IBM has reached an agreement with The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras for providing computing solutions to the institute, the company said in a statement. The solutions can be used to improve the quality of the education process, introduce new curricula and prepare students for jobs in the future, the company stated. The Indian Institute of Science Education and Research ( IISER), Bhopal, Karunya University – Coimbatore, and the Shiv Nadar University ( SNU) are the other institutes to have selected IBM’s computing solutions. The institutes have selected System x iDataPlex servers, IBM PureSystems, IBM Power servers and storage solutions, virtualization equipment and software for research, refining processes and for enhancing the IT infrastructure in the universities. “With education being high on the public agenda, and with students, professors and the society calling out for new ideas and solutions for better and new skills, the agreement between IBM and these leading universities in India, recognises the increasing relevance of smarter computing as an approach to IT,” Tobby Kakkamthottil, midmarket and inside sales leader, IBM India/South Asia said in a statement. “IBM’s smarter computing approach enables organisations of any size – from mid-market clients to large enterprises, leading universities or the state administration – to optimize their business processes and gain competitive advantage, spurring growth,” he added. Commenting on the collaboration, professor Sunil Kumar from IIT Madras stated: “If universities are to produce highly qualified students in the various branches of science, they need to focus on integrating science education and research with advanced information technologies. They need to consider adding super computing capacity.” Source: Education News