Newsweek Features NCSA

At the height of the tech surge that marked the late 1998, Newsweek asked: “Can any place ever hope to match the awesome success of Silicon Valley?” It then proceeded to answer its own question by rattling off 10 metro areas that might someday fit the bill. Champaign-Urbana—thanks in no small part to NCSA, which was featured in the article—made the cut.

“With no dramatic beachfront or mountainscape…the two towns are unlikely competitors to the hip, scenic enclaves that are becoming computer-age boomtowns. But for researchers and programmers who are interested in serious computing, these plain plains are the place to be…What impresses many newcomers is how much the atmosphere of innovation permeates everyday life,” the profile read.