I’m taking a poll, how many of you had your business travel disrupted last week due to the volcano erupting in Iceland? I’ve heard from one European colleague who was headed to the 2010 DOE Solid-State Lighting Manufacturing R&D Workshop in San Francisco and was forced to cancel plans, and another from the UK headed to NEPCON China – same story. I also got word that a former PennWell colleague enjoyed a 37 hour bus ride from Istanbul to Munich rather than wait days for a flight.
Thank goodness we have the Internet and wireless communication tools at our fingertips to stay in touch and even get real work done, regardless of whether we’re stranded in an airport, hotel, or Starbucks for ungodly amounts of time. Did you read about how the prime minister of Norway was running the country from an iPad at Newark airport?
Lucky for us, our 3D InCites community is virtual. Members can participate in our online discussions regardless of their physical location and time zone because they take place asynchronously over the course of a week or more. During our last forum on 3D Packaging, panelists participated from France, Singapore, and Arizona. Next week’s 3D MEMS discussion will feature panelists weighing in from France, San Jose, Germany and Arizona. And of course, wherever our members are in the world, we hope they participate with questions and comments of their own. After all, if Jens Stoltenberg can manage it, so can you.– F.v.T.
