Dr. James Hoover and Antony G. Olekshy - Avra Software Lab, Professor, Department of Computing Science, University of Alberta, and Antony G. Olekshy, University of Alberta and Avra Software Lab Inc.

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Pushing the Tech Envelope

 

Dr. James Hoover recently visited the City of Edmonton website. It worked exactly the way it was supposed to.

“I was pleasantly surprised to discover that one of my students was involved,” he says. “Getting ideas out into practice characterizes our work.”

Jim Hoover and his lifelong collaborator, Tony Olekshy, have spent the better part of 35 years examining computing from all angles. They build systems that allow professionals, particularly engineers, do their jobs better.

They are the driving force behind Avra Software Lab Inc., a University of Alberta spin-off company, formed in 1998. Avra provides software development services and acts as an industrial test bed for research.

The duo grew up on the same street in Edmonton. As high school students they would spend late nights hacking in the U of A’s Department of Chemical Engineering process control lab, according to Dr. Hoover. He went on to study Computing Science while Mr. Olekshy studied Electrical Engineering.

Mr. Olekshy and Dr. Hoover are not seduced by the latest technology just for the sake of novelty.

“We ignore the hype, and instead ask what the new technology can do that makes a difference in the way we build systems and improve how our customers work,” Dr. Hoover explains. “Our strength is being consistently ahead of the curve in pushing new technology to its limits in making useful products.”