The latest research and development priorities at Google’s Madison office and a new Google program to help Wisconsin small businesses build and run websites will be discussed at the Tuesday, Sept. 27 meeting of the Wisconsin Innovation Network in Madison.

Click here to register. 

The luncheon will be held at the Sheraton Hotel on Madison’s John Nolen Drive. Registration and networking begin at 11:30 a.m., lunch at noon and the presentation at 12:30 p.m. The cost is $25 for WIN members, $35 for non-members and included with WIN corporate memberships. 

Register here.

James Laudon, who manages Google’s research office in Madison, will discuss why Google, based in Mountain View, Calif., opened in Wisconsin about three years ago. He’ll talk about the latest developments in the Madison office, including research around “green” online practices. Laudon will also touch on the general competitive landscape for search engines today and what it means for businesses.

Katy Morgan Davies, who is the local partnership manager with the Madison office, will discuss a free program to help small businesses build, host and operate a website. Called “Wisconsin Get Your Business Online,” the program is a response to data that indicates 97 percent of people research local products and services online – but 48 percent of Wisconsin businesses have no website or online presence. Workshops will be held Oct. 3-4 in Milwaukee; more information will be available at the WIN meeting.

WIN is the membership arm of the Tech Council, the independent, non-profit science and technology adviser to the governor and the Legislature. It has chapters in Milwaukee, Madison, Northeast Wisconsin, Central Wisconsin, the Lake Superior region and Western Wisconsin.

The event will be sponsored by Google and TEAM Companies, a leading data center provider in the Upper Midwest.

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