Hampton Roads Technology News

[rusthebuss]

vdogg i was just reading that and was going to post it. You got me this time

[erdogs]

I read that this morning. This will give those at the top of the industry a good look at what we have here. Lets see if they make a return trip.

[vdogg]

New network puts region on fast track

An ultrafast fiber-optic network that officials hope will turn Hampton Roads into a national magnet for high-tech research and business is up and running.

The $4.8 million network, which became operational in late August, will link six regional research institutions, allowing scientists to quickly share and process massive amounts of information.

[Telmnstr]

New network puts region on fast track

I saw that. Pretty wild. It still leaves all of the businesses in the dust, though. The lambdarail thing only connects the research institutions, and doesn't really do much for the local businesses and the high costs of T1 and other business connectivity in the region. 10 gig is SCREAMING though.

Note - I start work at one of the sites next week, and during my interview I saw the "node" for it. I will be working with it.

[rusthebuss]

I saw that. Pretty wild. It still leaves all of the businesses in the dust, though. The lambdarail thing only connects the research institutions, and doesn't really do much for the local businesses and the high costs of T1 and other business connectivity in the region. 10 gig is SCREAMING though.

Note - I start work at one of the sites next week, and during my interview I saw the "node" for it. I will be working with it.

The purpose of this being just for research is to free up bandwidth off of Internet 1. They are hoping that removing research institutions wil free up a good amount of bandwidth.

Not sure it will with bandwidth being eaten up more and more each year

[urbanvb]

Great news about some high paying jobs for N Suffolk.

Suffolk company creating 100 jobs in expansion

SUFFOLK - A homegrown defense-contracting company launched in 2003 by two brothers announced a $4 million business expansion Tuesday that will bring 100 new high-tech jobs to northern Suffolk.

The jobs EchoStorm is creating will be for highly skilled and high-salaried engineers. Barton described the jobs as primarily senior level positions that would carry average annual salaries of about $100,000.

story

[Telmnstr]

The purpose of this being just for research is to free up bandwidth off of Internet 1. They are hoping that removing research institutions wil free up a good amount of bandwidth.

Not sure it will with bandwidth being eaten up more and more each year

Well, 10 gigabit handoff far exceeds what I believe Cox has entering the Hampton Roads market (OC48, which should be 2.x gigabits?... OC-3 is 155 megabit, oc-12 is 622 .. so it should be /3 or /12 then * 48... ).

But my point is, for business connectivity you will pay Cox $500-700 for a T1 line that delivers 1.544 megabits per second symmetrical. An end user paying Cox $40/month receives a cablemodem which can download at 5 megabits per second. So any business serving content to anyone with a residential connection will get hit pretty heavily. And local prices for colocation and other services are out of sync with what is availible in say, the DC market. Of course anyone serious wouldn't locate content servers here given the storm threats and other issues.

Still crazy to see that kind of bandwidth... mmm bittorrent.

[Telmnstr]

Great news about some high paying jobs for N Suffolk.

Suffolk company creating 100 jobs in expansion

story

Wow I missed the story on Pilot. I worked with one of the founders when they were completing their first project, which I believe is SBIR.

I personally know people that have gone to work for Echostorm. Because they are young and new, they are passing along more of the money to the employees as they do not have much overhead. The result in this is they are sucking away talent from the other companies out at JFCOM, and putting huge pressure on the bigger contractors to come up with more money.

The brothers have a father who works at JFCOM, and I'm not sure of his position. Although I thought the company was in dude's wife's name so they qualed as a woman owned. But whatever.

Now if we could just get some non-gov't funded startups kicking, then we would be really rocking!

[vdogg]

Virginia blast into space race

WALLOPS ISLAND

[vdogg]

Rocket soars into space from Virginia

The 69-foot-tall rocket carried aloft two small satellites that could change the way the military and NASA do things in space, and also propelled Virginia a step closer to the commercial space business.

It was the first rocket to launch from the Eastern Shore's Mid-Atlantic Regional Space Port.

[rusthebuss]

I think this is something that really could help this region! This could be a alternate site for the space shuttle one day!

[cpeakesqr]

I think this is something that really could help this region! This could be a alternate site for the space shuttle one day!

[vdogg]

State pushes commericial development of Spaceport

In the afterglow of last month's first rocket launch from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, state legislators are aiming to make the Eastern Shore facility the nation's premier commercial space hub.

Democrat and Republican lawmakers from every corner of Virginia filed legislation in the General Assembly this week pushing for studies on ways to expand the spaceport.

They want to identify ways to attract government and industry clients with space cargo to launch, and, among other things, remove barriers to human flight from the seaside spaceport.

Space tourism is an industry in its infancy but with potential revenue approaching $1 billion by 2021, according to Futron Corp., a Maryland aerospace consulting firm.

[vdogg]

Scientists want nanotechnology to go commercial in the region

Researchers in Hampton Roads have been delving into nanotechnology for years. But so far there's been little commercial spinoff for the region. That's something high-tech industry leaders want to change, hoping to tap into a field that last year generated about $1 billion of manufactured goods in Virginia alone.

"We've got a lot of pure science locally, but we're weak in the application of taking a sal able product to market," said Gregory Stringfield, a financial consultant with A.G. Edwards & Sons in Gloucester and an officer with the Hampton Roads Technology Council. "I'm trying to find money from investors to put into companies to get to that stage."

[rusthebuss]

Scientists want nanotechnology to go commercial in the region

[vdogg]

Modeling and Simulation industry wants critical status

Industry members want Congress to declare computer modeling and simulation a national critical technology. First, however, there's something more basic at hand - explaining what it's all about. "It has not become a household word, even though it's pervasive in society," said retired Rear Adm. Fred Lewis, president of the National Training and Simulation Association, an Arlington trade group. "It has become absolutely essential to the economic productivity of the nation." Having modeling and simulation declared vital to the country's national security and raising public awareness of its potential emerged as centerpiece issues at a gathering in Chesapeake on Monday of industry and government officials.

[Telmnstr]

Modeling and Simulation industry wants critical status

I must admit that I have become very impressed with the tenacity with which they are pursuing turning this industry into a regional gold mine. This is exactly the type of effort we need to attract more big business and white collar jobs to this area.

[mikeas]

They just want to ensure the future profits for their companies. While I will admit the technology is neat, let's be realistic about it. I worked in the M&S industry for a bit (UNIX admin). Neat things going on, but our president is running our country into debt with the Iraq move. At some point fluffy things like M&S/JFCOM will see more cutbacks. They already had a good amount not so long ago. Joint training events may be useful, but it's this type of stuff that will prob. get cut first.

We need more private industry with good paying jobs. When the only good paying jobs are gov't paid jobs, something will have to give.

[vdogg]

Region recognized as technology hub

At a party a couple of Christmases ago, Tom Mastaglio wandered by a table of community leaders and was amazed at the buzz. It was about computer modeling and simulation work in Hampton Roads - not transportation or the next election.

"None of these people were techies," said Mastaglio, president and chief executive of a Portsmouth high-tech firm and former executive director of Old Dominion University's 10-year-old Virginia Modeling, Analysis and Simulation Center. "I said, 'Well, I guess we've arrived locally.' "

[Telmnstr]

By the way, Northern Suffolk has two new hotels almost ready to open off of College Drive near all the M&S company offices. There are also three suburban style office buildings well underway next to 164 right off of College Drive. Most of the M&S going on in our area is all government work but the company I'm with does claim to do about 10% commercial.

[vdogg]

State money to be used to develop regions high tech hopes

With $75,000 from the General Assembly, technology leaders in Hampton Roads hope to broaden interest in a business-incubator system that they say could bolster the region's high-tech ambitions.

It's just a small fraction of the $400,000 sought by the Hampton Roads Technology Council during the winter legislative session.

Even so, officials said, the support is encouraging and will help lay groundwork to improve the nearly 10-year-old incubator system, which has helped homegrown technology start-ups generate hundreds of jobs and millions in sales and tax revenue.

[rusthebuss]

State money to be used to develop regions high tech hopes

I can't really imagine 75 grand going that far at all.