Here at SmartCOP, we are privileged to have the University of West Florida just a few miles away from our Pensacola, Florida office.  Having a beautiful campus with nature and mountain bike trails are some of the added benefits of being so close to a world class university, but SmartCOP is most fortunate to have access to the world class students studying there. Through an internship program offered to upper level students, SmartCOP provides real life development experience and, in return, has been able to recruit some of these incredible software engineers as full-time employees after they complete their degree program – including two who went from intern to engineers to team leads.  In fact, over half of the current R&D engineers are UWF graduates!

The Software Design and Development degree program integrates fundamental concepts in software design and development with concepts in modern programming languages, database systems, software engineering principles, and mobile and net-centric application development, all of which are skills we help to strengthen with real world application to the public safety sector. Additionally, many other UWF graduates with business and other related degrees, work at SmartCOP, and help round out our company. By understanding the needs of our growing company, SmartCOP has taken full advantage of the students studying so close to our office, and will continue to advance with their innovative ideas and advantageous approaches to our company and products.

About SmartCOP 

SmartCOP engages in system development, implementation, and support services for a fully integrated suite of public safety products including Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD), Records Management System (RMS), Mobile Computing with Field Based Reporting (FBR), and Jail Management System (JMS). Our solution is a field-proven public safety system designed to respond, without fail, to first response demands. 

About the University of West Florida

Based in Pensacola with additional locations in the region, UWF is home to five academic colleges, offering a variety of bachelor’s and master’s degree programs, as well as specialist degrees and a doctorate in education. With a student population of nearly 13,000 and an average class size of less than 40, UWF is committed to providing a close-knit academic experience and is consistently named a top “military friendly” University.

In addition to fostering success in the classroom, the University prides itself on building a culture of excellence in athletics, leading the Gulf South Conference in all-time championships and all-sports trophies.

A driver of economic impact in Northwest Florida and beyond, UWF generates approximately $1 billion in total annual sales across the Florida economy.

UWF is more than a university. It’s a symbol of success, commitment to lifelong learning, and change.