SPP Joins UA?s ITRC
by December 20, 2004 12:00 am 74 views
Southwest Power Pool Inc., a Little Rock-based group of 44 electric utilities, has joined the Information Research Technology Center within the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas.
SPP serves parts or all of eight southwestern states and is the 18th company to join the ITRC on an advisory basis. Other companies include Arkansas-based Tyson Foods Inc.; Arvest Bank Group Inc.; Wal-Mart Stores Inc.; J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc.; and computer firm Dell Inc. of Austin, Texas.
The ITRC conducts information technology research, collects and analyzes data, provides research reviews and offers research facilities. One of its mission functions is to facilitate the exchange of information between the academic and business communities.
Kevin Perry, SPP’s director of information technology, will be the representative to the ITRC.
In 2000, a grant from Dayton, Ohio-based NCR (National Cash Register Co.) and Wal-Mart provided a 1,500-SF computer system that gives students hands-on experience with data-warehousing technology. The grant, valued at more than $7 million, included an NCR WorldMark computer system with 20 gigabytes of memory and 1.7 terabytes of storage.
NCR joined the ITRC in March.