COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

Why pay more when you can get the same quality for less? Area universities are producing an abundance of coders and network engineers that are comparable to talent found in the Silicon Valleys of the world, but our wages are a whole lot less thanks to our lower cost of living.

REGIONAL CLUSTER (2011):

• Employment - 3,200 
• Average Annual Wage - $71,048

Source: Innovation in American Regions

AREA EMPOLYERS

• 1901 Group (Blacksburg, VA) - Reston, VA based company providing managed IT services provider that delivers 24/7 operations, analytics, and expertise in Unified Communications
• AeroSoft* (Blacksburg, VA) - Develops computer software that performs computational fluid dynamics analyses
• Advanced Logic Industries (Blacksburg, VA) - IT services firm committed to delivering technology solutions that solve business issues
• Automation Creations* (Blacksburg, VA) - Specializes in customized software, websites, and IT solutions
• AVID, LLC* (Blacksburg, VA) - An industry-leading aerospace engineering and software development firm, excels at multidisciplinary aircraft design and analyses
• Dish Network (Christiansburg, VA) - Provides in bound technical support to Dish Network customers
• FoxGuard Solutions* (Christiansburg, VA) - Provides cybersecurity and regulatory compliance assistance for critical infrastructure entities and control system vendors
• Harmonia* (Blacksburg, VA) - developed the LiquidApps® suite of development tools. LiquidApps® brings user interface design and development from the programmers to the subject matter expert who is best able to develop the software
• Heyo* (Blacksburg, VA) - Marketing platform that enables users to create mobile and social campaigns that drive traffic, leads, and sales
• New City* (Blacksburg, VA) - Full service web design, marketing, and public relations information technology firm
• Nomad Mobile Guides* (Blacksburg, VA) - Developer of mobile apps for national parks, destinations and travel publishers
• Phoenix Integration* (Blacksburg, VA) - Provides software that allows manufacturing companies to integrate and automate numerous software tools, remote locations, and different computing platforms into a cohesive environment for systems design
• Prime Photonics* (Blacksburg, VA) - Develops and markets fiber optic sensors, wireless sensors, energy harvesting and metamaterials with an emphasis on extreme environment sensor applications
• Qualtrax* (Christiansburg, VA) - Compliance software package that helps companies maintain regulatory requirements for document and data control
• Rackspace (Blacksburg, VA) - Dedicated servers, managed hosting, and web hosting service provider
• TORC Robotics* (Blacksburg, VA) - A leader in robotic autonomous vehicle solutions by providing Unmanned Vehicle Kits and proven modular Robotic Building Blocks
• VirtualU* (Blacksburg, VA) - A leader in the evolution of 3D scanning and human avatars for the health and fitness industry
• VTLS* - (Blacksburg, VA) A leading global company that creates and provides visionary technology in library solutions for various governments

*Company Headquartered locally

LOCAL COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES:

Virginia Tech

• Department of Computer Science
• Department of Business Information Technology

Radford University

• Information Technology Department

New River Community College

• Information Technology Department
• Computer Aided Design & Gaming Program

DEGREE COMPLETIONS, COMPUTER SCIENCES, 11-12

RESEARCH CENTERS:

• Virginia Tech Research Centers - A leader in the deployment of information technology resources. Research areas are fiber optics, wireless communications, human-computer interaction, modeling and hardware description languages, configurable computing, digital library systems, and e-business. VIEW CENTERS
• Radford University GAMeS Lab - The purpose of the Games, Animation, Modeling and Simulation (GAMeS) Lab at Radford University is to design interactive mobile games and study the impact of these products on student engagement and learning. READ MORE

OTHER RESOURCES

• Blacksburg Coder Dojo - Branch of the parent organization Coder Dojo - a global movement toward introducing children to programming
• Blacksburg Ruby User Group  - Monthly meetups focusing on coding, with some lightning talks and socializing with other Rubyists from around the area
• Let's Code Blacksburg - Local nonprofit offering beginner and advanced programing courses
• NRV Agile Users Group - Monthly meetups discussing all things agile from software craftsmanship to continuous delivery, and project management to agile coaching
• TechPad - 6,000 SF coworking space for software development startups and teleworkers in downtown Blacksburg