Christie Helps Celebrate Communitech Hub’s First Anniversary As Canadian Digital Media Centerpiece

Cypress, CA -- (SBWire) -- 10/28/2011 --Celebrating its first anniversary this month, the Communitech HUB is emerging as a major global destination in Waterloo Region for established and start-up companies to foster collaboration and growth in a supportive, high tech environment. Christie®, a world leader in visual technology displays, is a founding member, visionary and major sponsor of the HUB. The company notes that the centre hosts more than 300 tours a month for high profile delegations from around the world, and nearly 5,000 visitors in the past year, reflecting its growing success.

“The HUB is a digital technology ‘thinkubator,’ accelerating Waterloo Region’s position on the digital stage,” said Gerry Remers, president and COO, Christie Digital Systems Canada. “As a founding member, Christie is proud of the enormous progress achieved by the HUB in such a short time, establishing a supportive environment for like-minded people to come together and collaborate.”

The HUB, supporting the revitalization of the downtown area core, is part of the Canadian Digital Media Network, with an ecosystem that offers job creation and wealth growth. To this end, it extends invitations to an international audience of established and start-up companies from all over the world, including Egypt, Greece, Russia and China. It uses technology to accelerate relationships, business customers, revenues, and job growth. In addition to providing technology solutions and expertise, as well as conducting tours, Christie has been active in coordinating symposiums on-site, such as the 3D Learning Symposium, organized with Desire2Learn, which brought thought leaders from around the world together to discuss 3D visualization for training and learning.

Dr. Kevin Tuer, VP of Digital Media at Communitech, and managing director of the Canadian Digital Media Network, noted, “Great things can happen when we collaborate, when we do things together, instead of working in our own silos. With support of companies like Christie, the HUB continues to establish its reputation in Canada and around the world as a place where technology facilitates the sharing of ideas and helps companies of every size unleash the full potential of their entrepreneurial vision.”

In the year since the HUB opened its doors, the Christie-designed and maintained HUB Interactive Virtual Environment (HIVE), a four-sided 3D immersive environment powered by 12 Christie Mirage HD6 DLP® projectors, has emerged as one of the centre’s most exciting installations and a major attraction. Christie has made the HIVE – among the world’s most advanced 3D research tools – accessible to every sector of the economy, including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which might never have had the opportunity to experience such technology. It is transforming understanding, expanding possibilities for research and innovation, and for generating jobs. Christie has installed similar immersive environments in top-level institutions such as the Louisiana Immersive Technology Enterprise (LITE)and the Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City.

The HUB features the following Christie products:

Hub Interactive Virtual Environment (HIVE) – Features 12 Christie Mirage HD6 3D stereographic projectors powering a 20 feet by x 10 feet, four-sided, 3D enabled ‘immersive environment.’ It enables the display of vast amounts of data, and is finding a wide range of applications in markets that include architectural, government, medical research, culture and the arts, and industries such as automotive and aviation.

The HIVE uses the Christie Spyder X20 video processor, which is also installed in the Theatre/Event Space and Executive Briefing Room, for wider content sharing and collaboration across disciplines.

Tannery Event Space – Features a 3D-capable multi-screen system powered by four Christie Mirage WU7 DLP® projectors and a Christie Spyder X20 video processor. It is a reconfigurable room system design that offers multiple connection points for presentations.

Pollock Executive Briefing Room – A Stereo 3D-capable Christie Mirage WU7 HD DLP® Projector with multi-source windowing capabilities, and 50 pairs of active glasses for 3D viewing.

Reception Area – An array of 30 Christie® MircroTiles® in a wall ribbon and top hat configuration, featuring content developed by local students from Conestoga College.

“The HUB represents a truly collaborative effort by industry, government and the community,” said Remers. “It is removing barriers to accessing and sharing information, and thereby powering the economy of Waterloo Region in a dramatic, highly visual way. Christie values its partnership, and is committed to providing its advanced visualization tools, expertise and other, diverse resources to help promote its goals.”

About Communitech
Communitech is a network of more than 800 companies and organizations that believe in building a strong tech cluster in Waterloo Region.

Employees of network member companies can join peer groups and attend events for free or at a reduced cost. Their network members include global organizations such as Research In Motion, Open Text, Christie, and COM DEV. Equally important are the start-ups and fast-growing small enterprises and the many investors, service firms, educational institutions and governments that contribute to their growth. Today, Waterloo Region is of one North America’s pre-eminent technology clusters, and Communitech works hard to sustain and improve that position.

About Christie®
Christie Digital Systems Canada Inc. is a global visual technologies company and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ushio, Inc., Japan, (JP:6925). Consistently setting the standards by being the first to market some of the world’s most advanced projectors and complete system displays, Christie is recognized as one of the most innovative visual technology companies in the world. From retail displays to Hollywood, mission critical command centers to classrooms and training simulators, Christie display solutions and projectors capture the attention of audiences around the world with dynamic and stunning images. Visit http://www.christiedigital.com.