Texture, Vol 2 Issue 1 2005

VOL 2 ISSUE 1

TEXTURE 2005

O R L A N D O ’ S

T E C H N O L O G Y

L A N D S C A P E

WE’VE GOT

GAME Electronic Arts & University of Central Florida team up for gaming academy

A TELLING

STORY Talent from Disney’s animation legacy create tales of their own

A D VA N C I N G

T R AV E L Transportation tech takes off from Central Florida

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contents

ORLANDO’S TECHNOLOGY LANDSCAPE

Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission President & CEO Texture Executive Publisher Raymond Gilley Vice President, Marketing Texture Executive Editor Maureen Brockman Vice President, Tech Industry Development Texture Editor John Fremstad Director, Public Relations Texture Project Support Trent Flood

T E X T U R E J A N U A RY 2 0 0 5 V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 1 Departments

Director, CFTP Texture Project Support Amy Edge

FROM THE EDITOR 4 INTERFACE 5

Director, Creative Production Texture Project Support Judy Ladney

TECH TRENDS 6 OFF THE WIRE 9

Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Inc.

PEAK PERFORMER 10

President Texture Publisher William C. Peeper

NEW COs 12 INNOVATION ALLEY 15

Vice President of Publications Texture Associate Publisher Deborah Kicklighter Henrichs

TALENT POOL 18 SPECIAL FX 22

Managing Editor Connie Sue White Publication Artists Laura Bluhm, Ranae Ledebuhr, Michele Trimble, Frank J. Quinones

INTELLIGENT FORMS OF LIFESTYLE 36

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Senior Production Coordinator Elaine Hébert

WE’VE GOT GAME 24 EA Sports and University of Central Florida team up for gaming academy.

Director of Advertising Sales Sheryl Taylor 407.354.5568 Contributing Writers Michael Candelaria, Brian Courtney, Amy Edge, Rafaela Ellis, Denise Enos, Trent Flood, Pierce Hoover, Jackie Kelvington, Tracey C. Velt and C.S. White

A TELLING STORY 28 Talent from Disney’s animation legacy create tales of their own.

Contributing Photographer & Illustrator Charles Hodges, Frank J. Quinones This publication is sponsored in part by the Orange County Government’s Economic Stimulus Package .20. Texture magazine is produced by everything ink, a division of the Orlando/Orange County Convention &iVsitors u Breau, Inc.® (Orlando CV )B, for the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission. Orlando CV :B7 600 Forum Drive, Suite 0 10, Orlando, FL 32 ,1 2 8Phone 0 47.36 3.58 ,1 4 Fax 0 47.370.502 .1 Texture magazine assumes no responsibility for the return of unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, negatives or transparencies. Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission 301East Pine Street, Suite 0 90 Orlando, Fla 32 0 8.1 Phone: 0 47.4 .271 59or 8 .TOP.CITY . Fax: 4 07.4 2 5.6 4 2 8 . E-mail: info@ orlandoedc.com. Advertising information: 4 07.354 .551 2 .

Copyright 0 204Metro Orlando EDC. All rights reserved.

Any reproduction in whole or in part without the express written consent of Orlando CV ,Bon behalf of the EDC, is prohibited. Printed in the U.S.A.

Features

ADVANCING TRAVEL 32 Transportation technology takes off in Central Florida.

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On the Cover: Electronic Arts’ (EA) newest game, NFL Street 2.

Images courtesy of EA.

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from the editor

Moving at

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HIGH SPEED

Well I’m a roadrunner, honey I bet you can’t keep up with me Well I’m a roadrunner, man I bet you can’t keep up with me Ah, you’re never gonna catch me baby Baby, baby, you will see — Mick Jagger/Keith Richards, “Roadrunner”

Every city and every region is looking to define its economic growth. Where have they been? Where are they going? Is it positive? Metro Orlando is no different. We continue to grow our economy. We continue to look for our unique niche. We may have found it.

Driven for decades by tourism and conventions, Metro Orlando is beginning to showoff on new fronts — entertainment ... technology ... culture.

We’re beginning to look more like a roadrunner than a mouse.

Texture is a guide to our new characters and economies. It’s also an opening into a conversation ... a conversation I hope you will join. An ongoing, organic exchange of opinions among people with differing views and experiences.

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We are not offering a definitive answer, but a starting point: made up of provocative ideas, observations and predictions that will get you thinking differently about your business, your place and your future in Metro Orlando.

So, most important, Texture is an invitation. It’s an invitation to help us show the world Metro Orlando’s many dimensions.

Many people don’t recognize the significant advantages Metro Orlando will have in the coming decade and in the future blending of industries. There is nowhere else on the planet with the same kind of strength in entertainment, technology, film production and interactive media.

For conversation’s sake, imagine a place where ... ... thousands of people are masters at telling stories, sparking imagination, and providing people with virtual experiences; ... the military’s simulation procurement commands support the largest concentration of modeling and simulation companies in the world; ... a mature, local production industry supports a nearly $600 million film market; ... and, a critical mass of companies are involved in creating tomorrow’s interactive entertainment.

There is only one place in the world that can make this kind of claim — Metro Orlando.

Examine our region’s Texture , engage in this conversation and enjoy the experience.

We’re a roadrunner baby ... catch us if you can!

John S. Fremstad Metro Orlando EDC vice president, Tech Industry Development & Texture editor P.S. Orlando is a place with unique creative advantages, and uniquely productive partnerships. Texture is made possible through a start-up grant provided through Orange County Government’s Economic Stimulus Package 2.0. Our thanks to Orange County Mayor Richard T. Crotty and the Orange County Commission for their commitment to building this region’s reputation as a thriving business and technology hub.

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PHOTO BY CHARLES HODGES

KEEPING IT QUIET

By Susan Loden

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QMN’S LISA BEESON

Metro Orlando entrepreneur iLsa Beeson, with a musician mother and a father who is almost deaf, appreciates both sound and silence. Thus, her professional passion came naturally — her own mechanical, structural and acoustical engineering firm, u Qietly Making o Nise M Q ( .)N

T What is your priority in selecting employees? lb It is important to find the most talented people possible with the exact skills I need for any job. I have no trouble finding them here. Q MNhas a full-time team of five professionals with average annual salaries of $ 5,000.

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T Texture: What’s the attraction to Metro Orlando? lb Lisa Beeson: Business and opportunities are booming. I began with a global network of clients and have been surprised to find tons of opportunities and clients in my own backyard. As people worldwide are living closer to each other and to commercial/industrial areas, there is more noise pollution and stress. Q MNis ahead of the curve in solving some universal problems.

T What does the future hold? lb Most significant is the introduction of new products, including enclosures for portable generators used during power outages. Companies have to innovate and grow. I am constantly talking with others about partnerships and alliances that create business for all of us.

Beeson, as a woman with 17years of experience in designing energy and power systems, is a rarity as an acoustical engineer. e Hr team travels the world to master challenging projects, including the study of corrosion rates of oil and gas pipelines in Saudi Arabia, and design consulting on fluids and control systems for Westinghouse Power Corp. rom a base within a few miles of one F of America’s premier research parks, and a high tech incubator and university, M Q Ndesigns, develops and markets new products and services in acoustics and noise control for residential, commercial and industrial markets.

Products include Shut-Eye™ Acoustical Shutters and Blinds that cut noise by more than 25 decibels. Annual revenue has doubled each year since Q MN was founded in 2002.

T Is it important that Metro Orlando nurtures techno industries? lb The more high tech companies, the more business opportunities for Q MN . Everyone has a noise problem.

As our high tech community grows, our workforce improves and is more highly qualified.

T What about quality of life? lb I treasure living and working near the coast. rGeat weather is a must and variety in recreation and entertainment is important.

T What would you say to decisionmakers weighing a move to Orlando?

Y u cannot beat this area for lb o quality of life and as an excellent place to do business — worldwide. And, the x airport is one of the best.

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TECHNOLOGY

Growing

AGROTECH IS THRIVING IN FLORIDA, METRO ORLANDO

PHOTO COURTESY OF FLORIDA HIGH TECH CORRIDOR COUNCIL

By Jackie Kelvington

PHOTO COURTESY OF FLORIDA HIGH TECH CORRIDOR COUNCIL

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Crushing plants and vegetables in a high tech extraction process for their juices, and cloning soil-less plants in a clean room environment have become hot sectors in a growing industry dubbed agrotechnology. Out of the three primary states in the United States that are major agrotech industry contenders (Florida, Texas and California), Florida is emerging as the place to be.

Florida’s climate, excellent soil, native plants and extra crop-growing season have provided the right mix for various industries for decades — from citrus growing to cattle raising and now agrotechnology, an industry that combines crop-growing with high tech processes for use in everything from industrial food ingredients, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and plant reproduction.

METRO ORLANDO’S AGROTECH ROOTS Within the state, Metro Orlando has emerged as a hot spot for this burgeoning industry, attracting leading agrotech companies. Three of the nation’s powerhouses are located in Lake County, just northwest of Orlando.

Combined, these companies are generating revenues in excess of $25 million per year — revenues that have increased nearly 10 percent each year for the past few years. Considering that companies in the agrotech industry are generally small in size, these figures are even more impressive.

>> U.S. Nutra is the world’s largest extraction processor of saw palmetto, which is used in vitamin supplements and has been proven to decrease prostate enlargement. The Metro Orlando company’s production site in Lake County provides a natural home for the growing company as saw palmetto is native to Florida.

U.S. Nutra extracts oils from plants (or turns plants into oils) for medical and botanical applications using a super high pressurization process. Thanks to two significant societal factors — a growing number of health-conscious consumers who are looking more at labels for natural ingredients and a rise in the number of doctors recommending herbals over medicines — business has steadily mounted for U.S. Nutra, whose clients include top dietary supplement companies. >> Florida Food Products extracts water from vegetables for use in food colors, flavors and neutraceuticals. This 50-plus-year-old family owned company has evolved from a local citrus processor to a top international supplier of food and cosmetic ingredients. FFP, which pioneered the aloe vera and carrot juice concentrate business and contributed to the V8 Splash formula, utilizes a high tech process involving liquid solid separation, microfiltration, proprietary cold evaporation and vacuum freeze-drying techniques. The company delivers products in powders and concentrates to clients that include Heinz, Campbells and Con Agra.

Naturally, FFP engages in significant

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ABOUT THE AGROTECH INDUSTRY Agrotechnology (referred to by some as agricultural engineering or biosystems engineering) is a member of the biotechnology family.

Because agrotech combines multiple industries and processes, there are no specific SIC code identifiers

research & development. The company has worked on color-tweaking the sweet potato, developing a natural meat reddener (which replaces nitrates) and creating a watermelon concentrate for farmers to spray on corn crop to kill crop-laden rootworm. With the latter, the company directly helped decrease the amount of pesticides used in crop growing. The two brothers who run the business — Jerry and Tom Brown — are committed to fostering more agrotech growth in the region and have developed an industrial park in Lake County to do just that.

or industry data. However, below are some interesting facts and figures released by the U.S. Department of Commerce and the University of Florida. >> Industrial agriculturalderived processing and biotech agricultural applications combined make up a sector of more than 260 companies in the United States, with net sales of $260 million and 40,000 direct biotechrelated jobs. * >> Florida’s agricultural and natural resources industries (which

would

capture

agrotech-related sectors) generate $35 billion in net sales and employ more than 336,000 people. Metro Orlando is the state’s largest region for this industry. ** *U.S. Department of Commerce 2003

>> AgriStarts III clones hard-to-grow plants. A leader in tissue culturing (for plant production), the company is the world’s largest cloner of plants and vegetables that go to nurseries and greenhouses. In addition to traditional plant production processes (splicing plants and re-growing them in soil), AgriStarts III grows ultra-sterile, soilless plants in a cleanroom-like environment. Because the plants are soil-less, they meet international customs regulations and can be shipped worldwide. The company, which is the world’s largest grower and supplier of Venus Fly Traps, can get hard-to-grow plants to produce seeds and can make one plant into 100 using its DNA. “We’re much like Mother Nature telling plants what to do,” says Steve Hensley, director of operations at AgriStarts III, who states that the ornamental or landscape market is one of the fastest growing in the country.

Out of all plant production processes (seed, tissue culture and vegetative), tissue culture is the most clean and germ-free. AgriStarts III, which has the capability of producing nine million plants per year, reproduces fruit-bearing plants for Dole and Chiquita.

report: Survey of the Use of Biotechnology in U.S. Industry **University of Florida 2003 report: Regional Economic Impacts of Florida’s Agricultural and Natural Resources Industries

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AGROTECH INFRASTRUCTURE, RELATED INDUSTRIES & SUPPORT In addition to the clustering of some of the nation’s top agrotech companies in Metro Orlando, there are a host of

other related projects, activities and critical infrastructure that support this industry. >> In 2004, Scripps Research Institute (one of the top non-profit biomed research organizations in the world) announced plans to relocate to Florida, bringing more industry resources, critical mass and attention to the state, which already ranks 11th in the nation for biotechnology according to Ernst & Young’s Biotechnology Report. >> The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is located in Lake County, providing essential research and development support. In fact, in 2004 the Institute successfully created a genetically engineered tomato plant resistant to a serious virus that has spread rapidly around the globe, devastating crops and forcing growers to increase use of harmful pesticides. >> Renowned scientists are working on tobacco research at the University of Central Florida in Orlando — research that could aid in anthrax and other health-related solutions. >> The largest freshwater research facility in Florida is located in Lake County. Researchers there are currently working on solutions for a virus affecting largemouth bass. >> A recent local government study examined the potential for developing a research park dedicated to agrotechnology. This would further enhance clustering activity already happening across the region. >> In addition to essential support from area universities, the region offers the industry one of the nation’s largest airports for shipping product worldwide; a young, skilled workforce; a burgeoning high tech industry; strong entrepreneurial growth; and a dynamic, diverse and growing economy. The Department of Commerce cites these factors as essentials x for biotech-related growth.

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INNOVATION

Applauding

By Amy Edge

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Each year, the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission (EDC) honors companies that have made extraordinary achievements, developed innovative practices and exemplify the entrepreneurial spirit with the William C. Schwartz Industry Innovation Award.

Five local companies were chosen in 2004 for their excellence in innovation.

The program is named in honor of the late W illiam C. Schwartz, an avid Central Florida community leader and pioneer within the field of optics and photonics.

“The William C. Schwartz Awards give us the chance to honor companies that exemplify innovation and the true spirit of Schwartz himself,” says Ray Gilley, president and CEO of the EDC. “These companies embody that spirit and are vital assets to our community and the Metro Orlando region.”

The 2004 recipients come from the City of Orlando and each of the four counties served (Orange, Seminole, Lake and Osceola) by the EDC, the largest private, not-for-profit, regional economic development organization in Florida. Winners include:

>> Cnow, Inc. (www.cnowinc.com) is creating the nation’s first remote network dedicated to persons with developmental disabilities. Cnow’s product allows human service professionals to remotely work with persons with special needs through the use of interactive video technologies. The product is affordable and easily blends into the natural home or office setting. >> Ocean Optics, Inc. (www.oceanoptics.com) is a leading supplier of optical sensing systems used to determine the chemical, color, radiant and metrological properties of samples by measuring their interaction with light. This company has developed the world’s first miniature fiber optic spectrometer, which is a thousand times smaller than

prior solutions and one-tenth of the cost. The result has been more reliable and better products. > > Channel Intelligence, Inc. (www.channelintelligence.com) has created a first-of-its-kind database, or “metabase,” that allows diverse information to be combined and reconciled into a single common standard. This technology has resulted in billions of dollars worth of sales for companies such as Panasonic, Microsoft and Lexmark at retailers such as Best Buy, Circuit City and CompUSA. Using CI technology, Web browsers searching for product information on manufacturers’ sites are instantly connected to both online and brick-andmortar retail outlets that sell that product. >> Kinetics Inc. (www.kineticsusa.com) developed the technology that is driving today’s airline self-service check-in business. The company developed a kiosk and Web-based system that has saved airline customers an average of 15 minutes per check-in or a total of 15 million hours this year alone. Today, Kinetics’ self-service technologies are used by 14 North American airlines and served more than 45 million passengers in 2003. >> Planet Digital, Inc. (www.planetdigital.com) not only produces highimpact, interactive media, it also advises companies on its use and offers training on how to master these digital technologies. By making this technology easier to use, create and understand, Planet Digital has become the authoritative resource for creators and x consumers of digital materials.

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peak performer

The Chai of

CRYSTAL PHOTO

By C. S. White

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When one first meets Bruce Chai, it is likely he or she is struck by his overwhelming sense of calm and purpose. The soft-spoken gentleman’s almost Z en-like sense of well being may seem unusual for a scientist-turnedentrepreneur making inroads in a competitive field requiring tireless invention and innovation.

It is so competitive, in fact, there’s not even a Web site about his company, Crystal Photonics, Inc. (CPI). Unusual in a day and age when Web sites have become a business marketing staple.

“Everyone wants to know what we’re thinking, then they copy us,” says Chai quietly. “A Web site doesn’t help us because it would create competitors in a business that has a limited clientele.”

And, he’s not modest about why he

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gets customers with little marketing — including corporate giants like Philips, Siemens and G E — turning a business that he started from the ground up ten years ago into one making upward of $15 million a year and more.

“Because I have a reputation for getting things done, they come to us.

It’s a sort of reverse marketing.”

It’s no wonder. Chai’s company specializes in manufacturing optical

crystal for use in a variety of applications, many of which have monumental impact on our daily lives. CPI provides the “eye” for PET Scanners used in cancer detection, special optical filters for the missile early warning system used in Apache helicopters and equipment operating in Iraq, and crystal substrate used in LEDs, to name a few.

THE BIG PICTURE The down-to-earth scientist’s sixth sense for business fundamentals and how they apply to the big picture plays a role in his company’s success, too.

Chai says that although there are only a few U.S. companies similar to his,

ONICS UR BRUCE CHAI

PHOTO BY CHARLES HODGES

1995 in a rented lab at University of Central Florida (UCF) — with three refurbished furnaces for a quarter of the cost of one new one — is now housed in a massive 76,000-square-foot facility with 90 furnaces (bought new) and 30 employees. In 2003, CPI was named the Ernst &Young Entrepreneur of the Year®.

Succeeding despite the challenges, Chai sees a certain grace, even fait accompli, at work.

“It’s hard for me to believe I’m where I’m at today,” he says, believing that if he hadn’t started CPI where and when he did, it wouldn’t have worked.

“We started with $150,000 dollars, but starting a business in Central Florida made it easier to accomplish something with nothing. Land is reasonable and cost of living is comfortable. If I had tried this in California, the cost of the building alone would have been ten times more.”

JACK OF ALL TRADES it’s the international ones, located in far off places like China and the former Soviet Union bloc, that give CPI a run for its money.

Most significantly, these companies are able to pay their employees an absurdly low salary by U.S. standards.

“Here, salaries start at fifty thousand while overseas they can pay only five thousand [in China] and ten thousand [in Russia]. As a result, to compete globally CPI must be highly automated with as few people as possible.”

Plus, the equipment alone is costly.

New furnaces required to make the crystals are $200,000 each.

The company, which Chai started in

The scientist’s diverse interests have a hand in his success, as well. Who would have thought a rock jock-turned-engineer-then-scientist would end up also the CEO of a multi-million-dollar company?

“Sometimes your interests are out of your control,” says Chai sagely.

Born in Shanghai, Chai was raised and educated in Taiwan before going to Yale University for his PhD in geology, a subject that wasn’t his “true love,” but one in which he excelled.

Ironically, upon receiving his doctorate, he still wasn’t sure what he wanted to do. When Allied Chemical in Harristown, NJ, offered him a job to supervise the material research center, he took it. It was there he learned to

grow crystals, earning him a budding reputation as a leader in the field.

It was precisely his reputation that led UCF’s Center for Research and Education in Optics and Lasers (CREOL) to Chai’s door in search of an optical materials specialist. He joined the team in 1989 as a tenured professor teaching optics, engineering and physics. Happy in his job, starting a business was not top of mind. Until, that is, new inroads were being made in using crystals to produce the promising blue laser light.

The scientist launched CPI with the goal of commercially growing crystals for blue lasers, an uncertain proposition at best. Unfortunately, no one, including Chai, has yet been able to grow the blue crystal large enough for commercial use. Determined, he adapted once again to the situation set before him, making CPI what it is today.

Chai, who came from Taiwan to America in 1970 with only two suitcases in hand, attributes his work ethic to the attitude of a first generation immigrant: work hard and never take anything for granted. Thirty-four years later his entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well.

CEO Chai looks at running the multi-million-dollar business with the objectivism of a scientist: His talents as a businessman, engineer and scientist all play a role in his achieving what many try to their entire lives — a certain state of happiness. A nirvana, if you will.

“We help fight cancer, protect our soldiers and save energy,” he says. “I think it works because I put all my heart into the company — making money happened to be a result of my desire to contribute to x society through my talents.”

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Home-Grown

By Pierce Hoover

HIGH TECH

A TRIO OF NEW CENTRAL FLORIDA TECH FIRMS ARE POISED FOR NATIONAL SUCCESS

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The Florida High Tech Corridor — a loosely defined region of high tech companies stretching from Daytona e Bach to Tampa a By — has become a fecund region for software and tech startups. The following is the story of three such homegrown high tech firms. All three had their genesis in the Orlando area, and all are now poised to move from local success to national prominence.

MYDEA TECHNOLOGIES More than a decade after earning a .BS. in aerospace engineering and an M.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of Central Florida, Michael Siemer is at his alma mater. Only this time, it’s business.

After graduation, Siemer joined the Walt Disney Corporation as a project engineer and was involved in a number of exciting developments, including the design of the $ 100 million Mission Space attraction. Along the way, he gained expertise in the evolving field of rapid prototyping, and developed a vision for the new opportunities this technology could provide.

In 2002, he left Disney to form Mydea Technologies.

“B asically, [Mydea] is a 3-D Kinkos,” he explains. “We convert concepts and 3-D files to physical products using layer-based manufacturing.”

As compared to traditional prototyping methods, this provides both cost and time advantages to the customer, he says. “The best

PHOTO COURTESY OF MYDEA TECHNOLOGIES

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application is for small-to medium-size components, and our clients’ needs range from architecture modeling, general mechanical and military projects to medical and entertainment industry support. Our largest customer base is small companies hoping to bring new products to market, cost effectively.”

A specific example of rapid prototyping for medical projects includes the constructing of accurate models of both hard and soft tissues using sources that include X-rays, photos and MRI scans, says Siemer. For example, Mydea could create a model of a damaged skull, a joint or even a heart valve to be used for surgical planning, practice or as a model for surgical reconstruction.

Key to Siemer’s initial success has been a partnership with the UCF Technology Incubator. Located in the Central Florida Research Park, adjacent to the University, the Incubator was created to nurture start-up high tech ventures.

“Acceptance into this program has been critical to our success, it’s a lot more than just cheap rent,” he says. “[The incubator] provides shared resources; we are surrounded by tech companies and like-minded persons, which is good for moral support. It’s a whole lot better than sitting home in your loft, trying to start a technology business in a vacuum.”

In addition to physical facilities, the Incubator provides access to advisors and the University’s human resources.

For example, the Mydea Web site was developed by interns from UCF and the Full Sail media arts college, he says.

“A big part of the incubator process is having guidance from the staff on things like business plans,” he says, “and also networking for services and customers. The system allows us to grow at our own pace — we’re about to move into a third office within the facility — and when the time comes, we will eventually outgrow the incubator and move out.”

One of Siemer’s long-term goals for Mydea is to expand from prototyping into custom manufacturing, where the customer could use the additive manufacturing processes to create their own parts or products on demand.

RIPTIDE SOFTWARE In the early ‘90s, Central Florida’s high tech talent pool received a major infusion when 35 top programmers were recruited from around the nation to form a software development team for the Iridium satellite system. Their challenge was to create a ground control software package that could manage a worldwide network of 66 low-earth-orbit satellites in real time.

The successful completion of this project, and the lack of new complex software challenges that followed, left a lot of talent looking for opportunities that would allow them to remain in the area — and to the creation of several boutique software development firms.

The most successful of these startups was Riptide Software, which was founded in late 1995 to create configurable enterprise software products, meaning software that can be matched to any company’s needs and applied across the entire organization.

For the past several years, Riptide has been involved in the development of military training software for the U.S. Army and the U.S. Marine Corps.

Recently, the company designed, developed and deployed a Mobile Automated Instrumentation Suite to Ft. Hood, Texas, which provides large-scale command, control and communications capabilities for real-time simulation and control over war game exercises for up to 2,000 concurrent players. Also in development is the Digital Multipurpose Range Complex, a command and communications system for testing military tank engagements on live fire test ranges.

“One reason for our success was our

ability to take the long view on where technology would be in five years,” recalls Riptide co-founder and CEO Phillip Loeffel. “We were attracted to Java at a time when most people considered it to be a small Web technology. We became an early adopter, and by the time everyone else came around, we were established as the number one provider in Florida.”

Loeffel feels that the relatively small size of Riptide also gave them an advantage as it allows for innovation and rapid product development. The company has been recognized three years in a row (2001-2003) in the Deloitte & Touche North American Fast 500, a listing of the fastest growing high tech companies.

“The Orlando area is a vibrant environment for smaller companies,” he says. “A lot of area customers are willing to utilize small niche players who can innovate and provide rapid product development. This attitude allows smaller startup companies to thrive, and these are also the type of companies that attract the most creative minds, because they feel they have the freedom to innovate.”

There is ample room for continued growth in the Central Florida software cluster, Loeffel says, and ample local opportunities for his products in areas ranging from military simulation to the hospitality industry.

“Increasingly, we find some of our best markets in our own backyard,” he says. “We have national and international customers, but with software, which is not a product that can be touched or felt, many customers feel more comfortable dealing face to face.”

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MASTERLINK CORPORATION Kent Weisner fell in love with Central Florida when he was transferred here in the early ‘70s by Ohio-based Anchor Hocking Glass. So much so that when the company requested his return to Ohio, he instead chose to resign, remain in Orlando and go into business for himself manufacturing skylights.

Success and a subsequent sale of the business provided a hiatus for sailing and traveling, followed by a second entrepreneurial stint creating a technical staffing and predictive engineering firm.

His interest in increasing workplace efficiency brought him in contact with the Institute for Simulation and Training (IST) at the University of Central Florida (UCF).

The Institute has earned national recognition for its work on modeling and simulation technology in the fields of education and training. Collaboration with IST — coupled with the leadership of MasterLink co-founder Garry Fenimore, software architect Ken Levine, software exec-

utive/ investor Ralph Reichard (now Chairman), plus advisory board participation and investment by Philip Crosby, the late Quality Management guru — provided the genesis and financial support needed to form MasterLink.

The company provides innovative software solutions such as the Intelligent Work Management® (IWM) System. This Web-enabled, mobile-computing application maximizes management and worker resources while also improving customer service and reducing maintenance and operating costs.

“At the two venues where we first applied IWM, we doubled productive capacity in two years,” Weisner says.

“The clients were thrilled.”

Having achieved success on a local scale, MasterLink sought out larger national clients, including the Office of Naval Research. MasterLink’s outlook for growth and expansion is strong, Weisner says.

“After last summer’s round of hurricanes, we rebounded fantastically,” he

A TERRITORY IDEAL FOR GROWTH. AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAM READY TO NURTURE IT.

says. “The software we are developing can actually improve response times and effectiveness for emergency management organizations supported by FEMA [Federal Emergency Management Agency].”

Attracting good talent has not been an issue, Weisner says, as there is a strong local talent base, and recruitment from outside the region is not difficult.

“The cost of living is very attractive and selling someone on moving [here] isn’t hard.”

In addition, he says the business climate is favorable for such ventures.

“We received initial funding from the TRDA [Technological Research and Development Authority, a Florida entity created to promote high tech business development statewide] and despite the tech bubble burst, we were able to raise $3.5 million from angel investors and management. Central Florida is an area where, if you have a good idea, plus experienced and dedicated people that are both persistent and tenax cious, you can make it fly.”

Our service area in the Carolinas and Florida is one of the most vibrant areas of the country. One of thriving communities, diverse industries and a

©2004 Progress Energy Carolinas, Inc. and Progress Energy Florida, Inc.

skilled, motivated workforce. It’s no surprise that so many companies locate here. And why they increasingly turn to Progress Energy’s award-winning economic development team to assist them. We offer full-service support, from site selection to government contacts to energy expertise. The relentless pursuit of excellence.

It’s what we’re all about.

To grow your business in the Carolinas and Florida, call our Economic Development Team at 1.800.622.7562 or visit us at progress-energy.com/economic.

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CARE

Revolutionary

CELEBRATION HEALTH PIONEERS MINIMALLY INVASIVE SURGERY TECHNIQUE & TRAINING

By Jessica Chapman

>>

Inside and out, one of Central Florida’s leading hospitals offers a fresh approach to healthcare and is paving the way for innovative medicine.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF FLORIDA HOSPITAL

Some patients do a double take when they pull up to Florida Hospital Celebration Health. They see the facility’s stylized façade and lush landscaping and think they’ve stumbled upon one of Disney World’s numerous resorts. Located just south of Orlando in Celebration, Fla., the hospital prides itself on breaking stereotypes and exceeding expectations.

“We came into existence to be different,” says Dr. G ary Onik, a physician who specializes in radiology.

Opened in January 19 ,8 9this innovative hospital has services and equipment that aren’t available anywhere else in the world.

Adventist Health System, the parent company of the Florida Hospital system, has its corporate headquarters in Central

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Florida and operates its largest, flagship facility here. All these things factored into the development of Celebration Health and its ground-breaking environment.

“It’s a vision to serve the Central Florida community,” says Terry Uhran, the hospital’s assistant administrator.

From its 60,000-square-foot fitness center and homey private rooms to its unique seaside-themed radiology center and staff of world-renowned specialists, Celebration Health is breaking every mold in medical care.

A major feature that sets this hospital apart is its Surgical Learning Institute. The first of its kind in Orlando, the Institute offers hands-on surgical instruction in operating rooms and on cadavers, as well as classes about cutting-edge techniques, telesurgery and telementoring. It is also at the center of a new concept that focuses on the hospital as a “living laboratory,” or a place where healthcare professionals can further their training — whether it’s in a nursing unit or an operating room.

“That’s the entire platform that we have here at Celebration Health. We have cutting-edge equipment and a researchminded staff — and offer new, improved ways to provide care,” says Uhran.

Onik adds, “As a leader of healthcare, we have companies calling us all the time wanting to use our facility.”

ONE-OF-A-KIND TECHNOLOGY PROVIDES HOPE One of the improved techniques pioneered here is in the field of minimally invasive surgery. Through a partnership with Philips Medical, the

“YOU’RE NOT GOING TO SEE AN O.R. LIKE THIS ANYWHERE — DR. JAY REDAN ELSE.” hospital recently acquired the only intraoperative CT scanner in existence.

Two of CH’s top doctors, Onik and Jay Redan, a renowned minimally invasive surgeon, have collaborated on a dozen surgeries using this machine, which is already revolutionizing common procedures. By adding both of their talents to the capabilities of the

intraoperative CT, patients get a level of care that is unrivaled by that of any other facility in the world. The machine is housed in an OR where the doctors

Health, this new machine and the techniques performed by Onik and Redan are part of the hospital’s hands-on learning environment. The specialized CT

“PATIENTS WE WOULD HAVE SENT AWAY, WE CAN DO SOMETHING FOR NOW. ... WE ARE GIVING PEOPLE HOPE WHO WOULDN’T — DR. GARY ONIK NORMALLY HAVE IT.” operate right on the CT table, allowing them to scan patients before, during and after surgery, without having to transfer them. This cutting-edge imaging affects every aspect of the surgery, from pre-op to post-op. Through its 16 scanners — most CT machines have only four — the intraoperative CT pin-

room is equipped with three flat screen TVs, four boom cameras and T1 lines, so that doctors who can’t travel to Orlando for an on-site lesson can monitor an operation from anywhere in the world.

“This really is a major resource for medical technology in Central Florida,” says Onik.

points the problem and provides a 3-D image of the patient, as well as laser guiding, which helps the surgeons operate to exacting standards. By being able to put patients through the scanner at the end of the procedure, the doctors can be sure that they’ve completed the procedure effectively.

Many of the patients who have experienced this new technology had been diagnosed with various cancers, and were formerly inoperable. But with the intraoperative CT scanner, Onik and Redan have successfully treated these people.

Onik says, “Patients we would have sent away, we can do something for now. We are giving people hope who wouldn’t normally have it.”

Like everything else at Celebration

Redan, who moved to Orlando from Manhattan and has seen facilities around the world as a consultant for Johnson and Johnson, says, “You’re not going to see an OR like this anywhere else.”

One of the reasons Philips agreed to bring the intraoperative CT to Celebration Health is because of its living laboratory and the fact that the facility was already embracing similar medical advances.

“The main reason the CT is here is Dr. Onik, who is renowned in surgical imagery. He had a vision, a passion, and was relentless in pressing Philips until they saw and embraced our vision,” says Uhran.

For more information, visit www. celebrationhealth.com or call x 407-303-4000.

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x

the talent pool

MAKING THE

By Wendy Jo Moyer

GRADE

CENTRAL FLORIDA TECH EDUCATION MAKES THE HONOR ROLL

PHOTOS COURTESY OF FLORIDA HIGH TECH CORRIDOR COUNCIL

Have you ever heard of an 11-year-old managing a 25-million-dollar corporate relocation for a technology company?Or of a student traveling to Alaska, Egypt or Belize for a class project—without leaving the classroom?

Clearly, you may never take chalk, blackboards and flash cards out of the classroom, but there is plenty of evidence that technology is already playing a significant role in education’s

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future at all levels. M uch of the work making this happen is coming from companies within Florida’s High Tech Corridor. Working side-by-side with teachers, schools and colleges through-

out the region, the Florida High Tech Corridor is earning straight A’s for new and exciting technologies in education.

COMMITTED TO TECH ED Interested in architectural and mechanical drafting, computer animation and engineering technology? Orange County’s Edgewater High School has the answer, offering advanced classes in its engineering, science and technology magnet program. Creating

cutting-edge programs and providing students with real-life experience through inter nships, Edgewater’s partners include high tech industry leaders such as Lockheed Martin Corporation, NASA/Kennedy Space Center and the Naval Air Warfare Center-Training Systems Division.

In neighboring Seminole County, the Crooms Academy of Information Technology allows magnet students to make information technology a way of life with innovative learning methods in a technology-enriched environment.

Crooms has also partnered with a number of companies, including Oracle, Cisco, iM crosoft and Adobe, to create its programs and provide IT certification after classes are completed. These certifications allow students to graduate from high school and immediately enter the workforce, if they desire.

Besides the many high-school technology programs offered throughout Central Florida, the High Tech Corridor’s community colleges and the two major universities, the University of Central Florida (U CF) and the University of South Florida U ( SF), have also taken the lead in technology education and provide a solid foundation in numerous high tech fields.

Recognizing the need to help students develop their high tech skills, while having a seamless transition between community college and university studies, the Florida High Tech Corridor Council has developed 2 + 2 degrees. In these groundbreaking associate degree programs — developed in partnership with UCF, USF and the 12community colleges in the High

Tech Corridor — a community college partners with one or both of the universities to ensure that after a two-year program there is a path for the student to follow toward a bachelor’s degree.

OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM o Mst of us dreaded homework as a kid.

But with technology advancements being made by companies on the Florida High Tech Corridor, kids can actually receive part or all of their education without ever stepping foot in a classroom. Now, that’s homework!

Orlando-based Math Matters, Inc. offers complete math courses online. They can be used as either a supplement to traditional math teaching methods, or as a stand-alone course for home schooling.

This online computerized program a ( lso available as an interactive CD) was designed by more than 2 5teachers for third, fourth and fifth graders, and gives students a new format for comprehending math skills.

Imagine being on a quest to find buried treasure on a deserted island, and learning how to mathematically chart its

coordinates on a map in the process.

That’s just one way a Mth a Mtters makes its lessons interesting. All lessons are designed using everyday examples with color graphics, photographs, moving animation and sound clips.

Like M ath M atters, Orlando-based Chalk Dust Company provides math programs for supplemental instruction and home-schooled students, but it does it via TV. Chalk Dust host and

guide Dana o Msely, a former Valencia Community College professor, not only instructs each and every DVD or VHS lesson, he produces all programs in his local digital production studio.

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Recognizing that technology is only one tool in the educator’s toolkit, he also provides help to students when needed via Internet or telephone.

READING, WRITING AND... SIMULATION? Central Florida, one of the fastest growing high tech regions in the United States, is known as a national center of excellence for modeling, simulation and training. Simulation technology created in the Corridor has introduced students to things and places they may not otherwise experience, such as high-

way driving or visiting far-away lands.

Kids no longer have to wait for the big “sweet 16” to take to the road.

Daytona Beach’s Raydon has developed the first fully interactive driving simulator system — the Raydon Virtual Driver — that puts students behind the wheel before hitting the road. Their hardware, software and curricula are used nationwide in driver education, improvement and testing.

One of Raydon’s simulation curricula, Street Smart, was developed with the American Driver and Traffic Safety Education Association and is the only

simulator to feature National Driver Education Curriculum recommended by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In fact, this software is not only being used in schools across the country, but right here in our own backyard in Orange County Public Schools.

Speaking of our own backyard, ask Florida second graders what a “ranch” is, and many will respond “salad dressing.” Rather than a sign of intelligence, this signals a lack of the real-world experiences necessary to label a “ranch” as a farm.

As a result, second-grade teachers often find that students struggle to understand reading content. To accommodate these students, researchers at the University of Central Florida have developed a “virtual field trip” designed to acquaint second graders with unfamiliar places, things, people and experiences that appear in their books.

UCF researchers’ first test program — a nature walk — will soon be tested in Orange County, Fla., Public Schools.

The program uses vocabulary words and nature theme stories from secondgrade reading books. The virtual reality software provides cubic virtual environments, which allow students to view all 360 degrees around them, as well as up and down. The program builds the real-world knowledge that students need to comprehend their reading lessons. In other words, it’s a way to get the kids to the ranch without taking them to Texas!

PREPARING THE FUTURE WORKFORCE When you think of creating high tech jobs, you probably don’t think about the role of elementary- or middleschool teachers. But, these classroom teachers are the ones who spark the interest in science and technology in our youth, which is the foundation of building our future workforce.

One effort to attract a future high tech workforce to the region partners the Florida High Tech Corridor Council with Junior Achievement to pique fifth graders’ interest in high tech industry and economic development through a game, “TechTown

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Challenge.” Students are enticed with an interactive card game that empowers them with $25 million to finance efforts and assets designed to attract a technology company to their hometown. Assets include a multicultural community, hospitals, a research university and a well-trained workforce.

Students learn the role and importance of “place” in developing a region, make decisions about the value of regional aspects to attract businesses, and negotiate or bid with other students. All of these aspects are necessary to attract high tech industry.

Although the activity is still being tested in the Florida High Tech Corridor, so far, the results have been exceptional.

Fun field trips for teachers exist , too! techPATH, an educational initiative of the Florida High Tech Corridor Council, offers workshops to middle- and high-school math and science teachers.

The workshops provide insight into various aspects of science and technology industries and open the door for teachers to pass new and exciting career information on to their students. At techPATH, teachers experience handson demonstrations of technology tools, such as virtual reality hardware and simulated races at Daytona USA.

CONTINUING ED: REAL-WORLD TECH EDUCATION Education through technology does not stop at graduation. Technology created throughout the High Tech Corridor carries through to real-world education for adults.

In the restaurant industry, for example, Orlando-based Get Thinking, Inc., a nationwide supplier of highly creative online corporate training solutions, creates programs for industry giants including Olive Garden, Red Lobster and Smokey Bones restaurants.

Central Florida leads the nation in the production of one of the most significant real-world education tools — military simulation. Companies with a local presence, such as Indra Systems Inc., have produced a number of simulators to train our troops. Indra’s

flight simulators replicate the cockpit and handling qualities of the aircraft, complete with weapons effects, for basic and advanced training missions.

Medical applications are also significant. Have you ever wondered how doctors and nurses practice inserting intravenous (IV) needles into a patient or perform surgery for the very first time? Medical students at more than 700 organizations worldwide practice on Sarasota’s Medical Education Technologies, Inc. (METI) human patient simulators. These virtual patients, known as Stan (short for Stan D. Ardman or Standard Man), are capable

of simulating nearly any possible human medical emergency, including allergic reactions, the effects of weapons of mass destruction, drug overdoses or severed limbs. Through METI’s technology, Stan becomes a real “life” placed in the hands of students who must diagnose and administer the correct treatment.

Education is crucial to ensuring a society on the cutting-edge of innovation. You’ll find a lot to learn in Florida’s High Tech Corridor For more information about the Florida High Tech Corridor, visit x www.floridahightech.com.

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x

special fx

TECHNOLOGY

da Vinci, Say Hello to Next-Generation

By Trent Flood

THE DIGITAL ART MOVEMENT FINDS ORLANDO

>>

In the sixteenth century, Leonardo da Vinci completed what has become one of the most admired and discussed paintings ever created. So, what happens when this beloved piece, the Mona Lisa, meets the digital age?

LEONARDO - THE BRIDGEMAN ART LIBRARY

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Welcome to digital art, a new artistic medium introduced in the mid 1950s when programmers began using analog computers to make art animation and images. Since that time, digital art has permeated everything from the Internet to mainstream pop music to big screen feature films.

As a hub of digital media, Metro Orlando has a growing number of digital artists that have emerged from companies with a local presence, such as Electronic Arts (EA), and educational institutions, including the University of Central Florida (UCF), Full Sail Real World Education and Rollins College.

The trick has been introducing this cutting-edge art form to the world. To help address this challenge, several community organizations recently came together to showcase the work of some local artists working at EA’s Orlandobased Tiburon studios.

Running throughout the month of December 2004 at Orlando’s Downtown Media Arts Center, this oneof-a-kind display was titled, EA Artists —Offline. The show will remain in town, allowing Central Florida art lovers to continue experiencing the work of EA game developers.

“There is so much talent within the walls of EA. In addition to the unrivaled work these artists do day-to-day in their jobs, they have incredible offline talent,” says Steven Chiang, general manager of Electronic Arts Tiburon.

WHAT’S NEXT While the EA exhibit was a great step, it certainly wasn’t the first time that Orlando got to “download” some of the exciting things happening in the world of digital art. In 2003, the Florida Film Festival added a new program to its award-winning line-up called NextArt: Dynamic Media and New Forms of Entertainment.

From the outset, this new program featured installations, performances and panel discussions aimed at nurturing visionary artists by providing them with a unique venue and access to like-minded creators. In collaboration with, and support of, Orange County and the Dynamic Media program at

AS A HUB OF DIGITAL MEDIA, METRO ORLANDO HAS A GROWING NUMBER OF DIGITAL ARTISTS THAT HAVE EMERGED FROM COMPANIES WITH A LOCAL PRESENCE...

UCF, the NextArt program included exhibitions and a two-day academic conference focused on digital art.

Great things have come from that beginning. Today, NextArt has given birth to an organization representing 14 of the 18 universities that participated in the inaugural program. Called the International Digital Media and Arts Association, this new organization allows academic departments of Digital Media and Digital Arts throughout the country to exchange information on curriculum, conduct joint planning on research projects, and cooperatively develop corporate and governmental alliances.

Aside from these academic benefits, NextArt has also featured performances and displays including: >> Provocations: Digital Art Takes on the World was an installation curated

by Marc N. Weiss and Suzanne Seggerman of WebLab.org. Provocations included projects encompassing robotics, historical virtual tours and video game modifications. The event also featured Trailer A-Go-Go, a team of four filmmakers (including The Blair Witch Project producer, Michael Monello) that used the latest “off-the-shelf” digital video technology to create 10 movie trailers in 10 days, a feat never before accomplished at a film festival. >> The ILL Clan is an independent animation studio based in New York that uses 3-D computer game technology to create animated shorts. Known as Machinima , the process involves creating 3-D animation within a real-time computer game environment. The ILL Clan program featured live 3-D shows that were animated, performed and shot while simultaneously being projected on a large screen in front of the audience. >> In Toy Symphony, Tod Machover, and his team from the MIT Media Lab, bridged the gap between professional musicians and children, as well as between audience and performers.

Through the use of innovative technologies, the team created musical instruments and compositional tools that allowed children to compose music while playing with toys. The program featured a weeklong workshop that culminated in an integrated performance with children and professional musicians.

The 2005 edition of NextArt is currently under construction and promises to be even more exciting than previous years. On the drawing board is a video game competition and exhibition/performances by the most innovative artists exploring the fusion of digital media and entertainment.

Look for final result at the 2005 Florida Film Festival, April 8-17.

More information is available at x floridafilmfestival.com.

DIGITAL CINEMA Orlando's Downtown Media Arts Center (DMAC) offers a unique film-going experience.

The 80-seat digital cinema upstairs, combined with the art gallery and cafe downstairs, is an ideal setting for those who are interested in film and art.

The cinema screens independent/art house films from all over the world, as well as from local filmmakers. The future of DMAC also includes film-related workshops, lectures and discussions, equipment rental and editing facilities.

DMAC

looks to educate, encourage and entertain everybody who walks

through

its

doors.

www.dmacorlando.com

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WE’VE GOT EA SPORTS AND UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA TEAM UP AND BAM!, THE REGION’S TECH SECTOR HAS A GAME PLAN FOR SUCCESS

GAME

>>

By Brian Courtney

Ted Wilson was the first University of Central Florida football player drafted into the NFL. But the collegiate standout played only as a replacement player in the strike-shortened 1987 season. His real contribution to the league was establishing UCF with NFL scouts who, 10 years later, flocked to Orlando to watch a kid named Daunte Culpepper. A first-round draft choice in 1999, Culpepper today is a superstar. While he’s not yet enshrined in Canton, he is immortalized in the Madden NFL Football video game series, the best-selling sports game of all time. Now, thanks to a partnership between Culpepper’s alma mater and Madden game producer EA Sports-Tiburon, UCF is again hoping to establish itself as a provider of standout talent — grads headed to the big leagues of digital animation.

The Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy (FIEA), part of the Digital Media Division in UCF’s recently opened School of Film and Digital Media, will debut in the fall as the cornerstone of the school’s new downtown campus thanks to a unique collaboration with video gaming giant Electronic Arts (EA). The EA Tiburon Studio, which is based in the Orlando suburb of Mait-

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land, produces Madden NFL Football, NASCAR Thunder and several other best-selling video game titles.

“This is an investment for the long term,” says Ben Noel, vice president and studio chief operating officer at EA Tiburon. “The gaming industry is expanding exponentially and so is the need for quality people. EA employs 5,000 people worldwide and about

500 here in Orlando. As the industry’s largest, we have to resist the urge to recruit from within, because that’s just robbing Peter to pay Paul. To grow, we need new talent.

“We can’t create talent, but with alliances such as this one with UCF, we can nurture talent, help to direct its care and feeding, so to speak. That will yield skilled people ready to hit the ground running. The students, the school, the digital industry — we all benefit.”

The new school was primarily funded by a $4.2 million grant in the state budget, which was signed by Gov. Jeb Bush in May 2004 after the company and the university joined forces to lay the groundwork and establish credible evidence of the module’s viability. In late Fall 2004, the Orlando City Council agreed to lease its vacant Expo Centre to UCF for the fledgling program. UCF will pay the city $1 a year on a 40-year lease. The sides can agree to renew the lease for two additional 10-year terms, and the university’s foundation will have an option to buy the Expo Centre after March 2007.

The city will contribute up to $4.4 million for building renovations; UCF will fund nearly $2 million. The School of Film and Digital Media will migrate most of its programs and 1,200 undergraduate students from UCF’s main campus to the new downtown facility over a period of years.

From concept to final product, EA Sports-Tiburon's latest video game, NFL Street 2.

“H a ving a downtown location is more than just a nicety, it’s key to preparing these students for the realities they will face when they enter the workforce,” says o Nel. “EA and most of the other gaming companies — as well as the movie and technology industries — we all employ people in major urban areas. Allowing these kids to train in an environment similar to those in which they will work gives them a head start. There won’t be as much culture shock and that will reduce turnover.

UCFhas already proven this formula by putting its o Rsen School of o Hspitality on International Drive, smack in the middle of Orlando’s tourist center.”

GAME ON

“Just like a few California computer companies grew into the Silicon aVlley, I can see [F IEA’s] downtown campus becoming the center of a ‘digital media village’ that is a hub for interactive media.” — Ben Noel, EA Tiburon

GAME IMAGES COURTESY OF EA

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Like new video games and software packages, new schools start with the basics and gradually build, adding new features and user benefits. FIEA will initially function like a Master’s program.

Students with undergraduate degrees in computer science, art, digital media and such will be eligible to enroll. Attending full time, students should complete the program in about 16months and will receive a graduate certificate. The school is already working on expanding the standards and curriculum into a staterecognized graduate degree.

UCFexpects 50 first-semester enrollees and will launch with about 20 faculty and staff, mostly software engineers, artists, programmers and designers — including EA employees.

UCFexpects the program to grow to about 3 00 students and will graduate about 100 people each year.

According to Mike Moshell, head of the Digital Media Division of the School of iFlm and Digital Media, students will work in production teams during an average 0 6-hour week. About 40 hours of that time will be lab work. The curricula, which EA helped to develop,

will teach design, programming and testing for interactive media. EA also plans to offer internships to students and faculty.

“We think EA is a superb partner because of its deep commitment to training a workforce to create the next generation of interactive entertainment,” says Sterling a Vn Wagenen, graduate program coordinator of the UCFSchool of F ilm and Digital Media.

“It’s certainly going to elevate the quality of what we do in the school, and it’s going to be a terrific opportunity for our students.”

The school plans to set up a career placement office to help students find jobs after they graduate.

N o el and EA believe that this program will have significant impact well beyond the walls of its classrooms.

“Its very presence will build awareness of the interactive media industry among college advisors and even high-school guidance counselors, and help them to see this business as a legitimate career path for certain types of kids. And that path will only widen as digital media expands into other applications and industries.”

H e also sees the potential for eventually spinning off courses for use at the high-school level.

“Sixty percent of all Americans play video games and interactive media is now ingrained into our lifestyle. iKds will be interested in it earlier and earlier.”

IT’S SO LIFELIKE According to N o el, the school will help EA simplify one aspect of their recruiting.

“H i ring new graduates means we don’t have to do any ‘u ntraining.’ If they’ve already done an internship here they’re going to be familiar with the environment and the process, so they can jump right in. And for the others, they will have lived in this area for at least two years while they’re going through the Academy. They’ll be comfortable in Central F lorida, established. It makes starting a new job that much easier.” o Nt that EA has ever had any problem convincing potential employees to come to Orlando. Tiburon was founded

Deep End of the Pool University of Central Florida’s alliance with EA is a great example of industry and education pairing up for the common good, and the outcome will no doubt cause a ripple effect through Central Florida’s interactive digital media trade. But UCF is by no means the only institution producing talent.

Orlando’s long history as a center for animation, television and movie production, which originated with Disney’s arrival in 1971, established the city as the third-largest media center in the United States, behind only New York and Los Angeles. Digital media is a multi-billion-dollar-a-year business in Central Florida.

The region’s demand drew educators to feed the need for a specialized talent pool and today there are nearly 8,000 students enrolled in digital media programs in the Metro Orlando region.

Full Sail: Originally focused on recording arts, Full Sail now offers degree programs in game design & development, digital media and computer animation.

DAVE School: The Digital Animation and Visual Effects school, which is based at Universal Studios Florida in Orlando, opened in 2000. It provides practical digital animation skills.

Ringling School of Art & Design: Based in nearby Sarasota, RSAD offers specialized four-year Computer Animation and Graphic & Interactive Communication degree programs.

International Academy of Design & Technology: With facilities in Tampa and Orlando, IADT provides courses in digital media, including computer animation, digital movie making and digital production.

Valencia Community College: Students graduate with Associate’s degrees in Digital Media Technology. Courses include multimedia authoring and digital videography.

Seminole Community College: SCC offers an associate’s degree in Multimedia Technology, with a specialization in Graphic Design and Web Design.

Daytona Beach Community College: Working with the region’s military and business sectors, DBCC now offers an associate’s degree program in Simulation Technology that teaches the basics of modeling and simulation.

by a few people who were working as third-party developers for EA in California. They decided to relocate to Central lForida in the early 0 9 ‘ s because it offered a great quality of life at an affordable price. Those same points allow the company to attract qualified people today. EA acquired Tiburon Entertainment in 1998. One of the group’s founders, Steve Chiang, remains with the company in Orlando as the operation’s general manager.

“We’re a content provider,” says o Nel, “not a manufacturer or fabricator.

Our people — their creativity, ingenuity and vision — are our main corporate asset and our largest investment. We’ve found over the years that Central lForida is highly conducive to growing those

assets. It doesn’t matter if we relocate them here or if they’re local graduates.”

The people at EA predict that the process will get even easier with the maturation of the UCFprogram. o Nel believes that the “clustering effect” will launch the region into prominence within the digital interactive industry.

“Just like a few California computer companies grew into the Silicon aVlley, I can see UCF ’s downtown campus becoming the center of a d ‘ igital media village’ that is a hub for interactive media.”

Perhaps one day soon, when a graduate of UCF ’s F IEA is hired to work on the next Madden N FLFo otball game, he’ll add Ted W ilson as an Easter egg on the Washington x R edskin’s roster.

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TIC Productions, Inc.’s The Ask Grandpa Show, an animated series being pitched (at the time of this printing) to Discovery Channel.

A TELLING STORY

ARTWORK COURTESY OF TIC PRODUCTIONS, INC.

By Rafaela Ellis

O L CALTAL ET NO R F M DISN E’YS AN IMATION E LA GCYCR EATE TAL ES OFTH EIROWN

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>>

Three new animation studios launched in Central lForida bring together the professional talents and entrepreneurial dreams of several teams of highly skilled animation industry colleagues.

Spurred by a passion for the art form and a faith in the Central F l orida business environment, these world-class feature animators opted to combine their experience with hopes of creating their own studios — and a new paradigm for Orlando’s production business.

What these three companies have in common are their founders, all of whom honed their craft within Disney’s renowned F lorida F eature Animation Studio. They also share a passion for, and commitment to, the community they call home.

“The family environment of F lorida was really important to us,” explains o J hn Webber, co-founder of Project Firefly Animation Studios, a full-service studio providing 2-D and -3 D animation and artwork for theatrical and video releases, television series, commercials, children’s books and educational films. “We really grew up together as artists and knew each other’s families, and we wanted to stay here.”

As a result, when Disney announced plans to consolidate animation operations back to California in late 2002, Webber and several friends employed by the studio decided to stay in Central Florida, putting their considerable experience gained from the world leader in animation to work in a new venture that played on their strengths.

The aptly named company has quickly taken flight. Project F irefly has grown from the original five partners to more than 25 staff members, with expectations for the company to more than double in 2005.

“We are dedicated to the growth of the animation industry in lForida,” says Webber. “By providing creative, quality work for our clients, we plan to be a major

part of that growth and create stability for our employees and their families.”

The founders of Project iFrefly are not alone. A second group of former Disney employees founded the animation company TIC Productions, Inc., while others went to work for

that computers would replace cartoon artists, local animators claim the form is alive and well — and they intend to keep it that way by combining timetested techniques with state-of-the-art computer technology and an employee-centered management style.

TALENT MEETS TECH Project iFrefly embraces this philosophy wholeheartedly — while using the latest tools in computer animation, the team believes its decade-plus of traditional hand drawn experience gives their -3D creations that “special spark of life”.

“We feel very fortunate that we started off in traditional animation,” says Dominic Carola, president of Project iFrefly. “It gives us the fundamental skills we need to be pulled off into computer animation.”

Using Opus Animation technology for its traditional work and Maya 6software

Two scenes of Edgar and Sylvia, the main characters of Cecropia's new interactive film (unnamed at the time of this printing).

Cecropia, Inc., a Boston-based firm that recently opened an office in Orlando.

The new companies have more in mind than simply bolstering Central lorida’s animation heritage. They also F want to save traditional, two-dimensional animation, those hand-drawn cartoons that defined the genre in the pre-computer days. Despite predictions

on the digital side, Project iFrefly is focusing on creating family-friendly projects.

“It’s safe programming,” says Webber. “We all have young families, and we’ve tur ned down content that we didn’t think the company should be involved with. We want to stay on target.”

That shouldn’t be hard for a group

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of animators (C arola and principles Paolo Alavarado, rGegg Azzopardi, and o J hn Webber)whose collective credits include child-centered projects such as The L ion iKng , iLlo and Stitch , and Pocahontas, among others.

“It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have all this incredible talent that wanted to say in Orlando,” Carola says. “This is a great place in terms of up-and-coming talent, veteran talent and the technology we need.

“We want to continue to build the digital side of the company, and we [are getting] a tremendous response from young talent that we didn’t know was here.”

Carola points to the University of Central Florida and Fu ll Sail R eal World Education, both on Orlando’s east side, as “pumping out this tremendous digital talent.”

“We do think lForida is growing in terms of technology,” Webber says.

And Central F lorida companies are also growing an entrepreneurial mindset that gives them an edge in attracting and retaining a highly skilled, creative workforce.

“We allow the artists to multi-task, so you may have people who are doing traditional animation on Monday and computer animation on rFiday,” Webber says. “We [also] try to get even the management folks involved in production,” so no one feels hemmed in or bored by a rigid job description.

Apparently, that laid-back management style is working.

“We’ve only been open for eight months and we’ve worked on several feature-length projects for large studios,” Carola says, although confidentiality agreements prevent him from naming names.

Says Webber, “On a recent trip to Lo s Angeles, I was pleased to see how many people know about us and what we’re doing. Word has really gotten out.”

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MORE FOR LESS While Project F irefly has gained a lot of press attention for its efforts, another young company of talented animators is quietly making its own inroads in the industry. TIC Productions, Inc. was founded in 2002 by a group of young graduates from University of Central F lorida and the University of Florida who had previously worked together at Disney.

“We’re fairly young, and that’s part of our vibe,” says Dan Picard, a 29 -year-old

some big-name clients in just two years of operation. The company has completed projects for Universal Studios, 1 H V, AT& T, the Orlando Magic and yes, the Walt Disney Company. N ow, the group is embarking on a project for the Discovery Channel.

Picard says the key to satisfying such high-profile clients is cutting costs and tightening production time.

“The innovative process we use to make our animation streamlines it a bit, so it makes it less expensive for them,” he explains. “Instead of them paying money for a bunch of [in-house]

“We are dedicated to the growth of the animation industry in F l orida. By providing creative, quality work for our clients, we plan to be a major part of that growth and create stability for our employees and their families.”

— John Webber, Project Firefly Animation Studios

animators, we do it for them for less.”

Although Picard and his partners have backgrounds in traditional animation, he definitely sees computer animation as the wave of the future.

“Those were really timeconsuming processes,” he says of 2-D animation. “With the advent of computers, you Top: Cecropia, Orlando Animation Director Broose can draw right into the comJohnson (right) and artist Dan Gracey (left).

Bottom: Project Firefly Animation Studios puter instead of on paper, and Animator Travis Blaise. then you can use it on the Web or for print and it’s all there.”

Computers also make it easier for a partner at TIC. “We’re a bunch of young client to map a project’s progress, dudes. We’re very hungry, [and] we like Picard says. working hard, but we also like hanging “We can show them stuff every day out together. It’s a pretty cool crew.”

— stills, animation, composites — and Picard’s relaxed persona aside, TIC that’s invaluable. When someone is payis deadly serious about carving out its ing a lot of money, they truly grind you niche in the animation biz. e H and partto see how you’re spending it.” ners e Nil e L iba and Dave Artura drafted ike Project iFrefly, TIC considers an L Ashish K apadia, a former healthcare employee-driven business model to be management executive, to serve as the its biggest asset. firm’s CF O and have managed to nab

TIC Productions, Inc.’s animated music video project produced for Sony Music.

“A lot of times, working for someone else, the best ideas get shot down,” Picard says. “We just want to make our own stuff, to stay the course and keep making as much original content as possible.”

KEEPING IT REAL When Cecropia, Inc., a Boston-based computer gaming company, was seeking a way to bring its new, character-driven games to life, opening an Orlando office seemed the natural answer.

“We realized what we really needed was something called personality animation, and that is something that was founded by Walt Disney,” says Ann Marie Bland, the company’s president.

“As we were searching for our solution, we came across a resumé from somebody from Disney, and we found out the studio was about to close.”

Working with Disney’s outplacement department, Bland and company found 14 full-time employees and 10 freelance contractors in Orlando to help develop their game, scheduled for release in March 2005.

Unlike other local animation companies, which create mostly broadcast materials, Cecropia is attempting to invent a new product: a storytelling video game in which players control not just the characters’ actions, but their emotions as well.

“This [is] a new form of entertainment, a new delivery form of storytelling using technology,” Bland says.

“Players can actually participate in a film. They control the characters emotionally and how they socially interact with other characters.”

Using a simple dial controller reminiscent of the early video game Pong, players of Cecropia’s “story games” can become as emotionally involved with their characters as they would with a film or television personality. The key, Bland says, is to combine high tech gaming technology with traditional animation techniques.

“Three-D animation looks great, but if you look at the characters’ faces and how they walk and talk, it’s very plastic,” she says.

Using proprietary software

designed by its in-house engineering staff, Cecropia instead has created characters whose facial expressions and body language are the very clues that lead players through the game.

“What we’re producing is a romantic comedy with our star players, Edgar and Sylvia,” Bland says, referring to the two main characters in the as-yet unnamed product. “It’s like an animated feature film, and it’s entertaining to watch not only the characters and how they move and animate, but the social psychology of how people play it.”

But it’s the social psychology of Cecropia’s Orlando office that perhaps best reflects the newfound vibrancy of Orlando’s animation business.

“Our guys and gals have amazing talents, and they can really stretch their wings far here,” she says. “In any large corporation, it’s hard to cross into a new department or a different function, but that’s what smaller companies can provide. Everyone we’ve hired has really embraced that, and they’ve x grown within themselves.”

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ADVANCIN

By Tracey C. Velt FROM AUTOMATED TRAVEL KIOSKS TO INTEGRATED BAGGAGE SYSTEMS, TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY TAKES OFF FROM CENTRAL FLORIDA.

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Great ideas have to start somewhere. For some, it’s an idea stumbled upon from a desire to automate a process; for others it’s a series of relationships that make it possible. Take the cases of two Central Florida companies that are changing the face of transportation technology — G&T Conveyor Company and Kinetics, Inc.

texture January 2005

NG TRAVEL

Illustration Frank J. Quinones

For G&T Conveyor, the great idea was born of a need for more efficient baggage handling systems and built on successful past relationships. For Kinetics, it was an idea — self-service airline check-in kiosks — that germinated while the company’s founder was working as a sales agent for a travel agency.

Very different ideas, but both offer

technology that’s changing the landscape of travel around the world. And, both are headquartered in Central Florida.

KINETICS: THE LEADER IN SELF-SERVICE TECHNOLOGY If you’ve traveled Delta, Continental,

ATA, or any one of 14 airlines using self-service check in, you’ve likely used one of Kinetics’ kiosks. It’s a product that’s hard to ignore in a time when companies are trying to be more productive with less employees. Capitalizing on this productivity trend is Lake Mary-based Kinetics, founded by David Melnik.

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“More than a decade ago, I assembled a small team of travel professionals and established a relationship with NCR to build a business focused on improving the archaic distribution channels of the airline industry,” says Melnik. “The idea literally evolved from my second bedroom. I had worked selling airline tickets to small businesses, and I wondered why this couldn’t be done through ATM machines.”

His idea — self-service kiosks at airport check in — would eventually change the way travel is done. By sliding in your credit card, the kiosk automatically pulls up your airline reservation, allows you to choose how many bags you want to check and gives you a seat map of the plane you’re boarding. You can see where your seat

“The quality of life that surrounds our office has a comforting effect on employees.

You’d have to pay me a ridiculous amount of money to convince me that I should live or have my company somewhere else.”

— David Melnik, Kinetics, Inc.

is and which seats are still open, allowing you to pick a different one if available. Once complete, your boarding pass prints from the machine.

But, achieving success in the airline self-service market proved to be far from easy. From 1991 through 1995, Kinetics worked with a variety of customers that included state governments, Fortune 100 companies, and domestic and international airlines.

Solutions ranged from self-service motor vehicle registration, smart-card prototypes, biometric-identification software, and deployment of selfservice ticketing systems for the Delta Shuttle and Lufthansa German Airlines.

At the end of 1995, Kinetics ended its six-year relationship with NCR and

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charted its own course in the market.

They launched their own version of self-service hardware and enterprise software. With Alaska Airlines as the launch customer and Northwest Airlines following, this sparked the beginning of a major change in the behavior of the traveling public and the now widespread adoption of self-service.

Kinetics’ products, services and vision have combined to become the blueprint for the soon-to-be universal success of self-service in the North American airline industry.

Almost 10 years after their initial partnership, NCR and Kinetics are together again. NCR acquired Kinetics in October 2004.

“Joining with NCR, a recogn i z e d leader in self-service solutions, is the right thing to do for Kinetics, our customers and our employees,” says Melnik. “This combination will propel our company into the next generation of self-service technology, help us broaden our success in changing the face of travel and enable us to seize new opportunities in the international travel marketplace.”

The significance of Melnik’s self-service business model is farreaching. The company provides self check-in machines to two-thirds of the nation’s airports. In fact, according to an article in Fast Company magazine last year, tens of millions of airline customers checked themselves in on machines that were designed, produced, and supported by just 67 employees in an office about 20 miles north of downtown Orlando, an area quickly becoming a mecca for large and small technology and simulation companies.

“I never even considered putting my company anywhere else,” says Melnik.

“Being in Central Florida is a great draw

to employees who want the family-oriented atmosphere and quality of life.”

Melnik wanted to break through the traditional corporate model of being in a large metropolis.

“The quality of life that surrounds our office has a comforting effect on employees,” says Melnik. “You’d have to pay me a ridiculous amount of money to convince me that I should live or have my company somewhere else.”

In addition to building the company headquarters in Central Florida, Melnik finds it vital to recruit local talent.

“We focus on recruitment in the Central Florida area,” says Melnik. ”Most of our programmers live here and all of our developers are located here. The only significant workforce that doesn’t live here is our team of field service technicians, who spend every day traveling from hub to ‘spoke’ to perform preventive maintenance on Kinetics TouchPort self-service hardware.”

What makes Kinetics unique, besides being the first to develop the self-service kiosk business model, is the way the company helps businesses streamline and become more productive by offering software that makes the check-in process available on the Internet, as well as at the point of service.

More than that, the company does everything in house, from writing the software to designing the hardware. A group of 12 technicians keeps the airport kiosks running at what Continental says is 99.5 percent reliability, according to the article in Fast Company. At Continental Airlines, 66 percent of U.S. passengers check themselves in at Kinetics kiosks.

“We never thought it would go above twenty-five percent,” says Scott O’Leary, Continental’s senior manager in charge of airport self-service for passengers. That means fewer lines, more employees offering a smile and customer service, and a less-harried traveler.

What lies ahead for Kinetics?

“We’ll continue to have strong growth,” says Melnik. “We were just acquired by NCR and that gives us the fuel to expand globally and into other aspects of travel and hospitality, including self-service kiosk and Internet

check-in at hotels, rental car agencies and quick-service restaurants.”

Just think, says Melnik, “Ten years from now, there’ll be things you do for yourself that used to be handled by someone else, and you’ll forget that you never handled it before.”

G&T CONVEYOR: SECURITY IN BAGGAGE HANDLING In business, reputation and relationships mean everything. No one knows that better than Ted Majewski, Sr., who worked in the baggage handling industry installing systems before retiring to Central Florida. Demand for Majewski Sr.’s installation expertise soon brought him out of retirement and became the catalyst for creation of G&T Conveyor Company, which he founded with son, Ted Majewski, Jr., in 1987. First run as an installation company, putting other companies’ baggage handling systems into airports, G&T quickly transformed into the largest airport industry-dedicated supplier of baggage handling systems.

When the need to do some light manufacturing forced them to move from their first location, the Majewskis looked around the state, considered all the variables — qualified workforce, work ethic and infrastructure —and decided on their current location in Tavares, about 30 miles north of downtown Orlando. The number one reason they chose Central Florida was the region’s workforce.

“The work ethic in Central Florida is one of the strongest I’ve seen in the twenty-five years of my professional career,” says President John Majewski, who joined the company to help brothers Ted Jr. and Larry when Ted Sr. retired several years ago.

“This, along with our proximity to the airport, governmental support through grants, and the local technical schools and colleges [University of Central Florida and Rollins], have all acted as catalysts to the rapid growth of our company.

“What began in a strip mall in Clermont (north of Orlando) has now

grown to an $80 million business. We have over 500 employees across the country and more than 275 that work in our world headquarters in Tavares,” he says.

According to John, “We’re a turnkey supplier, meaning we design, engineer, manufacture, install, operate and maintain baggage handling systems.”

G&T also writes the software that tracks the bags through the system and interfaces with the airline flight systems to match bags with passengers and route them to the proper flights.

“With the recent changes in security requirements, tracking bags from check in through the intricate levels of security screening and on to sorting for departure, has made our proprietary software even more valuable,” says John.

Since G&T originally installed a majority of other companies’ U.S. baggage sortation systems, as well as their own, they are now a leader in the in-line integration of security screening equipment into both their own systems and their competitors’.

Seattle. They’ve signed three consecutive contracts in excess of $20 million that will completely enable the airport with the latest in checked baggage security and sortation.

“A little closer to home,” says John, “We’re close to completing the baggage handling system for the new terminal in Fort Myers, [Fla.]. This $20 million system is state of the art, and G&T will also be operating and maintaining the system after it goes into operation in 2005.”

What does the future hold for this Central Florida company?

“G&T is tracking $5 billion worth of business in our domestic market in the next five years,” says John. “We’re continuing to be aggressive in our growth with both acquisitions of our smaller competitors and complementary lines of business. G&T is also getting more aggressive with our international sales efforts and have had some recent

“The work ethic in Central Florida is one of the strongest I’ve seen in the twenty-five years of my professional career. This, along with our proximity to the airport, governmental support through grants, and local technical schools and colleges, have all acted as catalysts to the rapid growth of our company.”

—John Majewski, G&T Conveyor

“W ith the most complete product line, a company dedicated entirely to this industry, and a division that provides ongoing support after the design and installation, we’re a unique partner,” says John.

Just ask airport management in

success in South America. We just signed a contract to design the baggage system for the Shanghai International Airport in China. Our business is global.”

From the most obvious front-end operation such as self-service airline check in, to the unseen back-end activities such as baggage handling, Central Florida companies are taking x the lead.

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x

intelligent forms of lifestyle

ORLANDO

Quality of Life

By Denise Bates Enos

COOL NEW PLACES TO ROAM, LIVE & PLAY — ORLANDO HAS IT ALL

TODD ENGLISH’S BLUEZOO

>>

A lot has changed in and around downtown Orlando since it first earned its reputation as “The City Beautiful”. While still easy on the eye, old-timers here can remember when the bustling area around Colonial Drive-Highway 50 was populated by more cows than humans, with acres of pastures stretching from the tiny downtown area as far as you could see. Orange groves, too, made their home here, the scent of their blossoms perfuming the air before the trees bore fruit each year.

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What a difference a few decades make. Today, you’re more likely to encounter high-rises and watering holes, chic boutiques and divine dining destinations than fruit stands and tractors in The City Beautiful. Here’s a look at some great places to live and play.

BLUE MARTINI LOUNGE

EVERYTHING BLUE Feeling blue? Well, it can’t be because there’s nothing to do — Orlando offers plenty to put you in the mood. Here are just a few of the many options: > > Blue Martini Lounge, Mall at Millenia, 4350 Millenia Boulevard, Orlando; www.bluemartinilounge.com This newcomer to Orlando’s chic social scene opened in January, and it’s a welcome addition to the city’s sophisticated nightlife roster. Blue Martini serves up an impressive variety of flavorful martinis — more than two dozen in all — as well as fine wine and a full bar. A tasty tapas menu of appetizer-sized dishes perfectly complements the spirited offerings. >> Todd English’s Blue Zoo, The Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort, 1500 Epcot Resort Boulevard, Lake Buena Vista; 407.934.1111 What would you expect from a restaurant housed in a hotel named after a marine mammal? Seafood, of course — and the trendy Blue Zoo delivers. Hook the Catch of the Day, or try one of the delectably prepared fish dishes that are standard fare at this not-so-standard eatery. An excellent wine list, private dining rooms and desserts to die for round out the tempting options. >> House of Blues, Downtown Disney’s West Side, 1490 East Buena Vista Drive, Lake Buena Vista; 407.934.2222 This is the place to hear top musical acts of every description in an arty, relaxing atmosphere. You can grab a bite to eat at the adjacent restaurant or outdoors in the Voodoo Garden while a house band plays, or try the Gospel Brunch on a Sunday morning — it’s a soul-stirring, foot-stomping experience you’ll never forget.

HOUSE OF BLUES

QUICK TAKES: CONTROL PAD Get ready for some high tech fun at these grownup video game escapes.

From Xbox and virtual reality to blast-in-the-past classics like Pac-Man, these venues take socializing and having fun to a new level!

Thumb Fu Gaming 358 North Park Avenue, Winter Park; 407.466.7875; www.thumb-fugaming.com XS Orlando — Pointe Orlando 9101 International Dr, Orlando; 407.226.8922; www.xsorlando.com Disney Quest® Indoor Interactive Theme Park Downtown Disney’s West Side, 1490 East Buena Vista Drive, Lake Buena Vista; 407.828.4600

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CITYSIDE CRIBS Thinking about ditching your rental contract and making a residential commitment? Home ownership doesn’t have to mean dullsville in the suburbs when there are so many hip and happening places to call your own downtown.

And if downtown is the heart of Orlando, then Lake Eola Park and its dramatic, dome-shaped fountain are the heart of downtown. It’s a good place to begin your home-finding quest, as the area is peppered with striking structures that house luxury condominiums. Check out The Waverly on Lake Eola (www.waverlyonlakee-

ola.com); The Vue at Lake Eola (www.thevueorlando.com); and Thornton Park Central, Eola South, Park North at Cheney Place and Osceola Brownstones (www.condohq.com) where residential development lives in harmony with shopping and dining locations. 55 West (www.fiftyfivewest.com), a 32-story condominium project located in the central business district, is slated to break ground any day now.

Slightly farther afield, but still a stone’s-throw from downtown, you’ll find the China Glass Warehouse (www.condohq.com), the area’s only

authentic residential lofts; and Baldwin Park (www.baldwinparkfl.com), a primarily single-family home development that also offers attractive condo living.

Of course, such sought-after locales don’t come cheap, so expect to pay a premium for the convenience of living in the middle of the action. You might find a small efficiency to purchase for under $200,000, but more spacious places typically have a starting price above that amount, which can quickly skyrocket to $300,000 and up.

Upper-floor units and penthouses can easily reach seven figures — as the view x increases, so does the price.

55 WEST

BALDWIN PARK THE WAVERLY ON LAKE EOLA

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