Open Source Search Developers and Industry Experts to gather in Prague for Inaugural Apache Lucene EMEA Conference

European Conference Announced For 18th-21st May; Showcasing Customers, Developers, Technology and Search Innovation

San Mateo, CA (April 22nd 2010):  Lucid Imagination, the commercial company for Apache Lucene and Solr open source search technologies, today announced details of the first conference in Europe dedicated to Lucene and Solr.  The event will be held in Prague, Czech Republic, May 18th-21st. Full details can be found at http://lucene-eurocon.org/. The conference, presented by Lucid Imagination, is running as a not-for-profit venture, with net proceeds donated to The Apache Software Foundation.

Apache Lucene EuroCon builds on the accelerating marketplace adoption of Lucene/Solr open source search technology, challenging legacy technologies from costly, proprietary platforms. Technologists and executives alike recognize that they need search applications tailored to fit their business needs and their marketplace. Attendees will learn how Apache Lucene/Solr open source community innovation is overtaking conventional technologies, unleashing new and innovative search-enabled applications that deliver competitive advantage, scalability, and cost economies.

“Europe has emerged as a key hub of activity within the Lucene/ Solr developer community,” says Eric Gries, CEO, Lucid Imagination. “Companies are facing explosive growth in the volume and diversity of data, fueling demand for enterprise-ready search capabilities without the costly lock-in of proprietary commercial search. This conference will be essential for search application developers who want to build on their expertise for Lucene/Solr search-enabled applications.”

Search Technology experts from across Europe and the world will be demonstrating how Lucene/Solr delivers more powerful, flexible, scalable and innovative search applications. Companies as diverse as AT&T, Zappos, Linked In, Zappos, Nordjyske Media, The Guardian, along with nearly 4000 other organizations worldwide all use Lucene/Solr. Notable speakers at the conference includes Matt McAlister, Head of the Developer Network, The Guardian, who will speak to use of Lucene/Solr-driven content provisioning to enable new business models and accelerate revenue. Zack Urlocker, former EVP of Products at MySQL, will provide insight as to how combined innovations from open source, search, big data and cloud technology are fomenting creative disruption in IT.

The conference has been designed with the developer community in mind.  The agenda of speakers, workshops and training sessions addresses provides a great opportunity for the Apache Lucene/Solr and Open Source developer community to come together and learn what’s new, get practical advice in intensive sessions on Lucene/Solr search application development from experienced real-world developers, and network with other community members. Co-sponsors include Findwise Technologies, SourceSense and KippData. Additional featured speakers from Lucid Imagination include Grant Ingersoll, Chair of the Lucene Project Management Committee and Yonik Seeley, creator of Solr; Erik Hatcher, author of Lucene in Action; along with Andrzej Bialecki , Apache Nutch project lead. Experts from Day Software, VRT-medialab; Nokia; IBM and over a dozen other companies will also deliver sessions.

For more information on Lucid Imagination or the conference, please visit http://www.lucidimagination.com/. Fee for General 2 Day Conference Pass is €545, with an early bird discount to €395 if registered by 27 April. Two training courses are offered at two days each, Solr Application Development Workshop and Lucene Bootcamp, for €995. A conference Pass & Training Bundle is available for €1295, a savings of €245.