IST offers IT consulting resources to companies, organizations

IST offers IT consulting resources to companies, organizations

University Park, Pa.-The Penn State School of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) is offering faculty-led student IT consulting teams to corporations and non-profit organizations through its new IST Consulting Solutions Program.

Corporately sponsored, the program provides business partners with assistance on IT-related projects while also benefiting students with client-focused work experience. Projects typically involve teams of four to five students enrolled in various IST classes that focus on project management and consulting.

Projects during the program's pilot phase have included development and implementation of a corporate intranet; design and prototyping of corporate systems provisioning portal; and a storage area network architecture plan. Deliverables have ranged from fully developed systems to feasibility studies and design analysis.

"IST is in the forefront of IT education, and the support that we have received from corporations affirms this," said James B. Thomas, dean of IST. "These close corporate partnerships ensure our program is meeting the fast-paced needs of the IT industry."

Organizations that sponsor projects must commit to "meeting" the student team weekly through telephone or videoconference; reviewing project status reports and providing feedback; and evaluating project outcomes.

In addition, sponsors pay a project commitment fee. These funds support project expenses and are used to cover overhead and other operating expenses.

The IST Consulting Solutions Program is being sponsored by CAI, a national IT consulting firm headquartered in Pennsylvania with offices through North America, Europe and the Philippines.

To learn more about the IST Consulting Program, contact Brian Cameron at bcameron@ist.psu.edu, 814-865-4509, or visit: http://ist.psu.edu/partners/corporate/consulting.