Silicon Valley, USA, is snapping up Monash graduates. Some of the best are helping search for life on Mars or developing software which will revolutionise the way spectators experience the world's major sporting events.

In the basement of an old building on the outskirts of California's Silicon Valley, four computer experts are using technology developed at Monash University to help NASA scientists search for life on Mars.

The one-year-old start-up company Ultimode Systems has developed Autoclass Pro, a software package that uses artificial intelligence techniques developed at Monash to interpret information gathered by NASA's Mars rover, Pathfinder.

Autoclass Pro is a data organisation and visualisation tool that helps Pathfinder analyse and classify rock samples when exploring the surface of Mars and determine where on the planet it should search for other significant samples.

According to the founder of Ultimode Systems, Wray Buntine, NASA's main purpose in using the technology is to determine whether the planet holds opportunities for mining expeditions from earth.

The technology is based on research originally conducted at Monash by recently retired computer science professor Chris Wallace (considered by some to be Australia's top computer scientist) and developed by Monash graduates and Ultimode employees Jon Oliver (PhD 1995) and Rohan Baxter (MSc 1993).

Unlike other data-clustering software, the Monash technology automatically discovers the optimal number of clusters within data sets without user specification, making the analysis significantly more efficient and accurate. This is considered a key advantage in business environments which rely on large and complex databases.

Award-winning research

In October 1997, NASA presented Ultimode Systems with a commercialisation award to further refine the techno-logy. The result is currently being tested using data collected from earth rocks.

The company consults to a wide range of clients, using its data analysis techniques to help a variety of businesses better understand, and therefore optimise, use of their data.

In another project, Ultimode worked with NASA to help model aero-dynamics in wind tunnels. The company uses the software to predict stall points for aircraft with data such as the mach (the speed of the air in the wind tunnel/the speed of sound in air), the angle of attack (angle between the airflow and the wing), pressure, temperature and humidity.

Ultimode Systems is one of many Silicon Valley start-up companies that is attracting Monash graduates by advancing the frontier of Internet and high-technology revolution.

US computing companies offer graduates high salaries (most estimate they are earning 30 to 40 per cent more than they would in Australia), exposure to the latest, most exciting Internet and software technology, and most of all an opportunity to help build an industry that will be an integral part of the future.

Andy Marks (BComp Hons 1993, MComp 1997), who graduated from Monash's Department of Software Engineering in 1996, is using Java programming expertise developed at the university to design and build web sites for the Silicon Valley start-up, Quokka Sports.

Mr Marks says that Quokka, started by oneAustralia skipper John Bertrand (BE Hons 1970), uses advanced Internet technology to revolutionise the way spectators experience the world's major sporting events. Its goal is to provide Internet coverage of the world's top 10 sporting events such as the Olympics, World Cup Soccer and the Tour de France. Quokka president and CEO is Alan Ramadan (BSc 1984), co-founder and CEO of Fluid Thinking, the company which developed the technology behind the oneAustralia America's Cup challenge in 1995.

Quokka is currently covering the Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race with real-time audio, video and email sent from the boats to the web site. The Whitbread is the seventh most watched sporting event in the world and the first to contract Quokka to provide official on-line coverage.

Cameras on the boats and GPS (satellite) equipment allow spectators to follow the yachts moment-by-moment as they surf waves, dodge icebergs and battle storms.

The start-up company provides what it calls 'deep immersive' coverage, which allows spectators to watch events 24 hours a day, receive email from participants, chat on-line to other spectators, play games and participate in virtual events, as well as read news and listen to interviews.

Mr Marks says the Whitbread has been a major success for Quokka. While origin-ally expecting the race's web site to attract about 200,000 hits a day, it is now enjoying almost 10 million hits from around the world every day.

At Monash, Mr Marks shared an office with PhD student Simon Raik (BSc, BComp Hons 1996), who is now working three blocks away from him at Silicon Valley Internet Partners (SVIP).

SVIP is a high-technology consultancy start-up that custom designs communications and business systems. It provides Internet-based business strategy, designs software and implements systems.

When Mr Raik joined SVIP a year ago, he was one of 30 employees working in the company's single office. Today, it employs more than 150 people in three offices across America with plans to open other sites in the near future.

High flyers

Such phenomenal growth is not uncommon in an industry that has produced more than 1000 millionaires in the past three years, many of them computer science graduates in their 20s and 30s.

The ease with which US entrepreneurs raise funds, the willingness of venture capitalists to take risks and the high concentration of Internet and high-tech expertise are key factors attracting Monash graduates to California.

But many remain optimistic about the growth of a similar industry 'at home' and expect they will be able to return with new skills to help shape its development.