Early September marked the grand opening of Portland State University’s newest computer engineering acquisition, the Microsoft Innovation Center.
Working alongside Northwest-based companies such as Netdesk, Centerlogic, and Ascentium, Microsoft donated $200,000 for the center at PSU. The goal, according Netdesk Corporation President Todd Shelton, is to encourage local business by promoting “organic education,” a quest to provide real-world work experience to students in the Portland area.
The lab will offer various classes conducted by Microsoft partners that present and discuss situations that utilize Microsoft technologies. Focusing primarily on technology solutions and product sales, classes and seminars guide students and those interested in the technological prototypes, various applications and networks offered by Microsoft. These include methods for partner collaboration, customer management and advanced glimpses on upcoming Microsoft Office solutions.
“In a way, the center is an experiment,” said Cynthia Brown, chair of the computer science department at PSU. Right now, the Innovation Center will have 12 computers for training purposes.
“The center is not a lab, per se,” said Allison Menjivar, who works in the center. “Well, it is, and it can be. We hope to have conferences, training programs and sponsor the computer science students at PSU.”
The Innovation Center is not solely for PSU, but rather a focal point, where Microsoft and its partners anticipate business professionals, students, professors and researchers working amidst technologists and strategists within the Microsoft Corporation. Their goal is to develop, research and sell technology with students and local businesses, said Rane Johnson-Stempson, technical sales field engagement manager for Microsoft.
PSU paid no money for the equipment or the construction of the center and Hewlett-Packard donated the 12 computers.
”Truthfully, PSU has nothing to lose.” said Pamela Miller, the director of external relations for the College of Engineering and Computer Science.
Miller encourages students to stop in and test the software, bring ideas and use the space to their advantage.
Jon DeVaan, senior vice president of Microsoft, foresees students exposed to not only technology, but to the Microsoft Corporation in the Northwest region. This would be beneficial to those looking for jobs in computer engineering. “The ability for students to be exposed to our [Microsoft] technology in real-life situations is just another building block toward their future,” added Johnson-Stempson.
Rumors have floated in and around the center that scholarship opportunities could be awarded to capstone students in years to come, but again, there is no official word yet.