About the Author

Vladimir Silva was born in Quito, Ecuador. He received a system's analyst degree from Ecuador's Army Polytechnic Institute in 1994. The same year, he came to the United States as an exchange student pursuing a master's degree in computer science at Middle Tennessee State University. After graduation, he joined the IBM WebAhead technology think tank. His interests include grid computing, neural networks, and artificial intelligence. He also holds numerous IT certifications, including Oracle Certified Professional (OCP), Microsoft Certified Solution Developer (MCSD), and Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP). He has written many technical articles on security and grid computing for IBM developerWorks.