23 November 2007

Software Students win cash prizes for Product Marketing skills

November 26 2007 - Dundee, UK

Eight undergraduate software engineers have won cash prizes totalling £600 for their Product Marketing skills during a revolutionary new programme launched by Dundee University's School of Computing.

Their achievements were celebrated by Dundee-based entrepreneur Chris van der Kuyl, who told the students at a presentation: "A product management focus is what every software and IT business needs if it is to survive."

The prizes - donated by Bank of Scotland Growth Equity and technology venture management group 2in10 - were awarded by a judging panel of senior technology executives for the students' competing presentations about their qualifying project. The panel was chaired by Lawrence Ross, Senior Director of OEM Platforms for SUN Microsystems, and involved Jim McGonigal, Business Manager, Raytheon Systems, David Booth, head of product marketing at Wolfson Microelectronics and Alastair Balfour, chairman of 2in10. First prize, of £300, went to 4th year student Suzanne Prior.

The presentations were the climax of a new Technology Innovation Management module introduced this year by Dundee University' School of Computing, in partnership with 2in10 which provided its intellectual property in Product Management and Product Marketing for incorporation into the School's existing BSc degree courses in E-Commerce Computing and Applied Computing. The elective module was taught by 2in10's directors and associates and University of Dundee specialists in IP and technology transfer. Scottish technology entrepreneurs presented case studies, and students were introduced to University of Dundee initiatives to encourage enterprise and entrepreneurial skills, such as the Enterprise Gym and the pre-incubator Greenhouse.

"The judges were impressed by the students' capacity to absorb the demanding processes involved in Product Management, and by the quality of their presentations," said Lawrence Ross.

Professor Peter Gregor, Dean of the School of Computing, added: "We have all benefited greatly from the generous input of the industry experts who have given their time to help teach this module. Our students will now be able to take real-world expertise into the jobs market when they graduate."

The Technology Innovation Management module covers such issues as:

• An overview of global technology marketing techniques and processes
• The characteristics of a market-led product development culture
• How to design a commercially-focused product development process
• Gathering Market Requirements
• Applying Product Marketing techniques
• IP, copyright, due diligence, and technology transfer

David Farquhar, 2in10 CEO, added: "We strongly believe that today's software engineering graduates need technical marketing skills and knowledge to be able to help their companies to build genuinely commercial products that markets want to buy. We have distilled over 300 years of technology product marketing and sales experience in to our programmes, and are delighted to be able to deploy them for the benefit of students at Dundee University's School of Computing."

About 2in10 - www.2in10.com

2in10 is a venture management firm founded in 2005 in Glasgow, Scotland with the aim of improving the growth rate of the indigenous UK technology sector, by applying globally recognised industry-specific best practise in marketing and sales.

The 2in10 team comprises seasoned technology industry veterans, each a domain specialist in one of the key areas of product management, product marketing, third party sales channel design, direct and in-direct sales management and product engineering.

Managing Directors of the organisation include: David Farquhar, founder and CEO of Idesta and COO of the Interactive University; Alastair Balfour, co-founder and MD of Insider Group; Benny Placido, CEO of Pilgrim Systems, and North American Director Tim Scannell, founder and President of Shoreline Research, based in Boston (USA).

Collectively, the 2in10 team offers 350 years sales and marketing experience in the technology sector, delivered by coaching, knowledge transfer and interim management. The company maintains offices in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Boston, Tokyo, the UK and Dubai and is dedicated to helping companies drive the recruitment and management of channel partners in key target markets in North America, Asia and Europe.

About the School of Computing - www.computing.dundee.ac.uk

Computing at Dundee aims to be at the forefront of developing inter-disciplinary research and teaching. Core programmes relate to Assistive & Healthcare Technologies, Computational Research, Space Technology, and Interactive Systems. Teaching takes place in the award-winning new Queen Mother Building.

For more information on 2in10 Ltd please contact:
David Farquhar david.farquhar@2in10.com Mob: 0780 144 2074, Tel: 0141 404 6318

For more information on the School of Computing please contact:
Professor Peter Gregor geri@computing.dundee.ac.uk (PA), Tel +44 1382 384145

For media enquiries contact:
Anna Day
Press Office
University of Dundee
Nethergate Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384768
E-MAIL: a.c.day@dundee.ac.uk