NEWS BRIEFS
Houston, TEXAS — Compaq Computer Corporation announced the formal grand opening of a new ultra-modern facility for its technologically-driven Cambridge Research Laboratory (CRL) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the company’s primary research site on the East Coast of the United States.
The grand opening event will include opening remarks from Shane Robison, Compaq’s Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, and demonstrations of current research projects, including wireless, speech, vision, scalable computing, video image processing, and industrial design technologies.
Located adjacent to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and near Harvard University and other renowned research organizations, Compaq’s CRL is one of three Compaq research labs that work together and with other research institutions to advance the state-of-the-art in computing technology and human/computer interaction. The other two Compaq research labs are the Western Research Laboratory and the Systems Research Center, both located in Palo Alto, California.
Rich Zippel, CRL Director, says his lab and the others are designed to advance Compaq’s corporate goals “through interconnected pursuits in technology creation, advanced systems engineering, and business development.” Founded in 1987, CRL has a team of more than 30 researchers, supported by advanced engineering and business development staff, who collaborate in such efforts as:
+ Mobile computing advancements such as today’s handheld computers.
+ Speech interaction to allow voice to replace keyboard and mouse.
+ Multimedia speech synchronization with computer animation, currently used for “talking heads” at Disneyland.
+ Vision-based human and scene sensing that enables one to search for visual and audio data as easily as text.
+ Intelligent information appliances for use at home or at work which could enable one to electronically file photos, music, videotapes and movies, and then summon them in any order desired to appear on television or other video screens mounted in the home or office.
+ Scalable high-speed computing for projects such as formal verification of hardware and software, and space-time memory challenges In addition, the staff maintains the highest traditions and standards of research through filing patents, giving technical presentations at prestigious conferences worldwide, and publishing books and technical reports.
Dr. Zippel says that he and his colleagues are “engaged in the truly exciting work of looking beyond the here and now to help determine the look and function of products required to meet the awesome business challenges of the future.”
CRL moved this year to a 41,000 square foot facility occupying the 11th and 12th floors at One Cambridge Center, in the heart of Kendall Square. The new facility provides an extensive computing infrastructure which includes a hardware laboratory, an industrial design laboratory, a state-of-the-art auditorium and conference rooms with videoconferencing and production capabilities to facilitate bicoastal collaboration, and a combination of private office space and open work areas that promote collaboration and facilitate the exchange of ideas.
Compaq designs, develops, manufactures and markets hardware, software, solutions, and services, including industry-leading enterprise computing solutions, fault-tolerant business-critical solutions, and communications products, commercial desktop and portable products, and consumer PCs. Compaq products and services are sold in more than 200 countries directly to businesses, through a network of authorized Compaq marketing partners, and directly to businesses and consumers through Compaq’s e-commerce Web site at http://www.compaq.com .
============================================================