Based in Chicago, Tribune is a leading information and entertainment company with businesses in 13 of the nation's largest metropolitan markets. The company's print and broadcast media can reach more than 50% of U.S. households daily. The company's publishing business includes six daily newspapers and also provides editorial and advertising services to client newspapers and electronic media. Its broadcasting and entertainment business operates eight independent television stations and six radio stations; produces and syndicates TV and radio programming; and owns the Chicago Cubs, a major league baseball team. The Tribune Co.'s new media/education segment publishes books and information in print and digital formats.
"This agreement is a significant development, because it adds one of the world's leading information companies to NCSA's industrial program," says NCSA Director Larry Smarr. "Tribune is a pioneer in effectively managing large volumes of content for multimedia. NCSA will help them apply many of the evolving high-performance computing and information technologies to their expanding online, Internet, and other new strategies."
"We are pleased to be joining NCSA," says David D. Hiller, senior vice-president of development for the Tribune Co. "NCSA has extensive experience in applying leading-edge computing, networking, visualization, software, and information technologies to corporate applications. Their technology tools and knowledge are important in helping us realize our media priorities."
"Tribune is a high-profile information company," says John Stevenson, NCSA's corporate officer and head of the Industrial Partners Program. "The company has an impressive competitive position in many metropolitan markets as a result of its commitment to maximize its technology-based capabilities. NCSA, UIUC, and the Tribune Co. will all benefit from this partnership."
The 12-month agreement was initiated by SABRE Computer Services (SCS), a division of American Airlines and part of AMR Corp.'s The SABRE Group. The agreement adds American Airlines and The SABRE Group to an accomplished group of corporations (see below) working as partners with NCSA.
The SABRE Group was formed in 1993 to combine AMR's information technology businesses under common management. American's SABRE computerized reservations system (CRS) is the world's largest privately owned, real-time computer network. SABRE has served as a model for the rest of the CRS industry. In addition to SABRE Computer Services, The SABRE Group includes SABRE Travel Information Network, SABRE Decision Technologies, and AMR Training & Consulting Group.
American Airlines, one of the world's largest scheduled passenger airlines, is a subsidiary of Dallas/Fort Worth-based AMR Corp. American serves more than 170 cities throughout the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, Mexico, Europe, Japan, and Latin America.
"We are excited about adding a world-leading information technology and air transportation company to NCSA's Industrial Partners Program," says NCSA Director Larry Smarr. "Through SABRE, American has been a leader in effectively managing large volumes of transportation data. NCSA will help them apply many of the evolving leading-edge high-performance computing and information technologies to their data management strategies."
"The SABRE Group and American Airlines are pleased to be joining the highly successful industrial technology transfer program at NCSA," says Terry Jones, president, SABRE Computer Services. "We believe NCSA will give us a competing edge by helping us apply the rapidly emerging supercomputing, networking, and visualization tools to our own rapidly expanding information technology base."
"AMR's commitment to maximize its technology-based, information capabilities is impressive," says John Stevenson, NCSA's corporate officer and head of the Industrial Partners Program. "I am equally impressed with AMR's corporate commitment to enhance its competitive position in all of their markets worldwide. NCSA, the University of Illinois, and AMR will benefit from this partnership."
Other NCSA industrial partners are AT&T, Caterpillar, Dow Chemical, Eastman Kodak Co., Eli Lilly & Co., FMC, J.P. Morgan, Motorola Inc., Phillips Petroleum Co., Schlumberger, and United Technologies.