Platform Lab: Opening for Business in Cincinnati
Author: Ann Gallaher
March 2007
by Ann Gallaher, COO, Greater Dayton IT Alliance
Platform Lab, the nation’s only non-profit IT test and training facility, began operations February 1st, 2002 in Columbus. The Platform Lab which operates in partnership with the Ohio Supercomputer Center (OSC) is used by corporations, academic institutions, healthcare providers and software firms to validate disaster recovery procedures, stress test applications, troubleshoot and validate potential purchases and build new skill sets.
Platform Lab staff does not conduct the actual test procedures or training, only assists in the build of the test environment. Each client must provide the expertise necessary to conduct their test project but the Platform Lab has an Expertise Partner Program to assist the client locate and utilize qualified consultants.
The primary value Platform Lab provides to the Ohio IT community is the capability to utilize a reconfigurable, secure test facility at a significantly reduced cost compared to standard in-house testing. Due to the reduced cost and time investment associated with testing, more firms are engaged in testing and the overall quality of the organization rises in proportion. Firms that need to fulfill Sarbanes-Oxley and HIPAA regulations are saving by performing disaster recovery validations at Platform Lab. Firms that could otherwise never afford to perform application stress testing are conducting load test projects at Platform Lab and improving the quality and response time of their applications.
The Platform Lab is opening for business in Cincinnati at 312 Plum Street. The State of Ohio provided a grant to connect four locations to OSCnet (fka the Third Frontier Network) in order to provide a competitive advantage in the IT sector for Ohio firms and organizations. The location will be connected by 1 Gigabit connectivity to OSCnet -- providing the opportunity for universities and businesses to collaborate and innovate. Platform Lab provides hardware, software and bandwidth for firms to conduct IT test projects on-demand and at a non-profit rate.
If you are interested in more information on the Platform Lab or would benefit from their services being located in the Dayton area, contact Steve Gruetter, the director of the Platform Lab at (614) 675-3711.
