The Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences

An experienced business professional who holds both an MBA and a PhD in IT management from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Antoine Chaya has served as senior director of strategic accounts at the Oracle Corporation since 2006. Over the course of his career, he has contributed to numerous professional associations and gatherings. Antoine Chaya delivered a presentation on the relationships between IT investments and organizational performance at the 29th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences in Maui, Hawaii.

One of the longest-standing scientific conferences in the world, the Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS) attracts IT and computer business leaders and scholars from more than 40 countries. As recorded by Google Scholar, it is currently the top information systems conference in terms of citations.
In 2009, the Australian Research Council reported that the HICSS received a perfect "A" rating from the Australian Government's Excellence in Research project (ERA). The ERA bestowed this honor on only 32 information systems conferences out of 241.

Featuring a “rich mixture of computer-based applications and technologies,” the HICSS presents a large number of research paper presentations and discussions over a period of three days. It also supports a full day of workshops, symposia, and tutorials.

Oracle Corporate Citizenship Efforts

For nearly two decades, Antoine Chaya, PhD, has been a part of Oracle Corporation, first as director of consulting and later as senior director of strategic accounts. Under the guidance of leaders such as Antoine Chaya, Oracle provides effective computing solutions to businesses; it is also firmly committed to good corporate citizenship.

Oracle has started several initiatives to foster such citizenship. It strives to outperform its peers in matters of sustainability and has made its Utah Compute Facility 66 percent more energy-efficient than the average for its industry. Oracle also does much to support education efforts, providing billions of dollars each year in assistance for students to help ensure their college readiness.

As part of the Raspberry Pi Foundation, for instance, Oracle works to help children and adults explore new technologies. Thanks in large part to Oracle’s efforts, the technologies underlying Raspberry Pi have continued to spread globally. Oracle also provides assistance to several other projects, such as gorilla conservation, and it encourages volunteerism among its employees to extend its reach as a good corporate neighbor further still.

Georgia Tech’s Impact on Georgia Economy

An experienced information technology professional, Antoine Chaya serves as a senior director for strategic accounts at tech industry giant Oracle Corporation. Antoine Chaya earned both his MBA and PhD from the Georgia Institute of Technology, also known as Georgia Tech.

According to a recent study, Georgia Tech’s impact on Georgia’s economy amounts to $2.87 billion. The number was based on a study commissioned by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia (USG), which was released on May 12.

In 2015, USG is comprised of 31 institutions. For fiscal 2015, the system’s total impact amounted to $15.5 billion. Georgia Tech had the largest economic impact followed by the University of Georgia, Georgia State University, Augusta University, and Kennesaw State University.

The various universities’ impact on their host communities was based on their total output using the multiplier effect. The Selig Center for Economic Growth in the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia conducted the study using data from July 1, 2014, to June 30, 2015.

Anniversary of Defining Moment in California’s Wine Ascendance

As Oracle Corporation senior director of strategic accounts, Antoine Chaya has extensive experience in organizational performance in the technology sphere. Passionate about wine, Antoine Chaya particularly enjoys varieties grown and bottled in Northern California’s Napa Valley.

The year 2016 marks the 40th anniversary of a well-remembered moment in the history of Napa winemaking: the moment that one of its wines, a 1973 Chateau Montelena chardonnay, earned first place in the prestigious Paris Tasting.” This blind tasting event marked a sea change, with Northern California vintners becoming highly respected in their own right and often surpassing Bordeaux and Burgundy producers.

One of the highly acclaimed vintages of the era is Spring Mountain Vineyard’s 1973 chardonnay, which surpassed French Premier Crus and Grand Crus bottles in blind taste testing. The winery, open only by appointment, sits on a Victorian country estate that was the setting of the soap opera Falcon Crest. Production is limited to 240 cases each year, and the winery’s early success is attributed to an owner with a “European palette.” Thus, Spring Mountain Vineyard’s wines contrast with the full, buttery qualities previously associated with California wines. One of the mid-1970s French judges, taking a sip of the vintage, was heard to say “Ah, back to France.”

Preparing for a Wine-Tasting Event

Since 2006, Antoine Chaya has served Oracle Corporation, a software company based in Redwood Shores, California, as the senior director of strategic accounts. Away from work, he enjoys visiting the nearby Napa Valley.

California's Napa Valley is known for its vineyards and wineries, many of which the public can visit and taste their wines. However, a person should first familiarize themselves with proper wine-tasting etiquette. For starters, any person or group interested in a wine tasting should call ahead to make a reservation. Many vineyards are open seven days a week, but tours and tastings must be scheduled ahead of time, particularly in preparation for larger parties.

When it comes to dressing for a wine tasting, an individual should attempt to balance comfort and elegance. A wine-tasting event should be treated as a special occasion that warrants some degree of formal attire. At the same time, most wine tastings require a person to walk from room to room and may involve a considerable amount of time outdoors or in clammy cellars, so comfort, mobility, and warmth are also potential factors to consider.

Finally, a person must learn how to sample the wine. Vineyard operators expect visitors to enjoy their wine by swirling the liquid around the glass, a technique that helps invigorate the wine’s aromas. When swirling or drinking, a person should hold a wine glass by the stem, rather than the bowl. Visitors must also remember to pace themselves and to eat regularly throughout the day so they don’t get inebriated. Wine-tasting events feature spittoons where individuals can spit out the wine they’ve tasted and further control their intake.