Information Technology
Information and software technologies represent the largest tech asset cluster in the state. Well over a dozen different specialties are represented, including software development, programming, and supercomputing. New Mexico’s IT strengths include: software development, systems design, customized programming, and internet technologies. Although most of New Mexico’s IT cluster is made up of small companies, two of the state’s biggest employers, Intel and Northrop Grumman, provide a large number of IT employees.
IT Assets
Encanto and the New Mexico Gateway:
In January of 2010, New Mexico launched eight “gateway” sites linking communities across the state to New Mexico’s Supercomputer Encanto, the fastest public supercomputer in the world. These sites will be utilized by universities and local businesses that need high performance computing for design and modeling purposes, educational activities, training, digital film, aerospace, and biotechnology, among others.
The founding institutions for the New Mexico Computing Applications Center, which runs the Supercomputer, are UNM, NMSU, New Mexico Tech, and Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories.
The
Supercomputer, which is housed at
Intel in Rio Rancho, can perform
172 trillion calculations per second. Ultimately, there will be 33 sites around the state connected by a secure network into the main computer, all available to business, industry, and institutions of higher learning on a daily basis.
http://newmexicosupercomputer.com/encanto.html
Los Alamos National Laboratory:
LANL is a world leader in computing technologies. Supercomputing, data management and visualization tools are just a few areas of specialization. Their Advanced Simulation and Computing Program (ASC) has just created a new hybrid supercomputer, called Roadrunner, which doubles the speed of the former processing champ, doing 1,000 trillion calculations per second. Their breakthrough Monte Carlo N-particle computer code has been instrumental in developing probability scenarios for everything from medicine to engineering. The Computer, Computational and Statistical Sciences Division (CCS) is focused on discovery and innovation in threat reduction and homeland security, as well as basic science and technologies research. The CCS also oversees the DoE’s Advanced Computing Laboratory (ACL), allowing industrial and academic partners an environment to create innovative computer experimentation.
Sandia National Laboratories:
Probably best know for its massively parallel computing (linking large numbers of desktop computers for a single purpose), Sandia is active in every aspect of software and hardware development. Its Computation, Computers, Information and Mathematics (CCIM) division oversees the 40-plus teraflop Red Storm supercomputer, and the Computer Science Research Institute (CSRI) brings researchers and academia together to develop new applications to critical to the Lab and its DoE partners.
The Center for High Performance Computing (HPC):
The
HPC provides computer based research to UNM. Established in 1994, it has been a part of many significant breakthroughs, including the first use of
Access Grid technology and the first Linux cluster available through NSF allocation. In 2000, the
“Los Lobos” supercluster (the first IBM Linux product ever built) was installed at UNM, placing the school among the top five universities for computing power.
http://www.hpc.unm.edu/
New Mexico Computing Applications Center:
Home to the world’s
third largest supercomputer,
Encanto, the NMCAC seeks to allow access to its 100 terraflops to universities, laboratories and other researchers seeking world class computing capabilities.
http://newmexicosupercomputer.com
Additionally, the rapidly expanding areas of film and multimedia are bringing the latest digital editing, photography, sound, graphics and design technologies to New Mexico. Over 100 major motion pictures have been shot in the state in the last six years, generating $1.6 billion.
Education
LANL’s Information Sciences and Technology Institute (ISTI) collaborates with several universities to recruit computer science employees. The program also allows employees the pursue advanced degrees, as well as teach classes and seminars.
http://institutes.lanl.gov/isti/
UNM’s Arts Technology Center- The ARTS Lab helps connect art, science and business with applications for everything from film and new media to national security. The lab supports various computer labs across campus, and built the
Digital Garage in the High Performance Computing Center (HPC).
http://artslab.unm.edu/index.html
New Mexico Tech- ICASA is the Institute for Complex Additive Systems Analysis, a division of New Mexico Tech. The Institute, a cooperative venture among academia, industry, and government, is dedicated to studying the behavior, vulnerabilities, and predictability of complex systems. ICASA’s interdisciplinary approach delivers information-age research that is applied to real-world problems, as well as developing key enabling technologies.
New Mexico State University- NMSU has several laboratories for research activities. The NMSU Computing Research Laboratory (CRL) was established as a Center of Excellence for applications in advanced computing by the New Mexico State Legislature. An interdisciplinary laboratory with researchers from several university departments, and its own staff of full-time researchers, CRL’s basic research efforts are concentrated on approaches to multilingual processing of natural language texts. Core areas of research include artificial intelligence, computational linguistics, and human-computer interaction. CRL maintains its own computing facilities and provides an advanced development environment.
The following Universities and schools offer related degree programs:
- Doctorates — UNM, NMSU and New Mexico Tech offer Computer Science degrees from Bachelor of Science level through to Doctorates. UNM also offers a Computer Engineering Masters.
- Bachelor of Science — Eastern, Highlands, and Western New Mexico offer B.S. degrees in computer engineering.
- Computer Technology and IT degrees and certificates are offered at many of the state’s junior colleges, including: Dona Ana CC, San Juan CC, NM JC, Northern NM College, UNM-Los Alamos, UNM-Gallup, UNM-Valencia, NMSU-Grants, NMSU-Alamogordo, NMSU-Carlsbad, Luna CC and Santa Fe CC. National American College in Rio Rancho also offers an IT degree. Many UNM and NMSU affiliated degree holders can continue on for a four-year degree at the main campus. Additionally, Central New Mexico Community College (CNM) offers some IT courses.
- The Academy of Advanced Technology is a four-year program at Albuquerque High School intended to create a pathway to CNM, UNM or professions in IT.
Contacts:
New Mexico Information Technology and Software Association: www.nmitsa.org
New Mexico Internet Professionals Association: www.nmipa.org