Construction Begins on Naval Academy’s Cyber Studies and Computer Science Building

The building marks the first purpose built structure for cyber studies based at an academy.

Higher Education |

A new six-story, 206,400 sq. ft. building is currently under construction on the U.S. Naval Academy’s campus that will house cyber studies, the computer science department, and other related disciplines.

Hopper Hall, named after Rear Admiral Grace Hopper, is the first academic building named after a woman at a major service academy in the United States and is also the first purpose built facility dedicated to cyber warfare based at an academy.

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM) is serving as the design lead on Turner Construction’s design-build team. "Our design for Hopper Hall will serve the Naval Academy's mission to equip a new generation of leaders with the knowledge and resources to protect the nation against 21st-century threats," says Roger Duffy, Design Partner at SOM, in a press release.

The building has been designed for a triangular waterfront site that will reinforce the Naval Academy campus’ connection to the waterfront with clear sightlines through the building. Hopper Hall will include classrooms, teaching and research laboratories, offices, multi-purpose space, an observatory, and a research and testing tank. “The Bridge” will be a central hub and gathering space where all activities taking place in the building will converge.

Once complete, Hopper Hall will become the first new academic building built on the Naval Academy’s campus since 1975.

DataWind Launches Second Manufacturing Unit in Hyderabad

Canadian tablet and phone maker DataWind has opened a new manufacturing facility—its second unit to date—in Hyderabad.

The facility, inaugurated by Telangana IT and Industry Minister, K T Rama Rao, has the capacity to produce 20 lakh tablets and phones in the first year, according to local media reports. DataWind signed a memorandum of understanding with the Telangana government early this year, which allowed the two parties "to work collaboratively and cooperatively for the purpose of developing a mobile manufacturing ecosystem in Telangana state," Techradar India reported.

CEO Suneet Singh Tuli said the Canadian company will invest ₹100 crore on the facility in phases, and after the investment is completed, the facility would produce 50 lakh units a year.

The 39,812 sq. ft. (3,700-square meter) facility is located near the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport and employs 500 people. The company plans to increase the headcount to 1,000 by March 2017.

DataWind is known for its UbiSlate line of low cost tablets, which the company said is targeted at "people at the grass root level." Suneet said the company has a 37% share in the tablet market.

“We are coming out with full range of products including tabs, mini laptops, smartphones. The unit has been functional for the last few months and shipped 2.5 lakh units,” the executive said, according to Indo-Asian News Service.

Following the successful launch of its Hyderabad facility, DataWind is now looking to set up a production unit in the eastern part of the country.

“We have applied for license for telecom operations and VNO [virtual network operations]. VNO will be a big focus of ours, will probably invest ₹70-80 crores. As part of this we will have our own sims and offer ₹20 unlimited browsing plan by next year. Under VNO we don’t buy spectrum, don’t have towers, but will be partnering with an operator and offer our own sims,” Suneet said, according to the news agency.

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