A Tour of Wolfram Research

From the initial idea for designing a new Mathematica feature to the moment you have your new Mathematica box in hand, there is a dedicated Wolfram Research staff member behind every step. Mathematica's development--including every aspect of the design of the kernel and front end--is the result of the combined expertise of scientists, engineers, mathematicians, programmers, and other specialists from around the world.

Even as you open your box to begin discovering the program, our work continues. You may have additional questions about loading the program, or perhaps want some technical guidance as you put Mathematica to work for you. As your involvement progresses, you may decide to use Mathematica to enhance the courses you teach or develop your own Mathematica program to get a specialized task done quickly. For these projects, we are also available to consult and share suggestions. And then somewhere along the way, you may have a suggestion for improving Mathematica, you give us a call, and the process begins again.

1. The team behind Mathematica has close to 200 members, most of whom work at the company's main offices in Champaign, Illinois. We invite you on a quick photo tour of what we do all day (and sometimes all night) and what it means to you as a Mathematica user.

   

2. The Electrical Engineering and Finance Packs and MathLink for Excel are the latest fruits of the labor in the Applications department. Mathematica specialists here continue to work in-house and with third-party developers to create more application-specific products for use with Mathematica, constantly expanding the contents of the Mathematica Applications Library.

   

3. The System Administration group keeps our 300 or more computers--from desktops to workstations--in perfect (well, usually) working order at all times! We rely heavily on email to share news throughout the company, and it is imperative that we keep every employee connected to the network.

   

4. From every manual you consult to the Mathematica box you keep on your shelf, the technical writers, proofreaders, and graphic designers in the Publications department have had a hand in their creation.

   

5. Have a question about Mathematica? Technical Support engineers have the answers, free of charge, for all registered Mathematica users. Their speedy and accurate answers often "save the day" when a user gets stuck during an important project.

   

6. Developers in Research and Development make Mathematica what it is, researching algorithms, writing and modifying code, and designing the Mathematica notebook interface to make Mathematica run compatibly on not only over 20 existing platforms, but on upcoming platforms and operating systems as they appear on the market as well. In addition, they are often invited to present Mathematica at conferences, universities, and companies around the world.

   

7. The company library houses hundreds of reference books and journals that are made available to the entire staff. The librarians tap far-reaching electronic resources to obtain all kinds of documents and information, and find virtually anything we might need to make the most informed company decisions.

   

8. The Software Quality Assurance team plays a vital role in delivering a top-quality product to our users. They constantly test the software as it is being developed, and identify, keep track of, and resolve any bugs that they or our beta testers discover.

   

9. Developer Support staff members provide support to Mathematica users who are creating and developing Mathematica-related books, packages, and courseware. In addition, they are often invited to present Mathematica at conferences, universities, and companies worldwide.

   

10. Production and Shipping personnel efficiently pack up the Mathematica boxes and ship them out. With over 300 different items in inventory, their attention to detail is vital as they assemble the right pieces for each package.

    

11. Our Wolfram Research Europe Ltd. office maintains close contact with Mathematica users in Europe. Frequent electronic mail to and from the company's main office in the U.S. keeps communication lines open between the two sites.

    

This page was last modified on: 9 May 1995 at 20:33