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Local professors to co-direct world-first Open Data Institute


The Government has announced plans to establish the world‘s first Open Data Institute, which will be co-directed by University of Southampton professors Nigel Shadbolt and Tim Berners-Lee, to support growth of new businesses on the back of government data.


Based in Shoreditch in East London‘s Tech City, the world-leading Open Data Institute (ODI) will become the ‘go-to‘ venue for those seeking to create new products, entrepreneurial opportunities and economic growth from open data.


Initially it will incubate, nurture and mentor new businesses that exploit open data to create new products and business opportunities to help drive economic growth. Further activities planned for the institute include ‘appathons‘ or ‘hackathons‘, to support work on newly-released data sets and to develop new use cases for open data.


It will promote innovation driven by the government‘s open data policy, helping the public sector use its own data more effectively and developing the capability of UK businesses to exploit the commercial value of open data.


Co-director of the ODI, Berners-Lee, inventor of the world wide web and chairman of


computer science at the University of Southampton, said: “One of the reasons the web worked was because people reused each other‘s content in ways never imagined by those who created it. The same will be true of open data. The institute will allow us to provide the tools, skills and methods to support the creation of new value using open government data.“


Added Shadbolt, head of the web and Internet science group at the University of Southampton and co-director of the ODI: “Data is the new raw material of the 21st century and the UK is world-leading in the release of open government data. The ODI will be a place that develops the very best UK talents in open data. It will be a focal point where current and future entrepreneurs and developers, technologists and creatives meet, share ideas, make things happen and drive growth.“


The Government is to commit up to £10 million over five years to support the ODI through the Technology Strategy Board in an unprecedented, match-funded collaboration with industry and academic centres.


The ODI will officially open in September, with a core team of six senior staff and 10-12 others working part time.


New facilities mark 20 years for Blue Chip


Marking 20 years of success, IT specialist Blue Chip has launched its new facilities at the company‘s refurbished headquarters in Poole. More than 120 people attended the event which showcased the company‘s state-of-the- art training centre and data centre services.


In the style of a ‘mini-exhibition‘, the event also provided the opportunity for Blue Chip customers to meet with and attend demonstrations by experts from industry- leading vendors and Blue Chip partners Microsoft, Cisco, Citrix, VMware, EMC, Symantec.Cloud, QLogic, RSA, BT, Wyse, Powertecnique, EVault, Fortinet, Dell, Toshiba, Quest and Iomega.


David Critchley, managing director of Cisco Commercial UK, formally launched the headquarters, while Blue Chip customer, Crescent Suzuki World Superbike racing team with team rider, Leon Camier, were present to mark the occasion.


Business THE M A GA ZINE www.businessmag.co.uk TM


Blue Chip‘s managing director Richard Cook said: “We would like thank our partners for their continued support and we are overwhelmed by what they have done to help us make this event such a success. While there has recently been a lot of physical change to our building – implementing the new data


centre, training facilities and 24x7 support and monitoring systems, underneath it all we have been working very hard to deliver greater IT services for our customers and keep abreast of the market place.“


Blue Chip‘s headquarters have been completely revamped to accommodate its growing services portfolio, requiring major inward investment in the company‘s expertise, resource and service offerings. The event saw the unveiling of the state-of-the-art training venue, refurbished in response to huge demand for high-level IT training services and examination facilities that saw the company‘s training business double in the past year. This facility, in addition to the company‘s two venues in Southampton, positions Blue Chip as the largest IT training specialist in the Solent region, as well as one the UK‘s leading providers.


Blue Chip also showcased its own data centre at the launch – boasting the capacity for hosting customers‘ systems in-house in the form of 14 racks of co-location services. By offering this facility in-house Blue Chip has 24/7 access to customers‘ systems, as well as total control.


Details: www.bluechip.uk.com THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – SOLENT & SOUTH CENTRAL – JULY/AUGUST 2012


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