The Conference Smalltalk Solutions is the premier forum for bringing together Smalltalk users, developers, and enthusiasts. This year's conference will take place June 27-29 in fun-filled Orlando.

The Smalltalk Solutions 2005 Conference Board is pleased to announce one of this year’s keynote speakers:

Niall Ross - The Value of Smalltalk

Abstract: "Some languages are better than others", is often said by experienced software engineers. It is as often disbelieved by IT managers who suspect that those technical differences their team gurus talk about don't really impact the business. Managers are not programmers. Managers care about rapid delivery, scalability and the ability to refocus their systems on new opportunities, not about dynamic typing, late binding, a fully-exposed meta-model, few reserved words and classes as first-class objects. Why should language features matter to them?

Niall uses detailed examples from real commercial systems to illustrate how certain features of Smalltalk feed directly into business values. His talk is an attempt to bridge a chasm of understanding and (more importantly) to give others the means to do so in their own workplaces. Language choice is a major driver of project success or failure, yet is much neglected and often influenced by irrational considerations. By showing ways in which particular features of Smalltalk impact particular business needs, Niall hopes to help people find the words that can bridge the gap.