NM Virtualization, LLC., one of NNMConnect's Success Stories; image by Bill Stengel

New Mexico Virtualization, LLC will develop a proof of concept for a Virtual Museum of New Mexico, in collaboration with the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs. The virtual museum will be a database and on-line repository of collections from several state museums and sample collections from the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology and the Institute of American Indian Arts. 

New Mexico Virtualization hopes to grow into a 3D virtualization company enabling the use of 3D virtualization in art and cultural preservation markets.  The project team includes several former LANL employees and consists of Steve Smith, Dave Modl, Fred Unterseher, Rebecca Deem, and Ralph Chapman, a paleontologist who pioneered 3D virtualization at the Smithsonian.

Smith said the "acceleration" emphasis of the VAF is very important. "By concentrating our efforts and helping us get an early lead in the technology, we expect to move ahead of the curve as museums and other holders of cultural and historical artifacts begin to adopt 'virtualization' as a viable strategy for their collections, exhibitions, and analysis requirements."