Colorado Springs Tech You Need to Know
On Monday, we launched into the Colorado Tech Tour with a roundup of incredible companies and organizations quietly doing amazing work in Colorado Springs that’s putting our state on the map. Here’s just a sample of what the night held, but dig in further to see what Southern Colorado is up to.
National Cybersecurity Center
Kickstarted by Gov. John Hickenlooper last year and given legislative backing this past session, the 501c(3) nonprofit National Cybersecurity Center dedicated to helping respond the threats, train officials and conduct research is getting ready for early operations to begin November 1. Deputy Executive Director Eric Hopfenbeck admitted they’re in “serious startup mode” right now, but with $7.8 million in state funding for a building renovation that will pair their efforts with the University of Colorado – Colorado Springs, believes “there’s a huge opportunity for us to be a leader in cybersecurity.
They’re on the lookout for a full-time CEO, to be hired in the next few months, and will launch with a conference at The Broadmoor from November 13-15.
Learn more soon (site about to launch): nationalcybersecuritycenter.org
Altia
One billion of the 7.4 billion people on earth can access the Internet through their phones, but Altia wants everyone to have that access. Through their tools for graphical user interface (GUI) tools for manufacturers, they believe the Internet of Things is the answer to connecting everyone to technology that can change lives. Working with companies like Chrysler and Whirlpool, Altia is the secret sauce behind things like heads up displays in cars and touch screens on refrigerators. They already are in 17 million vehicles with 115 million more scheduled to ship and estimate 500 million by 2025.
Their goal for 2025? All 8 billion people in the world will interact with an Altia GUI every day.
Learn more: altia.com
U.S. Olympic Training Center
Rio is right around the corner, and many of the athletes will have Colorado Springs to thank if they make the podium. More than 15,000 athletes train for some period at the U.S. Olympic Training Center each year, and with 515 dorms, plenty call it home for long stretches. With a 1 percent gain being the difference between gold and 4th place, technology is crucial to success today.
The Center uses a number of high-tech approaches, including sensors in boxing gloves to read rate and force or on divers’ feet and arms to understand full rotation and motion. The coolest may be the high-altitude training center where staff can adjust the elevation from seal level to 24,000 feet by changing the oxygen levels, building up a good sweat by changing the humidity from 0 percent to 99 percent or altering the temperature from -10 degrees to 110 degrees.
It’s all a part of the effort to have athletes in peak condition for the biggest moments in their lives. In Rio, where it’s 95 degrees and 65 percent humidity, they’ll be ready to go.
Learn more by taking a tour of the U.S. Olympic Training Center.
