The Brandeis International Business School will take part in a pilot run for a business- and technology-oriented video game next semester as one facet of its new partnership with the IBM Corporation, which was announced at a daylong event cohosted by IBS and IBM last Tuesday. IBS will participate in IBM's Academic Initiative program, which is geared toward providing universities with cutting-edge technology to be used toward teaching curricula and research, according to IBM's Web site. IBM is the world's largest computer company and largest information technology employer.

At the event, IBM presented its new video game, Innov8, which is designed to help University students and young professionals develop a combination of business and information technology skills, according to IBM's Web site. The game simulates business projects and allows players to participate in situations mimicking real experiences.

Brandeis is one of 25 universities participating in the game's pilot program, which will be tested in the IBS course "Technology Strategy" next semester, taught by Prof. Preeta Banerjee (IBS).

"The key point of the day and of the relationship with IBM is to help students master skills to succeed in the global marketplace," said Matthew Parillo, senior associate director of communications at IBS.

In the morning session of the event, IBM representatives described the new relationship between IBM and IBS and presented Innov8. The afternoon session was a roundtable discussion titled "Competing in the Global Economy," moderated by Prof. Catherine Mann (ECON).

"This is a new relationship, and we are hoping for it to grow over the years ahead," said David Lapp, marketing manager of the IBM Software Group.

Parillo said IBS is one of the first business schools in the world to pilot Innov8 in the classroom. "A serious game is a training tool," said Parillo, adding that the goal of IBS and its use of Innov8 in the classroom is to "[give] students this combination of business and information technology skills so that they can land these coveted jobs."

According to Lapp, the company is now making Innov8 widely available to schools in its Academic Initiative program. IBM will then ask universities in the pilot program for feedback to incorporate into the game's upcoming enhancements.

Banerjee said she worked with IBS Dean Bruce Magid, Parillo and IBM to incorporate the game into the classroom. She explained that the game will be helpful in teaching students how to deal with real-world business situations. "It provides a case so you can actually see the tradeoffs and complexity of a business situation," she said. "You get to reflect real time also as you're playing the game."

According to Banerjee, Innov8 has been installed on several computers in IBS, and 25 members of her BUS10a class have tried out an early version of the game and given it positive feedback.

"The opportunity came for piloting this game, and I thought it was a very good opportunity in the sense that it was able to give students some practical experience without putting their jobs on the line," Banerjee said.

Lapp and Parillo felt that the event was very successful, both in presenting Innov8 and in strengthening the relationship between IBS and IBM. Lapp said that the presentation served to "[expose] people to what IBM is about as a business." Innov8, as an innovative new teaching tool, "is a good representative of what a career at IBM might be about," because "IBM is really a company that is built on innovation," Lapp said.

Sean Fullerton '10, who attended the roundtable event in the afternoon session, said he learned a lot about the skills needed for information technology jobs. "Apparently there's a huge demand, and there will be in the future for IT-type jobs," said Fullerton, who added that the presentation illustrated the need in the workplace for people with broad IT skills and in-depth knowledge in a specific area.