The ColdFusion in NC (CFinNC) conference was held last weekend at the N.C. State Centennial Campus in Raleigh, NC. My earlier post questioned whether the latest version of ColdFusion (CF9) would be its last hurrah or the start of a new beginning.  The answer to this question, like most others in IT is “It depends.”  Hats off to Adobe for solid investment in new CF development tools, ORM integration, language enhancements and sharing of services such as PDF and image generation.  However, I believe the conference exposed fatal weak points in Adobe’s strategy to take back market share in the application server market.

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In the maturity phase of a technology, it either becomes a legacy to be appreciated for its past accomplishments or morphs into something new that compels the world to take another look. ColdFusion has now been around for 14 years (a century in Internet years), and in its 9th incarnation. What started as a simple alternative to CGI scripting is now a full-fledged application server platform. But is ColdFusion with its HTML roots still relevant in an increasingly Rich Internet Application-driven world? Does ColdFusion still have legs as a presentation medium, or will it slowly be relegated to heavy lifting behind the scenes on servers far away from the eyes of Internet users? The CFinNC conference to be held at NC State University this weekend may offer clues.

This exciting two-day conference will showcase a veritable whos-who of the ColdFusion world, each offering not only their technical expertise but also their own vision of ColdFusion and its shiny Rich Internet Application cousins, Air and Flex.  Can’t make it you say? You can follow the event live on twitter via @Jason_Jasura  as I post all of the happenings that you just won’t find in any of the posted presentations.  It’s bound to be a great conference. Hope to see you there!

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The latest technology capturing the public’s eye is “Augmented Reality” (AR), coming soon to a device near you. In essence, it overlays digital information onto a web-connected display. A fun example of this technology is Georgia Tech’s zombie shooter “ARhrrr” in which a mobile device’s camera is pointed at a printed map. Using the special markers on the map and software downloaded to the mobile device, a fully functional video game is overlaid in 3-D on top of the map, in which the object is to shoot zombies.

All well and good, but the savvy marketer will recognize the the opportunity to converge digital information with physical presence. How about projecting “For Sale” information to iPhone users pointing their camera towards a house in a new development? Or allowing mobile users at a conference to point their camera at a name tag and see the wearer’s LinkedIn page?

We are only at the beginning of the process of converging Internet Marketing with the physical world. As more mobile devices support the required software, we could be looking at the start of a golden age in Internet Marketing. At RTP Designs, we are always looking to create unique and compelling experiences that excite people. What AR application would you like to see?

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