STRATFORD, Ont. (Tues, May 12, 2009) - Canada is poised to be a global leader in thedigital economy based on a legacy of high-tech innovation, say company executivesparticipating in the upcoming Canada 3.0 forum.

"We have huge momentum in Canada with companies like Research In Motion, OpenText and Christie Digital Systems. There's no telling which start-up company investing indigital media will turn out to be the next big Canadian success story given the wealth ofexpertise and the collaborative environment resident here," said Tom Jenkins, ExecutiveChairman and Chief Strategy Officer of Open Text.

That's why Open Text with its partners at the University of Waterloo Stratford Instituteand the Canadian Digital Media Network are staging the Canada 3.0 digital media forumin Stratford June 8 and 9, so that anyone interested in shaping the future of Canada'sdigital media revolution can participate. Led by companies like Open Text, RIM, ChristieDigital Systems, Intel, and Agfa Healthcare, the new Canadian Digital Media Network isdesigned to create momentum in Canada's digital economy through business innovationand partnership with research communities - an investment that will lead to more jobsand opportunities in digital media.

"The playing field is wide open for Canada to become a global leader in digital mediatools that enable applications from remote medical imaging to simulated learning andtraining environments. These tools will help drive the transition from traditional broadcasttechnologies to more immersive, interactive and mobile platforms," said Gerry Remers,President and Chief Operating Officer of Christie Digital Systems Canada, Inc.

The Council of Canadian Academies has identified new media as having the greatestmomentum and the highest growth potential for Canada, second only to the oilsands.The digital media sector globally is one of the fastest-growing industries in theknowledge economy, with a projected valuation of US$2.2 trillion over the next fiveyears.

"Ensuring there's room for the creativity and expertise of content developers who willdrive mobile video applications is important to the health of the economy going forward,"said Paul Salvini, Chief Technology Officer and VP Canadian Operations at Side EffectsSoftware. "Being at the forefront of the digital media revolution is critical for Canada."

The Canada 3.0 forum is expected to attract thought leaders from the business,government, entertainment, and education sectors to collaborate and set the next stepsfor Canada to participate and lead in the digital revolution. Technology sector speakersJenkins, Remers, and Salvini will be joined by experts from the fields of content andentertainment, government, and research and education. For complete information onthe forum, go to www.canada30.ca

About Canada 3.0

Canada 3.0: Defining Canada's Digital Future is a forum organized by the CanadianDigital Media Network and the University of Waterloo's Stratford Institute. The networkwas established earlier this year with $10.7 million in federal funding to link Canada'sdigital media clusters from coast to coast, creating a digital convergence corridor andenabling collaboration between researchers, implementers and entrepreneurs. UW'sStratford Institute is a think-tank, integrator and training institute devoted to collaborationbetween digital media, international commerce and culture. The Stratford Institute wasestablished with a $10 million investment from the Government of Ontario and a $10million investment from the City of Stratford.