iMonument

Internet Matrix, Inc. Pays Tribute to Tech Industry with iMonument

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When iMatrix founders, Asaf and Yamia Benhaim, first purchased the building at 10179 Huennekens, in 2010, the electrical boxes were considered a drawback. However, with the artistic contributions of their staff, Asaf and Yamia have turned the electrical boxes into a great feature of the building and a tribute to the Tech Industry - iMonument.

The iMonument project was led by artists Theresa Wear, Chrystal Lenardson, Micah Niestrath, Bastian Castillo, and Gwen Robinson.

	iMonument Our little project is complete! It was such a joy to see everyone working together to commemorate those that have paved the way for us to utilize such an amazing tool of connectivity through our computers, phones and mobile devices. It truly is magical. The most amazing aspect has to be the realization that behind every computer or code or break through are thousands of beautiful minds that have built not in secret but contributed to something that will continue to grow, change and further unite us all.
	Dennis Ritchie Dennis Ritchie was an American innovator in computers responsible for creating the C programming language, as well being an instrumental contributor to the development of the Unix operating system (along with Ken Thompson). The influence of C language is far-reaching and can be seen in many types of modern programming languages. Unix was essential to the creation of the Internet and Unix operating systems can be seen today in servers, workstations and even mobile devices.
	Ada Lovelace Aenean vitae nunc  Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace was an English writer often credited with being the “World’s First Computer Programmer.” Lovelace’s notes on Charles Babbage’s analytical engine are considered the first algorithm created to be processed by a machine. Lovelace’s notes and algorithm are important in the genesis of computers that go beyond simple calculations.
	Charles Babbage Charles Babbage – Charles Babbage was a 19th Century English mathematician and inventor who is credited with the idea of a programmable computer. Babbage is often called the ‘Father of the Computer’ for his design of the Analytical Engine, which was a programmable engine. Although the engine was never built, the design of the engine contributed greatly to the development of programmable computers.
	Ray Tomlinson Ray Tomlinson – Ray Tomlinson is an American programmer who implemented an email system that was able to send email between users on the ARPAnet. Tomlinson was able to achieve sending emails over the network by using the @ sign to distinguish between the user and their machine. The @ sign has been included in email addresses ever since.
	George Boole George Boole – An English mathematician and philosopher in the first half of the 19th Century, George Boole was the creator of Boolean logic. Boolean logic is the foundation of current digital computer logic. As such, Boole is considered to be the founder of the field of computer science.
	Bill Gates Bill Gates – Both his likeness and his achievements with Microsoft are well known to modern personal computer users. William Henry “Bill” Gates III founded the software company, Microsoft, with Paul Allen which has helped revolutionize the personal computer industry. Most well-known is the Microsoft Windows operating system, still widely in use for both personal and business computing.
	Sergey Brin and Larry Page Sergey Brin and Larry Page – in 1998, Sergey Brin and Larry Page co-founded one of the largest and well known Internet companies, Google. Google’s search technology has come to dominate the Internet, becoming not only a search engine but a verb. The search technology and algorithms created by Brin and Page at Google have radically changed the search engine industry.
	Mark Zuckerberg As an Internet innovator, Mark Zuckerberg is most well known for co-creating the immensely popular social networking site Facebook. Facebook’s design and platform has radically changed the social media environment, making sharing across social networks an industry and market all its own. Zuckerberg created Facebook with several friends while at Harvard.
	Bjarne Stroustrup Bjarne Stroustrup – A Danish computer scientist, Bjarne Stroustrup is the creator and developer of C++ programming language. C++ is a widely used programming language and has had tremendous influence on other programming languages, including C# and Java. Stroustrup’s programming language has a variety of applications, such as systems software, device drivers, entertainment software, and even hardware design.
	Nikola Tesla Nikola Tesla – Nikola Tesla was a Serbian-American mechanical and electrical engineer in the late 19th and early 20th Century. Tesla was an important inventor with major contributions to the development of commercial electricity as well as theoretical contributions to the invention of the radio and wireless communication. He is considered an early pioneer of modern day electrical engineering and was able to showcase wireless energy transfer to run electronic devices as early as 1891.
	Irwin Jacobs An American electrical engineer, Irwin M. Jacobs is the co-founder of Qualcomm, a global telecommunications corporation headquartered in San Diego, CA. Jacobs also co-authored Principles of Communication Engineering, a textbook still currently  used in engineering classes. Qualcomm manufactures a variety of digital wireless telecommunications products designed from its code division multiple access (CDMA) technology. Currently, Qualcomm focuses on developing wireless technologies.
	Sir Tim Berners-Lee Sir Tim Berners-Lee – Also known as TimBL, Sir Timothy John “Tim” Berners-Lee is a British computer scientist credited with being the inventor of the World Wide Web. In 1990, Berners-Lee along with Robert Cailliau was able to use the Internet to execute the first communication between a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and server. Currently, Berners-Lee is director of the World Wide Web Consortium and founder of the World Wide Web Foundation.
	Alonzo Church and Alan Turing Alonzo Church and Alan Turing – As an American logician and mathematician, Alonzo Church is credited with several major contributions to theoretical computer science and mathematical logic. Church created lambda calculus which is the foundation of LISP and functional programming languages. Due to his contributions, the Church coding was named after him. Also highly influential to computer science, Alan Mathison Turing was an English logician, mathematician, cryptanalyst and computer scientist. Turing is held to be the father of computer science and artificial intelligence. Turing’s contributions to computer science include the Turing machine, which formalized several modern computer concepts such as ‘algorithm’ and ‘computation.’ Turing’s machine was significant in helping with the genesis of the modern computer.

San Diego, CA – Internet Matrix, Inc., a local San Diego Web Marketing company also known as iMatrix, has taken steps to commemorate innovators in the Internet and Technology industry. The San Diego business started a community beautification project, dubbed iMonument, which involved designing and painting the electrical boxes surrounding the company’s office in Sorrento Valley. The design concept for the thirteen electrical boxes was conceived as an effort to honor several individuals who have made significant advances and contributions to the Internet and Technology industry.

iMonument was the genesis of Asaf Benhaim, Co-Founder and CEO, and Yamia Benhaim, Co-Founder of iMatrix. Asaf and Yamia Benhaim conceived of the iMonument concept to honor and commemorate the innovators of the Internet and Technology industry and celebrate the connectivity they have enabled for technology users. 

According to Yamia Benhaim, “iMonument is a two-fold project. It allows us to honor great minds in our industry, as well as beautify and connect to the community. These innovative minds have developed phenomenal tools that allow people new and exciting ways to connect with one another. This project is also representative of the connection that iMatrix feels to the Technology community. ”

The project involves painting the thirteen electrical boxes surrounding the Sorrento Valley office building with the likenesses of high-tech, bio-tech, and IT innovators, such as Irwin Jacobs, Douglas Engelbart, Dennis Ritchie, and of course, Steve Jobs. iMonument is a nod to the iconic Mount Rushmore National Memorial that honors four former U.S. presidents that had significant impact on the foundation and expansion of the United States.
“iMatrix is proud to be in close quarters with such Tech industry leaders as Qualcomm, Motorola, and  Gen Probe. iMonument is our way of paying tribute to those great minds who have paved the road for us in this industry. Because of their innovations, we are able to build and create great new Internet products, like iSocial,” said Asaf Benhaim.  iSocial is a new service offered by iMatrix for chiropractors that maximizes the clients Social Media engagement on Facebook and Twitter.

The beautification project by iMatrix called on the artistic talents of several of the company’s Client Experience and Engineering staff. The four iMatrix employees that were involved with the concept, design and execution of the artwork are Theresa Wear, Micah Niestrath, Chrystal Lenardson, and Bastian Castillo. All four employees are local artists that work full-time at the Web Marketing company. The company’s Director of Client Experience, Ryan Peterson, and Director of Engineering, David Barber also contributed to the conception and execution of the iMonument project, helping to identify and select the innovators honored in the project.

In addition to portraying the likeness of Internet and Technology industry leaders, the painted electrical boxes will also include QR Codes and Google Places icons. Quick Response (QR) codes are a type of two-dimensional barcode. The main benefit of QR codes is that they can be decoded at high speeds and can store a relatively large amount of data. Currently, marketers and advertising companies use QR codes to direct consumers with SmartPhones to a website for more information about a product or company. The QR Codes painted on the iMonument boxes will direct users to a webpage that provides information on the box’s featured innovator.

When asked why iMatrix included QR Codes on the iMonument electrical boxes, Asaf stated “QR Codes are incredibly popular in other parts of the world and are a great foundational technology. Even if the QR Codes do not engender mass appropriation in the coming years, the innovation of the technology cannot be denied. Additionally, we wanted to provide an avenue for people to learn more about the iMonument project and the featured innovators.” According to Asaf, the Google Places icons are reflective of the Search Engine Optimization service that iMatrix provides to the Chiropractors, Dentists, and Veterinarians in their Web Marketing program.

Before beginning the iMonument beautification project, iMatrix contacted their local City Council Member, Councilman Carl DeMaio, San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E), and the President of the Mira Mesa Town Council, Ted Brengel for approval. iMatrix submitted sketches of the project to LeoAngelo Reyes, who is head of the Electric Box Project/ Beautification Committee for Mira Mesa, and were given permits for each of the company artists working on the project by the Committee.

The iMonument project was launched on December 7th, 2011 and is on schedule for completion on January 5th, 2012 due to the overwhelming participation and support of the many iMatrix employees who participated in the painting parties. January 5, 2012 will be the official unveiling of the iMonument project to the Sorrento Valley community. The thirteen electrical boxes are located on Mira Mesa Boulevard at the intersection with Huennekens Street, on Huennekens Street between Mira Mesa Blvd and Waples Street, and on Waples Street in front of the company’s building.

Pictures of the event will be posted on the company’s website, http://www.imatrix.com, and the company’s Facebook page.

About Internet Matrix, Inc.: Internet Matrix, Inc is online marketing company that provides websites and Web Marketing for niche healthcare professionals, including chiropractors, veterinarians, and dentists. The company’s service offerings include semi-custom websites, SEO, social media optimization (iSocial), and directory submissions (NetDirect). The company is located at 10179 Huennekens Street, San Diego, CA 92121.
Contact:
Internet Matrix, Inc.
1-858-888-7500
http://www.imatrix.com