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Communication & Internet Technology
A Nationally Recognized Information Technology Center Both the State of Maryland and Montgomery County have gained worldwide recognition over the last decade as a leading area for information technology. Thirty-five percent of Maryland's 3,500 IT companies and nearly 90,000 IT employees are located in Montgomery County, making the County second only to California's Silicon Valley in terms of highest concentration of technology workforce. Major international firms such as Discovery Communications, Lockheed-Martin, and IBM are among the over 1,000 information technology companies with a strong presence in Montgomery County (see back page for comprehensive listing).

The County is also home to 19 federal agencies including the National Institute of Standards and Technology, The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. These federal agencies represent the regions largest purchaser of information technology products and services, creating a crucial competitive advantage for private IT firms involved in government contracting. The presence of federal agencies also provide the private sector the opportunity to accelerate technology transfer through the Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR), Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs), and exclusive licensing arrangements.

Montgomery County…The Place To Be For IT

Montgomery County's prime location has facilitated the continuing attraction and retention of many of the nation's leading infotech companies. Strategically located between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, Montgomery County provides easy access to Interstates 95 and 270 as well as three major airports, allowing rapid movement throughout this high-tech region along with convenient access to global markets. The County also features over 70 million square feet of quality commercial office space, much of which is wired with state-of-the-art phone lines, data processing equipment, high-speed internet access, and the latest fiber optic technology. This available infrastructure allows for the enhancement of the County's large and diverse IT base in areas such as E-commerce, telecommunications, software development, aerospace, consulting, and financial services.

A "Wired" Workforce

Montgomery County features the most important information technology resource - a highly educated, highly qualified workforce. Montgomery County is the most populous county in Maryland with over 800,000 residents and a total workforce over 460,000. Over 50% of Montgomery County's workforce hold bachelor's degrees or higher, the highest concentration of advanced degree holders in Maryland. Hi-tech education is a focus of Montgomery College's three locations and the County's University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University campuses. Additionally, over 50 colleges, universities, and training centers are within a 50-mile radius of the County. This educational infrastructure gives IT firms and their employees a competitive edge by providing convenient access to the many valuable technical training resources these institutions offer.

Information Technology Support Organizations

Montgomery County is home to a number of high technology organizations devoted to the development of the County's technology workforce, including:
  • High Technology Council of Maryland (HTCM)- A membership organization headquartered in Rockville, the HTCM comprises a virtual who's who of technology in Maryland. In addition to the impressive list of technology-based members, the HTCM also coordinates various seminars and events designed to present and discuss the latest technology issues while also providing valuable networking opportunities for the entire technology community.
  • Montgomery College's Information Technology Institute (ITI) - Montgomery County's dynamic new presence in the technology training marketplace. A one-stop shop for technology training and education, the ITI offers courses at all three Montgomery College campuses and at strategic off-campus locations in partnership with local businesses.
  • Montgomery County Chamber-Workforce Corporation - Focuses on developing technology-training programs for both first time job seekers and experienced tech workers looking to improve skills or change careers.

Montgomery County's Technology Corridors

Montgomery County features two distinct high-technology corridors - the I-270 Corridor in the western part of the County (including Bethesda, Rockville, and Gaithersburg) and the Silver Spring/Route 29 Corridor in the eastern part of the County. These regions rank nationally in terms of high-technology job growth and feature an impressive presence of major IT companies, including:

I-270 Corridor

  • Lockheed Martin - The defense and aerospace giant maintains its corporate headquarters in Bethesda, employing nearly 4,000 people in Montgomery County.
  • The National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD) - The Rockville-based stock market is the market of choice for much of the technology industry, helping thousands of high-tech companies achieve rapid growth and successfully make the leap into public ownership.
  • Hughes Network Systems - A dynamic presence employing 2,000 people in the emerging Germantown area, Hughes is a world leader in the development of satellite network solutions and cellular mobile phone service.

Silver Spring/Route 29 Corridor

  • Discovery Communications - The well-known cable television and entertainment network will soon be moving into a brand new 650,000 square foot state-of-the-art corporate headquarters in downtown Silver Spring, spearheading the area's redevelopment as a high-tech communications center.
  • Verizon - The international telecommunications provider maintains a significant presence in Montgomery County, with over 3,500 employees at their North Silver Spring office.

Public Resources For IT Development

Montgomery County and the state of Maryland have teamed up to promote the growth of the information technology industry. Between 1995 and 2000, Montgomery County strategically invested nearly $4 million in direct financial assistance to technology companies, helping to retain, attract, and create nearly 10,000 jobs and over $150 million in private capital investment. In fact, Information Technology companies ranging from start-ups to major international corporations have many public resources to choose from when locating or expanding in Montgomery County.

  • Maryland Technology Development Center - The county's "Incubator" facility - currently managed by the High Technology Council of Maryland - is a low-cost office space alternative for infotech companies in the start-up phase. The Incubator provides low cost rental space, flexible lease terms, and a network of technical and business support services designed to promote the growth of emerging IT companies in the critical early stages of operation.
  • Montgomery County Department of Economic Development - Develops and implements business assistance programs designed to promote the growth of technology companies in the County. The County can offer expanding IT companies generous tax credits and low cost financing through the Economic Development Fund and Technology Growth Program. The Department can also assist in the site selection process, permit expediting, and workforce development.
  • Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development - In addition to the County business assistance programs, IT companies in Montgomery County often are eligible for a wide range of incentive programs offered on the state level. State financial assistance programs range from the Challenge and Enterprise Grant programs designed to assist start-up tech companies to the Sunny Day fund available to firms with large job creation and capital investment projections. The State also can offer Job Creation Tax Credits and generous training grants designed to assist in the upgrade of employees' technical skills.
Education and Workforce Qualified employees. They are the most important resource for any company, especially those in the information technology industry. Montgomery County features an outstanding workforce developed through strong educational, training, and technical resources.

IT workforce at a glance:

  • Total population: 817,000 (Most populated county in Maryland)
  • Total workforce: 468,428
  • 91.6% of total population hold a high school diploma
  • 59.2% hold Bachelor's Degree or higher (highest concentration of advanced degree holders in Maryland)
  • Average SAT scores: 1091 (Highest average in Maryland)
  • Over 1,000 Information Technology companies (Over 35% of Maryland's IT companies)
  • Over 30,000 people employed in IT companies.

Montgomery County's critical mass of information technology represents one of the nation's highest concentration of IT activity. Major telecom, satellite, software, internet, and broadcast media companies have all chosen to locate their corporate headquarters in Montgomery County. Among the County's prominent IT tenants are Lockheed Martin, Hughes Network Systems, Ericcson, and Discovery Communications.

Educational Opportunities

Montgomery County has always recognized the importance of promoting and developing the information technology industry. Montgomery County has worked to create a network of educational opportunities to ensure the IT community has access to a large, qualified workforce.

University of Maryland - Shady Grove

This 50-acre, 7,000-student campus anchors the educational activities at the County-developed Shady Grove Life Sciences Center. Currently, the Rockville campus' primary function is to provide part-time students access to educational and technical resources to enhance career advancement opportunities. However, in January 2000, officials at the University of Maryland announced plans to offer a curriculum of day classes that allows students for the first time to complete a four-year public education in Montgomery County. One of the first day programs being offered will be in information technology, where students can learn, develop, and network their skills among the neighboring High Technology Council of Maryland and Maryland Technology Development Center. Plans have also been announced to construct a new $36 million classroom facility on the campus to accommodate the expected 4,000 student enrollment increase resulting from the new curriculum.

Johns Hopkins University

The 35-acre Montgomery County Center campus of this renowned research institution supports over 40 part-time graduate programs offered by four divisions of the University, including:

The School of Arts & Sciences
The School of Professional Studies in Business and Education
The School of Engineering
The School of Public Health

Situated on the Shady Grove Life Sciences Center and fully equipped with two computer labs and a complete research library, the Montgomery County Center of Johns Hopkins University annually provides over 8,000 students with opportunities to pursue their Masters degree on a part-time basis. With the opening of JHU's second building in January 2000, enrollment will soon exceed 11,000 students. In line with the Center's strategic location among the County's infotech community, many of the campus' educational programs focus on areas such as Information/Telecommunications Systems and Electronic Commerce.

Information & Telecommunications Systems
As part of JHU's School of Professional Studies in Business and Education, the Information and Telecommunications Systems program available at the Montgomery County Center is designed to provide industry professionals opportunities to learn new skills and open new career paths. The coursework explores a "big picture" approach to technology, focusing on the design, development, implementation, and maintenance of network systems in the context of today's business organizations.

Electronic Commerce
The Montgomery County Center also supports JHU's Advanced Technology and Electronic Commerce program. This program equips leading-edge professionals with the knowledge needed to understand and apply new and emerging technologies to an organization. Emphasis is on updating skills in two areas: new applications to solve organizational problems and electronic commerce systems. Students study C++, object-oriented systems, multimedia, virtual reality, geographic systems, quality engineering, medical informatics, and distance education

Montgomery College

Montgomery College, one of the nation's top community colleges, serves over 40,000 degree seeking and non-credit continuing education students on four County campuses. The college offers a wide array of technical courses through its Information Technology Institute and High Technology and Sciences Center.

Information Technology Institute (ITI)
The Information Technology Institute is a dynamic new presence in Montgomery County's high technology training marketplace. The ITI offers credit and noncredit courses on all three Montgomery College campuses and at strategic off-campus locations in partnership with local businesses. The curriculum focuses on microcomputer applications, computer science, computer applications, and a broad range of new training programs to offer cutting-edge courses to meet the needs of the County's high-technology training market.

The ITI's main purpose is to prepare new workers and retrain existing workers to fill the rapidly growing number of vacant positions in the County's high tech community. County businesses are eligible to become ITI Industry Affiliates, which entitles their employees to attend specialized classes at a reduced cost. Other benefits of becoming an ITI Industry Affiliate include library privileges, career development counseling, assessments of long-term training needs, and access to facilities for company and organization meetings.

The ITI also provides the First Tech program, which is designed to introduce technology to displaced workers with little or no experience. Entry-level workers who complete the First Tech program have new job skills to qualify them for a broader range of entry-level jobs that require fundamental technology applications. Another special program at the ITI is a partnership with the Montgomery County Public School (MCPS) system. This partnership involves a three-year program aimed at addressing the critical need for information technology teachers in middle and high schools. The program will provide a solution to ensure that certified teachers will be able to prepare students for the increasingly technical requirements of future careers.

High Technology and Sciences Center
The High Technology and Science Center was constructed and opened on the Germantown campus in 1996. The Center's development was funded with State and County funds along with generous assistance from the private sector. The facility was developed with the idea of providing County residents the opportunity to take advantage of programs and courses integrally related to the high technology industries of Montgomery County.

The Center features computer-equipped classrooms which hold courses in computer-aided drafting and design, computer science, computer graphics, electronic technology, and telecommunications. Students in these programs also take courses from the technical writing certificate. The Center also provides teleconference studios, a seminar room, and a 550 seat auditorium which provides students, faculty, and the business community a valuable meeting space in a high-tech environment.

 
Communication & Internet Technology Montgomery County has long been a hotbed for major communications and internet companies. As this high-tech world evolved to feature today's powerful interconnected computer networks, Montgomery County has responded by a developing a powerful IT infrastructure, highly-skilled workforce, and a number of high-tech support organizations to attract the industry's leaders. The communications and internet industries are both prominently represented in Montgomery County, with world class organizations in the broadcast media, telecommunications, wireless, and e-commerce calling the County home.

Broadcast Media

Discovery Communications
A dedicated Montgomery County company, Discovery Communications is one of the most recognizable media companies in the world. Millions of television viewers tune in to Discovery's popular cable networks, including The Discovery Channel, The Learning Channel (TLC), Animal Planet, and the Travel Channel.

Currently located in Bethesda, Discovery Communications will soon be constructing state of the art headquarters, production, and media archive facilities in downtown Silver Spring. The new facilities, which are spearheading the revitalization of the downtown Silver Spring area, will be home to over half of Discovery's 4,000 employees. Discovery's decision to locate in downtown Silver Spring has helped spur a new commitment to technology in the region, with initiatives in place to add new fiber lines, web hosting facilities, and a new technology incubator in the area.


Fiber & Wireless

Businesses and citizens in Montgomery County have a number of fiber and wireless providers to choose from with hundreds of miles of fiber and of wireless towers providing strong coverage throughout the County. Fiber is plentiful from north to south and east to west with some ten telecommunications companies holding franchise agreements in the County. Internet access is also available from Cable TV Montgomery that was recently acquired by Comcast.

Over a dozen wireless, cellular and PCS service providers, including Cellular One, Metricom, Nextel, Teligent and Winstar, have facilities in the County. Since 1999, 156 antennae have been sited in the County, providing continuous coverage.

Please refer to the Montgomery County Telecomm Map for a conceptual overview.

Internet and E-Commerce

The "new wave" of internet and e-commerce companies have recently established a strong presence in the Montgomery County. Many of these companies have taken advantage of Montgomery County's new Technology Growth Program (TGP), which is awarded to start-up and early stage technology companies with innovative ideas. The TGP helps these young companies grow through the early stages by providing much needed capital and helping to attract additional venture capital or angel investments. Most of the County's internet and e-commerce companies all expect rapid expansion in the next few years, with thousands of new high tech jobs expected to be created in the County as these companies grow and succeed.

Here are just a few of Montgomery County's exciting internet and e-commerce companies:


TeleBright (Rockville)
TeleBright operates as an Application Service Provider (ASP) to leading providers of business services for major telecommunications corporations. TeleBright has developed a B-to-B e-commerce marketplace that offers real-time comparison-shopping and online purchasing of telecom services by small to mid-sized companies and consumers.

e-centives (Bethesda)
The e-centives Promotions System enables marketers to deliver personalized incentives to consumers based on unique shopping profiles and interests. "e-centives" are permission-based, and are delivered through marketers' individual websites and e-centives' integrated network of partners, which includes Excite, ZDNet, and USATODAY.com.


iroute (Silver Spring)
iroute features a B2B and B2C website that provides valuable trip information for road travelers. The site provides tourists with comprehensive information on highways, points of interest, hotels, and restaurants to assist in the trip planning process. iroute has also created marketing partnerships with visitors bureaus and tourist destinations, providing these organizations with a targeted outlet to attract travelers with coupons and special offers.


ThinkXML (Rockville)
ThinkXML provides a complete line of business transaction software tools, training, customer support and professional consulting services for its growing customer base. ThinkXML's e-commerce tools rapidly create complex, highly scalable and maintainable B2B systems, seamlessly integrating diverse front ends with diverse backends using XML technology.

NuttyPutty.com (North Rockville)
NuttyPutty.com is an e-tailer that focuses exclusively on children and babies' products. NuttyPutty.com strategically offers complete customer service through the "total convenience of the Internet"- shopping availability 24/7, detailed information on products, and user-friendly navigation.