24
Tue, Dec
1 New Articles
  1. You are here:  
  2. Home
  3. News
  4. Industry News
  5. Trends
  6. Consortium Will Converge Business, Academia, and Economic Development

Consortium Will Converge Business, Academia, and Economic Development

Trends
Typography
  • Smaller Small Medium Big Bigger
  • Default Helvetica Segoe Georgia Times

BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, IBM, and the University of South Carolina (USC) today announced the creation of the Consortium for Enterprise Systems Management, a unique collaboration intended to build information technology (IT) opportunities of the future.

The consortium, believed to be the first of its kind, aims to converge business, academia and economic development to collaborate in growing IT talent, nurturing IT management expertise, and cultivating related business and organizational relationships.

At a news event to launch the consortium, BlueCross chairman and CEO M. Edward Sellers said the collaboration will help drive economic development in the state and nation. "What's happening in Columbia, South Carolina, is the kind of IT growth that the IT industry desperately needs," he said. "By converging business, academia and economic development, this new consortium will engender a sort of 'IT greenhouse' that is needed in the Palmetto State and across the nation."

The consortium will address growing IT hiring challenges, such as attracting students to consider technology careers in insurance, banking, retail, airlines, petroleum and other industries dependent on high volume transaction processing. It also will dedicate efforts to directing students to companies that are hiring IT professionals.

University of South Carolina President Harris Pastides said education is the first step in developing the IT workforce.

"The university will work with teachers in our state's middle schools and high schools to ensure that their students have the education and skills needed for IT careers," Pastides said. "This consortium will be a great economic boon for our state as we develop opportunities for businesses and industries with our state and seek to attract those from outside South Carolina," he said.

According to a report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, five of the nine fastest-growing occupations in the United States require a college degree in computer science or engineering. Four colleges from USC are participating in the consortium. They are the College of Education, the College of Engineering and Computing, the College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management, and the Moore School of Business.

The consortium will be housed on 14,120 square feet of two floors at Horizon II in the University of South Carolina's Innovista research campus in Columbia, S.C. "Innovista is a catalyst for the Palmetto State's future, and this consortium will have a vital role in developing the people who will be our informational technology leaders," Pastides said.

Sellers said each of the founding partners brings its own strengths to the consortium.

Through IBM's Academic Initiative, IBM will provide software for the consortium's future site. IBM currently provides "machine time" on its high-end server, the IBM System z, for student and professor use at USC.

With financial support from BlueCross and other members, the new consortium has a board consisting of six seats currently occupied by representatives from BlueCross, IBM and USC. The board will hire an executive director and a marketing manager. As the consortium grows, board membership will increase to include other organizations.

A portion of the second floor of Horizon II will house a board room, meeting rooms and classrooms for post graduate training of business and academic professionals. Also operating from the space in multi-purpose classrooms will be programs already running at USC and other locations, such as computer camps for high school students. It also will host incubator opportunities and space for applied research. The ground floor will house a data center provided by IBM in the form of computer hardware, software and maintenance support.

"Positioning IBM's computer hardware and software in the consortium's facility is an excellent way for students to learn on the same set of technologies used by our worldwide clients," said Mark Anzani, vice president of System z at IBM.

Charter members BlueCross, IBM and USC have begun soliciting organizations that use IT to join the new group. The model for participation from other companies and universities is based on seeking a high volume of participants at a low financial entry fee. The power of this model for economic and workforce development will be in leveraging the common, collaborative activities shared by a large number of business and academic entities. Interested organizations may call 877-214-3513 for more information.

Headquartered in Columbia, S.C., BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina (www.SouthCarolinaBlues.com), an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, is the largest private company employer of IT professionals in the state. The company's more than 2,200 IT employees develop, execute and monitor more than 800 million health care claims and 8 billion online transactions a year for its private health insurance, federal government contracts, and other insurance divisions.

For two centuries, the University of South Carolina's scholarship, research and outreach efforts have contributed to the greater good of society. With 39,000 students on eight campuses and more than 350 degree programs--including law, engineering, public health and medicine--and 240,000 alumni, the University is improving the lives of individuals in South Carolina and around the world. South Carolina has received the highest research designation awarded by the Carnegie Foundation, and the University's undergraduate international business program is ranked best in the nation in U.S. News & World Report.

For more information about IBM's Academic Initiative, visit www.ibm.com/university. IBM most recently launched a profile page for its high-end server, System z, on Facebook for students and professors to connect, share mainframe news, contests, events, and job opportunities. To be friends with System z or meet other System z friends, visit the System z Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com. keyword: systemz mainframe.

BLOG COMMENTS POWERED BY DISQUS

LATEST COMMENTS

Support MC Press Online

$

Book Reviews

Resource Center

  • SB Profound WC 5536 Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application. You can find Part 1 here. In Part 2 of our free Node.js Webinar Series, Brian May teaches you the different tooling options available for writing code, debugging, and using Git for version control. Brian will briefly discuss the different tools available, and demonstrate his preferred setup for Node development on IBM i or any platform. Attend this webinar to learn:

  • SB Profound WP 5539More than ever, there is a demand for IT to deliver innovation. Your IBM i has been an essential part of your business operations for years. However, your organization may struggle to maintain the current system and implement new projects. The thousands of customers we've worked with and surveyed state that expectations regarding the digital footprint and vision of the company are not aligned with the current IT environment.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT Generic IBM announced the E1080 servers using the latest Power10 processor in September 2021. The most powerful processor from IBM to date, Power10 is designed to handle the demands of doing business in today’s high-tech atmosphere, including running cloud applications, supporting big data, and managing AI workloads. But what does Power10 mean for your data center? In this recorded webinar, IBMers Dan Sundt and Dylan Boday join IBM Power Champion Tom Huntington for a discussion on why Power10 technology is the right strategic investment if you run IBM i, AIX, or Linux. In this action-packed hour, Tom will share trends from the IBM i and AIX user communities while Dan and Dylan dive into the tech specs for key hardware, including:

  • Magic MarkTRY the one package that solves all your document design and printing challenges on all your platforms. Produce bar code labels, electronic forms, ad hoc reports, and RFID tags – without programming! MarkMagic is the only document design and print solution that combines report writing, WYSIWYG label and forms design, and conditional printing in one integrated product. Make sure your data survives when catastrophe hits. Request your trial now!  Request Now.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericForms of ransomware has been around for over 30 years, and with more and more organizations suffering attacks each year, it continues to endure. What has made ransomware such a durable threat and what is the best way to combat it? In order to prevent ransomware, organizations must first understand how it works.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericIT security is a top priority for businesses around the world, but most IBM i pros don’t know where to begin—and most cybersecurity experts don’t know IBM i. In this session, Robin Tatam explores the business impact of lax IBM i security, the top vulnerabilities putting IBM i at risk, and the steps you can take to protect your organization. If you’re looking to avoid unexpected downtime or corrupted data, you don’t want to miss this session.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericCan you trust all of your users all of the time? A typical end user receives 16 malicious emails each month, but only 17 percent of these phishing campaigns are reported to IT. Once an attack is underway, most organizations won’t discover the breach until six months later. A staggering amount of damage can occur in that time. Despite these risks, 93 percent of organizations are leaving their IBM i systems vulnerable to cybercrime. In this on-demand webinar, IBM i security experts Robin Tatam and Sandi Moore will reveal:

  • FORTRA Disaster protection is vital to every business. Yet, it often consists of patched together procedures that are prone to error. From automatic backups to data encryption to media management, Robot automates the routine (yet often complex) tasks of iSeries backup and recovery, saving you time and money and making the process safer and more reliable. Automate your backups with the Robot Backup and Recovery Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAManaging messages on your IBM i can be more than a full-time job if you have to do it manually. Messages need a response and resources must be monitored—often over multiple systems and across platforms. How can you be sure you won’t miss important system events? Automate your message center with the Robot Message Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAThe thought of printing, distributing, and storing iSeries reports manually may reduce you to tears. Paper and labor costs associated with report generation can spiral out of control. Mountains of paper threaten to swamp your files. Robot automates report bursting, distribution, bundling, and archiving, and offers secure, selective online report viewing. Manage your reports with the Robot Report Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAFor over 30 years, Robot has been a leader in systems management for IBM i. With batch job creation and scheduling at its core, the Robot Job Scheduling Solution reduces the opportunity for human error and helps you maintain service levels, automating even the biggest, most complex runbooks. Manage your job schedule with the Robot Job Scheduling Solution. Key features include:

  • LANSA Business users want new applications now. Market and regulatory pressures require faster application updates and delivery into production. Your IBM i developers may be approaching retirement, and you see no sure way to fill their positions with experienced developers. In addition, you may be caught between maintaining your existing applications and the uncertainty of moving to something new.

  • LANSAWhen it comes to creating your business applications, there are hundreds of coding platforms and programming languages to choose from. These options range from very complex traditional programming languages to Low-Code platforms where sometimes no traditional coding experience is needed. Download our whitepaper, The Power of Writing Code in a Low-Code Solution, and:

  • LANSASupply Chain is becoming increasingly complex and unpredictable. From raw materials for manufacturing to food supply chains, the journey from source to production to delivery to consumers is marred with inefficiencies, manual processes, shortages, recalls, counterfeits, and scandals. In this webinar, we discuss how:

  • The MC Resource Centers bring you the widest selection of white papers, trial software, and on-demand webcasts for you to choose from. >> Review the list of White Papers, Trial Software or On-Demand Webcast at the MC Press Resource Center. >> Add the items to yru Cart and complet he checkout process and submit

  • Profound Logic Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application.

  • SB Profound WC 5536Join us for this hour-long webcast that will explore:

  • Fortra IT managers hoping to find new IBM i talent are discovering that the pool of experienced RPG programmers and operators or administrators with intimate knowledge of the operating system and the applications that run on it is small. This begs the question: How will you manage the platform that supports such a big part of your business? This guide offers strategies and software suggestions to help you plan IT staffing and resources and smooth the transition after your AS/400 talent retires. Read on to learn: