Technology has the power to change the world. And thought has the power to change technology. By gathering some of the most important thought leaders from around the world, the International Research Forum (IRF) of SAP Research helps identify trends, explore opportunities, and propose solutions to the most pressing technological, social, and economic issues of our time.

The IRF is an exclusive think tank with renowned international academic and industry leaders as well as experts and thought-leaders from various areas discussing the latest IT trends. Results and subsequent discussions from the IRF are being worked up and continued via regular book publications.

International Research Forum 2008

The third IRF took place at Resort Schwielowsee, Potsdam, Germany, May 28 - 29, 2008. With a focus on "The Web-Based Service Economy and the Internet of Services," the topics and trends discussed include:

• Web-based service industry
• Infrastructure for enterprise SOA 2.0
• Potential "killer" application
• Semantic service discovery