High Technology on the Plains

There's no doubt in anyone's mind that technology and the Internet are creating a new main street in this country - an electronic one. In some ways - as technology becomes more affordable and software more user friendly - doing business on this new main street has never been easier. But it can also be hazardous. Last year's dotcom bust left many traditional businesses wondering if their technology investment would be worth the risk.

A this year's Telecommunications Technology in North Dakota conference in Fargo, 1,300 business professionals explored where the potholes are on this new electronic main street, what cutting edge ideas are working, and what promising technology is on the horizon for e-business.

The highlights at this year's conference sponsored by Senator Byron Dorgan and the Fargo-Moorhead Chamber of Commerce were sold out keynote addresses by Microsoft president Steve Ballmer, Amazon.com founder and president Jeff Bezos, and Gary Shapiro, president of the Consumer Electronics Association.

The conference and trade show were videotaped by a documentary crew from Prairie Public Television. Live broadcasts by national cable network TechTV further enlivened the event.