Will be speaking at the Philippine OsCon 2006 October 2, 2006

I will be speaking tomorrow at the Philippine Open Source Conference at the Shangri-la EDSA Plaza Hotel. I will be talking about the use of Open Source in the Enterprise and how Open Source developers are now building applications for real-world business needs. I will be giving a high-level overview of leading open source projects out there for customer relationship management (CRM), enterprise resource planning (ERP), Business Intelligence (BI), content management (CMS) and others.

This is in line with one of the 43 things I plan to do before getting married.

About the Conference
The Open Source Conference and Expo will focus on Open Source Operating Systems and Applications for the business and enterprise user. Organized by Imperium Technology, Inc. in cooperation with Media Focus International, Inc. the event will be held on September 26-28, 2006, with exhibits, plenary sessions, hands-on sessions, tutorials, and conferences at the Shangri-la EDSA Plaza Hotel.

The theme for the conference this year is “Ready for Change, In Tune with Enterprise Needs”. Tracks include topics on Business Applications, Programming and Technical issues, and a specialized track on Voice and Telephony. Conference speakers include Open Source Experts, Enterprises using Open Source Technology, Industry Experts, and Open Source Pioneers.

About Jan
Jan is an experienced IT Consultant who has lead several project engagements in delivering business, brand, and technology consulting services to clients ranging from prominent multi-national corporations, small and medium-sized businesses, government agencies and non-profits.

He is currently a Senior Consultant at IT Group, Inc. where he is responsible for overseeing the deployment of best-of-breed, open source enterprise applications in Customer Relationship Management and Knowledge Management for clients. Prior to that, he was one of the founders of Ecommsite Solutions�a systems integration and technology consultancy. His expertise is in systems design and implementation, IT information architecture, and IT project management.

Jan has a degree in Business Administration and Accounting from the University of the Philippines and is a Licensed CPA. He has had training and holds certifications in IT Project Management. He is currently taking up his Masters Degree at the Asian Institute of Management.

Philippine Open Source Conference
Ready for Change, In Tune with Enterprise Needs

Speaker: Jan Pabellon
Topic: The Open Source Alternative: Using Open Source Business Applications in the Enterprise
Date: October 3, 2006
Time: 10.30 to 11.45 am
Track: Business Applications Track
Location: EDSA Shangrila Plaza Hotel

Finalizing the caterer October 2, 2006

Last Saturday, Anna and I, along with our Ninang Necy went to the MMLDC food tasting event. We went there to finalize our choice for the caterer for our wedding. The choice was limited however to MMLDC’s list of pre-accredited caterers which was not really a problem because the best or at least the popular ones were well represented.

At the food tasting event was Hizon’s catering, Manila Catering, VS&F catering and MMLDC’s own in-house caterer. Each one was asked to present food and a motif consistent with a theme that MMLDC offers. VS&F for example was asked to do an Oriental theme, Hizon’s was asked to do a Carribean theme, Manila Catering was asked to follow an American theme and so on.

Those who attended the event were asked to first sit through a presentation of the vendors and afterwards were also asked to rate the catererers one by one in terms of quality of food and presentation. Below is my assesment of each one:

• Hizon’s catering:
  Pros: Generally excellent tasting food. They have got the Filipino taste nailed. You cant go wrong specially if will have a lot of old-timers in your guest list.
  Cons: Generally poor presentation compared to the other caterers who were there. Their centerpieces were lackluster, their silverware/utensils were not really special. They couldnt even follow the theme. The waiters/attendants generally seemed clueless. Theirs was supposed to be a tropical/beach type arrangement and food. Instead it looked like standard Filipino buffet fare with rice, pork and beef.
• VS&F:
  Pros: Generally nice presentation, nice silverware, nice centerpieces.
  Cons: Nothing really stood out. The teriyaki was nice tasting but not great. The dessert was so-so. Generally OK but nothing note worthy. At least they were able to follow the theme.
• Manila Catering
  Pros: Excellent presentation of food, with nice variety in colors and texture. They were consistent with the theme, and had good looking plates and silverware. Their table centerpieces were well put together and was generally consisitent with the main buffet table in theme. Waiters seemed very professional and knowledgeable.
  Cons: Didn’t really like the food. It tasted like hotel fare which is to say all style and little substance. Food tasted bland and dry–probably would suit better a Westerner’s palette.
• In-house caterer:
  Pros: Just like Manila Catering, had excellent presentation of food, with nice variety in colors and texture. They were more playful with the ingredients and the food was very memorable both in looks and taste.
  Cons: Food tasted a little too rich. Felt there were too many ingredients, and spices mixed in.

All in all generally you cant go wrong with these well known caterers. The choice ultimately boils down to the couple’s (and their family’s) personal preferences and taste.