Partnerships with Canadian Universities and
innovation community will advance research in cloud, networking,
and AI technologies to support the development of 5G+
and 6G networks
MONTREAL, Oct. 11,
2022 /CNW/ - VMware (NYSE: VMW), a leading innovator
in enterprise software, today announced the opening of the VMware
Next G-AI Research and Innovation Centre. The Centre will bring
together VMware's multi-cloud infrastructure, advanced networking,
and Modern Application Development expertise with the latest in
emerging Cloud Native development techniques, Artificial
Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) technologies to deliver
a sustainable path to 5G+ and 6G technologies.
Today, VMware Canada officially opens the
Next G-AI Research & Innovation Centre in Montreal, Quebec.
"Montreal has one of the most
significant clusters of AI researchers in the world, as well as a
thriving community of innovative startups," said Kit Colbert, Chief Technology Officer, VMware.
"Through partnerships with researchers, startups and industry
partners, we will be able to bring together cloud, networking and
AI to build 6G technologies that are sustainable and centered on
human needs."
The Next G-AI Research and Innovation Centre is part of the
TETRA initiative. Located within Centech and ÉTS in Montreal, it supports three connected
programs:
- Applied Research: In partnership with Mitacs, VMware is
working with researchers across Canada to develop sustainable 5G+
and 6G technologies, improve digital equity and rearchitect the
Internet to an Open Grid.
- Next G-AI Research & Innovation Lab: The Research
& Innovation Lab provides researchers and industry partners
with access to cutting-edge software and hardware that allows them
to quickly validate and demonstrate key concepts.
- Modern Application Software Factory: The VMware Tanzu
Modern Software Factory provides VMware customers and partners with
access to VMware Tanzu solutions and open-source technologies. The
offering will comprise, Spring and .Net development expertise and
tools, developer accelerators, automated container build service,
support for any Kubernetes conformant run time along with the
ability to build, run and manage software supply chains that
deliver on the 5S promise of (speed, stability, savings, security,
scalability).
Through partnerships with Mitacs, Centech and the IEEE, VMware
will also provide selected researchers and startups access to both
the Next G-AI Innovation Lab and Modern Application Software
Factory.
"The Next G-AI Research and Innovation Centre will enable local,
national and international research collaboration, and contribute
significantly to the Montreal
innovation ecosystem," said John
Hepburn, CEO of Mitacs. "We are proud to support this
critical research to develop 6G technologies, with a focus on
ensuring that they are sustainable, equitable and will benefit
Canadians across the country."
Partnership with Centech to
support Montreal
startups
Through the VMware Tanzu Modern Applications Software Factory,
select partners and startups associated with Centech will have free
access to Tanzu solutions and open-source technology. This set of
enterprise-grade, platform-agnostic tools will allow participants
to learn how to better build, deliver, and manage cloud native apps
designed to run on any Kubernetes on-premises, in the public cloud
or edge environments.
"Having access to the VMware Tanzu technology is an incredible
advantage for our entrepreneurs," said Richard Chenier, Director General, Centech.
"Access to these powerful tools will allow startups to swiftly
deploy modern applications, significantly speeding time to market
and enabling them to be deployed in any environment."
Addressing the Digital
Divide
VMware, Mitacs and the IEEE Future Networks Initiative also
announced the first Canadian-specific prize category in the
Connecting the Unconnected Challenge, which seeks novel solutions
for universal and affordable internet access.
"The Internet is a critical access point to education, economic
opportunity, and health information and services," said
Mary Ward-Callan, Managing Director,
Technical Activities, IEEE. "However, nearly half of the world
remains unconnected. Through our partnership with VMware and
Mitacs, we're looking to work with Canadian competitors interested
in tackling this critical humanitarian issue."
The 2023 Challenge will kick-off in spring 2023, including the
challenge specifically dedicated for Canadian researchers that has
been jointly developed by the IEEE, VMware and Mitacs.
The Honorable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation,
Science and Industry of Canada,
welcomed the opening of the VMware Next G-AI Research and
Innovation Centre, adding, "Canada
is a global leader in great talent, especially in emerging areas of
technology like artificial intelligence and machine learning. This
investment will further strengthen our ability to tackle some of
the most important challenges facing our society, including the
resilience of our communications network, and ultimately support
Canadians across the country."
"With some of the top researchers and a pool of more than 27,000
highly qualified talents, Montréal's world-renowned expertise in
artificial intelligence has a lot to offer to develop sustainable
and accessible 5G+ and 6G technologies," said Stéphane
Paquet, President and CEO, Montréal International.
"The past two and a half years have shown us how reliable
internet connections are vital to our well-being. This new Research
and Innovation Centre puts our metropolis, once again, on the map
as a city where knowledge and talent are dedicated to responding to
pressing issues with the highest standards of quality."
"VMware's decision to establish its Next G-AI Research and
Innovation Centre in Quebec
demonstrates the attractiveness and expertise of Quebec in the technology sector. The
Investissement Québec International teams are proud to have
supported and guided VMware in the development of their project.
The establishment of the Centre will advance important research
towards 6G networks and provide opportunities for Quebec startups to test and develop their
technology," said Hubert Bolduc,
President of Investissement Québec International.
About VMware
VMware is a leading provider of multi-cloud services
for all apps, enabling digital innovation with enterprise control.
As a trusted foundation to accelerate innovation, VMware
software gives businesses the flexibility and choice they need to
build the future. Headquartered in Palo
Alto, California, VMware is committed to building a better
future through the company's 2030 Agenda. For more
information, please visit www.vmware.com/company.
VMware and Tanzu are registered trademarks or trademarks of
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SOURCE VMware Canada