About Us

Dignitas Technologies, LLC was formed in October 2004 by Jon Watkins after 14 years in the simulation industry. Based in Orlando, FL, Dignitas provides engineering support for the modeling and simulation community.

So what's up with that "Dignitas" word, you ask? I pronounce it like "dignity" except the ending "tee" sound is replaced by "toss."

"Dignitas" is a Latin word that doesn't translate well into modern American society. The concept was prominent in Ancient Rome, especially the late Republic. Basically, dignitas could be thought of as "respect based upon accomplishments or ability." It isn't quite the same as being "famous" in our society, because that implies a certain notoriety that can be achieved through many means, not all of them based upon abilities or accomplishments. Also, dignitas in ancient Rome was related to past and future generations...that is, your ancestors contributed (or detracted!) from your dignitas, and future generations relied on you to support or advance the dignitas of your gens (family or clan).

I picked Dignitas mostly because of a personal interest in ancient history, but also because the concept maps to the way I approach this company's efforts. Basically, I build relationships with customers by performing well for them. I get business not through classic "marketing" means, but rather based upon real-world performance and results (otherwise, my web page would have to be fancier!).