TUCSON, AZ (November 12, 2012) - Last week, ReliaSoft took part in the 50th Anniversary celebration for the University of Arizona College of Engineering, Department of Systems and Industrial Engineering (SIE). In a partnership with the Department of SIE, ReliaSoft has contributed to the opening of the new Reliability & Intelligent Systems Engineering (RISE) Laboratory by donating computers and software for engineering students.

ReliaSoft has contributed more than $600 thousand in software and computers, and the company plans to increase that amount to more than $1 million as they continue to upgrade their offerings. Doug Ogden, ReliaSoft's Vice President of Customer Services, spoke at an SIE Department event on Friday, recognizing the department for its significant contributions to the reliability engineering community as a whole.

"I am here to express my gratitude for the enduring, supportive partnership we have with Dr. Haito Laio and the Department of SIE. I am also thankful to [SIE Department Head] Dr. Larry Head for his dedicated effort to bring back the reliability engineering program at the U of A. For years, the department has been on the forefront of research and innovation, and we hope ReliaSoft's contribution will assist students and faculty in future advancements for the reliability community," Ogden said.

Because the SIE Department's 50th Anniversary coincides with ReliaSoft's own 20th Anniversary, the occasion reminded ReliaSoft's executives of the importance of supporting programs like the Department of SIE in order to promote advancements in the reliability engineering community, and in turn contribute to the company's own ongoing success.

"ReliaSoft places a high value on continuous education in reliability engineering, and the relationship we've built with the UA Department of SIE is intended to help educate the reliability engineers of tomorrow in a cutting edge environment. We hope that these engineers will then be able to make a significant impact in the reliability engineering community for years to come. Our support for the U of A program is in line with ReliaSoft's mission of promoting proper reliability methodologies and empowering our customers to apply them most effectively," said Kyriacos Kyriacou, Chief Operating Officer of ReliaSoft.

The Department of SIE officially opened the RISE Laboratory on Friday and gave tours during the afternoon's events for the 50th Anniversary homecoming celebration. A ReliaSoft banner hangs in the new lab, representing the ongoing partnership.

About the University of Arizona College of Engineering, Department of Systems and Industrial Engineering
The Systems and Industrial Engineering Department is a nationally ranked top-20 program providing research and educational programs emphasizing mathematical modeling, computing and decision technologies for the design and operation of large systems in engineering, business and logistics.