Bold, provocative statements set the tone during the opening sessions of Symposium/ITxpo. CEO Gene Hall and Gartner analysts provided an insightful overview of the issues facing today's IT Leaders – from economic uncertainty to the IT skills shortage to the rise of social computing.

Research Chief Peter Sondergaard pointed out that previous Symposia have highlighted issues, such as economic uncertainty and green IT, that are just now coming to the forefront of the IT mainstream. He also offered some short-term advice. "Get rid of waste and excess within the infrastructure and get it off the books in this quarter or the next," said Sondergaard. The words "Don't panic!" echoed through the crowd, and he added, ' now is the time to prepare for recovery."

The keynote session contextualized today's challenges in terms of the six megatrends: Innovate, Advance, Connect, Globalize, Industrialize and Socialize. We'll be taking a closer look at the megatrends as Symposium progresses.