texture, issue 1 2004
DESCRIPTION
An EDC publication focused on the technology companies, personalities and innovations that are “putting imagination to work” throughout Metro Orlando.TRANSCRIPT
TEXTUREO R L A N D O ’ S T E C H N O L O G Y L A N D S C A P E
C L E A R
V I Z
M I L I TA R YA D V A N C E SU.S. Navy draftsattractions industryfor virtual training
JetBlue Airways lands its first-ever pilot trainingfacility in Orlando
3 DH E A V E NVisual Book Productionsanimates “The GreatestStory Ever Told”
R E V O L U T I O N I Z I N G
H E A LT H C A R EMed lab newcomer CognoscentiHealth Institute on cutting edge
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DepartmentsFROM THE EDITOR 4
TECH TRENDS 6
TALENT POOL 9
INTERFACE 10
PEAK PERFORMER 12
INNOVATION ALLEY 14
NEWCOs 20
ON THE CIRCUIT 23
INTELLIGENT FORMS OF LIFESTYLE 36
Features
CLEAR VIZ 24JetBlue Airways lands its first-ever pilottraining facility in Orlando.
MILITARY ADVANCES 28The U.S. Navy taps into Central Floridaattraction industry for training needs.
SUCCESS IN MOTION 32Visual Book Productions takes cutting-edge digital animation to a “new level”.
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TEXTURE 2004 ISSUE 1, NUMBER 1
Metro Orlando EconomicDevelopment Commission
President & CEORaymond Gilley
Vice President, Tech Industry DevelopmentTexture EditorJohn Fremstad
Vice President, MarketingTexture Project Manager
Maureen Brockman
Director, Public RelationsTexture Project Support
Trent Flood
Director, CFTPTexture Project Support
Amy Edge
Director, Creative ProductionTexture Project Support
Judy Ladney
Orlando/Orange County Convention& Visitors Bureau, Inc.
PresidentTexture PublisherWilliam C. Peeper
Vice President of PublicationsTexture Associate Publisher
Deborah Kicklighter Henrichs
Managing EditorConnie Sue White
Publication ArtistsLaura Bluhm, Ranae Ledebuhr,
Michele Trimble
Senior Production CoordinatorElaine Hébert
Director of Advertising SalesSheryl Taylor 407.354.5568
Contributing WritersMichael Candelaria, Brian Courtney, Amy Edge,
Rafaela Ellis, Denise Enos, Trent Flood, Jackie Kelvington, Brian Walker and C.S. White
Contributing Photographer,Illustrator & Artist
Charles Hodges, Doug Nelson and Dave Weaver
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TEXTUREO R L A N D O ’ S T E C H N O L O G Y L A N D S C A P E
This publication is sponsored in part by the OrangeCounty Government’s Economic Stimulus Package 2.0.Texture magazine is produced by everything ink, a divi-sion of the Orlando/Orange County Convention & VisitorsBureau, Inc.® (Orlando CVB), in association with theMetro Orlando Economic Development Commission.Orlando CVB: 6700 Forum Drive, Suite 100, Orlando, FL32821, Phone 407.363.5841, Fax 407.370.5021. Texturemagazine assumes no responsibility for the return of unso-licited manuscripts, photographs, negatives or trans-parencies. Metro Orlando Economic DevelopmentCommission 301 East Pine Street, Suite 900 Orlando, Fla32801. Phone: 407.422.7159 or 888.TOP.CITY. Fax:407.425.6428. E-mail: [email protected]. Advertisinginformation: 407.354.5512. Copyright 2004 Orlando CVB.All rights reserved. Any reproduction in whole or in partwithout the express written consent of Orlando CVB isprohibited. Printed in the U.S.A.
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You have set sail on another oceanWithout star or compassGoing where the argument leadsShattering the certainties of centuries
— Janet Kalven, “Respectable Outlaw”
>>
In an era where all is blurred, we’vesailed beyond the familiar. Our oldmaps are useless, our landmarks aregone. We need a new compass forMetro Orlando’s economic transforma-tion. A guide, if you will, that helpsthose of us living and working in a creative-based economy.
Texture is that guide. A texture, by definition, is the grainy,
fibrous, woven or dimensional appear-ance of a material, as opposed to a uniformly flat, smooth appearance. Thetexture of this community is the interwoven nature of our technologyand entertainment industries that giveunique style and dimension to all thatwe produce. Texture explores multi-faceted topics and provides a better
understanding of the complex eco-nomic make-up of Metro Orlando.
This is more than a magazine. Texture is also an opening into a conversation. A conversation we hopeyou will join — an ongoing, organicexchange of opinions among peoplewith differing views and experiences.We are not offering a definitive answer,but a starting point: made up ofprovocative ideas, observations andpredictions that will get you thinkingdifferently about your business, yourplace and your future in Metro Orlando.
So, most important, Texture is aninvitation. It’s an invitation to exploreMetro Orlando’s many dimensions.
Many people don’t recognize thesignificant advantages Orlando will
have in the coming decade’s blendingof industries. There is nowhere else onthe planet with the same kind ofstrength in entertainment, technology,film production and interactive media.
For conversation’s sake, imagine aplace where: ... thousands of people are masters attelling stories, sparking imagination,and providing virtual experiences;... the military’s simulation procurementcommands support the largest concen-tration of modeling and simulationcompanies in the world;... a mature, local production industrysupports a nearly $600 million film market; and... a critical mass of companies areinvolved in creating tomorrow’s inter-active entertainment.
There is only one place in the worldthat can make this kind of claim —Metro Orlando.
Examine our region’s Texture.Engage in this conversation and enjoy.
John S. FremstadMetro Orlando EDC
vice president of Tech Industry Development & Texture editor
P.S. Orlando is a place with unique creative advantages, and uniquely productive partnerships. The inauguraledition of this publication is made possible through a start-up grant pro-vided through Orange County Govern-ment’s Economic Stimulus Package 2.0.Our thanks to County Chairman RichardT. Crotty and the Orange County Com-mission for their commitment to build-ing this region’s reputation as a thrivingbusiness and technology hub.
Charting NewTERRITORY
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In Orlando, everything shines brighter. Even our people.So, it’s no wonder that the Orange County ConventionCenter (OCCC) is considered the Center of Hospitality.Our team of meeting professionals is committed todelivering the most complete, productive and enjoyableexperience for planners, exhibitors and attendees.
With our recent expansion, OCCC now offers:• 2.1 million square feet of exhibition space that
includes 2 general assembly areas – acousticallyengineered to provide the finest sound quality
• 74 meeting rooms /235 breakouts• 2,643-seat Auditorium• 160-seat Lecture Hall• 62,000 sq. ft. multi-purpose Valencia Room• 3 full-service restaurants /7 food courts• More than 1800 four diamond hotel rooms
minutes from the Center
Ten million convention delegates have not only fallen inlove with Orlando’s great weather and attractions, butalso our award-winning Center. And to back that up,Tradeshow Week magazine’s 28th Annual Survey ofCorporate Exhibitors named Orlando the #1 meetingand tradeshow destination in the world.
So, if you are looking for a Convention Center that haseverything under the sun, let Jayne and Leslie help youplan your next meeting in Orlando.
9800 International Drive • Orlando, Florida 32819
Phone (407) 685-9800 • Toll-free 1-800-345-9845
Please visit us at www.orlandoconvention.com
Jayne KingAccount Executive
(407) 685-5914
Northeast/Southeast/[email protected]
Leslie PalmbladAccount Executive
(407) 685-5910
It’s all about the experience.
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While many
people know
Orlando primarily
for its tourism
industry, the
area’s evolution
has also placed it
at the forefront
in the rise of
“technotainment.”
TECHNOTAINMThe Rise ofP
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COURTESY OF EDC’S METRO ORLANDO FILM & ENTERTAINMENT COMMISSION PHOTO COURTESY OF VISUAL BOOK PRODUCTIONS
By Trent Flood
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“The future of entertainment hasbecome increasingly intertwined withtechnology,” says Bob Allen, CEO ofi.d.e.a.s. at Disney MGM Studios.“The advent of the Internet, CD-ROMs,DVDs, MP3 players — all of these technological advances — has changedhow people enjoy entertainment. Whathasn’t changed is the importance of agood story. The future will be definedby people who can create very powerful, intentional stories and deliverthem to specific audiences using theright technology.”
While many people know Orlandoprimarily for its tourism industry, thearea’s evolution has also placed it at the forefront in the rise of “technotain-ment.” Consider a few facts: >> Orlando is home to the greatest
concentration of modeling, simula-tion and training companies in theworld, including more than 100companies accounting for 16,800jobs, both direct and indirect.
>> In the past 15 years, the region has grown from a $2.5 million film-and-television production market to $586 million annually,with gross sales from local companies totaling approximately$1.2 billion per year.
>> Four of the top 10 theme parks are located in the area, employingthousands of engineers, artists,writers and creative talent.
>> Companies such as EA Sports(the world’s leading independentdeveloper and publisher of interactive entertainment software) create some of their top video games at facilities inMetro Orlando.
A HISTORY OFINNOVATION
In 1971, something happened thatwould forever change the worldwidereputation of Orlando. An innovatornamed Walt Disney opened a cutting-edge theme park, Walt Disney’s MagicKingdom. Since that time, the presenceof Disney has sparked Metro Orlando’sdominance in the travel industry and a fi lm-production industry that supports projects ranging from
What do you get when you cross a military battle simulator, an independent movie production, a blockbuster video game and astate-of-the-art theme park ride? You getOrlando — a place where storytelling and technology are intertwined.
>>
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PHOTO COURTESY OF LOCKHEED MARTIN CORP. PHOTO COURTESY OF UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
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full-length feature films to national TVcommercials.
Lesser known events have alsoplayed a significant role in the region’sdevelopment. One of the most impor-tant was the 1957 opening of anOrlando plant by another entrepreneur,Glen L. Martin. Today, that facility hasgrown into three divisions that employapproximately 4,500 people, and is known by a different name — Lock-heed Martin, one of the world’s topaeronautical and simulation contractors.
Walt Disney and Glen Martin weren’tthe only ones eyeing the region for itspotential. In 1962, the U.S. governmentdesignated the John F. Kennedy SpaceCenter as NASA’s Launch OperationsCenter. Today, the Space Center continues to push the limits of technol-ogy, and has spawned a concentrationof high tech and aviation businesseslocated all across the region.
A need for local engineers led toanother historic event … the foundingof Florida Technological University(FTU) in 1963. Located equidistantbetween the Space Center and theoriginal location of The Martin Company, FTU was renamed the University of Central Florida in 1978.Today, the school boasts more than42,000 students, making it one of thenation’s largest universities, with students from all 50 states and morethan 145 countries.
HOME TOTOMORROW’SINTERACTIVEENTERTAINMENT
This history of entertainment, com-bined with an established technologysector, has placed the region in a strategic position unlike any other placein the world.
“Many people don’t recognize thesignificant advantages that Orlando willhave in the coming decade, in thedevelopment of new technology andthe blending of industries,” says RussHauck, executive director of an industry association called the NationalCenter for Simulation . “There isnowhere else on the planet that canmake the claims made by Orlando. Thisarea could become the epicenter of theexciting new dynamic media sector.”
Other regional assets also in placeinclude the joint simulation procure-ment commands for the U.S. Army,Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast
Guard; Orlando’s Central FloridaResearch Park, one of the top 10research parks in the world; the Univer-sity of Central Florida’s Institute forSimulation & Training, which established the nation’s first master’s andPhD programs in simulation and humanperformance enhancement; and theOrlando-based Florida Film Festival,which has been recognized among thetop 10 film festivals in the world.
The region is already seeing signifi-cant industry growth. A variety of
businesses with local roots are develop-ing everything from video games tointeractive multimedia content and simulators used all over the globe. Hereare a few examples:>> The U.S. Navy has contracted
with Orlando-based i.d.e.a.s. at Disney MGM Studios to develop the first phase of its next generation interactive trainer,Battle Stations. (See pgs 28-31.)
>> Orlando-based Visual BookProductions has developed theworld’s first digitally animatedBible and encyclopedia suite,iLumina. (See pgs 32-35.)
>> Computer programmers and engi-neers are developing tomorrow’stheme park attractions at Orlando-based companies includingTechnomedia Solutions,Oceaneering and ITEC.
>> Orlando-based Kosmo Studios’state-of-the-art kiosk system at the Pittsburgh Steelers’ stadiumprovides fans with interactiveentertainment options, includinggames and live video feeds.All told, Orlando is at the head of
a global trend that is reshaping enter-tainment and technology. Just as areassuch as Silicon Valley, the Research Triangle and Boston’s Route 128 ledthe technology boom of the 1990s,Orlando is positioned to play a similarrole in the transformation of the art ofstorytelling. x
THIS HISTORY OF ENTERTAINMENT, COMBINED WITH AN ESTAB-LISHED TECHNOLOGY SECTOR, HAS PLACED THE REGION IN ASTRATEGIC POSITION UNLIKE ANY OTHER PLACE IN THE WORLD.
PHOTO COURTESY OF LOCKHEED MARTIN CORP. PHOTO COURTESY OF WALT DISNEY WORLD ©DISNEY PHOTO COURTESY OF KENNEDY SPACE CENTER
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CREATIVEBy Jackie Kelvington
According to a nationally known cultural and societal researcher, “tolerance,” “open-mindedness” or“progressiveness” are among the besteconomic characteristics a communitycan have. And, says this notedresearcher, the Orlando area is amongthe leaders nationwide in this category.
In his best-selling book, The Rise of theCreative Class, Carnegie Mellon Eco-nomic Development Professor RichardFlorida talks about “high-tolerant” communities fostering strong economic
growth because they attract a young,skilled labor force. Florida goes on to saythat the attraction of a core demographicand professional group of people, suchas engineers, writers and designers — agroup he has dubbed “the creative class”— is essential to any community’s business development success. The citieswith the greatest levels of success, hecontends, are those that embrace histhree Ts: technology, talent and tolerance.
Metro Orlando has not only come toembrace those Ts, but has begun to
leverage their strength. Strong collaboration among the
region’s economic development organizations, local governments, educational institutions and businessleaders has bolstered technology(the first “T”) industry developmenthere. Particular strengths include theareas of simulation, software develop-ment, photonics and digital media.
Such development has createdmore positive economic news for MetroOrlando, namely the broadening of itsskilled talent (the second “T”) pool andcompany base.
This is where the third “T,” tolerance,comes in. The region has grown into a large melting pot where people fromdifferent backgrounds, cultures, countries, professions and ages haveconverged. Subsequently, Orlando hasevolved as a desirable, trendy, oppor-tunistic place to work and live. In Orlando’s urban core, for example, projects are underway that are breathing new life into downtown. Condominiums, offices and retail outlets are sprouting up. Arts and culture offerings are on the rise. And,the growing reputations of local universities, community colleges andspecialized trade schools are bringingyoung professionals into the commu-nity, and keeping them in the job market.
One thing is for sure ... corporateheads like their companies to be wherethe brain trust can be found. The clustering of innovative companies andcreative individuals is happening in entre-preneurial locations. New markets areemerging as the “places to be.” MetroOrlando is one of those places.
Tolerance. While that’s not generally the firstword that comes to mind when describing theOrlando region, maybe it should be.
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ORLANDO’S Ts NURTURE ECONOMIC GROWTH
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develop first-rate software-intensivesystems. We have disciplined programmanagement processes, and we do alot of systems-level integration.
Why such a large presence forSAIC in Metro Orlando?
The large presence is due to havingour main customers here, from theDepartment of Defense. We have theArmy, with more than a $1 bill ion budget; plus the Navy, the Air Forceand the Marines. They’re all co-locatedhere at Central Florida Research Park.When the Navy moved to the ResearchPark, we followed (in 1986) as a supportcontractor. I moved here in 1990 andconverted SAIC from support to actually doing systems development.
Would you describe this region asa high tech hotspot?
Absolutely. There’s great collabo-ration between business and a university [University of Central Florida]that supports the high tech domain, allthe way to having master’s and PhDprograms in modeling and simulation.These academic offerings have evenhelped attract international companies,
As a senior vice president with ScienceApplications International Corp. (SAIC),Kitaoka manages the Training and Simulations Solutions Business Unit forthe largest employee-owned researchand engineering firm in the nation. Herunit is headquartered in Orlando, witha three-story, 85,000-square-foot building that houses 350 employees atthe Central Florida Research Park.
Keenly interested in economicdevelopment, Kitaoka is also a community leader. She is passionateabout touting the virtues of her homecity and the Florida High Tech Corridor.
Why Metro Orlando? Kitaoka offersnumerous reasons for her enthusiasm,plus provides insight into SAIC’s role inthis thriving high tech community.
Texture: What is a typical SAICproject that concisely explains what
the company does here in Orlando?Bev Kitaoka: No one project can
tell the whole story, but let me describeour key programs. We’re working withthe Army to develop One SAF — that’sOne Semi Automated Force. It’s a program that’s going to satisfy the needsof trainers, as well as people who buyweapons and vehicles, and analysts whostudy things like how the Army shouldbe organized. We’re also working withRoyal Caribbean Cruise Lines in Miami,improving their IT practice, so they cando what they do best, which is runninga cruise line. Locally, we are working withThe North Highland Company to helpFlorida Hospital assess and advance itssoftware development processes. We’realso developing the integrated criminal history system for the Florida Depart-ment of Law Enforcement.
The common theme is this: we
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With more than 28 years of experience in theresearch, development and management of
commercial and Department of Defense software-intensive solutions, Bev Kitaoka is obviously a high-tech leader.
>>
SELLING HER CITYSAIC’S BEVERLY J. KITAOKABy Michael Candelaria
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ness and simulation and training thatmakes Orlando a technology hot spot.There are other industries, as well.
You mentioned the labor market.How does Orlando’s labor pool rate?
Let me put it in these terms: I’venever had a problem hiring the qualityskill level that I need here. I think mostpeople who come to our office and seethe research and development thatwe’re doing, the innovative technologythat we’re creating, and the way welook at solving some of our customers’really difficult problems, are impressed.We’re recognized for those abilities. I think that sets us [Metro Orlando]apart from other locations trying toreplicate the same thing.
You talk about the current situa-tion. Does the region have high techgrowth potential in the future?
There is a lot of potential. It’s incum-bent upon us to appreciate and under-
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such as INDRA, to the region. We hosta big conference here every year, calledthe Interservice Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference(I/ITSEC). It’s the largest annual eventof its kind in the world, bringing around15,000 people a year to Orlando everyDecember. In addition to U.S. delegates, we had representatives from approximately 50 countries inattendance last December.
Because we have so many differentmilitary services here, they are workingto provide joint solutions. They sharetheir technologies among each other.You combine that with the privateindustry that’s developed around it andthe academia all along this high techcorridor. We create a very competitivelabor market with good living costs,beautiful climate, tax advantages anda great airport. When you sum it all up,I think you see why it’s such a greatplace to be.
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stand what we have here, and to getthat message out. There is tremendousvalue and leverage here.
What about SAIC’s future inOrlando — do you see a continuationof growth?
We have bought enough land tobuild a second building, and we’re definitely looking at expanding in thenear future.
If a company were looking to relo-cate or expand into Metro Orlando,what would you say to those corpo-rate decision makers?
I would say it’s a great environmentwith diversity, access to culture andacademia. It’s also a great place to raisekids. I’ve raised my kids here. They canbe outside all the time. There aresports year-round and good schools. Inaddition to that, there’s a wide varietyof high tech activity here. It’s a goodplace to call home.
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p e a k p e r f o r m e r
“I’m not bragging
when I say we
literally are run-
ning e-commerce
out of Central
Florida for the
world. We are
the only ones
doing this and we
are right here.”
— Rob Wight
By Rafaela Ellis
ChanneledE - C O M M E R C E G U R U R O B W I G H T
INTELLIGEN
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For Wight — a Saginaw, Mich.,native whose career has included stintsat Wang Labs and Microsoft — winninghis race has meant spending more thantwo years developing a unique software system that links manufactur-ing clients to dealers and consumerswith just a few quick clicks of a mouse.
By 2001, when Wight was ready tosell his one-of-a-kind product, he hadlittle trouble convincing major manu-
facturers — including Kodak, Hewlett-Packard, Canon, and even his oldemployer, Microsoft — to entrust theirWeb marketing to Channel Intelligence.
“When everyone talks about e-com-merce, they mean buying stuff on theWeb,” Wight says. “Our business is thebusiness of helping the manufacturer tohelp the consumer buy their product.We’re the middle man. What we allow[companies] to do is place a button onthe page where you’re looking at a particular product. When you click onthat button, up pops a list of dealers
“It’s the competition of ski racingthat taught me a lot of basic truths,”says Wight, founder and CEO of Channel Intelligence, Inc., a full-service, e-commerce marketing firm based inCelebration that sold $2 billion in ser-vices last year. “Any pro athlete will tellyou that the difference between winningand losing a race is hundredths of a sec-ond, so you have to put in the hard workup front to get good at what you do.”
>> To comprehend Rob Wight’s success as an e-commerce guru, it helps to know that hebegan his career as a ski racer. Who better tolaunch an Internet start-up in the wake of thedot-com bust than a guy who thrives on speed,danger and unpredictable changes in climate?
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problem manufacturers had that didn’tused to exist: people wanting to knowexactly where to buy their product,”Wight explains.
The concept was so innovative thatit spawned a cadre of competitors,most of whom Channel Intelligencequickly dispatched.
“We have never lost a piece of business to anyone,” Wight says. “It’sbecause of the fact that we built thetechnology first, instead of rushing intothe market. We took our time, we inno-vated, and that created a foundationthat other [companies] didn’t have.”
Wight chose Central Florida as hishub of operations for two reasons:familiarity and climate. As a sales andmarketing executive in the 1980s,Wight spent 10 years at Orlando’s Maynard Electronics before moving toColorado and then Washington Statein a series of job changes. When doctors told him the Seattle weatherwas exacerbating his young son’ssevere ear infections, he made a decision to move his family south.
“We could have moved to Los Angeles, Arizona or Texas, but Floridawas very much home for us, so we movedto Orlando in the summer of 1998,”saysWight, whose family now includes his wifeand three children, ages 11, 7 and 2.
Wight says Central Florida also wasa perfect match for a company withChannel Intelligence’s ambitions.
“What other part of the country cansay that, when they create something,it becomes the standard of what isdone?” Wight asks. “For tourism inFlorida, we are the place that peoplecome. Think about the space coast —
we aren’t a place where rockets are sentoff the earth, we are the place.”
The same is true for e-commerce. “I’m not bragging when I say we
literally are running e-commerce out ofCentral Florida for the world,” he says.“We are the only ones doing this, andwe are right here.”
Wight says the quality of the localworkforce has also had a hand in mak-ing Orlando the new high tech Mecca.
“One of the great things that weneed in this business is smart, dedicatedpeople,” he says. “If you look at the 36people we have in the company today,we’ve only brought in two people fromoutside [the Central Florida area].”
With the company poised to addsome 80 jobs this year, and with a five-year plan calling for a total of 1,500employees, Wight expects he’ll have tocast a wider net to attract the quality ofworker he needs. But, he says, ChannelIntell igence’s unique corporate structure should help in recruiting.
“Do senior people have to havemore room because they’re moreimportant? It doesn’t make any sense,”he says. Instead, every employee atChannel Intelligence, regardless of title,has an identical office with identical furniture and equipment.
Perhaps the greatest contributor toChannel Intell igence’s success, however, is Wight’s tireless drive andfast-forward mentality.
“This is truly what I enjoy doing,innovating in the software industry,” hesays. “I have family, we go to the beach,we do all the fun things we can do inCentral Florida, but I would say my passion is this.”
NCE
who have that product in stock rightnow, so you know what physical storehas that product.”
In other words, manufacturers don’thave to hire programmers to createlinks between their Web sites and thoseof the dealers who carry their products;Channel Intelligence does it for them,using a sophisticated computer program that interlinks a client’s homepage to the pages of every distributorand retailer who sells their product.
“Our service, when we launched ittwo years ago, finally resolved the one x
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i n n o v a t i o n a l l e y
A good quality of life is essential inattracting new businesses to the region,and to retaining them. The Corridor has adistinct advantage in this arena: the 21-county region has it all ... boomingbusiness, recreational activities, beaches,attractions, educational institutions andtourism. Equally important, though, it boasts thriving aviation and aerospace,information technology, medical technology, microelectronics, modeling,simulation and training, and optics andphotonics high tech industry sectors. Theoverall advantages are immeasurable.
In addition to quality of life, the tech-
nologies that are constantly being developed and utilized in the area fostercreativity and innovation all on their own.Groundbreaking scientific research, newapplications for robots, innovative technology education programs ... it takesa creative mind to come up with the concept before a scientific mind can putit into action.
If you once thought that “creativetypes” and “techies” were at oppositeends of the spectrum, you’ll no longerthink that after reading about some ofthe area’s innovations in the pages thatfollow.
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The 21-county
region has it all...
booming business;
recreational
activities;
beaches;
attractions;
educational
institutions; and
tourism. Equally
important,
though, it boasts
thriving aviation
and aerospace;
information
technology;
medical
technology;
microelectronics;
modeling;
simulation and
training; and
optics and
photonics high
tech industry
sectors.
“It’s all about quality of life ...” This opening line of theFlorida High Tech Corridor Council’s 2003 annual reportemphasizes the need for harmony between creativity andindustry. With a mission of attracting, retaining and growinghigh tech industry in the region, and the workforce to support it, the Corridor Council places high value on thisneed, and strives to fulfill it.
>>By Michelle Knapp
INNOVATION The Florida High Tech Corridor
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EXCELLENCE INEDUCATION
The universities within Florida’s HighTech Corridor are constantly striving toreach new heights. By thinking outsidethe box, they have broken countlessbarriers in scientific and technologicalresearch.
These universities — the Universityof Central Florida (UCF) and the Uni-versity of South Florida (USF) — continue to make tremendous stridesand have taken solid positions amongthe nation’s top research institutions.This is accomplished through uniquepartnerships with high tech companiesand other research institutions withinthe region, like the Florida Institute ofTechnology. This year alone, the Corri-dor Council invested $3.5 million insuch projects, which was matched by $8million in corporate and federal funds,for a total of $11.5 million dedicated tohigh tech research. Not only do theseuniversities grow in expertise andstature as a result, but students, faculty,industry partners and the surroundingcommunity benefit exponentially.
WORKFORCEDEVELOPMENT
From electrifying laser demonstrationsto virtual reality race car simulators, edu-cators throughout the region continue tobe enlightened by techPATH, the Corridor Council’s unique educational initiative. In recognition that Florida’s hightech future is dependent upon a steadystream of trained workers at all levels,techPATH has developed a series of tech-CAMPs, where educators gain hands-onexperience and use tools for incorporat-ing that knowledge into their K-12 curriculum.
In addition to techCAMPs, techPATHhas been instrumental in the creation of innovative high tech degrees, certif icates and curricula. Thesegroundbreaking academic programs,offered in concert with UCF, USF andthe 11 community colleges serving theregion, include an associate’s degree inmicroelectronics manufacturing atValencia Community College; abiotechnology degree at St. PetersburgCommunity College; a digital mediadegree at Daytona Beach Community
College; and photonics techni-cian degree programs in place at various community colleges.Also in the works are an information technology securitycurriculum at Manatee Community College, a wirelesstechnology degree at Polk Community College and a digital media degree program at
Seminole Community College. Within each of these “2+2
programs,” the community college collaborates with one or both of the universities to assure that, after the firsttwo years of a student’s college career,there is a program available for them toachieve a bachelor’s degree. This provides a seamless educational oppor-tunity, assuring future employers a well-trained workforce.
AVIATION &AEROSPACE
From NASA’s Mars ExplorationRovers (MERs) conducting the mostextensive interplanetary exploration inhistory, to university students helping apartnering company develop safer landing gear for a “gyroplane,” someexciting ideas are brewing in this sector.Companies in the Florida High Tech Cor-ridor are at the forefront of many of theindustry’s paradigm-shifting discoveries.
Numerous aviation and aerospaceresearch advances are being made atthe K-12 level as well. One example isthe “Get Smart Program,” or Gatewayto Engineering, Technology, Science
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and Math Resources for Tomorrow,developed at the Florida Institute ofTechnology and sponsored by the Corridor Council. This program consistsof a video, presentations and industrysite visits, and is aimed at encouragingstudents to pursue technology careers.
INFORMATIONTECHNOLOGY
The Corridor’s IT companies aresome of the fastest-growing technologycompanies in the nation. One Orlandocompany, Riptide Software, posted anaverage growth rate of 6,432 percentover a five-year period. Another company, Guardian Solutions, sold itsautomated video surveillance system toPort Manatee and Port Canaveral, twoof the world’s busiest ports. Followingsuit with requests for other Guardiantechnologies were the United StatesMarine Corps and the U.S. Departmentof Defense, and the company onlydebuted in the marketplace in 2002.
The university system has had a hand in the further development of ITcompanies within the Corridor. So muchso, that both Florida High Tech Corridorpartners, UCF and USF, were namedamong the “Top 100 Technology Trans-fer Universities” by MIT’s TechnologyReview in terms of active patent andlicensing activity. In fact, UCF impressively ranked within the top 40!These listings hold significant meaning tothe Corridor as they emphasize theimpact the universities have on thegrowth of start-ups within the region.
MEDICALTECH
Information tech-nology has changedthe face of the med-ical industry, furtherfueling the growth ofthe Corridor’s MedTech sector. Innova-t ions now help protect citizens froma biological attackand allow medicalpatients to be moni-tored remotely.
The medical tech-nology sector startedout in 2003 with abang, earning desig-nation as a “high-impact” sector by stateofficials at the BioFlorida industry association meeting. The University ofSouth Florida has enjoyed major successes in the sector, developing a newmethod for safely and quickly detectinganthrax. Because of this, and many otherachievements, the school was awarded a$323,600 contract from the FloridaDepartment of Health Office of Public Preparedness to teach police officers, firefighters and other “first-responders”how to handle bio-terrorism threats andsituations.
MICRO- ELECTRONICS
The Corridor’s microelectronics indus-try also continues to distinguish itself bythe research and development of new
and innovative products. Though growthof industry leaders like Jabil Circuit,Agere Systems and Intersil is still recov-ering from the economic downturn, allare forging ahead by diversifying prod-ucts and improving business operations.In fact, Agere Systems recently surpassedthe $100 million mark in total Sytem-on-Chip (SoC) shipments for data storageapplications and reported its first quarterly profit since going public,demonstrating that this industry is making its way toward a turnaround.
The Corridor Council and its partners support existing technologiesin the microelectronics sector, but theyalso go out and dream up their own.Both UCF and USF proved this throughrenewed focus on researching nanostructures — structures that equal
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50 nanometers (50 billionths of a meter)or smaller.
MODELING,SIMULATION &TRAINING
Soldiers fight through a battlefieldovercoming the enemy, medical students save lives and teenagers learnhow to drive a car, all thanks to the Corridor’s modeling, simulation andtraining (MS&T) industry.
Tapping into the region’s militarystrengths provides many successes forthe MS&T industry. For example, Melbourne-based Symetrics Industriesearned a six-year, $5.6 million contractto manufacture an electronic chassis fornaval aircraft and Orlando-based Real-Sims, LLC developed a new low-cost,multi-purpose training product that caneasily be configured to emulate theinternal cockpit layout of any aircraft.
Innovations such as these keep Cor-ridor companies on the cutting edge ofMS&T technological development.
OPTICS &PHOTONICS
Manipulating light to entertain, fightwars and heal the sick — applicationsof optics and photonics surround us inour daily lives. At the University ofSouth Florida, researchers are working on various projects that willlead to better disaster reaction capabilities, higher-sensitivity robotsthat show 3D locations of victims during disaster rescue efforts, andlaser-based systems that sense traceamounts of bio agents in the environment.
UCF Professor Peter Delfyett is aworld-renowned leader in this sector,smashing the world record for laserdata transmission by sending more than one tri l l ion bits of data per second from a single device. (That’s1,000,000,000,000 pieces of informa-tion!) UCF is also home to one of onlythree Schools of Optics in the nation, aswell as to the Center for Research &Education in Optics & Lasers (CREOL).
QUITE A FUTUREFlorida’s High Tech Corridor has
been on quite a roll and the future lookseven brighter. The region has commit-ted itself to an environment that nur-tures creativity, as well as technology.
In fact, the advice of noted demog-rapher Richard Florida has becomesomewhat of a mantra for High TechCorridor leaders who subscribe toFlorida’s belief that “human creativity isthe ultimate economic resource.”
Said Florida High Tech CorridorCouncil President Randy Berridge:“Our mission is not only to attract, butto retain and grow high tech industryand the workforce to support it. We recognize that the creative needs ofknowledge workers are best served inan environment like that of our region— one that rewards innovation,respects diversity and supports exploration.”
For more information about theFlorida High Tech Corridor, visitwww.floridahightech.com.
W H AT D O E S I T TA K E ?
p r o g r e s s - e n e r g y . c o m
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E N E R G Y. T O L I V E , W O R K , D R E A M , S U C C E E D .
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TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS IN THE CAROLINAS AND FLORIDA, CALL OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAM AT 1.800.347.9060.
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It’s been two years since Dr. Philip Chen establishedCognoscenti Health Institute, an innovative, full-service medical lab in Orlando’s east Orange County business park.From the onset, Cognoscenti (a word of Italian origin that refersto a group that is “knowledgeable” or “cutting edge”) mergedadvanced biomedical testing procedures with customizedInternet technology in order to expedite highly accurate testresults that save local physicians both time and money.
>>By Brian Walker
Acing theTESTC O G N O S C E N T I H E A LT H I N S T I T U T E
Having launched Cognoscentiunder the auspices of the University ofCentral Florida’s (UCF) TechnologyIncubator Program, Dr. Chen praisesthe organization for its strong infra-structure and support in helping newbusinesses establish themselves in Orlando.
“[They] were invaluable to us in anumber of ways,” he states.
In addition to flexible leasing plansand shared support costs for prospec-tive new businesses, the Incubator Program also offers everything from abroad range of business training toexpansion capital opportunities thatassist companies at every step of theirdevelopment.
“One area where they were of par-ticular help was in providing financialtraining that helped me to formulate amore sound business plan,” Chen saysof the program. Incubator representa-tives also introduced him to an outsidefirm that handles the company’shuman resource requirements.
“We’re very excited about the success of Cognoscenti Health
PHOTO COURTESY OF FLORIDA HIGH TECH CORRIDOR COUNCIL
Cognoscenti
Health Institute is
at the forefront of
research that will
determine how
future patients are
diagnosed and
treated.
Healthcare of Florida’s HMO and PPO,as well as the government’s Medicareand Medicaid programs. While there issome level of frustration in workingtowards full acceptance by big insur-ance companies l ike Aetna andHumana Inc., Chen is confident theywill eventually approve Cognoscenti.
“Because we are charging only thestandard rate fees established by theinsurance industry, there doesn’tappear to be any legitimate objectionto utilizing our lab,” he claims.
Given his company’s growing presence with Orlando physicians’offices, it’s most likely just a matter oftime before the big healthcareproviders take notice. Chen is poisedfor expansion, with 14 acres purchasedin the Central Florida Research Parkand five newly opened patient servicecenters for sample collection. Currently, his advanced testing equipment is only running at about 20percent capacity.
PRODUCINGRESULTS
Already, the structure of Cog-noscenti’s operation provides a closermelding of physicians with the laboratorytesting facility. The advantages of working with a local staff of highly trainedtechnologists offer doctors faster andmore accurate information upon whichto base their diagnoses. Because of thismuch more symbiotic relationship, thelevel of personal service and informationsharing is greatly increased, ultimatelybenefiting the patient.
Edward Lowenstein, Medical Director of local Community HealthCenters, Inc., concurs. “A primaryadvantage for us is the consultativerole Cognoscenti takes in providingand helping to select the mosttechnologically-advanced and cost-effective testing procedures onbehalf of our patients.”
There’s definitely been a movementof biomedical technology.
“We have taken clinical services atthe academic level and brought theminto the community,” Chen explains.
As medicine becomes more andmore decentral ized, advanced
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Institute and glad we are able to provide assistance that helps thesekinds of companies reach their poten-tial,” says Tom O’Neal, CEO of theUCF Technology Incubator. “Dr. Chen’scompany is a great example of what weare trying to accomplish.”
POISED FORFURTHER GROWTH
Dr. Chen’s business, which he ownsjointly with a Boston area entrepreneur,has far exceeded initial expectations.A growing list of doctors, mostlyreferred from existing Cognoscenticlients, continue to be swayed by thequiet Chen’s dedication to medicalresearch and a business concept hedrafted on a breakfast napkin back inhis Harvard residency days. Lab resultsthat once took a week or more cannow often be delivered inside 24hours. Doctors can access patients’results via the Internet or through a private direct network, cutting backdrastically on the time required foranalysis and diagnosis.
He points out that Cognoscenti isthe area’s only established full-servicelab and even handles regular samplesrequiring advanced testing that areflown in daily from south Florida. Chenpicked Orlando as a prime market forhis start-up business due to its largeand growing population.
“We saw that Orlando didn’t have alocal lab facility and that there wereoften long lag times for test resultswhen local doctors sent samples off tonational laboratories,” he explains.
It’s a commonly known fact that overtime test samples degrade. Thequicker analysis is performed, the moreaccurate and precise the results. Whencompared to the rest of the country, itwas uncommon to find a city the sizeof Orlando without a resident medicallab. Chen, who has family roots in thecity and attended Valencia CommunityCollege early in his academic career,quickly determined that Orlando wasideal for launching Cognoscenti HealthInstitute.
The company, which handlesupwards of 700 patient samples daily, is currently approved by United
The University of Central
Florida (UCF) Technology
Incubator opened in 1999
and has grown to include
55 emerging technology
companies. The Incubators’s
mission is simple: A
University-driven community
partnership providing early
stage technology compa-
nies with the tools, training
and infrastructure to create
financially stable high-
growth companies.
The Incubator serves the
region’s technology indus-
try sector by specializing in
leveraging the intellectual
capital and resources of the
University and community
to give new companies a
competitive advantage.
To date, the program
has served more than 70
companies, which have
been responsible for
creating more than 450
new jobs in the area,
generating more than
$150 million in revenues
and securing more than
$90 million of investment.
For more information,
visit www.incubator.ucf.edu.
NURTURINGTECH BIZ
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technology, once unique only to bigmedical centers, is following the trendand finding its way down to the level ofmedical practice, or the community.
Unti l now, doctors have been limited to a menu list of test choicesoffered by national labs. Conversely,Dr. Chen has shown a willingness toadd to Cognoscenti’s some 350 in-house testing options and has eventailored and streamlined new analysisto f it certain physicians’ specif icrequirements. Additionally, Chen worksclosely with area doctors to custom tai lor computer screens, thereby better facilitating testing proceduresand offering insight and Medical LogicModels that suggest testing optionsrelevant to documented case histories.
LEADINGMEDICINE’SREVOLUTION
Chen explains that the healthcareprofession is poised for revolutionarychanges that will focus more on “evi-dence-based” medical practices andtake advantage of new technologies asthey become available.
“Personalized medicine that focusesmore directly on the individual is probably going to be the dominantinfluence in new medical practices forthe foreseeable future,” Chen theorizes.
Cognoscenti Health Institute, with Dr.Chen at its helm, is at the forefront ofresearch that will determine how futurepatients are diagnosed and treated.
“Medicine never has been a one-size-fits-all concept,” he says.
Pharmacogenomics technology, forexample, is a cutting-edge scientificprocess designed to better understandhow current medications work insideour bodies. In a nutshell, the technol-ogy is the study of how an individual’sgenetic inheritance affects the body’sresponse to drugs. The term comesfrom the words pharmacology andgenomics, and is thus the intersectionof pharmaceuticals and genetics.
Working in conjunction withresearchers from Harvard MedicalSchool and the University of Pittsburgh,Dr. Chen is leading a case study toidentify and categorize up to 37 human
genetic markers and document howcertain chemotherapy drugs have interacted with each. The hope is notjust to prescribe existing drugs with agreater margin of efficacy and safety,but also to lead the development ofpowerful new medications that moredirectly target diseased cells.
Dr. Chen explains, “Rather than tak-ing a tr ial-and-error approach to establish a course of therapy, pharmacogenomics will allow doctorsa powerful analytical tool, wherebythey have accurate medicinal dataregarding a patient’s genetic profile, toprescribe the best drug therapy fromthe onset.”
Currently, it’s estimated that nearly100,000 people die each year due toadverse drug response, with countlessmore hospitalized.
The further advantages to this new
technology are far reaching andinclude being able to test early for predisposition to certain diseases, creating better vaccines, improved targeting for drug testing and overallreduction in the cost of health care.
Dr. Chen is modest and unassumingwhen talking about CognoscentiHealth Institute, although he’s pleasedwith the level of success achieved. On the other hand, he is adamantabout the company’s progress andcommitment to the Orlando area.
“It’s been a very rewarding experi-ence working with local businesses. Weare looking forward to continuedgrowth,” he says.
One thing is certain, he is deter-mined to stay abreast of the latestadvances in biomedical science. Andthat translates to better healthcare foreverybody living in Central Florida. x
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Florida Tech Transfer ConferenceMay 17-18, 2004Presented by the Florida Research Consortium and the Tampa Bay Technology Forum, this statewide conference showcases the technolo-gies available for licensing and commercialization from Florida’s research universities and institutions. It targets a national audience of corporateleaders, investors, and university representatives to explore issues andtrends in technology transfer, and invites them to discover businessopportunities with Florida’s universities and research facilities.
www.floridaresearch.org/techtransfer
Technology Regional Leadership ForumJune 22, 2004Sponsored by the Regional Board of Advisors of the Orlando RegionalChamber of Commerce, this half-day Regional Leadership Forum focuseson technology. Community leaders, government officials, entrepreneurs,economic development, education and technology experts will partici-pate in an open discussion about issues impacting Central Florida’s economic growth.
www.orlando.org
William C. Schwartz Innovation AwardsSept. 8, 2004Successful innovation is one of the driving forces behind expanding anddiversifying our economy. With this in mind, the Metro Orlando EconomicDevelopment Commission’s William C. Schwartz Industry InnovationAwards program honors companies and individuals who have success-fully created, developed, and implemented creative products and ideas.
www.orlandoedc.com
Don’t miss these technology-themed community events taking place across
Florida’s High Tech Corridor, which includes theOrlando, Tampa Bay and Volusia County/SpaceCoast regions. An updated calendar is always available through www.OrlandoEDC.com’s CentralFlorida Technology Partnership section.
>>
Innovation Florida ‘04Sept. 29, 2004Innovation Florida 2004, a regionalventure capital conference pre-sented by the UCF TechnologyIncubator and the Central FloridaInnovation Corporation, connectsprivate technology companies withinvestors, venture capitalists andfinanciers for an exclusive financialand business development event.
www.cfic.org
150 Seconds of FuryOctober 2004Held in Lakeland, his event offerscompanies from across the FloridaHigh Tech Corridor the opportu-nity to forge strategic partner-ships and alliances with other localand regional companies. Featuredcompanies wil l receive 150 seconds to present informationabout their products, services andthe type of partnerships they areseeking.
www.tbtf.org
By Amy Edge
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“With the number of planes in our fleet,pilots needing recurrent training, andthe purchase of E190s, it made sensefor us to get our own facility,” says MikeBarger, chief learning officer for JetBlueUniversity, which conducts all aspects ofthe airline’s training.
Indeed it does. JetBlue currently operates a fleet of
58 Airbus A320 aircraft serving 27 cities(including Orlando), with plans for up toa fleet total of 203. The airline recentlyplaced an order for up to 200EMBRAER 190 aircraft. The first E190 isscheduled for delivery in mid-2005.
Furthermore, by 2005, when thenew facility is scheduled to take off,
JetBlue University expects to annuallyprocess 440 new-hire pilots, upgrade220 pilots and conduct recurrent training for roughly 1,500 pilots (nearlydouble the number it was processing atthe time of this writing).
“Orlando is a natural fit for ourneeds,” continues Barger. “Amongother things, it has great weather,things for our students to do whilethey’re here in training, a cooperativebusiness climate, and land.”
MAKING THE GRADE‘Among other things’ includesOrlando’s reputation as the simulationand training capital of the world. Metro
Since its startup in 1999, JetBlue Airways hassteadily climbed to become one of the nation’sleading — not to mention profitable — low-fare
airlines, all while many of its fellow airlines are navigating through turbulent times. Through a uniquemanagement approach piloted by maverick founderDavid Neelman, the airline’s customer-centric service,unique in-flight features and low fares have made it afavorite choice. So much so that demand and growthrequired the company, which has been conducting itsflight simulation training out of Miami at Airbus NorthAmerica’s facility, to look to new horizons for a trainingfacility to call its own. Orlando is that choice.
>>VIZCLEAR JETBLUE AIRWAYS LANDS ITS FIRST-EVERPILOT TRAINING FACILITY IN ORLANDO
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Orlando is home to the greatest con-centration of modeling, simulation andtraining companies in the world, includ-ing more than 100 companies account-ing for 16,800 direct/indirect jobs. Or,in short, quite a talent pool from whichJetBlue can pull in the future.
That means something to JetBlue,considering that the new 80,000-square-foot training center wil l ultimately be running 16 Level D, full-flight simulators. (To fully appreciatetheir value, both monetarily and intrin-sically, each Level D sim is a $10-millionmachine that perfectly emulates theenvironment of an aircraft from feel tosound, allowing pilots to virtually learneverything they need to know beforegetting into the actual aircraft.)
“Because of my background in simstrategies, I knew Orlando was a citywhere we would continue to grow, and be able to build and cultivate relationships with the local technologyindustry,” says Barger.
Paul Proffett, director of flight for JetBlue University, concurs. “The wealthof simulation and modeling trainingexpertise and technology in the areaplayed a role in JetBlue’s [choice]. We’llbring most of our crew in to continue theoperation, but the sim maintenance endwill be hired from available resources.And, as we grow, we’ll be looking forinstructors from the area. We couldn’t bein a better place.”
Orlando’s quality of life was never farfrom view either. Adds Barger, “Ourpilots train for seven weeks. If you haveto go away from home for an extendedperiod of time, it’s hard to arguewhether you would rather be in Buffaloor Orlando. South Florida is okay, butcrowded and, from a culture and entertainment perspective, there’s onlythe beach. Central Florida is a fullydeveloped recreational area.”
MAKING THE CHOICEOrlando was one of at least four seriousoptions on JetBlue’s radar when screen-ing for a home for the facility. Requestfor proposals went out to the airline’shome base in New York City, to land-wealthy Upstate New York and to
Ft. Lauderdale, which alreadyhad a JetBlue Airways pilotbase and arrivals departmentin place.
Barger recounts part of theOrlando vetting process.
“As this was comingtogether, we happened to be
installing our LiveTV entertainment system in our planes at the OrlandoMagic hangar we temporarily leased atOrlando International Airport. As we didfurther research, it became obvious thatGOAA [Greater Orlando AviationAuthority] was a forward thinking,opened-minded group with its realestate development and that we couldconstruct a new facility on GOAA land.All the planets lined up and it seemedlike a good fit in every way.
“As part of the process,” continuesBarger, “a little over a year ago weswept through Orlando with our sunglasses and mustaches on as an
‘anonymous’ company to meet with theUniversity of Central Florida and severalsimulator companies to see what theyhad to say.”
National Center for Simulation Executive Director Russ Hauck, whoorganized the half-day tour of compa-nies, clearly recalls the circumstancesleading up to JetBlue’s visit.
“I received a call from the folks at theEDC [Metro Orlando Economic Devel-opment Commission] saying they werebringing in a group of people theywanted briefed on the Central FloridaResearch Park, but ‘we can’t tell youwho they are or where they’re from.’”
The directive: give them a feel for thedepth, range and expanse of the tech-nology and capability of the companiesthat could be a resource to them.
Hauck proceeded to set up tourswith companies that included ScienceApplications International Corp.,developer of training and sim solutionsoftware; Evans & Sutherland, makerof visual simulation technology; and theUniversity of Central Florida Institute
for Simulation &Training, a modelingand sim technologyresearch institute.
“We have a greatgroup of flexiblepeople here that willgo with the flow onsomething like this,”explains Hauck. “Ourcompanies are usedto working with themilitary, so there is a
cooperative business spirit to followthrough and get the job done.”
It didn’t go unnoticed, he says. Later,when JetBlue announced its decision,a comment was made to Hauck thatone of the things that struck the company was that when consideringother locations, it had tried to reach outto local academic institutions, but haddifficulty getting them to respond —unlike its experience with Orlando.
“We expect to build relationships[internships and outsourcing] with localeducation systems like UCF,” says Proffett. “Our tech base is in learningand Orlando’s is in development.
“The wealth of simulationand modeling trainingexpertise and technologyin the area played a role inJetBlue’s [choice]. ... Wecouldn’t be in a betterplace.” — Paul Proffett
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Orlando has a reputation for being onthe leading edge in this area.”
“Everyone was awesome, from boththe culture and tech components —refreshingly so,” says Barger. “When sitting at the table with EDC andGOAA, there was an honest willingnessto see how we could make this work.”
In addition to UCF, EDC and GOAA,other people and organizations thathelped take JetBlue’s commitment toCentral Florida to a new level includedFlorida Governor Jeb Bush, City ofOrlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, OrangeCounty Chairman Rich Crotty, Enterprise Florida and Valencia Community College.
Even after the deal was cinched, thespirit of cooperation continues, says animpressed Proffett. “There aren’t toomany days that go by when we don’thear from Central Florida tech compa-nies. They have heard we are openingthe facility and want to know what theycan do to be a part of it.”
Clearly, Orlando is a natural fit.
The Model Cityfor MS&TMetro Orlando has long been recognized as
the nation’s epicenter for modeling,
simulation and training (MS&T) technology.
From its roots in military training, this
industry has evolved over the past 40 years
to provide invaluable applications in such
diverse fields as aerospace, medical,
emergency services, transportation,
education and entertainment. More than 100 MS&T companies are located in Metro
Orlando, contributing to more than 16,500 jobs and an estimated $1.3 billion in annual
revenue in the community.
The Naval Training Systems Center, now known as NAVAIR-TSD, and the Army’s
PEOSTRI form the core of the MS&T sector in Metro Orlando. These organizations,
along with programs managed by the Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard,
represent the headquarters for the U.S. government’s purchasing and operational
support for its simulation and training needs, and attract a great number of associated
vendors to the region.
Backing Metro Orlando’s MS&T industry are a number of renowned research,
support and educational facilities, including the National Center for Simulation, the
University of Central Florida Institute for Simulation and Training, and Embry Riddle
Aeronautical University’s aviation simulation programs. Metro Orlando’s strong MS&T
standing has earned the region the distinction of being designated a National Center
of Excellence for Simulation and Training.
Metro Orlando has more than 20 fully accredited institutions of higher learning,
which place approximately 85 percent of graduates into the local workforce. The
University of Central Florida (UCF), a key contributor to the quality of the employee
pool in this region, is one of the few universities in the country to offer both masters
and doctoral level MS&T programs. Over the past year alone, UCF has conferred
3,000 undergraduate, masters and doctoral degrees in disciplines related to MS&T,
including computer science, psychology (clinical and industrial/organizational),
engineering, mathematics and physics. As a result, Metro Orlando’s MS&T businesses
have access to a continual “brain trust” of individuals pursuing breakthrough progress
in the field.
The extensive resources and expertise available in Metro Orlando, through the
convergence of prominent MS&T organizations, reinforce the region’s position as an
unmatched locale for new and expanding companies within the industry.
Metro Orlando offers attractive incentives to qualified relocating and expanding
companies. This assistance is based on each organization’s particular needs, including,
but not limited to:
>> Job creation >> Wage levels >> Capital investments
For more information, visit the “Data Center/Incentives” section of the Metro
Orlando Economic Development Commission’s Web site at www.OrlandoEDC.com,
which provides a general overview of incentives offered to high tech companies located
in the area.
Becoming Part of Our Tech Landscape
JetBlue U, OrlandoJetBlue University’s new training center will
encompass an 80,000-square-foot building.
Initial capacity will include eight flight sim-
ulators and two cabin simulators, plus class-
rooms, cabin crew training equipment, a
training pool, a fire-fighting training station
and administration areas. JetBlue will use
this new facility for the initial and continu-
ous training of all JetBlue pilots and in-
flight crew, plus support training for its
technical operations and customer service
crew. Plans also call for on-property ameni-
ties such as a full-service hotel to house stu-
dents, a gas station/mini-mart facility, and
both a sit-down and a fast-food restaurant.
Construction of the training center is sched-
uled for completion in late 2005.
The new facilities, which will cover a
total of 150,000 square feet, are expected
to require a capital investment of up to
$160 million and to create more than 150
jobs in Orlando.
JetBlue University was founded in 2002
to conduct all aspects of the organization’s
training, from pilots and in-flight crew to
technical operations and customer service.
PHOTO COURTESY OF LOCKHEED MARTIN CORP.
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MILIT
How they used to do it... shown here is an actual firefighting practiceexercise on a Naval ship. Taken in 1968 by James L. Amos.
TARYADVANCESNAVY TAPS INTO CENTRAL FLORIDA ATTRACTION INDUSTRY FOR TRAINING NEEDS
Central Florida is the acknowledged theme park capital of theworld, and home to a large number of creative individuals andcompanies involved in the design and fabrication of thesehigh-tech fantasy worlds. Park operators from around theworld routinely tap into our region’s theming talent pool.Increasingly, they are now being joined by a number of companies that one wouldn’t traditionally associate with ridesor shows. By Brian Walker
Their search eventually lead to CentralFlorida and to entrepreneur Bob Allen’suniquely meshed technology andentertainment company i.d.e.a.s. atDisney-MGM Studios. What emergednext was a unique naval training concept, named Battle Stations 21, thatuses what i.d.e.a.s. calls “visceral reality” to mimic the difficulties andchallenges of oceangoing emergenciesand combat situations.
Battle Stations 21 will mark the culmination of a Navy sailor’s basic train-ing program, with recruits being usheredonto what appears to be an operationalnaval vessel, complete with the sounds,sights and hardware they wouldencounter at sea. During the course of aharrowing night aboard, recruits will beput through a number of extremely realistic exercises and drills that mightinclude contact with a hostile vessel anda simulated fire, complete with alarms,smoke and water.
“[This is] beyond multimedia or virtual reality,” Allen says. “What we’redoing is using a new process to create areal environment that can be touched,manipulated and felt with real conse-quences, but with little to no ‘true’ risk.”
Originally awarded the Phase I, $1.4million conceptual design contract inAugust 2002, Allen spearheaded a conceptual design team that includedlocal players Oceaneering Entertain-ment, Bob Weis Design Island andBlankenship-McMillen Architects.
Oceaneering Entertainment is alocally based division of OceaneeringInternational, a leading player in therealm of deep-sea exploration andindustry. The company’s Remote Operated Vehicles are used in offshoreoil production and in underwater salvage. Having leveraged their roboticstechnology into the entertainment market, the company’s most recognizedcreation is the robotic shark from Jawsthat thrills guests at Universal Studios.
LIVE LEARNINGEBAT, or “Event Based Approach Training,” is not a new concept to our
military leaders responsible for turningraw recruits into the world’s best soldiers,sailors and airmen. However, the logisti-cal difficulties faced by the Navy in simulating battle scenarios to train sailorsare far more complex and difficult thanthose faced by the armed services training ground troops and pilots.
Scientific studies have shown that weare much more susceptible to learningand retention when we’re able to “willingly suspend our disbelief” andaccept that we are truly experiencing anevent firsthand.
“Imagine a movie-goer experienc-ing a fi lm. A well-crafted movieimmerses you in the story. It evokesemotions and memories, even physicalresponses,” says Kelly Pounds,i.d.e.a.s.’ vice president of learning.“This is a type of willing suspension ofdisbelief. We all know the people andevents on screen aren’t real, but weaccept them as such for the brief periodof time we’re engaged by them.”
Allen adds further, “Now imagineinstead of watching the movie, youbecome an actor on the set. You are nowin the story and there’s no means ofescape … not emotionally, or from the
Terms such as “immersive experiences” and “sensory-based storytelling”are used to describe a process that taps into the tricks of the theme park
trade to create a multi-sensory, virtual environment that delivers a powerful sales, educational or inspirational message. One of the highest visibility clientsto leverage this emerging technology is the U.S. Navy, which wanted to add aheightened degree of realism to the final phase of their basic training program.
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consequences of your actions, or fromthe set itself.”
This is the primary challenge to bemet in developing Battle Stations 21.From the Navy’s perspective, there’s theadded benefit of being much better ableto continually measure the performanceand decision-making capabilities ofrecruits in times of stress and anxiety.
The actual details of how the i.d.e.a.s.team will go about creating a full-onimmersive training environment for Battle Stations 21 are not readily shared.Still, one only needs to consider the typesof special effects that must go into the creation of films, such as U-571, or the lat-est virtual reality effects brought to life inrides like Spider-Man at Universal Studiosand Mission: SPACE at Disney’s Epcot.
Nonetheless, Allen remains mum oncertain aspects of his proposed system,saying, “We’re not going to reveal how
we’ll build the system. Thereality would be lost if wedid.” Considering that it’s amilitary training program,working on a “need toknow” basis somehowseems appropriate. What’sapparent is that recruits willmost likely be facing real fire,smoke, water and other con-ditions that will seem all tooreal at the time, and they willbe tasked with acting out learned procedures that will culminate with theirtransition from recruit into U.S. Navy sailor.
THE NEXT LEVELThe current Battle Stations training exercise program began in 1997, and iscomprised of 13 separate one-hourtraining events. Each event is based onNaval history taken from actual tragic
incidents. While the Navy has used allavailable resources and ingenuity tomake this training as realistic as possible,there’s still a good deal of “role playing”responsibility that each recruit must takeon. Additionally, because there is nocontinuity of mental engagement by therecruits, the prospective sailors gothrough a process of having to stop andstart each individual training exercise.Each exercise is drawn from different reallife U.S. Navy events that have occurredacross the globe, and are generally unrelated to one another.
Battle Stations 21 will take Naval training to the next level and utilize storytelling techniques, tested immersiontechnology developed in the entertain-ment industry, and advanced instructionalsystems designed to create a fully inte-grated immersion learning experience forNavy recruits. Where recruits now transitto and from different locations at theGreat Lakes Naval Training Facility to
complete their training, Battle Stations 21will immerse recruits in an ongoing storyline “mission” that will take placeentirely within the confines of a singlebuilding. Bob Allen believes in this concept wholeheartedly and, workingwith the Navy, claims that “by deliveringthe Battle Stations 21 training contentinside a rich story and a high fidelity,immersive environment, we will achievebetter retention, comprehension andintegration of key training objectives.”
Chief Warrant Officer Dave Becraft,BS-21 Navy Project Officer at the GreatLakes Training Facility, goes on to explainsome of the other goals of the Navy
acronym BS-21. “A common goal of allthe planned scenarios is to foster a team
environment in which recruitsmust work together to complete specific exercises orovercome obstacles to beable to perform in an emergency situation.”
Unlike the current BattleStations program, where arecruit’s participation is measured trough a series ofseparate individual events,the BS-21 exercise will begeared towards overall success of working togetheras a team to “save their shipmates and the ship”.
The program is designedto challenge the recruit’s determination,endurance and Navy core values ofhonor, courage and commitment.
Rear Admiral Ann Rondeau, Commander, Naval Training Center Com-mand, Great Lakes, Ill., sums it up nicely.“Our objective is to make the BattleStations a more effective training evo-lution. If we achieve that goal, we senda better trained sailor to the fleet.” x
“This is beyond multi-media or virtual reality,”Allen says. “What we’redoing is creating a realenvironment that can betouched, manipulatedand felt with real conse-quences, but with little tono ‘true’ risk.”
Clockwise from top: Two Navy recruits conducting an “investigate andrescue” event during a Battle Stations’ exercise; The Fire Party entersinto a burning compartment and attacks a fire; The USS Austin duringits commissioning ceremony. Opposite page: The forecastle of a U.S.Navy Arleigh Burke destroyer.
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VISUAL BOOK PRODUCTIONS
TAKES CUTTING-EDGE DIGITAL
ANIMATION TO A “NEW LEVEL”
VISUAL BOOK PRODUCTIONS
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ADVANCING DIGITALTECH IN CENTRALFLORIDA Companies such as Industrial Light &Magic and Pixar have become almostas well known as the films that haveemployed their digital animation — ToyStory, Finding Nemo, Star Wars, E.T.,Cocoon. The companies’ ubiquitousreputations might lead people outsidethe high tech industry to believe thatnorthern California is the only placeproducing cutting-edge, 3-D computeranimation. Not so. New York, Los Ange-les, London, Sydney and Tokyo all have
substantial animation industries. Butthey also have hefty price tags.
Central Florida, however, offers hightech companies substantially loweroverhead without sacrif icing the technical support infrastructure neededto maintain highly specializedprocesses. In addition, the region iseasily accessible, provides a sound talent pool and is an attractive relocation environment for companiesthat need to recruit talent with expertskills in niche functions. With all theseadvantages, Orlando is the right choicefor a broad array of technology-based entities. In particular, fledglingcompanies — such as Visual Book whenit arrived in 1999 — benefit from Central Florida’s entrepreneurial busi-ness environment.
“We incorporated in the UnitedStates in 1999 and were working fromthe basement of my home in ParkRidge, New Jersey,” explains NelsonSaba, CEO of Visual Book. “We hadsome seed money from a group of investors, but we were searching for additional venture capital to buildout our organization — people andassets — to the level needed to produce a quality product. To interestthose second-tier investors, we knewthat we needed to keep our operatingcosts low, which would increase ourmargins and make the company moreattractive.
By Brian Courtney
In 1977, George Lucas and his special effects studio, Industrial Light &Magic, took on the challenge of creating an entire alternate universe, a
labor of love that yielded the Star Wars film saga. Quite impressive and loads offun. But, no one (as far as we know) has ever actually seen or visited any alien cosmos, so no one has ever challenged Lucas’ vision of it. Now, imagine takingon “The Greatest Story Ever Told,” the most studied, debated, scrutinized, argued,translated and controversial work in the history of humanity: the Bible. Considerthe task of documenting — using 3-D animation and advanced digital technol-ogy — the hundreds of thousands of pieces of information related to the historical accounting of Jesus and the 1st-century Middle East, the stories of theBible, and all of its attendant facts. Now, imagine that your company is a start-upand that this is its first project. Visual Book Productions did it — not using Holly-wood’s heavy-hitters, but their own state-of-the-art production facility in Orlando.
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“We looked at the major metropol-itan centers and several smaller markets, including Raleigh and Tampa,but felt that Orlando offered the bestcombination for us: low fixed costs,available technical support and a highquality of life for our employees.”
These same qualities have enticedcompanies such as AAA, DardenRestaurants and Tupperware International to locate their world headquarters here, establishing CentralFlorida among the nation’s top metro-politan areas in industry and commerce.
“Orange County provided tax incentives that were very attractive. Wealso found that some other locationslevied substantial municipal and statetaxes. Not so here. Some goods andservices are not taxed at all. Others areassessed at comparably low rates.”
Saba also cites lower cost commer-cial space as a deciding factor. Theequation has worked similarly for otherindustry leaders, such as Lockheed Mar-tin, Siemens Westinghouse and AgereSystems. The result: Orlando’s technol-ogy sector employment has doubledsince 1980. Today, approximately 79percent of the region’s total manufac-turing growth stems from high tech.
GAININGMOMENTUM Saba’s choice proved prophetic. In September 2002, with new money anda marketing and distribution agreementwith Tyndale House Publishers, thecountry’s third largest ChristianLiterature producers, Visual Booklaunched iLumina, the first digitally animated, interactive biblical referencesoftware. The product sold 160,000units in its first five months.
“Any mainstream consumer software that sells 20,000 copies in oneyear is considered successful,” says MaxCroft, the company’s general manager.“For Christian-market products, ‘good’is 20,000 units in five years. Based onthese benchmarks, we’ve really hit onsomething with this product.”
At the time of this writing, iLuminahad sold more than 300,000 copies in52 countries. Both Croft and Sabaattribute this success to the product’ssimple usability and unique accessibil-ity to its content. The iLumina Goldprogram provides more than 100,000pieces of information, which includes9,000 articles, 800-plus photos, 200-plus maps and animated charts, aninteractive animated biblical atlas, 37digitally animated stories taken fromthe Bible word-for-word, two-plus hoursof video tours and referenced transla-tions from two versions of the Bible.
“This is cinematic-quality digital animation on par with anything that hascome out of Hollywood,” says Croft. “In
fact, some of the artists involved in thisproject come from that industry. And,the user interface is as familiar as anyvideo game or mainstream PC software,so consumers are comfortable navigat-ing through the various components.”
According to Saba, this level ofsophistication wouldn’t have been pos-sible without having their own digitalmotion-capture studio, a benefit madefinancially possible by their reducedexpenditures in other operational areas.
The facility, one of just two in theextended Central Florida region,employs a specialized camera array thatinterprets the movements of a humangarbed in a reflective suit, converting itinto the computer equivalent of a stickfigure. Artists using high-powered software then add bones, muscles, skinand features to the stick figures to cre-ate the “living” characters that inhabitthe animated stories. The company’srendering farm, a bank of automatedcomputer servers, then builds scenesfrom layer upon layer of drawings.
“Our servers run twenty-four/seven,” says Croft. “If they godown, our production grinds to a halt.
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“But, because Disney established its animation studios here more than adecade ago, there is a support systemin place. We can get instant on-site service from companies like Hewlett-Packard and Silicon Graphics if we needit. Their centers here are never withouttechnicians and parts to serve us. That’snot necessarily the case in the othercities we investigated. And, if we havea problem, we can’t afford to be downfor days waiting on service.”
Orlando’s significant film productionsector also allowed Visual Book to maximize their technology invest-ments. The company added a new revenue stream by using their facility toproduce television commercials andprograms, computer animation andgolf video games for local and out-of-state businesses.
GETTING PERSONALEven with all these technological andfinancial advantages, perhaps thebiggest factor in Saba’s choosingOrlando was human.
“Technology is meaningless withoutpeople,” says Saba. “We needed alocation that would make it easy for usto build our staff and to provide a highstandard of living for them once theyjoined our organization. Orlando hasmet both of these criteria.”
The region’s strong ties to the enter-tainment industry meant that there wasalready a pool of skilled high tech labor.And with animation and digital
technology curricula at the University ofCentral Florida and Full Sail Real WorldEducation Center, the area’s schools arecontinually producing new talent.
With no state income tax and anaverage cost of l iving below thenational average, Central Florida hasmade recruiting, for permanent andtemporary employees, easy for VisualBook.
“The weather is, of course, a hugedraw for people, but more important isthe reasonable cost of housing andtransportation,” says Saba. “This is alsoa very livable city, moderately sized, butone that provides culture and sophisti-cation that you might only expect in thebig urban areas.”
Saba believes that the area’s tourismbase is largely responsible for creatingOrlando’s appealing social, dining andcultural scenes.
Croft, a transplant from Los Angeles,agrees.
“The Disney brand has also helpedbrand Orlando in the American psyche.The two are almost inseparable, andalmost everyone has some positiveassociation with Disney’s characters andits movies. That’s rubbed off on thiscity’s image.”
Croft credits that image with VisualBook’s nearly effortless recruitment offreelance help, the majority of its current staffing drive.
“We frequently enlist talent from theentertainment industry in Hollywoodand the gaming industry in northernCalifornia and Vancouver. But evenpeople who live in these great placesare willing to come to Orlando forassignments.”
Visual Book is also satisfied withOrlando’s service-sector talent.
“We’ve located top-notch lawyersand accountants, real estate agents, allthe support people that it takes to runa successful business. Those are important people — extensions of yourstaff, really — who are sometimes over-looked when you’re considering whereto move your operations,” says Saba.
In the warehouse space that VisualBook has converted into a blue-screenstudio, an actor goes through strictlychoreographed motions in front of threecameras. The footage will be digitizedand fed into a computer. An artist will create a composite, overlaying the actor’simage, now looking like a pharaoh, ontoa background showing ancient Egypt. AsNelson Saba continues to tell “TheGreatest Story Ever Told,” he is happy tohave chosen Central Florida as his company’s corporate home. For VisualBook, Orlando has proven to be likemanna from Heaven. x
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Upon first glance, it’s easy to only see signs ofa world-class tourism destination. But take a
second look, and you’ll discover a refreshingly forward-thinking urban culture, one that taps into theaesthetic and intellectual fiber of our localcognoscenti. There are a host of thought-provoking and
>> cultural pursuits from which to choose,including a place for the bibliophile to pagethrough the Utne Reader or catch a poetryreading; fine dining establishments abuzzwith sparkling conversation among vintagewines; and a local arts cinema that plays first-run independent features year-round and ishome to a top-rated annual film festival.
FROM HIGH BROW TOHAUTE CUISINE, THETHINKING-PERSON’SORLANDO
By Denise Bates EnosORLANDOLiving it up in
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A REAL PAGE-TURNERIn an age where even bookstores have fallen victim to the one-size-fits-all
chain-store mentality, it’s refreshing to find an independent oasis such as UrbanThink. This independent bookseller located in downtown Orlando’s trendy
Thornton Park is a veritable paradise of publications ranging from thepolitical to the poetical. It’s staffed by fellow enthusiasts of the
written word who are eager to help you find even the mostobscure and esoteric of texts.
Urban Think is also a gathering spot for local intellectuals,activists and other cerebral sorts seeking to rub shoulders withsimilarly lettered individuals. The bookstore often hosts community activities and provides a platform for those with
something politically, socially, environmentally or locally significant to say. Additional activities include art displays, live music
performances, and wine and beer tastings during downtown’s “ThirdThursdays” arts and culture celebration each month. www.urbanthink.com
Yearning to see an edgy
independent flick? How about
a European art film? No need
to book a flight to Sundance
— one of the top 10 film fes-
tivals in the world takes place
right here. Each March, the
10-day Florida Film Festival
showcases the year’s best
American, independent and
international documentaries
and narrative films, including
homegrown Florida films and
animated shorts.
After the festival, the
cultural infusion doesn’t end:
the Enzian shows a variety of
art, avant-garde, foreign and
experimental films at its
Maitland theater year-round.
And it’s not your typical mul-
tiplex-in-the-mall experience,
either. At the Enzian, the-
ater-goers enjoy comfortable
chairs seated around tables,
and a tempting array of
appetizers, entrees, soft
drinks, beer and wine. All
that, and you can get pop-
corn, too. www.enzian.org
CELLULOIDDREAMS
A MATTER OF TASTEGood taste of the epicurean variety can be found throughout Orlando, but there’s
a new kid — kids, actually — on the block to sample. Seemingly overnight, an appe-tizing new “Restaurant Row” has sprung up on Sand Lake Road in southwest Orlando,luring residents and visitors alike from throughout the metro area with a tantalizingsmorgasbord of offerings. Bound by Turkey Lake Road and Della Drive, this sectionof Sand Lake is peppered with such notable eateries as Ruth’s Chris and Morton’sof Chicago steakhouses, Timpano’s, Samba Room, Roy’s and more. The after-hoursbusiness crowd has made this area the number-one watering hole in town. At anyone of these restaurants on any given evening the bar is packed with professionalsnetworking, decompressing and connecting with like-minded career folk.
Generating the most buzz on the street is Seasons 52, the latest offering fromDarden Restaurants of Red Lobster and Olive Garden fame. But, don’t let thatchain-restaurant association fool you: Seasons 52 is anything but a cookie-cuttereatery. Instead, the emphasis is on a fresh, ever-changing menu that focuses onin-season ingredients (hence the name). It’s fast becoming the see-and-be-seenplace to be for power lunches and business dinners, as well as weekend outings.Recent offerings included a Herb Ricotta Ravioli appetizer served with juliennevegetables in a roasted garlic broth and a Grilled Jumbo Sea Scallops entree withsautéed asparagus and pearl pasta. www.seasons52.com
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the kind of airline you want to take home.
*DIRECTV programming not available on flights between New York City and Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. ©2004 JetBlue Airways.
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If you visit Florida’s Space Coast on
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Florida’s Space Coast not only has
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While you’re here, experience the
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© 2004 Carnival Cruise Lines. All rights reserved. Ships’ Registry: The Bahamas and Panama.