The UNITE 2024 Annual Conference will be held during 27 February through 7 March 2024 on Tuesday through Thursday of those two weeks.
UNITE is again conducting a virtual conference and will host the conference on its Zoom on-line meeting infrastructure. All sessions will operate through this service.
To best accommodate the time zones for the majority of Unisys customers in the Americas and Europe, we have planned the conference as six half-days over two weeks. Each day will begin with a half-hour Welcome and Morning Update session at 10:30 a.m. U.S. Eastern Standard Time (15:30 GMT). Presentations will begin at 11:00 a.m. (16:00 GMT). Each day will end with an hour-long Social Hour starting at 3:30 p.m. (20:30 GMT).
Most sessions are scheduled for one-hour periods, with a 15-minute break between sessions. Two sessions will frequently run in parallel.
Some sessions are publicly available and can be viewed by anyone. The majority of sessions, however, are restricted to registered delegates for the conference. See the Conference Registration section below for more information.
The On-line Agenda Interface
The paper documents that UNITE used in past in-person conferences – the Agenda, the Conference-at-a-Glance (CAG), and session evaluation forms – do not work for a virtual conference, so we have developed an on-line, web-based agenda site to take their place. To access the on-line agenda, open the following URL in a web browser:
The page at that link shows a table of sessions for the conference in a format similar to the paper CAG document used in the past. Sessions are ordered by day and starting time. The session numbers are assigned arbitrarily.
See the Agenda Cheat Sheet for a quick overview of the CAG interface.
Interest Group Identification
Conference sessions are categorized by terms known as "Interest Groups." The purpose of these terms is to assist conference delegates in determining which sessions relate to their interests. Each session has one or more primary Interest Groups relating to the main subject or focus of the session. Sessions may optionally have some number of secondary Interest Groups indicating partial or indirect areas of interest.
The left-most column of the session table on the CAG page shows colored flags that indicate the Interest Groups associated with each session. A square flag indicates primary interest; an oval flag a secondary interest. Hovering your cursor over a flag on the CAG will pop up its description. The following table shows the Interest Groups presently in use and their corresponding primary and secondary flags. See the section Interest Group Descriptions below for a description of each of the Interest Groups.
| Flags | Mnemonic | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
A |
A |
ABS | AB Suite / EAE |
|
D |
D |
DTR | Digital Transformation |
|
G |
G |
GEN | General (formerly ORG) |
|
M |
M |
MCP | ClearPath MCP Systems |
|
P |
P |
MTP | Management & Planning |
|
! |
! |
OBL | Obligatory Attendance Session |
|
O |
O |
OS | ClearPath OS2200 Systems |
|
S |
S |
SEC | Security |
Filtering Sessions on the CAG
By default, the CAG shows all sessions for the conference. You can filter the sessions shown in two ways, only one of which may be used at a time:
- Filter by any combination of Interest Groups to show the sessions for just those groups you are interested in. A series of check boxes above the session list selects the groups you want to see.
- Filter by manually selecting the set of sessions you wish to view as your "Personal Schedule." The session list on the CAG has a column labeld PS with a check box for each session. The set of sessions having this check box ticked defines your Personal Schedule.
You can change the type of filtering and the set of sessions selected for each type at any time. For details on how session filtering works, please see the Conference-at-a-Glance Help page.
The CAG Page Links
Links on the CAG for each session give you access to additional information and actions for that session:
- Clicking the link in the "Session Title" column opens a dialog showing detailed session information, including the abstract and speaker biography.
- Clicking the link in the "Link" column gives you access to the on-line presentation. These links are active from 15 minutes before a session starts through the time the session ends.
- Clicking the link in the "Eval" column allows you to submit a session evaluation. These links are active during the time a session is open for evaluation, which begins when a session starts and continues until 48 hours after the conference ends. See the Conference-at-a-Glance Help page for instructions on entering session evaluations.
Above the list of sessions are a set of links for general conference information:
- General Information opens this page.
- General Sessions opens a page describing the keynote addresses and introducing the keynote speakers.
- Full Agenda opens a page listing all sessions in day and time order, showing detailed information and the abstract for each session.
- Speaker Index opens a page listing all speakers in alphabetical order, showing their biography and the sessions in which they speak.
- Join Slack triggers an "invite" to the UNITE Conference Slack workspace, which provides delegates a means to network and interact socially with each other during the conference.
- Open Slack opens the Slack web interface in your browser. You should join the UNITE Conference Slack workspace with the Join Slack link above (or using the link from your registration confirmation email) before clicking this link.
- Notices opens the Notices page, where updates to the conference agenda and other important changes during the conference will be posted. When notices have been posted that you have not yet read, this link will highlight and a badge near the bottom of the page will indicate that unread notices are present.
Clicking the UNITE logo in the top left of the CAG page will take you to the home page of the UNITE web site. Clicking the blue "?" button in the top right of the page will display the Conference-at-a-Glance Help page in a modal dialog. Clicking Refresh under the blue "?" button updates the list of sessions and their Zoom and evaluation links.
Please see the Conference-at-a-Glance Help page for more information on using the Agenda web site interface.
Interest Group Descriptions
Sessions for this conference are classified according to the following Interest Groups.
- Agile Business Suite and EAE Group (ABS)
ABS provides sessions dealing with all aspects of the AB Suite and EAE tools including the supporting Microsoft development environments. Presentations regarding applications and services involving the use of these products – on all platforms – are included. - Digital Transformation (DTR)
DTR provides sessions regarding issues, techniques, products, and services for the evolving Digital Transformation initiatives in business and government organizations. - MCP Systems Group (MCP)
MCP provides detailed technical sessions for systems and networking personnel involved in the day-to-day configuration, programming, and operation of Unisys systems that run the MCP operating system, such as ClearPath Forward platforms, ClearPath Libra systems, and ClearPath Software Series. These sessions focus on platform-specific MCP system hardware and software products, and discuss aspects of these products including their internal architecture, their technical capabilities, and their actual use in the customer environment. Sessions are also included to provide detailed technical information on third-party hardware, software products, and services that are available in the MCP systems marketplace. - Management and Planning Group (MTP)
MTP provides management-oriented sessions that encompass IT technology, organization structure, business operations, service delivery, security, auditing, and IT infrastructure topics. Sessions focus on current and future information technology and infrastructure support of business needs, discussion of benefits, architecture, and technical and service management capabilities. - General Interest Group (GEN)
These sessions are not specifically targeted to a particular platform, operating environment, or development environment. They are information technology and business topics of general interest for IT management and technical staff, as well as organizational sessions to support the business of UNITE and delegate participation in the conference. - Obligatory Sessions Group (OBL)
These sessions are concerned with conference procedures and UNITE governance, and provide for Q&A about conference issues. All UNITE member delegates are respectfully requested to attend these sessions. - OS 2200 Group (OS)
OS provides technical and managerial sessions for customers who have Unisys systems that run the OS 2200 operating system. Many of these sessions focus on current and future OS 2200 hardware and software products including ClearPath Software Series. They discuss details about these products including their business benefits, internal architecture, technical capabilities, and actual use in the customer environment. Other sessions address cross-platform issues related to the integration of OS 2200 systems into multi-tier architectures, as well as updating and web-enabling legacy applications. Sessions also provide detailed technical information on products and services that are available in the OS 2200 marketplace. - Security Group (SEC)
SEC provides technical and managerial sessions to assist organizations in understanding security threats to the IT infrastructure, applications, and sensitive data. Sessions discuss techniques for identifying and defending against external and internal threats, along with products and services for dealing with those threats.
Conference Registration
Paid registration for a conference confers upon a delegate full UNITE membership for one year, allowing the delegate unlimited access to member-only content during that term, including the archive of presentation materials and recorded videos for past conferences.
The cost of attending the on-line conference is considerably lower than for past in-person conferences. In addition, discounts are available to organizations that purchase multiple registrations in a block, and delegate speakers can receive a discount on their conference registration fee.
Registration for the conference is done entirely on line. Starting with the 2023 Annual Conference, we introduced an entirely new registration system. Previously, conference registration was done in a standalone system and delegates had to register separately on the unite.org web site after the conference in order to activate their membership.
As a result of this change, conference registration is now integrated with UNITE membership. You register for a conference and establish or renew your membership in one step, paying by credit card or PayPal. Organizations wishing to purchase multiple registrations for the conference have the option of submitting a Purchase Order to UNITE and having UNITE issue an invoice to them for the conference fees.
Detailed instructions for registering are available under the 2024 Conference menu on the unite.org home page. Organizations wishing to purchase multiple registrations in a block for a discount or to pay through a Purchase Order should contact the UNITE Business Office (admin@unite.org) for arrangements and pricing.
Some conference sessions are publicly available, but most of the sessions are restricted to registered delegates. For these sessions, delegates will first need to authenticate themselves on the Agenda site by supplying the following information from the confirmation email that they receive after a successful registration:
- Email address entered on the registration (and to which the confirmation was sent)
- Last name entered on the registration
- Order number assigned by the system.
Delegates will be required to authenticate their registration only once during the conference. If you use more than one device to access the Agenda site, each device must be authenticated separately. Additional details on the authentication process are available on the Conference-at-a-Glance Help page.
Delegates who are unable to locate the required authentication information above, or who experience problems in trying to authenticate their registration, should contact UNITE Support (support@unite.org) for assistance.
On-line Session Courtesy
As a courtesy to conference speakers and other delegates, please mute your microphone when attending an on-line session except during question and answer periods or when you are otherwise called upon to speak. Using a headset rather than your device's microphone and speakers will help reduce background noise and minimize audio echoes and feedback when speaking on line.
Meetings with the Board of Directors
If you wish to meet with the UNITE Board or a member of the Board, please schedule an appointment by sending an email to the UNITE Business Office (admin@unite.org).
Unisys Executive Appointments
Unisys management personnel will be available to meet customers on line for 30-60 minute periods to discuss any issues, concerns, or subjects of mutual interest that you wish to raise. Meetings can be scheduled during the conference at mutually convenient times. Please contact the Unisys UNITE Liaison, Debbie Hasan, to arrange a meeting. She can be reached via email at Debbie.Hasan@unisys.com or by telephone at +1-267-252-5273.
Customers or Unisys Account Executives on the customer's behalf, can prearrange a meeting appointment. You will be asked to provide your name, organization, telephone number, desired meeting time, and a brief description of the subject to be discussed.
Conference Presentation Archive
As part of the registration fee for the Annual Conference, UNITE provides registered delegates access to conference presentation materials on the UNITE web site under the Resources > Conference Presentation Archive menu item. You will be notified by email when the presentations for the conference are available. Please allow 30 days following the conference for these materials to be fully curated and posted on the site.
UNITE Conference Attendee Lists
UNITE will publish your phone number and email address on attendee lists unless you indicate otherwise by sending an email to the UNITE Business Office at admin@unite.org. These lists are the property of UNITE. Member organizations may use these lists for UNITE-related activities such as sharing hardware and software information concerning vendor products and contacting other sites for help. These lists may not be used for commercial activities. Prohibited uses include employment solicitations, advertising equipment or software for sale, and advertising for training courses and tutorials.
Refund Policy
A $150.00 cancellation fee will be charged for registrations canceled through 13 February 2024. Requests for refunds must be sent to the UNITE Business Office at admin@unite.org on or before that date. No refunds will be made after that date. No-cost substitutions of one person for another may be made at any time.
Last updated: 11 March 2024 15:35 EDT (GMT-0400)