Arriving here in Perth, Western Australia, it strikes me as soon as I emerge from the plane – this is a place, as the commonwealth of nations comes together later this week, that connects through content. What does that mean? It means that the content created, developed, delivered, captured, and ultimately absorbed by the hundreds of delegates, press, advisers, librarians, and heads of the 54 governments which comprise the commonwealth, is the key to their connection. By pulling together the content that these constituents use in their daily responsibilities, then capturing it, categorizing it, and making it available online, the commonwealth expands its connection with citizens and diplomats around the world. In this way, those who can’t make the long journey to Perth, can participate in the meetings, forums, and conversations, and contribute their thoughts, research, and opinions in real time. That enriches their lives, enriches the conversation, and enriches the commonwealth. That is the power of connection. That is what the Commonwealth of Nations launched this week here in Perth.

Through a system built on portal technologies, federated search capabilities, and social communities, CommonWealthConnects delivers real value to people around the world. That value is realized by connecting them as they work through their contributions to democratic processes. international commerce, and communities of shared interests. As the portal into these shared interest expands, the network effect will quickly create additional value based on the knowledge combined from the disparate locations into the common interests. I am excited to see how this capability augments and enhances the relationships, the conversations, and the contribution of the people of the commonwealth over the next week, the next month, and the coming years.