systems (www.bentley.com). He is responsible for emerging technology research and application in the Applied Research Group at Bentley Systems. Fran has a 30 year career of contributions to the industry as a consultant, thought leader and internationally recognized expert in emerging technologies in the wireless, media and collaboration space. He is a frequent speaker/writer, advisor and judge at major technology industry events. He works closely with FIATECH (www.fiatech.org) on various initiatives and is the Team co-champion for the Smartchips research projects. In 2006 he was awarded the FIATECH STAR Award in recognition of his contribution to the industry. He is a member of the RFID Business Association (www.rfidba.org) - an international, vendor neutral, non-profit trade association dedicated to the advancement of knowledge in the Wireless, RFID and Sensor space. He is also a member of the eWeek Corporate Partner Advisory Program, and past member of the Academic Advisory Council at Drexel University. He has earned the latest certification from CompTIA for RFID, becoming one of the first wave of practitioners to earn this certification. That's the scripted version of me. Me - I'm interested in not just technology, but the social aspect, real applications, the visioning, the evangelizing, the mash-up of unrelated things, and more. I started in computers with punched cards (sorry for dating myself), and went thru engineering work with COGO and ROADS in converting dot matrix chain plots to HP pen plots (these device were over $3000 then and nothing like the color lasers of today). Over the years, I worked with other engineering applications in various organizations - selecting/implementing a CAD system and Facility management application for a major hospital. Managing and building the data processing center and all related applications from accounting to fortran coding of nuclear models for the engineers at Kuljian Corporation (they managed and built some of the first desalination plants in the Middle East.) Working with GIS Models and Tiger files to build mapping applications for matching a companies employee addresses with the nearest Primary Provider Doctors - and providing mapping of all the information. Then I spent a lot of time doing Notes/Collaboration work - even as an independent consultant. It was Groupware then - it's Social Networking now. During the Internet Era, I spent a lot of time focusing on wireless applications and technologies. One of the first to test WiFi at Cornell University when 802.11b was first announced. Became one of the first to be certified as CWNA. Later started work in RFID, and again the first to get certified in RFID+...I just love this wireless stuff. Which brings me up to the present with my work at Bentley. My interests in wireless and RFID continue. Now sensors seem like my next venture - as the industrial standards are just beginning to emerge. I have a renewed interest in location services/GIS/GPS and other techniques to find/locate "things". And you will find me poking and proding into other odd corners of technology - looking for the connection - exploring the next generation of ideas...after all these years - I'm beginning to think that I'm more interested in the discovery process of the future itself - than any of the "things" I discover along the way. I hope you'll check out my blogging, challenge me, praise me...anything but just hopefully engage with me. If I'm boring you - tell me so. Let me know you ideas also.