Tenant Profiles
Consortium for Enterprise Systems Management
Developing IT talent
Innovista's newly announced "IT greenhouse" will be unlike any other tenant.
In fact, the Consortium for Enterprise Systems Management is believed to be the first of its kind anywhere.
The consortium, announced in December 2008, will work as an incubator, of sorts, to develop a future information technology talent pool.
Founding members are the University of South Carolina, BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, and IBM.
The consortium will bring the strengths of its members in business, academia, and economic development to:
- work with students, beginning with K-12 and continuing into college
- provide professional development for IT professionals
- research the business side of information technology
- improve business practices, entrepreneurship, business incubation, and economic development
It starts with education
University President Harris Pastides says education is the key to developing a new pool of talent for the information technology industry.
"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 says.
"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."
Four colleges from the University 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.
With 14,120 square feet of space covering two floors of the new Horizon II building, the consortium will include space for:
- K-12 students, including programs such as summer computer camps
- a data center
- business incubation
- applied research
- classrooms for post-graduate training for business and academic professionals
Addressing an industry need
A U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report indicates that five of the nine fastest-growing occupations require a college degree in computer science or engineering.
The consortium will help develop a future IT workforce for industries such as insurance, banking, retail, airlines, petroleum, and others dependent on high-volume transaction processing
"What's happening in Columbia, South Carolina, is the kind of IT growth that the IT industry desperately needs," says M. Edward Sellers, chairman and CEO of BlueCross.
"This new consortium will engender a sort of ‘IT greenhouse' that is needed in the Palmetto State and across the nation."
IBM's contributions
IBM will provide new software, hardware, and maintenance support for the consortium's data center, building on its existing relationship with the University through its Academic Initiative and System z platform.
"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," says Mark Anzani, vice president of System z at IBM.
Other consortium members include TM Floyd, VC3, Furman University, the Midlands Education and Business Alliance, the Columbia Insurance Technology Cluster, Clemson University, and UNC Charlotte.
About BlueCross BlueShield
Headquartered in Columbia, S.C., BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, 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.
About IBM
Learn more about IBM's Academic Initiative.
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, keyword: systemz mainframe.
Related Links
College of Engineering and Computing
College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management
