OCR Text |
Show on digital media Utah hosts event for technology start-ups v t- it By Rob Sanders f. business reporter I The Signpost This past week Grow Utah Ventures presented the PushButton Summit, which is expected to become an annual event. The summit focused on digital media within the state of Utah. Guest speakers represented international companies with Utah ties including Disney Interactive, Adobe Systems, Digital Domain and Sony Pictures Imageworks. A "Most people don't understand the importance Utah has in digital media," said Justin Bott from Grow Utah Ventures, who is also a Weber State University graduate, "be it movies, video games, cell phone applications or pretty much anything on the Internet." Grow Utah Ventures promotes community involvement in entrepreneurship and facilitates financing for Utah-based start-ups. Utah is developing hot new companies that are creating buzz about Utah being the place for a technology start-up. California may have Silicon Valley, but Utah has an organization called Silicon Slopes, which promotes technology in the state. Josh James started Silicon Slopes after sitting in meetings onhowto promote technology in Utah. James founded Omniture, which was sold to Adobe Systems earlier this year for $1.8 billion. One of the featured start-ups at this year's PushButton Summit, held in the Rose Wagner Theater, was Fusionio. Fusion-io is a hardware company creating hard drives for servers based on flash drives rather than the more widely known rotating-disk hard drives. The technology is revolutionary in that it is faster and requires less equipment and significantly less cooling. Cooling alone accounts for over 50 percent of the cost for running a server farm. Fusion-io fras gathered enough interest that they have attracted the time and attention of Steve Wazniack, the co-founder ofApple computers. The technology is currently being used by Facebook, MySpace, Google and other companies with a high demand for data storage. One of these drives could replace over 600 traditional hard drives. "Digital Media is one of the fastestgrowing industries in Utah," said Cristy Rodriguez, a student at Utah Valley University. "This (summit) has been great to see what is over the horizon so I can start preparing my career path for this industry." Rodriguez is also an intern at USTAR (Utah Science Technology Research), an event sponsor. USTAR is a state-run organization that supports economic development through the commercialization of technology created in Utah's universities. •J "Ithinkit'simportant(thePushButton Summit)," said Heather Nielsen, a WSU alumna in public relations, "because we need to bring more digital companies to Utah and showcase the talent here. People need to be aware of digital media and what Utah has to offer." :4- .' • Several movies have had digital effects produced here in Utah, such as Avatar, Pirates ofthe Caribbean and Race to Witch Mountain. The PushButton Summit highlights Utah's contribution to improving image work for movies. Over 400 people attended die summit to see some of the new technologies developed. One of these new start-up companies is Mangia Technologies. This phone application allows users in stadiums or arenas to order food through their phones and have the food delivered directly to their seats. The technology is becoming more available and is currently offered in Rio ITnto Stadium for Real Salt Lake and the Scottrade Center, home of the St. Louis Blues. For more information about the summit visit PushButtonSummit. com, or to try the Mangia Smartphone application visit Mangia.net. Comment on this story at wsusignpost. com. ACCEPTS , S2 & *5 BILLS PHOTO I I I USTRAHON BY BRYAN BUTTERFIELD I THt SIGNPOST Virtual economies exist in games such as Second Life, Everquest, World of Warcraft and Entropia and accept real money. Virtual economy uses real $ Gaming island purchased with cash By Rachael Storey correspondent I The Signpost Virtual games are no longer totally virtual. Today, many virtual economies exist within games where players can buy or sell virtual goods and real estate with real money. Some of these virtual economies exist in games such as World of Warcraft, Second Life, Everquest and Entropia. According to a recent Web article, a man named David purchased a virtual island in the virtual world "Entropia" for $26,500 using real money. He also earns real money by taxing people who live on his virtual island. In the article he claims he earns approximately $100,000 each year as a result of owning the "land." The virtual goods market is estimated to reach above $1 billion this year. Dr. Dan Fuller, an economics professor with spending money in these virtual at Weber State University, said it is economies," Fuller said. "It doesn't sap essential information that the money the strength of the economy. It doesn't create unemployment. being used in these virtual environments is "The important thing It can change the composition of still real money. to remember is that employment, creating "The important thing jobs for programmers to remember is that the real money that and IT managers, while the real money that is decreasing employment being spent does not is being spent does in DVD rental shops disappear into this and movie theaters, for virtual world," Fuller not disappear into example." said. "It is just another this virtual world." transaction; the money Fuller pointed out that circulates from one a "market economy" is person to another. It supposed to add variety - Dan Fuller for consumers. pays wages, interest, WSU economics professor ' • ."The rent, utilities and important owners - who then *S"! feature of a market turn around and spend .•>' economy is that it that money again." grows by giving consumers more, not less, Fuller also said spending money in choice over time," Fuller said. "From the virtual economies does not inhibit the economist's perspective, the emergence real-world economy. "Inherently, there is nothing wrong See Virtual page 8 Post-graduation employment Career opportunities becoming available By Brian Grow correspondent I The Signpost With graduation fast approaching, many Weber State University seniors have begun the search for post-graduation employment. "After graduation I am going to be looking for a career, not just a job," said Aaron Griffith, a technical sales major. "I feel I am more marketable with a degree. Five years of retail is enough. I'm looking for anything but retail." As students seek to find careers to replace their college jobs, many have found that the economic conditions are making jobs hard to come by. Many are turning to school career services to help make the transition. "Weber State University has offered great ins with companies," Griffith said. "My professors have a great network with alumni and really work hard to help us find a great career." Some students are taking advantage of the opportunity to pursue graduate degrees, rather than entering the % See Graduation page 8 PHOTO SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS Job seekers line up in the armory in Westerly, R.I., on Tuesday, March 16, 2010 to apply for jobs for the Ocean House luxury resort hotel. The property, which is slated to open in mid-May, has openings in all areas of the hotel, including guest services, housekeeping, spa, maintenance, restaurant, culinary, catering and banquets. |