Ryerson and ESG UQAM tie for first in 2nd annual National BTM Student Case Competition
TORONTO, ON (April 16, 2018) – The Information Technology Association of Canada (ITAC) Business Technology Management Forum, and IT World Canada are pleased to announce Ryerson University and the Université du Québec à Montréal École des sciences de la gestion [School of Management (ESG UQAM)] as joint winners of the second National BTM Student Case Competition. Concordia University placed third.
The Competition challenged post-secondary student teams enrolled in Business Technology (BTM) programs to apply their IT and business training to a real-world situation they might face as BTM professionals. Participants were responsible for submitting a case study analyzing recommendations for the Calgary Drop-in Centre and Rehabilitation Centre (DI) legacy Donor and Volunteer Information System. Student submissions were reviewed for innovativeness, creativity and relevance, including measurable business outcomes.
Ryerson University and ESG UQAM will equally share $7,500 in prize money – the total amount of funds awarded to the first and second place winners), sponsored by ITAC, Symbility Intersect and IBM[i]. Concordia will receive a $1,500 prize, sponsored by Moneris.
As part of the Competition, participating BTM student teams also competed in a Blog Post Competition, responding to the question “Autonomous cars: Good or bad?”. The teams had two weeks to promote their submission, with 50 per cent of their final score being based on web traffic to their post, and 50 per cent of the final score based on editorial criteria, determined by the ITWC Editorial Judging Board. ITAC and IT World would like to recognize Simon Fraser University (SFU) Beedie School of Business as winner of in January. The team will share a monetary prize of $1000 sponsored by FDM Group.
Quotes
“Congratulations to every student team that made a submission to this year’s competition. Whether you won or not, it is abundantly clear that you all have a clear understanding of what it will take to innovate, lead and make a positive impact on organizations across the country, no matter what industry you work in. Your ability to collaborate and think critically will help you succeed – and we look forward to learning more about your successes in the future.”
Robert Watson, President and CEO, ITAC
“The blend of business and technology skills cultivated in this competition is exactly what Canada’s business eco-system is hungry for right now. Seeing students breakdown and solve for problem in the real world, whether it’s the disruptive change of autonomous cars or the systems of a rehabilitation centre, shows that we can foster the talent needed for a bright future right here in Canada. Congratulations to the winners of the overall competition and to the winners of the blogging contest that we were pleased to host.”
Brian Jackson, Editorial Director, ITWC
For more information please contact:
Janet Gibson Eichner, Director, Communications, ITAC
Tel: 905-602-8345 ext. 2235
Email: jgibson_eichner@itac.ca
About Business Technology Management Forum
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. The BTM Forum was founded in 2016 by the Information Technology Association of Canada (ITAC) as an autonomous marquee umbrella organization to build on the Business Technology Management (BTM) initiative. The BTM Forum is the leading organization for professionals with Business Technology Management acumen. The BTM Forum focusses on sharing best practices and creating new knowledge to advance the domain of professional practice. Interaction on an ongoing basis is an important part of this.
About Information Technology Association of Canada (ITAC)
As Canada’s national ICT business association, 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.
[i] For the 2018 National BTM Competition, the teams from Ryerson University and ESG UQAM tied for first place. Based on judging criteria, the third-place winner did not qualify for second place. The tied first place winners will equally split the prize money set aside to be awarded to both a first and second place winner.