NEW DELHI – 04 Aug 2010: Continuing to foster greater innovation through joint research collaboration with world-class academic institutions in India, IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced an Open Collaboration Research (OCR) project with the Industrial Design Centre (IDC) at the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT Bombay). The unique research collaboration will focus on the development of new designs for mobile device interfaces that can easily be used by people who are semiliterate or illiterate, as well as individuals who have limited or no access to information technology.
“IBM believes that close collaborative innovation with world-class academic institutions such as IIT Bombay, is the key to finally bridging the digital divide and putting the power of information sources and services in everyone’s hands,” said Dr. Manish Gupta, Director, IBM Research – India and Chief Technologist, IBM India/SA. “Mobile devices are becoming omnipresent. Together, IBM and IIT Bombay will develop smarter technologies around mobile devices that will help individuals and businesses around the world transcend many boundaries – geographical, economic and social.”
The new research partnership with IIT Bombay is the third such engagement in India under IBM’s OCR program. In March this year, IBM announced an OCR project with the National Institute of Design (NID). It was preceded by an OCR engagement with the Indian School of Business (ISB).
For more information about the Open Collaborative Research program, visit
For more information about IBM’s mobile web initiative, visit
About IIT Bombay
Industrial Design Centre (IDC) at IIT Bombay offers an excellent environment for academics, research and applications in the field of design. The aim of the Industrial Design Center is to prepare students to enter into new creative activities as designers and design researchers. IDC has masters and PhD programs in the areas of Industrial Design, Visual Communication, Interaction Design. Animation and Mobility. The education program at IDC is a unique mix of pedagogic experimentation with pragmatic design approach and blends hard-core problem solving with design research. New thoughts, philosophies and research into several aspects of design are experimented and integrated to have continuous revitalization of the academic program at IDC. Faculty members and students work on several areas of design research, including design pedagogy, design for development, design methods, design management, creativity and problem solving, ergonomics, aesthetics, design traditions, crafts etc.
*Source: IBM
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