Since 1999, The Apache Software Foundation (ASF) has been recognized as a leading source for Open Source software and tools that meet the demand for interoperable, adaptable, and sustainable solutions. 
The all-volunteer ASF develops, stewards, and incubates dozens of enterprise-grade Open Source projects that power mission-critical applications in financial services, aerospace, publishing, government, healthcare, research, infrastructure, and more. From Abdera to ZooKeeper, the ASF's reliable, community-driven software continues to grow dramatically across many categories, including Cloud, IoT and Edge Computing, Artificial Intelligence and Deep Learning, Mobile, and Big Data, where the Apache Hadoop ecosystem dominates the marketplace.
Today, many of the ASF's 300+ projects serve as the backbone for some of the world's most visible and widely used applications in Big Data (Cassandra, Hadoop, Spark); Cloud (CouchDB, CloudStack, Mesos); Search and CMS (Derby, Jackrabbit, Lucene/Solr); DevOps and Build Management (Ant, Buildr, Maven); Web Frameworks (Flex, OFBiz, Struts); Servers (HTTP Web Server, Tomcat, Traffic Server); among others.
Apache technologies also command some of the most sought-after career skills. Hiring managers surveyed in the 2016 Open Source Jobs Report state that Open Source recruitment will increase more than any other part of their business over the next six months. Knowing which are the essential skills is simply not enough: keeping current with Apache projects and actively participating in their communities are essential in understanding how to address business needs and how to best apply the tips and tools available.
The ASF's official global conference series, ApacheCon, is one of the most effective ways to quickly gain competitive advantage. Over the past 17 years, ApacheCon has drawn attendees from more than 60 countries to learn about core Open Source technologies directly from Apache project developer and user communities --independent of business interests, corporate biases, or sales pitches. Highlights include:
  • Timely Content --learn first-hand from the largest collection of global Apache project communities through detailed sessions, and standalone tracks such as Apache: Big Data, Flex Project Summit, TomcatCon, Apache: IoT, and CloudStack Collaboration Conference. Breaking industry news? You'll hear it here first.
  • Innovation Insight --presentations from the Apache Incubator (the ASF's hub for Open Source innovations, where a record 64 projects are currently undergoing development) include the latest developments in data science, Cloud, embedded systems, and many other categories, as well as industry-specific areas such as climate, microfinances, and cryptography. Learn what's next.
  • Knowledge Exchange --meet the people behind dozens of Apache projects through ample networking opportunities including BarCampApache, hackathons, BoFs, and corridor discussions. Driving a project in new directions? Starting a new initiative? Ideation sparks here.
  • Education --gain the latest skills with in-depth tutorials, trainings, and workshops with low student-to-instructor ratio. Classes are often led by the original creators and companies behind some of the most popular projects in Open Source.
  • Sponsor Showcase and Expo --engage with some of the commercial products and service providers behind Apache project communities in a friendly, relaxed, non-sales environment. 
Join individual developers, Fortune 500 companies, start ups, educators, consultants, and Open Source enthusiasts at the largest dedicated gathering of the collective Apache community at ApacheCon North America 16-18 May 2016 in Miami, FL.
Important Dates:
 - Call for Participation now open through 11 February 2017 http://apachecon.com/
 - Travel Assistance applications open through 8 March 2017 https://www.apache.org/travel/
 - Conference Schedule published on 9 March 2017
 - Early registration and lodging incentives available through 12 March 2017 http://events.linuxfoundation.org/events/apachecon-north-america/attend/register-
For more information, visit http://apachecon.com/ and https://twitter.com/ApacheCon
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