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French Internet Pioneer Jean Michel Billaut to Hold Keynote at ONLINE EDUCA BERLIN 2006

A new deal for Europe – broadband for everybody - demands Jean Michel Billaut, the French Internet pioneer and leading innovator of the French digital infrastructure. Billaut will open ONLINE EDUCA BERLIN 2006 with a keynote addressing societal and political issues of the new digital culture in Europe and the world.

With an academic background in economics and computer science, Jean Michel Billaut started as a Junior Economist at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Paris in the early 1970s and joined Compagnie Bancaire Goup (since 1999 BNP Paribas, one of the first banks in the euro zone) in 1973. From 1973 to 1978, he was Senior Economist of the Group. In 1980 he joined “Atelier”, an advanced department of the Bank Group that deals with technologies and marketing, as vice president. In 1983, “Atelier” launched the first financial telematics services in France for the Group’s customers and partners. With these technologies, Cetelem (a Compagnie Bancaire subsidiary in household credit) double its market share in eighteen months.

In 1987 Billaut became Chief Editor of “Journal de l’Atelier”, a review of technologies and marketing for professionals in commerce, real estate, motor vehicles, and other branches.

Jean Michel Billaut is one of the economists who sensed the potential of technological developments such as the Internet from the beginning. Since 1987, he has organized many study trips for partners focused on technologies in the USA, Japan and Europe. In 1993, he helped launch several ICT projects, such as the “Babillard de l’Atelier” in 1993. Around 10,000 individuals - internal and external - use this online “before IP” system to learn business on line. In 1994, the launch of the “Web de l’Atelier” (www.atelier.fr) followed, one of the first in France. “Canal atelier”, launched in 1998, was the first video streaming channel in French focused on technologies. It was designed for the presentation of start-ups and new technologies.

Since 2001, Jean Michel Billaut has been advisor to the Internet Department of BNP Paribas, and since 2002, he has been an adviser Andre Labarrere, senator and mayor of Pau, a community of 180,000 people in the south of France. Pau has launched an optical and wifi network – 100 megabits/s for US $30 /month for everybody –with new kinds of applications, such as VoIp, streaming in DVD quality, web conferencing, TvIp, music jukebox, data center, a grid covering 30,000 PCs, interactive 3D for commerce, learning, games, tourism, e-administration, e-health, telematics in car and gas stations, etc...

Pau also introduced the “intelligent town model”. Paulywood is almost completely ICT-driven, using IP management and feedback from houses and offices. And by using renewable energies exclusively, pollution is almost zero.

Jean Michel Billaut is lobbying indefatigably for a “new deal” in Europe: to build a fiber optic infrastructure end to end all over Europe. “Europe has to build this infrastructure now if we want to have a chance to establish our own culture “in broadband”, says Billaut. He is also constantly observing and commenting on the technological leapfrogging of the Asian countries, being aware of the increasing competition to European markets and societies caused by dynamically growing economies such as China, India or Vietnam.

Jean Michel Billaut has written numerous articles on Neteconomy, prefaced books, and has been awarded the high French distinction “Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur” by President Chirac for the promotion of the Internet in France.

With the “Billautshow”, a blog-based video archive, he promotes innovative people, start-up entrepreneurs, initiatives, and projects connected to the Internet.

http://billaut.typepad.com/

Jean Michel Billaut will speak at the opening plenary on Thursday, November 30, from 9:30 to 11:00 hrs.

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