IBM Collaborating With Hundreds of Universities Driving
Curriculum Change for a Smarter Planet
250 Universities in 50 Countries Offering Service Science, Management and Engineering
Armonk, NY – April 13, 2009 – IBM announced that it is collaborating with more than 250
universities in 50 countries that are offering courses or degree programs in Service Science,
Management and Engineering (SSME). SSME is a new academic discipline designed to produce
students with the combined business and technology skills needed to enter today's workforce
ready to contribute immediately to their countries' economic and innovation agendas.
As the world becomes more instrumented, interconnected, and intelligent, customers are being
served through complex systems that require new problem solving and communication skills in
the global workforce. SSME educates people about these complex systems and networks that
serve customers better, creating what IBM calls a smarter planet -- building a smarter
healthcare system, smart grids and smarter cities. Beyond teaching technology and businesses
courses with factory floor examples, SSME programs focus on many complex service systems,
such as healthcare and transportation networks.
Governments from 18 nations, including Germany and Japan, have responded to the call for
prioritizing and providing funding for service research and curricula. "Service Science is not just
a powerful way to provide better service offerings at less cost, it also provides insights into
human behavior that can be used for the greater good of mankind," said Jim Whelan, program
manager, Industrial Development Agency of Ireland.
"IBM has been working with universities and other industry organizations to identify the skills
needed in this ever-changing world economy," said Jai Menon, vice president of technical
strategy and university programs, IBM. "We're finding that a combined education in business,
technology, and social sciences is the right education needed for students to have the baseline
of skills for innovation. The rapid expansion of SSME has been exciting to see, in emerging
markets from Vietnam to India, to established economies like the U.S. and Germany."
SSME has spread to 250 universities in 50 countries on six continents offering degree programs
and specific courses. Some examples include:
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The University of Pavia, Italy, has a Service Engineering Master's degree, including a
course focused on helping the re-engineering of the Italian health system, in order to
make it more efficient and more innovative. Students are developing their final thesis
and dissertation in cooperation with Maugeri Hospital.
Vietnam National University has an IT Services Management program.
University of Bahcesehir in Turkey has a dual SSME Master's program jointly with
Northeastern University in Massachusetts.
University of Pretoria in South Africa is creating an SSME program.
Universidad del Salvador in Argentina offers a Master's degree in Global Services
Management.
Bond University in Queensland, Australia offers a Master's degree in Service
Management.
Many universities in the United States have SSME programs and research centers; some
examples include:
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North Carolina State University has an SSME concentration in their MBA and Masters of
Engineering programs.
University of Maryland Smith School of Business has two centers that involve SSME, the
Center for Excellence in Service and the Center for Complexity in Business.
University of Washington has a Global Integrated Systems Engineering program.
Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey offers a Master of Information Systems
degree.
Missouri State University offers a Bachelor's degree in IT Service Management.
"Service science improves the quality and productivity of at least three quarters of the
economy," said Dr. Cheng Hsu, Professor of Decision Sciences and Engineering Systems and
Professor, Information Technology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. "More importantly, service
science propels new and sustainable value creation for a digitally connected world, which may
provide the next great opportunities for the global economy."
There also has been an industry-wide call that has ratified the need for Service Science-related
skills. Organizations calling for a curricula change include the Service Research and Innovation
Initiative (SRII), the Technology Professional Services Association (TPSA), the Service and
Support Professionals Association (SSPA), the Association for Services Management
International (ASMI), and the Center for Innovation Management Studies.
"Service businesses are the fastest growing part of the global technology industry. Yet most
companies struggle to make service investments that lead to strategic outcomes or real
innovation," said J.B. Wood, president and CEO of the TPSA, SSPA, and ASMI. "We understand
how to do product research and development but not service research and development.
What's missing is the toolbox for companies to apply classic research techniques and disciplines
to this important market. Service science is that toolbox."
"Xerox, IBM and other SSME partners have realized that to enhance our skills base we need to
embrace the emerging field of service science," said Dr. Santokh Badesha, Xerox Fellow and
Manager, Open Innovation, Xerox Innovation Group. "We see great value in the SSME initiative
for this reason and have been actively participating to expand its scope. Our Services
Innovation @ Xerox initiative needs increased service science skills for the services business.
We are trying to help expand SSME partnership within and across our industry and academia
which will allow us to effect this change in the fastest possible manner."
In support of service research, service innovation, and SSME, there are now 27 SSME research
innovation centers at universities around the world. These centers offer practical experience
and industry participation to interdisciplinary teams of university researchers. IBM also advises
on student competitions that improve service systems to create a smarter planet, as well as
sponsors award programs for both students and faculty, around SSME.
More information about SSME is available at www.ibm.com/university/ssme, and more
information about IBM's overall University Programs and Academic Initiative is available at
www.ibm.com/press/university.
Contact(s) information
Tim Willeford
IBM Media Relations
914-766-3389
twilleford@us.ibm.com