Daniel Howe (left), Principal Hardware Engineer (BS EE ’85, MS EE ‘87), discusses improvements to a network storage interface board with Tim Klein (BS EE’84). 42% of ATTO’s engineers are UB graduates.
Published June 3, 2014 This content is archived.
ATTO Technology is the 2014 winner of the Entrepreneurial Champion Award, awarded by UB’s Office of Science, Technology Transfer and Economic Outreach (STOR).
The award recognizes an exceptional entrepreneur or company who, through either championing a UB technology or graduating from a UB Incubator program, has created a highly successful company and whose products and services will create a major impact in their ability to benefit the public good worldwide. The award was presented at STOR’s Inventors and Entrepreneurs Reception on March 3, 2014.
ATTO Technology, Inc. was founded by Buffalo, New York natives Timothy J. Klein, a UB engineering alumnus (BS EE ’84), and David A. Snell, in 1988. Tim specialized in hardware while Dave’s expertise was in writing software. The young entrepreneurs joined forces to develop, build and sell their first product, the industry’s first solid state storage disk, SiliconDisk™, which allowed computers to process data transfer tens to as much as hundreds of times faster than a standalone computer system. This groundbreaking technology was quickly adopted by new OEM partner, Eastman Kodak®.
As demand for their exciting new product increased, it was apparent that they were in dire need of the infrastructure necessary to grow. Tim was aware of a new UB technology incubator managed by the Western New York Technology Development Center (TDC), which offered promising young entrepreneurs the tools and resources necessary to help bring high-tech product ideas to market. This program is known today as the UB Technology Incubator, which falls under the administration of STOR. It was here in 1989 that they were introduced to engineers, testing labs, office space and, most importantly, interested investors that recognized the potential of their vision.
Success came quickly for Klein and Snell, experiencing triple digit growth over the first 5 years of operation. As their product lines grew, so did the customer base. Their products were used by Apple®, Siemens®, 3M®, Data General and Avid Technology. In 1995, they were awarded the Mac “Eddy”, the industry’s Oscar, by MacUser magazine. The company celebrated its 25th anniversary in November 2013.
Klein and ATTO’s leaders have remained connected to UB, with 42% of their employees coming from the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS). ATTO supports the school’s internship program and Klein actively participates on the SEAS Dean’s Advisory Council.
Manufactured in Western New York, ATTO's products are sold in over 60 countries worldwide. Their customers encompass a wide range of prestigious media and entertainment companies that produce blockbuster films, award-winning television shows and global broadcasts of live news and sports. ATTO products are sold by industry leaders, such as Apple®, Dell®, EMC®, HP®, IBM®, and NetApp®, driving the transformation to Big Data, virtualized and cloud computing environments.
Learn more about ATTO Technology.