The first annual EDUCAUSE Advanced Core Technologies Initiative (ACTI) meeting was held July 7–8, 2011, at the Boston Marriott Copley Place. Technology continues to evolve rapidly not only in networking but also in computation, in storage, and in the four principal college and university application areas: administrative systems, teaching and learning, research, and community services. IT professionals addressing these challenges have not had a venue where they can come together across diverse institutions with varying capabilities and resources. A primary goal of ACTI is to help higher education institutions transfer wisdom with regard to these challenges across institutions. ACTI provides structures through which IT professionals can collaborate with their colleagues to prepare for the imminent future. Limited to 50 people, this first all-groups meeting gave an opportunity to engage in collaborative discussions in a relaxed and informal environment and to: Provid input on ACTI and its future directions. Learn about key issues that ACTI will be addressing in working groups both new and extant. Hear from key speakers in the field about trends and issues that we should be paying attention to in the months ahead.