25 November 2008

Top Product Managers Help University of Dundee Computing Students Hone their Business Management Skills

*** Photo opportunity - 13.15, Thursday November 27th
Queen Mother Building, Balfour Place,
Computing students presenting solutions to product managers

The 'next gen' Scottish computer software students reveal the technology marketing secrets they’ve learned from a unique module taught this autumn at the University of Dundee.

2in10 Ltd, a technology venture management firm based in Glasgow, has an agreement with the University’s School of Computing to incorporate its own intellectual property in Product Management and Product Marketing into the School's existing BSc degree courses in E-Commerce Computing and Applied Computing. 2in10’s directors and specialist associates have taught the students about global technology and product marketing techniques and processes and how to design a commercially-focused product development process. A number of active Scottish technology entrepreneurs have also delivered case study projects.

The students were set a product management task. They each interviewed 2-3 product managers of high-profile technology companies / corporations face-to-face or by telephone. They will present their findings to the companies, and their tutors, in a series of 20 minute interactive presentations, and will be judged by an expert panel. The top students will receive cash prizes from HoundDog Technology, which has supported the student task.

'This has been a fantastic opportunity for our students to work with top professionals right at the cutting edge of big business: it’s great that we are leading the way in this important Higher Education collaboration.' said Professor Peter Gregor, Dean of the School of Computing.

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.'

NOTES TO EDITORS

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; Gordon Stuart, founder and CEO of Spectra, and North American Director Tim Scannell, founder and President of Shoreline Research, based in Boston, MA (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.

To date 2in10 has worked with over 15 early to mid-stage companies in a range of software, electronics and device manufacturing sectors and has trained over 300 members of technology sector management teams.

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:
Peter Gregor pgregor@computing.dundee.ac.uk, Mob 07855 234715 Tel 01382 384145

For media enquiries contact:
Roddy Isles
Head, Press Office
University of Dundee
Nethergate Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384910
E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk