Dear Sir or Madam:

I am pleased to assist my colleague Walter O’Brien in the matter of an immigration petition he intends to present to the Immigration and Naturalization Service, based at least in part on his preeminence in the field of Enterprise Globalization. His extraordinary accomplishments as a pioneer in this critically important field, despite his relative youth, speak for themselves. Having followed his career with great interest, I would like to make my contribution in the form of a summary of these accomplishments and their importance in the new global economy.

I am the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Star+Globe Technologies. Since our inception in Singapore in 1997, we have been a leading-edge multilingual software development consortium. As you may know, Singapore is the Asian powerhouse in the Information Technology field. The government-sponsored Kent Ridge Digital Laboratories (KRDL) attained early acclaim. Companies and products such as Creative Lab’s SOUNDBLASTER card originated from Singapore’s hub of innovation. In 1997, Star+Globe became the primary spin-off from KRDL’s early efforts in software globalization and related technologies. Star+Globe Technologies, Inc., a California corporation of which I am also Chief Executive Officer, was formed as a subsidiary in 1998. Prior to my association with KRDL, I was Director of Advanced Technology at UNISYS CORPORATION, a systems integration I’I’ company which played a leading role in the early years in promoting corporate adoption of the World Wide Web. In addition to my executive duties at Star+Globe, I participate as a speaker and panelist in a range of international trade meetings; public and commercial television programs for technology start-up companies in Asia; and most recently, as the first invited speaker to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Sloan School of Management lecture series on Women in Management.

I wish to begin my review of Walter O’Brien’s accomplishments with some information about the distinction he achieved while still an adolescent. By the age of 16, he was recognized in his native Ireland as a child prodigy. In 1991 and 1992, he ranked first for the Irish team in the Wisconsin International Computer Problem Solving Competition. In the 1993 information Olympics for high-speed computer problem-solving, an event with 1800 competitors, all top-notch programmers from all over the world, he ranked as the sixth-fastest programmer in the world. His early work in Artificial Intelligence, also undertaken before his 17th birthday, was recognized by an invitation to present his discoveries to the Dublin HITACHI Research Laboratory, and to participate by special invitation in the Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Science conference held at the University of Limerick, as the youngest scientist ever invited to make a presentation.

In 1996, Walter O’Brien was awarded his Bachelor’s Degree in the dual major of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence from the University of Sussex in Brighton, England. Sussex is the leading European institution of higher learning in the software development field, and is known for a brutally rigorous regimen of high-speed programming assignments that produce a drop-out rate of 90%. In 1994 a Time Magazine Survey declared that “The Cognitive Sciences Institute at Sussex is rated No. 1 in all of Europe and Asia.”

It is difficult to recount, point by point, the lengthy list of world-class contributions of Mr. O’Brien in software development, and the various forms of recognition he has achieved. I will limit my discussion to a few of the highlights prior to his association as the Chairman of the Star+Globe Technical Advisory Board, as follows:

-Primary developer of Localization Engineering Software for ISOCOR in Ireland, a world leader in the production of electronic mail, server, and network systems for the multi-platform market. This product, one of the first localization packages produced anywhere, enabled the translation of company products into virtually any European language, and promptly led to the near-doubling of ISOCOR’s sales.

-Primary developer of WinLoc X: This revolutionary software package, developed while Walter was a student at Sussex, consists of a giant parser with a menu-driven Windows interface. It was the very first program written to parse any natural language out of any programming language from any platform, and translate it for use into any target language. This product and its progeny in globalization software is a key element in the capacity of software companies to expand internationally into markets previously unavailable due to language barriers.

-While employed by the ORACLE CORPORATION’s Worldwide Translation Group in Dublin,
Walter developed complex tools for translation of products into European and Asian languages. His contributions to the HYPERTOOL project led to savings of over 90% on a $60m translation contract from BERLTTZ CORPORATION.

-Membership in the Software Localization Interest Group (SLIG), along with peers from such companies as SYMANTEC, LOTUS, COREL, SUN MICROSYSTEMS, and MICROSOFT.

-Project Director for UNISCAPE, INC., and Chief Architect of its GLOBAL XCHANGE (UTOPIA) project, which is the first enterprise-level localization system for multi-national companies. During his tenure at UNISCAPE, Walter began in earnest to assume a leadership role as an “Industry Evangelist”, supporting the sales team with multimedia presentations, public speaking, seminars, expositions and pilot demonstrations of the beta product. UNISCAPE’s UTOPIA project was a revolutionary step in the development of localization software. It and its progeny have been the preferred localization software systems of such leading companies as ORACLE, HEWLITT PACKARD, SUN MICROSYSTEMS, and others of like stature in the new global economy. If Walter’s only accomplishment to date were his leadership role in the UTOPIA development effort, his place would be secure as a primary figure in the globalization/localization field.

By the late 1990s, Walter had come to be recognized both as one of a handful of technical wizards in the $2 Billion globalization-localization niche of commercial software development, and as an articulate and highly-effective spokesman in the larger held of Enterprise Resource Planning. In 1999, I asked Walter to begin service as Chairman of the Star+Globe Technology Advisory Board.

In the software development industry, the gold standard of recognition for individual accomplishment and quality is invitee membership on Technology Advisory boards. Only the very best software engineers and business planning professionals receive such invitations. In this connection, I wish to point out that Walter O’Brien’s background includes either current or previous service on the Technology Boards of such companies as Starglobe, BestTeachersandschools.com, Toin Corp, and Keltech.

Beginning in 1999, Walter has been Director of Global Release Engineering for GLOVIA INTERNATIONAL and this year, he was promoted to Director of Global Business Development. GLOVIA began as a joint venture between the Japanese industry giant FUJITSU and McDonnell Information Systems. GLOVIA today is a preeminent player in the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) market, delivering prompt implementation of open system solutions, and especially globalization solutions. In this position, Walter directs the efforts of over 30 computer and business professionals. Some of GLOVIA’s customers, on whose behalf Walter has been a principal developer of globalization solutions, are CATERPILLAR, DELL, RAYTHEON, XEROX, HONEYWELL, HEWLETT PACKARD, SILICON GRAPHICS, ORACLE, SUN MICROSYSTEMS, DISNEY and MOTOROLA.

The importance of globalization software and the related business technologies to the new American economy cannot be overstated. Fortune 500 software companies such as MICROSOFT and ORACLE derive on average 60% of their overall revenues from overseas sources, but they typically spend less than 1% of their revenues on translation and related globalization solutions. Many other leading-edge American companies have yet to develop a serious international capability. The point to be emphasized is that companies which develop the capacity to translate and implement their computer technology products into foreign languages and cultures rapidly and accurately will enjoy an enormous competitive advantage in the coming years and thus can achieve 150% revenue growth. A related point on the subject of competition is that, here in America, there is never a shortage of competitors with good ideas and good products in the software and internet realms, but this is not the case in most of the world. Thus, there is right now a unique, but short-term, opportunity for those high-technology companies which have not yet developed an international presence to adopt globalization solutions of the kind Walter O’Brien has been developing for years in order to capture new markets, and thereby to maintain American dominance in these new industries.

Star+Globe Technologies develops comprehensive solutions to the problem of businesses seeking to enter foreign markets. We use the slogan “Your Partner in Multilingual Computing” because our focus has been the technical problems presented when a business enterprise wishes to function in a milieu of foreign languages and currencies, as well as unfamiliar banking and financial customs, and business practices generally. Walter O’ Brien, once again, is a leading international expert in applying advanced programming technology to these very problems.

One final point: A programmer of Walter O’Brien’s astonishing intelligence and range will never be fulfilled, nor can he make his full contribution, if his efforts are all devoted to the fortunes of a single employer. At any given moment and throughout his career, Walter is in touch with numerous business developers, “Dot Com” entrepreneur, and established CEOs on a variety of projects. Right now, for example, he is working on a volunteer basis with BestTeachersAndSchools.com, a project for an Internet-based community for the independent gathering, analysis, and dissemination of parents’ and students’ evaluation of specific teachers and schools. I mention this intriguing project to demonstrate that Walter’s real and potential contributions are not restricted in any sense to the globalization software field. It is my understanding that the immigration petitions he is filing will, if approved, permit him to serve on various technology boards, work independently, and in general, avoid the need to tie his immigration prospects to employment with a single company. This level of freedom is precisely what an individual of this man’s extraordinary gifts requires in order to make his full contribution to society.

I enthusiastically endorse the petition of Walter O’Brien for immigrant status based on his extraordinary ability and uniquely distinguished work in the Globalization Software and Enterprise Resource Planning fields. His accomplishments in these areas are well-recognized in the industry by virtue of the high positions he has occupied, and most importantly his past and continuing service on the Technology Advisory Boards of leading companies and dynamic corporate newcomers. The work of Walter O’Brien has already served the American national interest by facilitating the entry and integration of high-technology companies and their products into foreign markets in the new global economy.

Thank you for your cooperation and attention in reviewing this information about Walter O’Brien.

Sincerely,
Virginia Cha

Managing Director, Uniscape Asia Pacific Pte Ltd
Former Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Star+Globe Technologies Pte Ltd

www.uniscape.com

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