For Immediate Release
April 3, 2017
Ryerson Wins First National BTM (Business Technology Management) Student Case Competition
TORONTO, ON – The Information Technology Association of Canada (ITAC) and IT World Canada are pleased to announce Ryerson University is the winner of the first National BTM Student Case Competition.
The competition asked participating post-secondary student teams from Business Technology Management (BTM) programs across the country to perform a case study analyzing recommendations for smarter web analytics product offerings for a high-end, invite-only digital branding firm. The competition challenged students to apply their IT and business training to a real world situation they might face as BTM professionals.
After careful deliberation, the judges are pleased to announce the following winning student teams:
- Ryerson University will receive a $5000 prize sponsored by Rogers
- University of Calgary will receive a $2500 prize sponsored by IBM
- Simon Fraser University will receive a $1500 prize sponsored by Moneris
Honourable mention goes to the student teams from UQAR and UQAM for their participation. All student videos are available for viewing on itactalent.ca here.
Shahab Rahimi, one of the judges of the competition, said the participating teams were, “a refreshing pool of talented students working towards greatness.”
How Results Were Determined
Student submissions were reviewed for innovativeness, creativity and relevance. Judges sought to understand how each recommendation involved the innovative use of Business Technology Management (BTM) while providing measurable business outcomes.
“The insights the students generated, along with the creative solutions they proposed bode well for Canada’s future,” said judge Richard May. “These students have great potential to become true BTM leaders.”
Ryerson University also won the preparatory blog competition that took place in the fall. The team took home a monetary prize of $1,000 sponsored by FDM Group.
Industry leaders worked together to review the students’ case study reports and video submissions to reach a conclusion. The judging panel included the following professionals and academics:
- Andrew Lo, President and COO, Kanetix Ltd.
- Paul Crowe, CEO, Symbility Intersect
- Houda Trabelsi, Faculty Member, Faculty of Business, Athabasca University
- Richard May, Mentor, The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta and the Haskayne School of Business
- Shahab Rahimi, Academy Trainer, FDM Group
ITAC looks forward to building on this year’s momentum to create an even bigger event with more participating schools next year.
For more background on the BTM Student Case Competition, visit itactalent.ca here.
For media information please contact:
Gina van Dalen
Managing Director, ITAC Talent
gvandalen@itac.ca
About Business Technology Management
Business Technology Management (BTM) was introduced in 2009 at the undergraduate level in response to the feedback that new ICT graduates didn’t have the business skills needed by organizations today. BTM programs prepare professionals who have the knowledge, skills and competencies to lead and support the effective, competitive use of information technologies. Since its development in 2009, BTM has impacted thousands of graduates and is currently offered at more than 20 post-secondary institutions across Canada. BTM applications are rising by an average of 24 per cent per year.
About ITAC
As Canada’s national ICT business association, the Information Technology Association of Canada (ITAC) champions the development of a robust and sustainable digital economy in Canada. A vital connection between business and government, we provide our members with the advocacy, networking and professional development services that help them to thrive nationally and compete globally. The ICT sector generates one million jobs directly and indirectly and invests $4.9 billion annually in R&D, more than any other private sector performer. For more information about ITAC visit www.itac.ca.
ITAC Talent was formed in 2007 with the goal of proactively addressing the long-term talent and skills requirements of Canadian businesses, government and organizations. We are creating the skills for the digital economy and growing the talent pipeline. We inspire young people to choose technology careers, help transform education to accelerate the flow of talented people from all backgrounds into technology careers, support diversity in the industry, and help shape public policy to support the growth of talent. For more information about ITAC Talent visit www.itactalent.ca.
About IT World Canada
IT World Canada served as the “Media Sponsor” for the National BTM Student Competition, helping promote the competition and to feature these top Business Technology students.
IT World Canada (itworldcanada.com) is the leading Canadian online resource for IT professionals working in medium to large enterprises, and creates daily news content, produces a daily newsletter and features IT professionals who blog on topics of industry interest. More than 75,000 IT executives and professionals – representing 70 per cent of the buying power in Canada – turn to IT World Canada for the information they trust. IT World Canada provides industry-leading digital titles that include CanadianCIO.com, ITBusiness.ca, ComputerDealerNews.com and Directioninformatique.com.