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I B M Academic Initiative in WEST AFRICA


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IBM Academic Initiative

Building Skills for a Smarter

v    Universities around the world developing interdisciplinary Talent.

v    Broadening the use of open standards, open source and IBM technologies.

v    Creating partnerships between Academic institutions, governments, IBM customers and IBM Business Partners.

v    Helping students build the skills they need to get the jobs they want

Why is IBM talking about a Smarter Planet?

  1. The world is becoming instrumented. There are more than a billion transistors per human, each one costing one ten-millionth of a cent.
  2. The world is becoming interconnected. Data is being capture and shared across the internet  from cars, roadways, pipelines, appliances, pharmaceuticals and even livestock.

The trillion of networked digital devices are producing a vast ocean of data.

  1. All things are becoming intelligent. Algorithms and powerful systems can analyze and turn the actions that make the world work better…. And smarter.

By smarter, we mean the world is becoming:

Instrumented interconnected intelligent

What does this have to do with academic and building skills?

Globalization is increasing the worldwide demand for skilled workers and toughening the requirements for the best jobs. Companies who hire from highly education institution are demanding more highly skilled graduates. They have increased expectations of academics institutions.

What is the IBM Academic Initiative?

The IBM Academic initiative is an innovative program that enables IBM to partner with academic institutions worldwide to develop the skills needed to support a smarter planet. With the explosive amount of data being created, opportunities never before thought possible now exist to uncover insights in new and emerging types of data. Students who can demonstrate they have the ability to apply technical skills in a selected field of study with an ability to collaborate across disciplines with experts in other areas are in unprecedented demand in today’s global economy.

 

What are some of the member’s benefits?

  • Access to IBM’s multi-million dollar portfolio of leading edge software
  • Hundreds of course modules and lab projects
  • Remote access to certain hardware systems
  • Self-placed on-line education, including Knowledge Paths, for faculty and students
  • Significant discounts on IBM certifications and mastery tests for faculty and students
  • Newsletter, forums, tutorials and technical “Redbooks”
  •  Students contest, games, and much more

How do I join the IBM Academic Initiative?

Step one

Create your universal IBM user ID and password (require prior to step 2).

Step two

Complete and submit the IBM Academic Initiative registration that provides us with more information about you and your institution. Shortly after completing Step Two, most applicants will receive an email from IBM granting membership. Some applicants may receive follow-on email requesting additional details if more information is needed to confirm eligibility for membership. Please note that sharing of ids and password is in violation of the IBM Academic Initiative Program Agreement.

 

Why do I need an Academic initiative user ID and password?

Some of the valuable resources provided by the IBM Academic Initiative are only available to members. You will need a user ID and password to access these resources, which includes thousands of software titles and hundreds of courseware modules.

How much does it cost to join?

The only “cost” is the few seconds it takes to complete the brief and on-line membership registration.

Membership is valid for 12 months and can easily be extended through the renewal process. We will even notify you via email when it is time to renew your membership.

 

What are faculty allowed to do with the software and courseware?

Use of all benefits from the IBM Academic Initiative is restricted to educational and non-commercial research purposes only. Faculty can download the software and distribute to students enrolled in their classes or make the software available via a cloud environment for students to access.

There are some additional restrictions. Review IBM’s Software Usage Guidelines for the IBM Academic Initiative and the IBM Academic Initiative Program Agreement for more details. Acceptance of these documents is required for membership.

IBM Support?

On-line and email based technical support is provided to our members at no charge. We encourage the use of our on-line support pages, forums and FAQs to find quick answers to most questions.

IBM Academic Initiative

Building Skills for a Smarter

v    Universities around the world developing interdisciplinary Talent.

v    Broadening the use of open standards, open source and IBM technologies.

v    Creating partnerships between Academic institutions, governments, IBM customers and IBM Business Partners.

v    Helping students build the skills they need to get the jobs they want

Why is IBM talking about a Smarter Planet?

1.                 The world is becoming instrumented. There are more than a billion transistors per human, each one costing one ten-millionth of a cent.

2.                 The world is becoming interconnected. Data is being capture and shared across the internet  from cars, roadways, pipelines, appliances, pharmaceuticals and even livestock.

The trillion of networked digital devices are producing a vast ocean of data.

3.                 All things are becoming intelligent. Algorithms and powerful systems can analyze and turn the actions that make the world work better…. And smarter.

By smarter, we mean the world is becoming:

Instrumented interconnected intelligent

What does this have to do with academic and building skills?

Globalization is increasing the worldwide demand for skilled workers and toughening the requirements for the best jobs. Companies who hire from highly education institution are demanding more highly skilled graduates. They have increased expectations of academics institutions.

What is the IBM Academic Initiative?

The IBM Academic initiative is an innovative program that enables IBM to partner with academic institutions worldwide to develop the skills needed to support a smarter planet. With the explosive amount of data being created, opportunities never before thought possible now exist to uncover insights in new and emerging types of data. Students who can demonstrate they have the ability to apply technical skills in a selected field of study with an ability to collaborate across disciplines with experts in other areas are in unprecedented demand in today’s global economy.

 

What are some of the member’s benefits?

·                    Access to IBM’s multi-million dollar portfolio of leading edge software

·                    Hundreds of course modules and lab projects

·                    Remote access to certain hardware systems

·                    Self-placed on-line education, including Knowledge Paths, for faculty and students

·                    Significant discounts on IBM certifications and mastery tests for faculty and students

·                    Newsletter, forums, tutorials and technical “Redbooks”

·                     Students contest, games, and much more

How do I join the IBM Academic Initiative?

Step one

Create your universal IBM user ID and password (require prior to step 2).

Step two

Complete and submit the IBM Academic Initiative registration that provides us with more information about you and your institution. Shortly after completing Step Two, most applicants will receive an email from IBM granting membership. Some applicants may receive follow-on email requesting additional details if more information is needed to confirm eligibility for membership. Please note that sharing of ids and password is in violation of the IBM Academic Initiative Program Agreement.

 

Why do I need an Academic initiative user ID and password?

Some of the valuable resources provided by the IBM Academic Initiative are only available to members. You will need a user ID and password to access these resources, which includes thousands of software titles and hundreds of courseware modules.

How much does it cost to join?

The only “cost” is the few seconds it takes to complete the brief and on-line membership registration.

Membership is valid for 12 months and can easily be extended through the renewal process. We will even notify you via email when it is time to renew your membership.

What are faculty allowed to do with the software and courseware?

Use of all benefits from the IBM Academic Initiative is restricted to educational and non-commercial research purposes only. Faculty can download the software and distribute to students enrolled in their classes or make the software available via a cloud environment for students to access.

There are some additional restrictions. Review IBM’s Software Usage Guidelines for the IBM Academic Initiative and the IBM Academic Initiative Program Agreement for more details. Acceptance of these documents is required for membership.

IBM Support?

On-line and email based technical support is provided to our members at no charge. We encourage the use of our on-line support pages, forums and FAQs to find quick answers to most questions.