Microsoft Corporation is partnering with the UW-Madison computer sciences department to open a laboratory in downtown Madison this spring.A,A
The Microsoft Jim Gray Systems Lab will open under the leadership of UW-Madison computer sciences professor emeritus and Microsoft Technical Fellow David DeWitt.A,A The lab will provide UW-Madison computer sciences graduates an opportunity to conduct research on database systems.
Microsoft is here because we are doing some of the best database work in the world and we have produced scores of graduates who have gone on to successful careers in the industry,"" DeWitt said in a statement.A,A
""Our focus will be on continuing the production of talented graduate students and taking on some of the great challenges in database systems,"" he said.
Gary Sandefur, dean of the College of Letters and Sciences, said the lab will be extremely valuable to the UW-Madison campus.
""In Computer Sciences it will allow graduate students to have some hands-on experience in actual research and development - that's part of the work they would be doing for Microsoft.A,A So it's really a great opportunity for some of our students,"" Sandefur said.
Computer Sciences Department Chair Gurindar Sohi stressed the importance of the partnership between UW-Madison and Microsoft on a national level.A,A
""It's going to bring great visibility to our department,"" Sohi said.A,A ""This will be the first time Microsoft has set up a facility like this in collaboration with a computer science department worldwide, and the first time a facility has been set up around an individual faculty member.""
Work done in the new lab will focus on developing data management techniques, according to Sohi.
""With the explosion of the data that is the result of the growth of the Web and all sorts of data gathering devices, there is a lot of data that has to be managed and clever techniques to manage that data need to be developed,"" he said.
The lab will be located on West Main Street and will have six employees, as well as the support of UW-Madison's computer sciences faculty and graduate students.
