[25 June 2009]
Singapore Management University banks on Sun Microsystems

SMU and SUN collaborate to foster technology innovation in the financial services industry

Singapore, 25 June 2009 – Sun Microsystems and the Singapore Management University (SMU), through its School of Information Systems (SIS), today announced plans to collaborate on promoting academic and research interactions related to the Technology & Operational aspects of the Financial Services industry.

As part of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by Sun and SMU SIS today, Sun will draw upon its extensive experience in providing technology and infrastructure solutions to firms in the Financial Services industry to contribute to the development of new content for courses on banking technology at SMU. Sun, SMU and industry partners will hold regular educational updates, demonstrations and tours for SMU SIS students at the “Bank-on-Sun Center”, located at the Sun Solution Center.

The Bank-on-Sun Center is a showcase for Sun's vision of next-generation retail banks. The showcase demonstrates innovative solutions for the future of banking, where banks can operate in flexible, open-concept environments; engage customers via mobile and web 2.0 channels; and execute sales campaigns through self-service automated terminals.

To truly engage and provide an end-to-end banking experience for their customers, banks will have to address their needs on all channels: retail, mobile and web 2.0 social networks for ongoing feedback. This vision includes solutions such as thin client desktops, where bank employees enjoy mobility within a bank branch, or work off-site to facilitate higher levels of services for their customers.

Through this MOU, SMU SIS students will be given around-the-clock access to the Bank-on-Sun Center. The students will be given the opportunities to explore how service delivery processes, software solutions and hardware infrastructure can work together to create the types of service delivery and personalized experience that will define the bank of the future. This will prepare them to use and leverage new technology in ways that will drive business advancements for tomorrow's banking industry.

“This partnership between SMU and Sun will nurture a new generation of professionals for the Financial Services industry,” said Ambreesh Khanna, Director, Global Financial Services industry, Sun Microsystems. “The specific skills that business technology students with hands-on experience bring will be crucial to meeting the operational and strategic growth interests of the financial sector.”

As part of the agreement, Sun executives will conduct regular educational updates and share insights on technology and process innovations and trends in retail banking and other segments of the Financial Services industry. In addition, Sun banking solutions experts will actively provide corporate support, technical input, feedback, and case study examples for course materials related to SMU SIS modules on banking processes and technology. Sun will also field guest lecturers to share insights of global business and technology trends in the Financial Services industry.

The MOU will expand opportunities for SMU SIS undergraduate and postgraduate students to get hands-on experience with implementing and testing new banking technology solutions for service delivery. Students taking SMU SIS courses related to banking processes, technology, and integrated solutions will now be able to undertake hands-on projects for their courses or for their capstone “Final Year Project” requirement at the Bank-on-Sun Center. Access to this center will improve the practical value of capstone project work undertaken by both SMU SIS undergraduate and post-graduate students.

Also, through this MOU, the two organizations will jointly organize Sun-SMU Solution Days where projects completed by SMU SIS students using Sun technology or in collaboration with Sun's partner solutions are showcased.

“SMU and Sun's partnership is a reflection of how both organizations are open to collaboration,” said Chan Kong Hoe, Global Industry Development Director, Financial Services Industry, Worldwide, Sun Microsystems. “This joint effort creates meaningful opportunities for SMU students beyond the confines of the classroom, and gives them greater exposure to the business community and commercial projects. Clearly, this enhances their practical skill sets and value-add when they enter the workforce.”

“We are committed to pursuing innovations in educational delivery and student learning that will that enable our SMU SIS students to more powerfully leverage the capabilities of Information Technology in business settings. This new partnership with Sun is a great example of an innovative approach to educational efforts related to banking that helps our students learn in more interesting ways, and also helps industry to get more R&D done. The partnership also exemplifies how we use the ‘Real-World of Business' as our living laboratory for educating our students, and for preparing them for the complexities and demands of their future professional work,” said Professor Steven Miller, Dean of the SMU School of Information Systems. “In addition, this MOU recognizes that our growing array of educational initiatives for preparing Technology & Operations technical professionals and managers for the banking industry are recognized as being world-class.”

About Sun Microsystems, Inc.

Sun Microsystems develops the technologies that power the global marketplace. Guided by a singular vision -- "The Network is the Computer" -- Sun drives network participation through shared innovation, community development and open source leadership. Sun can be found in more than 100 countries and on the Web at http://sun.com or at http://sg.sun.com for Asia South.

About the School of Information Systems, Singapore Management University (SMU)

SMU's School of Information Systems (SIS) is globally recognized for its educational and research initiatives that integrate deep Information Technology capabilities with business settings and management issues. SIS was launched in SMU in 2003 with a strategic partnership with Carnegie Mellon University, and this partnership continues to this day. SIS has over 900 students across it bachelors, masters and Ph.D programmes.

The School's Bachelor of Science (Information Systems Management) programme produces Business-IT Professionals with the capability to apply innovative information technology solutions in business settings. BSc (ISM) students and graduates work in every sector of the economy in a wide range of job roles ranging from Software and IT technology specialists, to hybrid Business-IT professionals, to consultants, and also as IT-savvy business and management professionals.

The School of Information Systems has established itself as a recognized global leader in bachelor and master's level educational degree programmes aligned with the needs of Technology & Operations professionals in the global banking industry. At the undergraduate level, SIS offers a concentration track in Banking Processes & Solutions in its BSc (ISM) curriculum.

At the master's level, the School has pioneered a professional master's degree specifically focused on grooming senior managers and consultants for Banking Technology & Operations professional roles. The Master of IT in Business (Financial Services), launched in 2007, has been co-designed with the banking industry. The programme works closely with global banking eco-system, including the end-user banking organizations, the providers of technology, solutions and consulting services, the regulatory authorities, and banking industry-related associations to continuously update and revise the curriculum, and to deliver the programme. Through these close connections with the industry, we bring “the world of banking” into the classroom, and we bring the learning experience out of the classroom and into the “the real-world of banking.”